Group 5 - Final Assignment

TARA BAXA – LAST PORTION OF GROUP PROJECT
Media producers have conquered the “green movement” by creating awareness among the public. The media primarily involved are internet coverage/research and private/non-profit organizations who are educating the public based on their findings. The internet is filled with an abundance of information on the green movement, such as blogs, “green” websites, articles and more. Books, seminars and documentaries have been a large piece of the on-going green movement in America.

Spokesperson, Al Gore is an individual that tried to capture the public’s eye by creating the documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. He used charts and startling information to warn the public about possible outcomes from global warming. Another media producer and spokesperson that comes to mind is Oprah Winfrey. This woman has produced multiple shows concerning the global warming issue, green products and energy saving. Is it the spokesperson that influences the rest of the public on how to act?

Media communicators also play a factor into the production of the green movement. UWM’s sustainability director, Kate Nelson, has made it her job to create energy efficiency on the UWM campus as well as other eco-friendly projects. She is not producing media but she is involved in creating green awareness in Milwaukee, especially on the UWM campus. Along with Nelson, Will Allen, of Growing Power has also had a large affect on society, especially in Milwaukee. As a sustainability organizer he is working to create healthy food that is locally grown for urban cities. Both of these people have taken it into their own hands to create awareness among the public and have both been recognized for the progress they have made.

News stations and newspapers have taken the green issue by hand and have displayed pictures and research to the public. Is it the drastic headlines and bold print used by newspapers or the disturbing images used by television that is capturing the public’s attention? Not only are news stations but other television stations such as HGTV, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, The Food Network, DIY and more, are all taking steps to live in a green environment. They are media producers because they are influencing the public to “go green” by buying eco-friendly products.

Scientists seem to be the most knowledgeable on the global warming topic along with the green movement, yet has society decided to side with media producers and the media glamour rather than straight facts from scientists? Scientists are not necessarily media producers, unless they have their own television show, radio station or website. However, this group seems to have the most background information and knowledge on the green issue. This may be where most of the media producers are obtaining their information.

Though media producers are primarily on the internet these days, the public finds themselves in a constant battle of who to trust and believe in the media. The internet is not all truth, but how does society know which blogs to follow and which websites have researched and correct data? The media producers are the ones who have alerted society and who have made a conscious decision to produce “green” material for the public. It is the media producers who run the show, create an image of what the “green movement” is, as well teach the public what to do with this information.


TARA BAXA – 2nd PART OF LAST PORTION OF GROUP PROJECT (Question 7)
I found it extremely difficult to work in an online group project. Group members had different schedules and time conflicts which made group work a bit of a challenge. This is understandable since we all have work, class and other activities. It was hard to decipher whether or not someone was going to take charge on a portion of the assignment. It most often ended up waiting till the last minute. Everyone in the group was open to choosing a topic, however, only one topic was mentioned and that is the topic we ended up going with. We all tried to exchange phone numbers and e-mail in attempt to connect in a different way but this just made it more challenging. We did seem to be a bit more organized after someone took charge and split questions up among the group members. Everyone contributed to their questions and posted their information by the given time, which was nice.

I would change a lot in order to make an online group work better. I would state that everyone must give input for each topic and question. Doing this allows for more topics to be discussed and chosen from. I would also make sure each member gave out their e-mail and phone number right away in case of some miscommunication. I would appoint each group member a specific job such as one person being in charge of posting the blog, one person being the time keeper/organizer, etc. I think my group did a great job answering questions that were asked of them but the whole ordeal definitely could have run much smoother.