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Introduction:

Most of the media in the USA, a nation that has hundreds of TV channels, are owned by four very large corporations that also control media and information in many other countries. These media report what the owners want them to tell and are therefore powerful tools in the hands of multinational corporations, who thus control the so-called &ldquo;public opinion&rdquo;. Also in Europe the mainstream media is owned by very few and therefore also reflects the interests of a small elite.

The internet on the other hand gives access to nearly limitless amounts of information within all areas of life, but you need to be able to sort and find the information you want and be able to analyze if the source of information you find is reliable or not.&nbsp; Social media like face book, twitter and YouTube and many more networks have grown and are used as daily sources of communication around private issues, ideas, thoughts or experiences. They are also used as tools to get out information that the mainstream media will not report about or organize protests like in the Occupy Movement or in the Egypt uprising. The fight for the control of the internet has started. There are many economic interests at play as well as the battle of power and control of the public opinion and people that are marginalized.

Directive:

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1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Read and discuss the Media Pamphlet as an introduction to the theme. Read it in 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;smaller groups and discuss in between reading. Each group discusses examples 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;from own experiences with mainstream media. Can they be trusted? When? Why 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;can you or can you not trust them? What does each one of us do to keep informed 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;about what is going on? Which media do we use? (3 hours) 
 
2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Read History Front: The US Media Monopolies (1 hour) 
 
3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the article &ldquo;Power of the Media&rdquo; by John Pilger (1 hour) 
 
4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Find and describe 3 examples of how news reporting is seen from the point of view 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;of US multinational companies and thus is supportive of their economic and 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; political interests. Hang your examples on the wall for the team to see. (1 hour) 
 
5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;See the Film Outfoxed (1 hour) 
 
6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Discuss the influence that Fox News has got on people and the political agenda 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; in United States. Discuss examples like global warming, the Iraq war, the scandal 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;about Clinton&rsquo;s affair and other examples you find relevant. What are the 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;consequences of this influence? (1 hour) 
 
7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is good journalism and where can it be found? Decide 5 different news 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;channels that you will watch the news on. How are the stories about real people 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;told? What ideals do they promote and how? What background information did 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;you get that might lead you to understand better a conflict or incident that was 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;on the news? Did the news raise unanswered questions? Which? Write a 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;conclusion on the above questions giving examples from the news channels you 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;have watched. (3 hours) 
 
8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the following articles:

&ldquo;The Tech Lab&rdquo;, by Paul Twomey, BBC 
&ldquo;The Zapatista and internet&rdquo; 
"Is the &ldquo;Social Media&rdquo; really changing the News World?, by Jared Cohen 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(1 hour)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Discuss the significance of the internet, pros and cons today and how you see 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;the future of this media. ( 1 hour)

Each student should write an essay on &ldquo;Modern Media&rdquo; of at least 3 pages. The essay together with a short conclusion from your studies and the discussions you have participated in should be sent to OWU. (3 hours). 
 
 
FILES:

F1.&nbsp; &nbsp;US Media Monopolies. History Front chapter 92.&nbsp; 
 
F2.&nbsp; &nbsp;Pamphlet Media, OWU 2011 
 
F3.&nbsp; &nbsp;Pilger power of media, from BBC NEWS | Technology | The Tech Lab: by 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Paul Twomey 
 
F4.&nbsp; &nbsp;Social media advantages, Jared Cohen: Is "Social Media" Really Changing the 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;World?&nbsp; 
 
F5.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;BBC NEWS | Technology | The Tech Lab: Paul Twomey 
 
F6.&nbsp; &nbsp;Zapatista and Internet, The Zapatista Effect: The Internet and the rise of an 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;alternative political fabric | libcom.org&nbsp;&nbsp;by Harry Clever

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