Thursday, December 1, 2011

Media Law & Ethics

This post was never planned.


 Do u know that feeling of leaving the movie theater and wanting to change the world? As if the protagonists in the film fell on the lap of your reality & you need to help them reach their goal, which ultimately becomes your momentary short-lived objective too? Its like a temporary high - 10 minutes later, you are cussing the Vallet who scratched your car - reality check, BEIRUT.


Anyway, I just came out of my "Media Law & Ethics" class and I'm still caught up in that "temporary high" - I haven't had any reality encounters yet, so I'll say it again: This post isn't planned, it's a result of {my inspirational teacher Yasmine - Media Law & Ethics - Fiery class debates and controversies & of course some great hot coco at caribou cafe}


Here are a few interesting facts/theories/notions/quotes/whatever's that I learnt so far this Fall semester:


 * " It's easy to miss something when you're not looking for it " 
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv52aetAtQ


* Do our eyes see? Or do our brains see? -- As humans, we perceive things as "we are" not as "they are"


* minor/unconscious factors that make the media subjective: 
LANGUAGE: Language does not only reflect reality, it actively changes it. For ex, "falling inlove" creates expectations about the love experience. What if I want to live inlove? struggle inlove? survive inlove? --- who are YOU to tell me that I need to "FALL inlove" when I'm afraid of heights?
Language is political, it's never neutral therefore it actively changes our reality.


* "Media in Lebanon was originally created to be political organs" says Maalouf. Media has become an active player rather than a non participant observer.
News Papers= View Papers.


* The Western world categorizes us as " Blind followers of our political leaders " but here's the thing , at least we are activists who live for a cause (whatever it is) -- Maybe they claim to have democratic & liberal rights, but If it's not politics, its business that's ruling them. 85% of their income lies in the hands of 2% of the population. So please, spare us the lecture. Is corporate power better than political power? Who knows ..


Here's what was leaked out of  Michael Eisner's office (former Disney ceo, aka- childhood dream maker):  " We have no obligation to make art, we have no obligation to make history, we have no obligation to make a statement. To make money is our only objective. "
--- enjoy your fairy tales while you still can children because this is the world that's about to suck you in, there's no escape.


* Remember the famous "money makes the world go round" phrase that we were fed to believe as a children? .. Well, here's a fun fact for you: "I give private information on corporations to you for free, & I'm the VILLAN" (Julian Assange, owner of Wikileaks) - Vs- "I give private information to corporations for money and I'm man of the year!" (Mark Zuckerberg,owner of facebook) hah, the irony


* Journalist, author and White House member "Helen Thomas" was forced to resign under accusations of anti-Semitism in the US (the most liberal country that was supposedly built on the grounds of "freedom") - Here's why she was asked to resign: 
PS: cheers to freedom of speech and opinions! Baloney! 


Radio Interview:


Nesenoff : Any comments on Israel?
Helen: Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine
N: Any better comments?
H: hahaha remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, it's not Poland.
N: So where should they go? What should they do?
H: They can go home.
N: Where's home?
H: Poland, Germany.
N: So you're saying the jews go back to Poland and Germany?
H: & America and everywhere else. Why push people out of these who have lived there for centuries? See?
N: Are you familiar with the history of that region?
H: Very much, I am of arab background
N: I see, do u speak arabic?
H: Very little. We were too busy americanizing our parents. All the best to you.




& the guy next to me spills his coffee! Award winning ending -- temporary high, your time is up.


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