What's the Media Covering?

I can’t stop thinking about the discussion on Fox News and the media in general. I’ve become critical of the media and have learned that not everything reported on the news can be taken as factual. There are a large number of opinions that are factored into news reports and it’s often difficult to decipher the fact from fiction. I don’t believe that our media diliberately reports fiction. I would argue that the majority of stories are based on facts. But uncovering those facts amongst the opinions is often the challenging part.

But as I thought of Fox News and the idea of whether or not the channel is “Fair and Balanced,” I began to think about what is on the news today. What are the news channels reporting? I’m throwing out the window for a moment whether or not it is saturated in opinions. I became curious as to what is news in America?

I think by looking at what our news stations are reporting you can kind of get a sense of what is important to Americans and more appropriately what do the few at the top who control the media see is important or newsworthy. First lets start with what isn’t important. I think it’s fair to say that the agenda for cable news is different than that of network news. According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, cable news covered a smaller percentage domestic issues, from the environment, to transportation, health care, Social Security, welfare, education, economics, race, gender and more (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2008).

Collectively, the broad range of domestic issues, everything except immigration, made up 13% of the the time on cable. The three topics of celebrity, crime and disasters accounted for 24% of cable’s time (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2008).

To break this down even further, if you were to have watched 5 hours of cable news, this is what you would have seen:
35 minutes about campaigns and elections
36 minutes about the debate over U.S. foreign policy
26 mminutes or more of crime
12 minutes of accidents and disasters
10 minutes of celebrity and entertainment

On the other hand, one would have seen:
1 minute and 25 seconds about the environment
1 minute and 22 seconds about education
1 minute about science and technology
3 minutes and 34 seconds about the economy
3 minutes and 46 seconds about health and health care
(Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2008)

So when thinking about my stance on the media in general, I conclude that the issues or news I feel is most important isn’t being covered. I would like to see more news on education, the economy, and other domestic issues. I wonder why statistically there isn’t as much news coverage. The percentages regarding the campaign and election make since as well as discussion on foreign policy since we are in a war. This is evidence that regardless of if a news channel claims to be “fair and balanced”, there doesn’t seem to be a fair and balanced amount of coverage regarding all the issues that affect Americans. I guess it leaves me wondering what exactly is news and what are the classification for something to be newsworthy. I think those classifications have changed over the years and will continue to change. It makes you thankful for the advancements in technology and that you can go many places to get whatever kind of news you want. Because it’s obvious that if you turn to cable news, you are only going to get what they want to give you.

Source

The State of the News Media, An Annual Report on American Journalism. Retrieved April 13, 2008, from http://stateofthemedia.org/2008/printable_cabletv_contentanalysis.htm.

What has the power to change everything?

What has the power to change everything? Power implies possession of ability to wield force, permissive authority, or substantial influence. Change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another. Everything needs no implication; it is simply all that exists. Three powerful words that when grouped together create quite an intense question. What has the power to change everything? In a word, it is technology. Technology is one thing that has changed our world and will continue to change it. Neil Postman describes technological change as being ecological as opposed to additive. He states, “A new medium does not add something; it changes everything.” (Postman 1998).
You could create an extensive list of technological advances that have changed the way we live. History would most definitely support Postman’s statement. The technological advancements that have occurred have without question changed all that exists is some way. Some have improved our lives and planet, while others have done the absolute opposite. One can argue both sides with any new medium, but Postman provided five insightful ideas regarding technological change that help guide future thoughts on these advancements and the affect they will without a doubt have on our lives.
According to Postman these are his five ideals. First, that we always pay a price for technology; the greater the technology, the greater the price. Second, that there are always winners and losers, and that the winners always try to persuade the losers that they are really winners. Third, that there is embedded in every great technology an epistemological, political or social prejudice. Fourth, technological change is not additive, it is ecological. And fifth, technology tends to become mythic; that is perceived as part of the natural order of things, and therefore tends to control more of our lives than is good for us (Postman 1998).
Postman helps identify some key issues that have to be addressed when looking at these advancements. There are destructive facets to technology. It is often hard to see things that essentially make your life easier as destructive. Ultimately human beings are responsible for the creation of our technologies, but not letting our creations control and eventually destroy us is the challenge. It all gives the feel of some science fiction movie, but unlike the movies this is reality. We can’t exactly hit pause right before the earth is destroyed by one of our creations.
The Techology Review lists their top 10 emerging technologies of 2008. Although the emerging technologies may be hard for the average person to comprehend, they are sure to have an impact on our lives. Knowledge of these emerging technologies along with application of Postman’s five ideals can help us prepare for the change that is destined to emerge from these advancements. They have the power to change everything and they will.

1. Who: Eric Horvitz, Microsoft Research
Definition: Surprise modeling combines data mining and machine learning to help people do a better job of anticipating and coping with unusual events.
Impact: Although research in the field is preliminary, surprise modeling could aid decision makers in a wide range of domains, such as traffic management, preventive medicine, military planning, politics, business, and finance.
Context: A prototype that alerts users to surprises in Seattle traffic patterns has proved effective in field tests involving thousands of Microsoft employees. Studies investigating broader applications are now under way. (Waldrop 2008)

2. Who: Krishna Palem, Rice University
Definition: PCMOS is a microchip design technology that allows engineers to trade a small degree of accuracy in computation for substantial energy savings.
Impact: In the short term, PCMOS designs could significantly increase battery life in mobile devices; in a decade, the theories behind PCMOS may need to be invoked if Moore’s Law is to continue to hold.
Context: Palem and his collaborators have begun building test chips for specific applications; Palem is working on plans for startup companies to commercialize the technology. (Jonietz 2008)

3. Who: Alex Zettl, University of California, Berkeley
Definition: At the core of the nanoradio is a single molecule that can receive radio signals.
Impact: Tiny radio devices could improve cell phones and allow communication between tiny devices, such as environmental sensors.
Context: New nanotech tools are allowing researchers to fabricate very small devices. The nanoradio is one of the latest. (Service 2008)

4. Who: Marin Soljacic, MIT
Definition: Wireless power technology transmits electricity to devices without the use of cables.
Impact: Any low-power device, such as a cell phone, iPod, or laptop, could recharge automatically simply by coming within range of a wireless power source, eliminating the need for multiple cables—and perhaps, eventually, for batteries.
Context: Eliminating the power cord would make today’s ubiquitous portable electronics truly wireless. A number of researchers and startups are making headway in this growing field. (Chu 2008)

5. Who: John Kitching, U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology
Definition: Miniaturized atomic magnetometers the size of a grain of rice require little power and are sensitive to very weak magnetic fields.
Impact: Tiny, inexpensive magnetometers could lead to portable MRI machines, tools for detecting buried explosive devices, and ways to evaluate mineral deposits remotely.
Context: Kitching's miniaturization of these sensors could bring them into much wider use in the coming decade. (Bourzac 2008)

6. Who: Kevin Lynch, Adobe Systems
Definition: Offline Web applications, developed using Web technologies such as HTML and Flash, can take advantage of the resources of a user’s computer as well as those of the Internet.
Impact: Developers can quickly and cheaply build full-fledged desktop applications that are usable in a broad range of devices and operating systems.
Context: Adobe will release AIR early this year; companies such as eBay, AOL, and Anthropologie have built applications using early versions of the software. Google is working on a competing platform called Gears (Naone 2008).

7. Who: Walter de Heer, Georgia Tech
Definition: Transistors based on graphene, a carbon material one atom thick, could have extraordinary electronic properties.
Impact: Initial applications will be in ultrahigh-speed communications chips, with computer processors to follow.
Context: A number of academic researchers and several electronics companies are studying graphene-based electronics. (Bullis 2008).

8. Who: Jeff Lichtman, Harvard University
Definition: Connectomics aims to map all synaptic connections between neurons in the mammalian brain.
Impact: The wiring diagrams being generated should lead to better understanding of diseases such as autism and schizophrenia, as well as new insight into learning and other cognitive functions.
Context: Advances in imaging, molecular biology, and computation are converging to make it possible to generate these complex maps. (Singer 2008)

9. Who: Sandy Pentland, MIT
Definition: Personal reality mining infers human relationships and behavior by applying data-mining algorithms to information collected by cell-phone sensors that can measure location, physical activity, and more.
Impact: Models generated by analyzing data from both individuals and groups could enable automated security settings, smart personal assistants, and monitoring of personal and community health.
Context: Cell phones are now sophisticated enough to collect and analyze data on personal behavior, and researchers are developing techniques that allow them to effectively sort through such information. (Greene 2008)

10. Who: Frances Arnold, Caltech
Definition: Cellulolytic enzymes break down the cellulose found in biomass so it can be used as a feedstock for biofuels.
Impact: Increased use of cellulosic biofuels could cut greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce reliance on oil.
Context: Processes for making cellulosic biofuels are still too expensive to be practical. A number of companies are racing to find a solution. (Goho 2008)




Resources

Bourzac, K., (March 2008). TR10: Atomic Magnetometers. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20239.

Bullis, K., (March 2008). TR10: Graphene Transistors. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20242.

Chu, J., (March 2008). TR10: Wireless Power. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20248.

Goho, A. M., (March 2008). TR10: Cellulolytic Enzymes. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20240.

Greene, K., (March 2008). TR10: Reality Mining. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20247.

Jonietz, E. (March 2008). TR10: Probabilistic Chips. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20246.

Naone, E., (March 2008). TR10: Offline Web Applications. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20245.

Postman, N., (1998). Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change. Retrived March 29, 2008, from http://www.mat.upm.es/~jcm/neil-postman--five-things.html.

Service, R. F., (March 2008). TR10: NanoRadio. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20244.

Singer, E., (March 2008). TR10: Connectomics. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20241.


Waldrop, M. M., (March 2008). TR10: Modeling Surprise. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20243.

Life Scripted

I wish there was a script to life. Of course I don't really mean this, but just let me go with this for a minute...

Too many decisions to make. I often wish that I could just flip a few pages ahead and see the outcome. I often overthink everything and that is where this post is coming from today.

I have work woes today. I really love my company and enjoy the ideal of what I'm doing, but there are so many other things that create a mountain of frustration that often seems impossible to climb. I know everyone has issues with their job and I'm trying hard to keep things positive... I'm going to change the subject. No work talk today.

I'm still having problems with my right leg. I went to the doctor and he basically told me it was fine. I'm not so sure it is...but I'm trying to work through it. I'm believing the doctor for now, but if it continues to bother me I will go elsewhere for a second opinion.

I got my haircut yesterday. Not sure why. I guess I just wanted a change. I told myself I was going to grow my hair out. But like with most things in my life...I'm impulsive and of course change my mind. Which again going back to the script, it would have been nice to read a chapter or two ahead and see what was going on. Of course it's just hair...but that is just a metaphor for something else... I guess. Haha.

Okay back to work for me. I'm working for the weekend!

Marathon Woes

Today was a beautiful day in Santa Monica. I couldn't wait to get outside! I've been having bad shin splints in my right leg, so I decided to skip my run on Thursday and rest my leg. I've been icing it nightly, but it's been pretty painful. I decided to go ahead and do my run today because I didn't want to skip two days of training this week. It was painful at first, but seemed to get better throughout the run. This is a taper week so we only have to do 8 miles tomorrow. I'm hoping my leg is not sore in the morning.

Tomorrow is Easter and it makes me miss my family. Easter Sunday was always a big family day and we normally went to Grandma's church, even though she is the only one that still likes that church. But out of respect, we normally attended her church. I'm going to go to a church here in LA. But no easter egg hunting or anything like that. It really doesn't feel like Easter here. We are suppose to have another day of beautiful weather tomorrow...so that is something to look forward to.

Grad school is taking up a good amount of time. I definitely think it's harder than I thought it would be. It's hard to find a balance between work, school, and training. I'm managing so far, but sometimes I feel like I don't get a break.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder..? What do I think about long distance relationships? Well I'm not sure yet, but I do have a new girl in my life. Too early to tell what's going on but, she's great. She makes me smile.

That's all I have to say about that right now.

Gotta get to bed. I have to wake up early for my run. I like the team runs on Sunday.

Happy Easter!

Thank you God for your saving grace!

I'm back...

It's been a month since my last entry. That is not good blogging on my behalf. I've been pretty busy with work, school, and the marathon training. I think I have too much on my plate to deal with right now, but so far I've been able to balance it all okay.

Life is good right now. Since I last updated my blog, I took a refreshing trip home back to Oklahoma to see friends and family. Those trips are always needed.

Marathon training is a lot of fun. Running has become a hobby of mine. Longest run so far has been 10 miles! It's really awesome to set a distance goal and then acheive it. It's a really great feeling.

I'm in a good place right now... The past is yesterday and today is now...

Cheers.

St. Louis bound...

I know, I know... I haven't posted in a while. Things have been busy. Marathon training is going well. I did skip a run the other day because I was too busy, but I'm making it up tonight. Work has been steady and I'm preparing for a business trip to St. Louis for 5 days. I hope the trip goes well. I'm looking forward to it for the most part.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day... I hardly noticed. I'm not bitter...but I really hardly noticed.

I've been in a good place lately. Not sure why, but I'll take it. Maybe it's been the sunshine...

Barack Obama is doing awesome and it really makes me happy. I've never been this connected to an election or politcs at all. I've always enjoyed arguing my views, but before I would never call myself a big fan of politics. Well that has changed a bit. I'm passionate about politics lately. I will not write too much about it now. But Barack is going to get the Democrat nomination and that is wonderful news!

Much love to all my family and friends.

Until next time...

Barack and I both running a long race...

Well I'm sure everyone has seen or heard about Super Tuesday. It was a big day and the Barack camp has a lot to be excited about. We are still in this race and every day things are looking better. I will not go on too much about the campaign because I could go for hours... But I will say that the next few states voting look good for us. The more time Barack has with voters the more they see he is the better candidate. I don't anticipate that we will know the answer anytime soon... But we are the front-runner in my opinion...

As far as the race I'm training for... the marathon. Trainging has been going well so far. I woke up this morning and ran 4 miles near the beach. It was a bit chilly this morning but has turned out to be a beautiful day in Santa Monica. I train with my team on Sunday and I'm looking forward to that.

If you haven't had a chance to donate... please do so. Any amount will help me reach my goal. Click on this website here. http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/tntglaMGilber

School is going well and work is work...

Until next time... Running toward the finish line.