Ralph E. Hanson, Second Edition
HomeWeblogChaptersCh. 1: Living in a Media WorldCh. 2: The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long TailCh. 3: Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media InteractCh. 4: Books: The Birth of the Mass MediaCh. 5: Magazines: The Power of Words and ImagesCh. 6: Newspapers: Reflection of a Democratic SocietyCh. 7: Sound: Music and Talk Across MediaCh. 8: Movies: Mass-Producing EntertainmentCh. 9: Television: Broadcast, Cable and BeyondCh. 10: The Internet: Mass Communication Gets PersonalCh. 11: Advertising: Selling a MessageCh. 12: Public Relations: Manufacturing the NewsCh. 13: Media Law: Free Speech and FairnessCh. 14: Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of DecencyCh. 15: Global Media: Communication Around the WorldAbout the BookAbout the AuthorHelp
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Chapter 10: The Internet

Exercises

1. The ability for anyone to put just about anything on the Internet is positive and negative. It allows anyone to become a message provider, but also creates an environment where untruths and rumors can spread quickly and uncontrollably. Describe a damaging rumor or myth that spread over the Internet. Did you do any investigating to find out if the information was factual or fictitious? If so, where did you look?


2. When you turn to the Internet for news, do you find that you normally search out traditional news media sites, or long tail media sites? What is the basis for your preference? What do your preferred do better in the presentation of the news in comparison to other sites?

3. Personal privacy is something people take very seriously in their everyday lives, yet some of those same people give it little thought while surfing online. Some online tracking is obvious, as with Amazon.com, which simply features similar items on their main page to repeat visitors who have browsed or purchased something from their site. Other tracking is not so obvious.

•  Source: Who is keeping track of Internet user's online activity?

•  Analyze & Reflect: What is to be gained by monitoring Internet usage? Who benefits? At what point is monitoring your online interactions an invasion of privacy?

•  Examine: Should all Web sites that use technology to monitor the behavior of visitors to their site be forced to openly and obviously mention to visitors that their activities are potentially being tracked?

•  Conclude: Have you ever had an online experience that you felt tested the bounds of your personal privacy?