...Ferguson

The situation in Ferguson was blown entirely out of control. The media framed certain situations to make one side or the other look better. For instance, we heard the media express how Michael Brown was unarmed, however, they failed to address that the officer reported being assaulted prior to the shooting. It seemed the media wanted to put a certain spin on the situation, yet did not want to address the other aspects of the case. 

Because of this, people did not get a true vision of the entirety of the situation. The media bias left a significant bias within individuals thinking, and so, people could not see the situation from an unbiased perspective. I was disappointed that the evidence presented was presented with a spin, instead of actually just relaying the evidence without bias. It seems the media is great at taking a side, specifically an emotional side, without addressing the true nature of issues. 

You deserve the simple truth, imagine, you decide

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-luntz/words-2011_b_829603.html
Although this article was foreshadowing powerful words for 2011, I believe these words to have as much as an impact today as 4 yeas ago. This was a great refresher on a communications class, particularly how to grab an individuals attention at the start of a sentence. Didn’t the title of my blog post grab your attention?

 Unfortunately it wis not my best, but look at how perfectly I illustrated my point! I have to cut this one short, as I must finish editing my paper for experimental.

Reefer Madness in DC

It's tough to argue facts. Fact is, is that there have been no proven deaths caused by a marijuana overdose. Congressman Earl Blumenauer reiterated the fact, calling for the legalization of marijuana in Washington, D.C. 

Plain and simple, the best argument is one that is backed with proven facts; and marijuana legalization has just that. Now, publicly coming from a Congressman, it holds yet even more power as a statement. Voters take what authoritative figures say fairly seriously.
(....littering and...? sorry, I had to)

Thus, it's hard to ignore the impact this may have on individual's views about marijuana legalization.  Fact of the matter stands, if someone is able and stupid enough to smoke 20,000 joints..overdose might be the least of their worries.


Article/Video:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/13/pot-overdoses_n_6155752.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000013

Medical Marijuana?

Medical marijuana is one of the most controversial policies circling media coverage. There are many that oppose, and many that want to see medical marijuana become legal; for many different reasons. Though it can't be denied that marijuana has proven to be an effective treatment for epilepsy, and the side effects are relatively nonexistent. If the worst side effect for using marijuana for medical reasons is getting the munchies, then why are so many opposing it?

The answer is the same as the reasoning during the prohibition era. Morality seems to be the leading opposition, and the media is notorious for making you feel like a bad person for wanting to see medical marijuana legalized. But what the media isn't showing, is the overwhelming crisis our nation is facing; prescription pain pill addiction. It's a problem, and we have ignored it. Why? Because pharmaceutical companies make a killing off of something that's addictive. The same way tobacco companies profit so significantly. Medical marijuana however, has shown to have no addictive properties. Conspiracy? Possibly. But don't worry, companies like Warner will continue to suppress the voices of those who see medical marijuana as a cure for a multitude of reasons. It's about time for the nation to wake up, and listen to the families of the children who no longer suffer from hundreds of seizures daily, or the cancer patient who's pain isn't nearly as bad, and who can finally eat without vomiting every 5 seconds. So what's the problem? Oh yeah, big companies and the fact that they run the big media outlets. In all honesty, if driving slow, eating a lot of food, sleeping, and having the giggles are the worst effects of marijuana, what in the hell is stopping this bill from passing? Besides big business of course, oh yea and 2% of the Florida vote (while the majority 58% approve)..

Florida Yes on 2 Ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21J_wETC63I

"Why you gotta be so mean?"

VIDEO:
http://ht-mobile.cdn.turner.com/cnn/big/us/2014/10/31/mxp-north-carolina-girl-to-senate-candidates-be-nice.hln_3799566.mp4

The fact that it took an eight year old child to bring attention to the political ads that are getting out of hand is seriously unfortunate.

 Sure, as adults, we watch them and think nothing of the fact. Recently however, I have felt the same way as this child. "Just be nice." We sometimes forget that it's not just adults who are seeing these ads, it's our children too. Children are so easily influenced by emotion, and this type of campaigning is doing nothing more than making both candidates look bad. Political ads have shifted from explaining a candidates policies, to merely attacking their opponents. In fact, I'm not even sure if I actually know the candidates policies in my own state. All I know is that Michelle Nunn is a terrorist-funding replica of Obama according to Perdue, and that Perdue is a woman-hating, greedy person according to Nunn. But what's really the point of these ads? They do nothing but annoy the living hell out of us, and truthfully, make me not want to vote for either candidate, just like the young girl said. I'm not saying that candidates need to "be nice" to each other, but how about making yourself look good, instead of ridiculing an opponent 24/7? Needless to say, these ads are absurdly out of control, and it's about time someone brought it to their attention.

ARTICLE: http://www.mediaite.com/online/8-year-old-girl-tells-candidates-to-knock-it-off-with-negative-ads/

Got attack ads?

I think it's safe to say that the political ads between Michelle Nunn and David Perdue have gotten rather personal.

Nonetheless, they are without a doubt entertaining. David Perdue recently aired an ad with women talking about how Michelle Nunn fails to address any true political points, and how she consistently sides with President Obama. What was a priceless "retaliation" from Michelle Nunn was when she was trying to explain Perdue's ad, and still didn't actually address any of the concerns expressed by the women in Perdue's ad. It seems Perdue really holds the upper hand in terms of political advertising, and Nunn's party is just trying to explain everything Perdue is saying. More so, Nunn went on to talk about how she could "work with all parties, Republican's and Democrats." What truly makes me wonder about these ads, is does Nunn actually have a policy? Does she have a policy that she knows won't contend with Perdue, which is why she refuses to address these points through advertising? It seems relatively consistent that Perdue is straight forward with the tasks he wants to accomplish, yet Nunn is shying away from holding any true points of relevance. Needless to say, being passive won't win elections; being passive is actually proving Perdue's points even better.

Ad links:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9UHRD4QoMg&list=UUyHalTHvVcAbfRJtUDeTpWg

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB11dMrnY-U&index=4&list=UUpzou54VsjG3Os9WCuPyFug

Between Two Ferns: Obamacare

"Between Two Ferns" with Zach Galifinakis hosted President Obama during the roll-out of the infamous Affordable Care Act or better known Obama Care health plan. Without a doubt, President's go above and beyond to advertise policy, but there was nothing like the advertising of Obamacare. In all seriousness, as important and dramatic the policy was, President Obama thought hosting an "interview" on a comedy show would be a good way to explain the policy.

Because it's just hilarious to have people laughing about something so serious, all sarcasm intended. "Between Two Ferns" wasn't the only way Obamacare was advertised, and certainly not the only station that was eager to report it. The original plan which began in 2010, was highly unknown and many were unaware of what exactly the policy contained. Even after implementation, many have no idea what the policy truly entails; however, the small clauses that went unreported are now coming to life. The media really is to thank for the awareness of Obamacare, and really, the positive attention boosted support dramatically. Regardless of personal belief on the bill, it is obvious that pro-policy supporters really went above and beyond to make Obamacare the center of attention for many years. Even post-implementation, there is still nearly constant attention on Obamacare. It was honestly handled in such a way, that supporters went after every group possible, through many different channels. With Between Two Ferns, they attracted a younger, less political viewing audience. With coverage and interviews on CNN, and more news-based media, they gained attention from a more politically focused, older group of voters. At the end of the day, the media campaign of Obamacare was probably the most successful of any roll-out policy, even if the policy sucked entirely. Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnW3xkHxIEQ