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1995): A contrary book that questions how much time we spend online. Stoll was interviewed on C–
SPAN’s Booknotes where he discussed his book The Cuckoo’s Egg, in which he catches a group of
German hackers. Interestingly enough, using Levy’s definition, Stoll would probably qualify as a
hacker himself.
• All of the Chapter 10 links posted to my RalphEHanson.com blog at
http://www.ralphehanson.com/category/chapter–10/
W3 Consortium
The World Wide Web Consortium is a nonprofit organization that continues to set the standards
for how the World Wide Web operates:
www.w3.org
www.w3.org/Consortium/
At a time when everything is being either marketed or sold, it is fascinating that new medium
came into being because a few people were willing to develop it and then just give it away. Many of the
central conflicts about the use of the Internet and the Web, such as file–sharing services, have their
roots in the hacker ethic that shaped the creation of the Web.
Meet Hark A Vagrant’s Kate Beaton
One of my favorite Web comics is Kate Beaton’s Hark a Vagrant. While many of the strips deal
with Canadian history, Nancy Drew, Victorian literature, and Mystery Solving Teens also make frequent
appearances.
Her collection of comics has hit the New York Times graphic novel best seller list (a well–
deserved spot, I must say). You can watch a Canadian TV profile of her here. (And you can follow her on
Twitter here.)
Here’s a link to one my blog posts about her:
http://www.ralphehanson.com/2011/11/10/ctv–profiles–hark-a-vagrants–kate–beaton/
Photography and Social Media
Using Instagram For Art
Usually when you use a photo sharing social media service like Instagram, your goal is to share
your photos, but for fine arts photographer Joseph Maida, social media are a new way of creating and
consuming art.
• http://time.com/4428882/how–one–photographer–is–rethinking–pop–art/
Stacy Baker and the Legs of New York
If Humans of New York is trying to get us to understand the rich diversity of people’s stories that can
be found on the streets of New York, photographer Stacy Baker is trying for something simpler. With
her Instagram account, she’s just trying to show want a wide range of legs people have. The range of
body types she’s portrayed have gotten people talking about body image and identity.
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1. describe two major reasons why advertising grew dramatically in importance during the
nineteenth century;
3. describe the four major groups in the advertising business and the key characteristics of each;
5. name four common misconceptions about the advertising industry;
7. discuss how companies are using integrated marketing communication (IMC) to promote their
Review Questions
1. How are stores able to target advertising to consumers without the customer deliberately giving
the store any information?
2. What had to happen socially in the 19th century in order for advertising to become an
important part of our culture?
3. How can advertisers grab the attention of consumers when there are so many competing
advertisements they are being exposed to?
4. How did Apple’s “1984” commercial introducing the Macintosh transform Super Bowl
advertising?
5. How does integrated marketing communication differ from traditional advertising?
Media Literacy Exercises
Media Literacy Exercise―Psychographics I
Clip a full–page ad from a magazine. Analyze who you think the target audience is and explain
why. You might want to discuss age, sex, income, education, and psychographic group. For more
information about the VALS system, you can consult its website at
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/
Media Literacy Exercise―Psychographics II
Before working on this, make sure you read the material on VALS from your textbook. Visit the VALS
site, read about the VALS process, and take the VALS questionnaire. In a brief essay (400–500 words)
answer the following questions:
• What is VALS?
• In your own words, describe how did their questionnaire categorize you? Do you agree with its
classification? Why or why not?
• Briefly discuss at least one broadcast or print ad (be specific) that you feel targets your VALS
category. Explain why you think it is targeting your category.
• VALS Homepage: What is VALS?
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/about.shtml
• What are the VALS categories?
NOTES: Students are often either fascinated or offended by psychographics. Many will see instant
recognition of themselves in their VALS category, while others will be furious about being reduced to
what they view as a simplistic description of themselves. I remind them that VALS does not describe
who they are so much as describe how advertisers view people like them.
Grading Rubric
Criteria
Deficient
Less Than Assigned
As Assigned
Superior
Assignment is
Assignment is fully
25.00%
0 %
significantly under
length
assigned length
approximately 500 words
100 %
developed essay that goes
beyond basic assignment
What Is
VALS?
Weight
25.00%
0 %
Assignment omits
multiple required
details
70 %
Assignment gives only
minimal definition of
VALS; uses Wikipedia
85 %
Assignment explains what
the VALS system is
100 %
Assignment contains all
required elements;
elaborates on details
How Did
VALS
Categorize
25.00%
0 %
70 %
Assignment is vague
85 %
Describes two categories
100 %
Discussion of VALS
Movie
Analysis
Weight
25.00%
0 %
Assignment omits
significant details;
does not discuss a
specific ad
60 %
Assignment has
simple or unclear
discussion of ad
85 %
Assignment discusses an ad
that targets your group
from VALS
100 %
Assignment has added
depth to discussion of
targeted ad
Media Literacy Exercise―Advertising Headlines
You are employed at an advertising agency and have been assigned to help with a campaign for
a new line of vitamin pills. Write three different headlines for the vitamins: one designed to appeal to
18– to 24–year–old college students, one designed to appeal to 40– to 50–year–old women, and one
designed to sell children’s vitamins to single parents. Briefly explain why each of your headlines will
appeal to your target audience.
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1. discuss how public relations developed from press agentry to a profession;
3. explain the five components of the ROPES public relations process;
5. explain how the Internet has changed the public relations process;
7. describe how political activists use public relations to promote their causes.
Review Questions
2. How does professional public relations differ from press agentry?
3. Name and explain two ways to mess up responding to a crisis affecting your organization.
4. How does interacting with your publics through social media differ from going through legacy
media?
5. How did Martin Luther King Jr. make good use of public relations techniques during the Good
Friday march in Birmingham, Alabama?
Media Literacy Exercises
Media Literacy Exercise―Public relations and the daily news
Critics charge that a substantial portion of the daily news originates with the public relations
industry. Look at the front page of your state newspaper or record a half–hour newscast. Count how
many of the stories contain news that started out as public relations. Be sure to count press releases,
press conferences, speeches, video news releases, and information from spokespersons. Are there any
stories that don’t have a PR component? What are these stories about?