Tuesday, February 4, 2014

2 Response Questions [Currently Incomplete]


          Williams mentions, and gives examples, of the usage of melodrama in the media. Is it possible for a news organization to be successful without the use of melodramatic elements?
-Sam Nichamin
Cite Williams , other works
Williams 


Yes it is possible for a news organizations to be successful without employing melodrama. While it may not necessarily cater to the broader public, a specific audience of interested participants could appreciate news that provides non biased complex analysis of issues. This is demonstrated by the relative success of NPR and Al-Jazeera America.


2) Williams uses the 1996 Broadcast of the Olympics of a modern example of melodrama in broadcast news. Is including stories about the athletes personal struggles melodramatic or is Williams just being cynical?
-Gideon Weiss

I believe that the modern athletic spectacle of the Olympics is not a cynical representation or example of modern melodrama because it is an accurate model of how to insinuate the emotions that melodrama does. The sense of almost religious fervor that is demonstrated as an audience views competition mirrors melodrama not just because of the white hats vs. black hats motif of wanting one's own team to win but also because a nation watching the Olympics derives moral values from the games. This is seen by the US vs. Soviet "Mircale on Ice" and the pressure on athletes no to cheat.

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