AWESOME MEDIA LITERACY BUTTONS!

1" diameter (b & w) .50 each

QUESTION MEDIA--This is the heart of Media Literacy Education!

WWJDO?--What Would Jesus Do Online?

TO ORDER:

--Indicate which button(s) you are ordering and how many of each.
--.50 per magnet. 1-9 buttons: $2.00 postage. 10+ magnets: $3.00 postage.

--Cash, check ("Daughters of St. Paul"), VISA/MC (with exp. date).
--Your full name, address, phone # and email.

Sr. Helena Burns, fsp
Pauline Books & Media
172 N. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL 60601
cell: 617.850.5584
email: hburns@paulinemedia.com

THANK YOU FOR SPREADING MEDIA LITERACY!

Read More

MEDIA TECHNOLOGY: HD FLIP VIDEO CAMERA

Read More

MOVIES: “STATE OF PLAY”

The new suspense movie, "State of Play," is an ode to old-fashioned journalism, boasting a stellar international cast that doesn't disappoint: Russell Crowe (Aussie), Rachel McAdams (Canuck), Ben Affleck (Yankee) and Helen Mirren (Brit). (Jason Bateman is just outstanding in his small, sole comic relief role as an unscrupulous, two-bit middleman involved in a game that's way over his head.) The film is self-consciously reminiscent of "All the President's Men," and even utilizes the Watergate building. Although in the beginning it looks like newspaper journalism (Crowe) is going to be pitted against new media (online blog/website) journalism (McAdams), the two join forces to get the story the only way it can be got: by pounding the pavement, taking personal risks, and talking to sources. Where the story eventually shows up is secondary to the actual content.

The story keeps a tense pace without overdoing it, either in the soundtrack or in the sparse action scenes. Everything—the multiple crimes under investigation and the way the story is gathered—teeters on what's legal, what's ethical, what does our American society stand for, anyway? The tale is intricate without being complicated. Above all, "State of Play" is humane. It's about interweaving relationships and loyalties vis-à-vis Washington power and war profiteering. When things get too cold and rough and ugly, one character will always exhibit a piece of humanity that reminds everyone why we do any of what we do, and what the ultimate standards are: marriage, friendship, love of country, the truth. Everyone is tempted to sell out in some way, including the head of the "Washington Globe" newspaper (Helen Mirren). To speak about innocent civilians as collateral damage is decried. And of the four casualties swept up in an expedient string of murders, one is achingly described as "simply delivering pizzas." In fact, what sets off the entire investigation is a telltale emotion: on camera, a married Congressman (Affleck) breaks down in tears over a female staff member's death, and the whole world instantly recognizes they were having an affair. Plans never go according to plan because people keep being human and messing them up (e.g., falling in love with someone you're supposed to be spying on).

Russell Crowe's veteran journalist manifests the constant conflict of interest that plagues every journalist in their efforts to be objective and truthful. They, too, are humans with their own flaws, alliances, dalliances, and ulterior motives as they struggle to perform for the public the job and service they love and are driven to do. The indispensable role of the media, the fourth (and possibly fifth) estate, in our democracy is underlined in bold: "I think people know the difference between [cow patties] and news and are grateful that someone cares enough to tell the story." The image of a whole newsroom reverently waiting while a lone reporter types out an important scoop also serves this purpose. The closing credits are of the printing/production phase of a newspaper, an institution we've taken for granted and relied on for so long, but which may become archival footage very soon.

At a certain point, we begin wondering who is really more "dangerous" to people's personal agendas: politicians or the media? (Remember Governor Blago attempting to make sure reporters critical of him at the Chicago Sun-Times got fired?) The film reminds us that every year there are many journalists around the world who DO give their lives for their profession. "State" also brings out the fact that police and reporters are often in a very similar business, neck and neck in their progress on a case.

The Congressman is involved in a hearing regarding "Pointcorp," a private security company made up of ex-military that is raking in the do-re-mi in Iraq. (Blackwater, anyone?) Not only that, but Pointcorp is poised to be the face of a coming privatized Homeland Security, law enforcement, domestic intelligence infrastructure. (Conspiracy theory? Check out Naomi Klein's book "The Shock Doctrine.")

The "State" viewing experience is marred only by a few minor logic gaps. An ending twist points to the fact that stories are rarely finished. There's always more, another layer, deeper connections. Rated PG-13, there's hardly any profanity, foul language, violence and no nudity, even though these would have been germane. A "movie for grown ups" (as Entertainment Weekly puts it). Truly grown up. So often "adult" is made to be synonymous with what it actually adolescent.

"State of Play" made me worry even more about something I've been worrying a lot about lately: our desperate need for trained, paid, accountable journalists who are employed by an impartial party to uncover stories, goings-on, potential and actual shenanigans at the local, state and federal level. This has been our system for quite some time, and it has worked rather well (albeit that newspapers in general are left-leaning--but everyone knows that). Fabricate a story? Do something unethical? Get paid off? Promote a product? Can't tell hard news from soft news? Lose your job. It doesn't so much matter whether news is in print or online. The only problem with online is that everything is FREE and you only get what you DON'T pay for.

A free [not under government coercion] (and serious) press is essential in a democracy.

Another sore need we have is that of NEWS LITERACY—training children, teens and adults how to "read" and "read through" the news: www.thenewsliteracyproject.org

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Why don't characters ever TIPTOE in parking garages when they're being pursued by murderous thugs???? They always sound like woolly mastodons crashing through the underbrush! Do they all have some kind of sick death wish?

Am I the only one who can't take Jeff Daniels seriously any more after "Dumb and Dumber"???

Don't think we don't notice that believers are often the villains, Hollywood. The only mention of God-fearingness in this movie is by a hypocritical scumbag.

The ultimate barb to the heart: "I would never do that to you."

THE FOLLOWING LINK IS FROM: MEDIA LITERACY CLEARINGHOUSE

So why does Hollywood keep making movies about newspapermen? The short answer is that Hollywood loves a good yarn. For much of its 100-plus-year history, whenever Hollywood has portrayed journalists, it seems to have taken the advice of the frontier newspaper editor in John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," who said: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/04/journalists-in-movies-why-does-hollywood-still-love-em-.html

Read More

POPE ASKS YOUNG PEOPLE TO USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGY TO SHARE FAITH

By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI asked young Catholics to use their computers, Facebook accounts, blogs and Internet video posts to share with their peers the joy of faith in Christ.

"Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm," the pope told young people in his message for the 2009 celebration of World Communications Day.

"Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth and where identity is found in respectful communion," said Pope Benedict's message, which was released at the Vatican Jan. 23.

The theme for the 2009 World Communications Day, which will be celebrated May 24 in most dioceses, is "New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship."

Releasing the message -- which included e-mailing it directly to 100,000 young Catholics around the world and asking them to forward it or post it on their Web sites -- the Vatican also announced that it would take a further step into the digital age by making video of the pope available on YouTube, a video-sharing Web site.

In his message, Pope Benedict said that if used creatively and correctly new computer technologies can help people meet the human longing to connect with others and share the search for goodness, beauty and truth.

Of course, he said, people must "avoid the sharing of words and images that are degrading of human beings, that promote hatred and intolerance, that debase the goodness and intimacy of human sexuality or that exploit the weak and vulnerable."

And praising the way young people use the Internet to form and maintain friendships, he also cautioned against trivializing friendship by not forming real, face-to-face relationships.

"It would be sad if our desire to sustain and develop online friendships were to be at the cost of our availability to engage with our families, our neighbors and those we meet in the daily reality of our places of work, education and recreation," Pope Benedict said.

"If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development," the pope said.

Still, Pope Benedict said, new technologies have an "extraordinary potential" to bring people together, to help them share information, to rally them to work for good causes and to educate.

"They respond to a fundamental desire of people to communicate and to relate to each other," he said.

"When we find ourselves drawn toward other people, when we want to know more about them and make ourselves known to them, we are responding to God's call -- a call that is imprinted in our nature as beings created in the image and likeness of God, the God of communication and communion," Pope Benedict said.

Much of the pope's message was addressed to the "digital generation," to young people who have grown up using computers and cellular phones, e-mail and text messaging.

He asked them "to bring the witness of their faith to the digital world" and to write openly about the joys of faith when they write their profiles on social-networking sites or blogs.

The first step in evangelization is to understand the culture in which the Gospel will be proclaimed, he said, and young Catholics are the ones who have that understanding of their peers and of the Internet culture they use to communicate.

"You know their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments," the pope told young Catholics. "The greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the good news of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people."

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, told reporters Jan. 23 that the message was distinctive for the sense of trust and openness it showed toward new technologies and for the fact that it was addressed primarily to young Catholics.

Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary of the council, said people who have grown up with computer technology "and integrated it naturally into their lifestyles" communicate, learn, get information and engage in political and social activities differently than people over 40 years old, the so-called "digital immigrants."

But, he said, young people and anyone else using the new technologies need to be careful about the content they are generating, sharing or drawing to the attention of others.

"We are all aware of the risks of news forms of cyberbullying and abusive postings that have emerged in recent years," he said.

- - -

Editor's Note: The text of the pope's message in English is posted online at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20090124_43rd-world-communications-day_en.html.

The text of the pope's message in Spanish is posted online at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20090124_43rd-world-communications-day_sp.html.

Read More

MEDIA LITERACY: FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS

Here are two comments from students attending my media literacy workshops:

After viewing a "mash-up" that exposes the fact that GE makes weapons, warplanes, bombs AND owns NBC (Nightly News), we discussed whether or not NBC would want the war in Iraq to continue, and how they would present the war.
5th grader: "Does that make the News terrorists?"

When asked what hurts more, bullying in person or cyberbullying, a teenage girl responded: "Cyberbullying, because it's permanent. You can read it over and over, and so can everyone else."

Given a choice whether they thought their peers were "more real," "more fake," or "just themselves" online, the teens responded overwhelmingly: "more fake." (I was really surprised at this and tried to bring out the fact that we have the potential to be "more real" online by sharing our deepest thoughts we might feel foolish saying in person, or not know how to formulate on the spot. But they felt the fact that you COULD stop and formulate your words more carefully was "fake." They felt face to face conversation was "real." As a big Theology of the Body proponent, I tend to agree with them!)

I spontaneously asked the teens: "Do you realize what you're living is bigger than Gutenberg?" They started nodding vigorously with big smiles on their faces. I told them, "You are Christian pioneers in the digital revolution!" They loved that.

Read More