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The document discusses several key concepts in media ecology: 1. Neil Postman founded the field of media ecology at New York University to study the process and structure of media rather than just the products. 2. Jaques Ellul argued that efficiency is prioritized over all other considerations in technological systems, supporting this with the example of losing human connection by relying on technology to provide information like the weather. 3. Douglas Rushkoff warned about the use of longstanding persuasive techniques coupled with information technologies to manipulate consumers, which has been borne out by modern targeted online advertising informed by search histories.

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Keith Gruber
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13 views2 pages

Pages3 8

The document discusses several key concepts in media ecology: 1. Neil Postman founded the field of media ecology at New York University to study the process and structure of media rather than just the products. 2. Jaques Ellul argued that efficiency is prioritized over all other considerations in technological systems, supporting this with the example of losing human connection by relying on technology to provide information like the weather. 3. Douglas Rushkoff warned about the use of longstanding persuasive techniques coupled with information technologies to manipulate consumers, which has been borne out by modern targeted online advertising informed by search histories.

Uploaded by

Keith Gruber
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pages 3-8

Q1. Strate notes that , We put the word media in the front of the word ecology to
suggest that we were not simply interested in media, but in the ways in which the
interaction between media and human beings gives a culture its character (p. 3).

How has media given the culture you live in its characteristics?

Media has created a cultural idea of beauty that would not be found in society if it were not
for commercials and other forms of media projecting perfection brainwashing society.

Q2. What does, the medium is the message mean to you?

When I read "the medium in the message" I believe it is the way in which someone tries to
present a certain message within the media. For example a propaganda film might use a
cartoon to distract from subliminal messages of who to vote for and such.

Pages 15-19

Q1. Briefly discuss what field of study Neil Postman was working in when he stumbled
on Media Ecology?

Neil Postman was a doctoral student in the 1950s, studying about language and
communication under Louis Forsdale at Columbia Universitys Teachers College. Neil
Postman founded the Media Ecology program at New York university after following and
studying the work of Marshall McLuhan. The program focused on the process and structure
rather than the product.

Q2. In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman (1989) makes the move that our

image culture trivializes serious discourse, e.g., news, politics,

religion, and education (p. 19).

Do you find his statement to true 25 years later? Defend your response.
Yes I find the statement to still hold truth in today's society. Because our society has become
a culture that reads even less and just looks at pictures people assume without context
therefore making it trivial. I see this on facebook every day with people talking about politics
when all they did was see one photo and assume the rest.

Pages 28-38

Q1. Jaques Ellul (1964)- the most pessimistic of the Media Ecologists noted in Strates
article said the following; Efficiency is the only thing that matters in a technological
system, so all other considerations are subordinated to efficiency, if not eliminated
outright (p.28).

What aspects(provide an example) of our current technological/media criticism


supports Elluls statement?

One thing I can think of off the top of my head is loss of human connection from just
wondering what the weather is today. You can ask your phones AI and they will tell you or
you can open the app and find out without reading the paper or even listen to a real person
on tv tell you what it will be like.

Q2. Rushkoff warns against the use of longstanding persuasive techniques coupled

with information technologies employed to manipulate consumers and citizens. (p.


31).

How has RushKoffs warning been borne out in the 15 years since he first mentioned
it?

As I type on this on my computer I see ads that are targeted towards me that have been
informed through my previous search history. I believe that this form of commercial
manipulation is what RushKoff was warning about 15 years ago.

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