SnitchSeeker.com - View Single Post - HoM Lesson 1

Lissy Longbottom · 06-04-2021, 10:18 PM

SPOILER!!: Answers!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

They were talking about Media, were they? He couldn't help but wonder if this meant they would also be talking specifically on media intertwined with what happened last term, but part of him hoped they were going to have a lesson where it was not mentioned. It was important but... still often hard to think about.

For now, this was an easy thing to start with. Old magazines. Staring at the publications, he jotted down his answers for each before raising his hand and waiting to be called on. "Seeker Weekly appears to be about a previous Quidditch world cup, Bulgaria vs. Ireland. The title, graphics and even the name all seem to indicate that. The Quibbler issue looks like.. an advertisement. Mainly because of the box on the front for an inquiry to be sent in." It was hard to tell from this far away. He probably should have asked if he could go closer. "The Daily Prophet looks like it would have been dated from around the time Harry Potter was in his... fifth year at Hogwarts, I believe. The title: Dumbledore daft or dangerous? suggests that, since historically that's the biggest time I can think of when the ministry was very openly against Dumbledore and his claims of you know who being back." Was he oversharing at this point?

He stared some more at the last one. Witch Weekly... wasn't that a gossip magazine? "The last one, the pink, looks like it might have some cake recipes in it? Based on the picture of the witch with a cake." That could have just been misleading to get people to read it though because.. who didn't love cake?

Gabi nodded at him with a smile - and he didn't have to worry. She was going to avoid mentioning last term if possible, and focus more on the media from another time. Hopefully. She couldn't control if they others wanted to bring it up, though! "All very good observations, especially the bit about the advertisements in the Quibbler," she pointed out. But how did that help them figure out what the contents were about?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan

More and more, Noah was convinced that for today's class, they would dabble in journalism... or writing in general, perhaps to inspire those like himself who were soon bound for University. But anyway, that wasn't the point, for now, at least. From his seat at the very back of the classroom, the Gryffindor summoned a jar of bluebell flame and warmed his stomach with it. Why? Well, let's just say that he's been putting extra effort into those wonderful abs of his, and he was feeling sore from all the workout he's been doing. No pain no gain, correct? And one of the best remedies for sore muscles was heat.

While he cradled the jar against his stomach, Noah chewed his inner cheek in thought as he stared at the Quidditch magazine. Of course, it got his attention immediately as it was his primary interest. He then looked at the others and... well, it didn't tickle his fancy, and immediately went back to Seeker Weekly. Hmm.

"All the magazines do have a target audience, and it's not so much about the colours or the wording for me, but the general interest it could invoke from an enthusiast or a prospective new follower. So for me, it's more of the branding side. The more reputable or known the publisher or author is, the better." he said, squinting his eyes as he stared at all the magazine covers in front of him, "It's like, 'Oh, Snitch Weekly has a new issue, I should get it.' simply because I trust the publisher. But for the sake of new prospects, I suppose the wording and colours come to play. Like the words, 'special edition', or 'free', or maybe the use of colour and good images," like that gorgeous lady on the cover of Witch Weekly. Sure, he can't be bothered with the contents of the magazine, but he'd most likely check it out because, hello pretty face.

"Very good!" Gabi grinned at Noah as he brought up both the credibility of the publication and the words they used on the cover. "Knowing whether or not the publication is a credible one is always a good thing - and you brought up some great key words that really work to suck the reader in," she nodded in agreement at his answer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginevra

Fiona studied the various covers with a great deal of thought, her fingers softly drumming on the desk. Soon she raised her hand and gave her thoughts. "Well, Seeker Weekly's title alone is a reference to Quidditch and that particular copy is all about the Grand Final match between Bulgaria and Ireland of the Quidditch World Cup. The one from the Quibbler appears to be a form of enticing new subscribers via having a free pair of those er... Spectrespecs. The one from the Daily Prophet is a slanderous article against Dumbledore during the time that Lord Voldemort had returned. The Witch Weekly publication seems to have housewives as their target readership judging by the pink colour scheme and the image of the witch magically making a cake."

Fiona paused for a moment and folded her arms. "Personally I don't like what Witch Weekly had done. It is like it is saying only women bake at home. Why can't there be a publication for everyone?"

"Excellent points, Miss Janovick," Gabi replied to Fiona in regards to her response. "The Witch Weekly cover is certainly trying to lay more into the female target demographic - but you're right, it could also be seen as them trying to push an agenda that only women should be cooking or like the color pink," she added. Society had made MUCH progress since Witch Weekly had first been established over 100 years ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emzily

Once the lesson had officially started, that’s when Remy had noticed the magazine covers behind the Professor. They didn’t look all that exciting to her - maybe the Quibbler did a little. She wasn’t totally sure how to analyse ALL of them.

Uhhhh… “Maybe the Quibbler magazine is aimed at kids because of the free spectrespecs,” which by the way, Remy NEEDED a pair. “It’s quite colourful, too, so I’d say it’s for a younger audience.” All of these answers were guesses. She looked towards the newspaper and studied its details the best she could. “The bold titles on the newspaper quickly draw readers in to each article, which is its purpose, really.” Duh. News was news.

“The other two look a little boring, I think.” No doubt the contents would be interesting, they just didn’t appeal to her. “The Quidditch one could have been made real fun and colourful!” Since Quidditch was awesome and all that.

"So you're saying you're drawn to free things and colors?" Gabi chuckled a little with a grin as Remy listed off what they had noticed about the magazine. "But good answers! Both are great ways to try and hook a reader in."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryn

Nothing like getting to argue in the spirit of participation points, right? Eden perked up at the opportunity to raise her hand arised, specifically after Jenovick's response.

"I think Seeker Weekly is about Quidditch as that is a Quidditch position and the whole cover is about Quidditch. I think the Quibbler is a kid's magazine judging by the free paper glasses, and that the Daily Prophet is a newspaper because it gets delivered here every morning and has the news on it," Eden didn't really care about that bit as much...onwards to the arguing!

"I disagree with Jenovick's answer, professor. I think that a woman baking a cake on the front isn't saying only women can bake. The magazine's pink color and title make it seem like it's geared towards women, not everyone, and that's okay. Just because other magical people aren't the target audience doesn't mean they can't read it."

Can you tell which kinds of magazines Eden liked? Or which student she'd noticed not getting into trouble last year?

"Good point," Gabi nodded at Eden. "Just because it's marketed towards a group doesn't mean you HAVE to be part of that group to read it. I know my husband has taken quite a few of my gossip magazines in the past!" she admitted with a chuckle. He really liked the homemade face mask recipes they had!

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

“Morning,’’ Claudine replied as Ashley joined them. It seemed as though her younger friend was in a decent mood. As the Snakette got her books out, her attention couldn’t help but being drawn to Ash’s doodling. Anything artistic interested her, you know. Hearing another greeting, she looked up. “Hi, Lisa.” That lively first year got a smile. As did Fiona when her dormmate took up a seat close by. Then there was Heath who got his usual greeting. “Hi, you.’’ Look at the boyfriend making a new friend! Claudine was sure he and Daniel would get along just fine.

And the lesson was beginning. Was she cold? Not at all. Claudine’s attention instead went back to the publications on the board. Media happened to be today’s topic? It was an interesting one. Naturally Claudine was going to answer this on her own. She’d just make a note of the points she wanted to speak about first.

When that was done, the Slytherin raised her hand. “Seeker Weekly seems to be a sport publication. Maybe it’s just Quidditch in general that it's geared toward or maybe it just happened to be Quidditch as this is a special edition. The Quibbler just seems to be doing an edition on advertising Spectrespecs. Like Fiona said, that could simply be a way to attract more readers.” Here, Claudine paused to look at her notes. “Daily Prophet… definitely a news publication, given the headlines. Witch Weekly… a magazine equivalent to those beauty magazines which female Muggles enjoy reading. The witch on the cover as well as the colour and name of the publication are the reason for my answer.’’

"All very good observations, Miss Blaze," Gabi smiled at her as she correctly guessed what each of the publications was about. Those who grew up in the wizarding world were probably able to guess them all with ease!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

Phoebe gave each of those covers a close scrutiny, or as close as she could get from her seat. Some people had strong opinions about Witch Weekly, although Phoebe figured that one cover didn't really give an accurate depiction of the whole magazine. Her grandmother loved that magazine!

"Ummm, the Daily Prophet is a newspaper that deals with current events, based on the headlines and the layout. But it doesn't seem as interested in the truth as it does in making a splash and getting attention. It looks like it wants people to have a strong reaction either way, and then the more they react, the more they buy the paper to keep reading and reacting. And no one believes Fudge was a snappy dresser."

"Exactly the point, Miss James," she responded with a nod of approval at her answer. "The goal is to get you reading and get a reaction - and what reaction they are attempting to get relies entirely on the bias of the author, but we will touch base on that shortly," she assured her.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watson

After glancing back and forth looking for a potential partner to brainstorm with, Lisa decided to take this one solo. Well so what did she think? She had listened fo several of her peers thoughts in regards to the various different magazines. The Daily Prophet did look like it was just going for the biggest buck. Lisa found herself nodding in agreement with Eden. Just cause a magazine or newspaper wasn’t directed at the reader or it was directed at a specific audience, it didn’t mean that others couldn’t read it.

Pheobe’s comment intrigued her. She remembered what her mother and eldest brother had often debated on the matter of biased articles and unreliable narrators. “I agree with Phoebe.... but .... Well it could be someone’s truth, right? Doesn’t mean that it’s right for us... but it’s an interpretation of facts. The articles are almost like mini stories angled at grabbing the reader in. Hook. Line. Sinker.” She paused, gathering her thoughts once more. “ It’s hard to find news articles that aren’t biased towards a certain opinion...Muggle or magical ... apparently.. I think the Prophet is far more biased than other selections that you have here. ”

"That is very true, Miss Nam!" Wow, a first year coming to that conclusion already? Truly a Ravenclaw, that one. "The person writing it may very well be certain of their material - or trying to get someone to believe something they know very well to NOT be true. It's a fine line, one we will touch on today in the lesson," she explained. The warm up was just to get them thinking about what sorts of devices the magazines used to get you hooked - and once you were hooked, that was when their REAL message came across!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl

Ohh, this sounded interesting actually, looking at historical events through the media published at the time. Though the Daily Prophet one seemed the most historical of the examples given. Well, maybe the Quidditch one too.

A little bit of a bummer that a copy of the magazine her dad worked for wasn't up there, but there were a lot of different types of media out there, so of course not everything could be selected. And these were kinda the biggest ones, so it made sense.

"I do think the use of colors definitely plays a role, like Noah mentioned," Ivy said, raising her hand. "The Daily Prophet is supposed to be more serious since it's about events going on at the time, so it's using a simpler, black-and-white sorta color scheme where the focus is on the big bold headlines and the articles. The others cover more specific and more fun topics, so they've got more colors that fit with their subject and really catch your eye."

"Good observation! Yes, the big bold headlines are meant to draw you in, and their style is obviously made to grab your eye and get your attention," Gabi nodded in agreement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

The chair. Again. When it came to Recard's classes, they just couldn't seem to kick the habit.

If Nem realised how many eyes had turned towards them before class had started - and, on the one hand, why would they, but on the other, it happened so often it was the new normal - it wasn't evident. They just sat and quietly observed the sky outside, apparently oblivious to any greeting sent their way.

They drew their eyes from the window when the lesson got underway, glanced at Recard, and then stared instead at the covers on the board. Nem had no intention of working with anyone else. Probably best for everyone, because they spent the entire time writing down just the one word on a piece of parchment they'd retrieved from their bag, using a self-inking quill.
As the time passed, and then as other students began supplying their thoughts, Nem went over the letters again and again. They kept their hand lowered and gave a small shake of the head any time Recard might have looked in their direction, to indicate they would not be speaking up just yet. But Nem was, as ever, paying close attention, even as their expression remained unfalteringly unreadable.

Gabi had noticed the head shake, but she had also noticed the word they'd written on their paper. They'd written it largely and run over it a few times with their quill, after all. At least they got the gist of where she was going with this, even if they didn't feel like talking. That was all she asked for, really.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazykitty

”Each one is definitely designed to get attention, either with the coloring, the font usage or the wording.” Dia wasn’t actually familiar with any of the publications in question, though. Nor did any of them seem particularly interesting to her. Nope, not even the one with the cake on the cover. She also didn’t see what any of them had to do with actual history, aside from the Daily Prophet one since someone mentioned that it was actually a newspaper.

A newspaper with that kind of headline, though? Seemed a little too sensational for serious news. ”I do see a bit of an issue with supposed newspaper, though. What does it matter if the witch that survived the explosion of henna was ginger? Also, henna doesn’t typically explode……?” So was that a typo? The name of a place? Someone doing something with henna they weren’t supposed to? They had meant the stuff people use to draw on hands, right?

"Those are both excellent questions you asked Miss Wolff - and goes to show that sometimes, titles are definitely a bit exaggerated to try and get you to read it. People probably ask the same questions - and then read the article to find out the truth, which is often rather mundane," she explained. She knew SHE was often hooked by similar tactics at the muggle grocery store...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Normally Lia very much enjoyed working with a partner but as she looked around the room it didn't seem like anyone else had the same idea. No worries though, she wasn't going to let that get her down. The question wasn't all that difficult that she required a partner anyhow.

Turning her gaze back towards the magazine covers on the chalkboard, the second year Ravenclaw studied them in silence for a few moments. Each was different and yet they were still the same. Dahlia raised her hand, waiting her turn to be called on. "Each one is trying it's best to appeal to it's consumer with the most important or interesting news of that time. There's the use of that bright pink and the cake to catch your eye on Witch Weekly but.. why? Witches aren't the only ones that bake?"

"Good work," Gabi replied in agreement with Dahlia's answer. "And you're right, witches aren't the only ones who bake, yes? But what does that tell us about the publication? Are they trying to find a certain demographic?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by pundantic

Kale loved witch weekly. He heard the mention of it somewhere in the classroom and started to daydream about the first time he ever saw Nigel Barrington on the cover. He was at an impressionable age. Huh. Maybe he was, like, four or five? Had to be round about there. He was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen before and his H A I R? Well. It just about did the toddler version of himself in.

Magazines were cool like that. They showed all kinds of talented people and their hair and faces and smiles off. Kale liked smiles, most. No, wait. Maybe hair. Ugh. It was too hard. People in general were so, so beautiful. Everything about everybody deserved to be hyped up.

SPEAKING OF HYPE.

Kale's eyes started to wander for a flash of blonde hair. Oh where, oh where could a sunshine be?

...Kale was obviously not paying attention, but being quiet, and that was fine by Gabi. Although...he did know his NEWTs were just a year away, right???

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Ash nodded at the various people around her, not quite feeling like talking today. She almost didn't answer the question, she was so quiet. But then she did answer. By herself. Haha. She barely looked up from her markers though. "They all want you to do something. Whether it means buying whatever product they're selling or believing the ideas they're putting out. And sometimes the products or ideas are good, and sometimes they suck. And you have to decide which is which." Propaganda. That's what these things were. Yeah.

"All the bright colors and long article stuff is just extra, to make the pitch sound better." These magazines all wanted different things, but they were united in trying to sell you something. Whether it was a bad idea or a poorly-made product. Or something good. Whatever.

"Good answers, Miss Fox! The ultimate goal is to sell the publication - but once they get you reading, as you said, they're all trying to accomplish something. To sell another product. To believe a certain story over another. The list goes on and on," she said in response to Ashley's answer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Heath smiled at Claudine's greeting. He was already looking to the front when Professor Recard began the lesson. Oh, so they were talking about media. That explained why he couldn’t think of a specific person connected with all four of the publications on the board. He blinked, unsure what to make of the activity. Analyzing the magazine covers didn’t sound too hard, but explaining his opinions to the class always made him a bit nervous. He didn’t fancy the possibility of having his thoughts torn apart in front of everyone! Couldn’t he just spare himself the worry and write his analysis instead?

He looked toward the board. The first thing he noticed was the bright, splashy colors and eye-catching fonts. Then he got a better look at each one individually. The first one was clearly a quidditch magazine, as the other definition of the word seeker made no sense in context, probably from the 1994 Quidditch World Cup if the teams mentioned were any indication. Based on the design and freebie included, The Quibbler seemed geared toward more subjective and abstract topics, as opposed to The Daily Prophet. As for Witch Weekly, just the name alone suggested that it was meant to be a women’s interest magazine. Then he noticed something that all four had in common.

“They all cater to a certain point of view,” he said after raising his hand. “For example, Seeker Weekly says “great final”, but the people who were pulling for any team other than Ireland or Bulgaria might not have thought that match was great at all. Spectrespecs allegedly help the wearer see wrackspurts, so by including them, The Quibbler caters to people who believe such things. The negative wording of the Dumbledore headline contrasted with the more positively worded one about Fudge suggest that the Daily Prophet takes a pro-ministry point of view. Even the Witch Weekly cover - the title, the use of pink, the cake - suggests that the magazine buys into gender stereotypes.” There was nothing controversial about that, right? He really did not want to argue with anyone! Just in case, he added, “Whether or not we as readers agree with those points of view is moot; the point I was trying to make is that the covers give us insight into what the publications’ beliefs were at the time.”

He blinked in a daze, not used to talking that much at once. Did he really just say all that? Yeah, he was… just gonna go back to being quiet now.

"Good points, Mister Jones," Gabi nodded with a small smile. "There is a certain type of audience each one of these publications is targeting - but they are also flashy and using bright colors, and large fonts, to try and attract NEW readers as well," she pointed out.

"As many of you pointed out - the magazine covers are used to try and sway you to read the publication. Some try to use colors or fancy word play to draw you in. Others relay on their titles, such as the articles in the Daily Prophet, to get you hooked so you'll pick up a copy. Either way, one thing is true no matter what the publication is about - the first impression can get people to read, and once they're reading, the information INSIDE can be used to send a certain message," she explained. Many students had already touched on that briefly in their answers.

"The media plays an extremely important role in our society - both wizarding and muggle alike. They have a very important job of making sure the facts are presented to the public - yet, as many of you said, they are also trying to sell you a message. There is often a mix of both factual information and bias that needs to be balanced properly - and sometimes that balance falls apart."

"What is one instance in our history where the media has been used to sway public opinion one way or the other?" she asked them all with an eyebrow raise. They all should have more than a few examples to pick from!

OOC: Great answers everyone! You're all doing an awesome job! For the next bit, think of any example of media being used to send a certain message in HP canon - or SS canon, if you'd like! You'll have about 24 hours to respond to this question before we move on. CATCH UP IS ALLOWED if you didn't get a chance to share your thoughts in the mini activity!

06-04-2021, 10:18 PM	#36 (permalink)
Lissy Longbottom Giant Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ferrix: GMT-6 Posts: 56,908 Hogwarts RPG Name: Moritz Schultz (#0f667e) Ravenclaw Seventh Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Nancy Schultz (#ac6f77) Hufflepuff Fourth Year x11 x1	curly haired prefect - "sometimes I get angry!" - 30/90 - chicken emoji - probably @ Disney - I speak dog SPOILER!!: Answers! Quote: Originally Posted by Chelliephone They were talking about Media, were they? He couldn't help but wonder if this meant they would also be talking specifically on media intertwined with what happened last term, but part of him hoped they were going to have a lesson where it was not mentioned. It was important but... still often hard to think about. For now, this was an easy thing to start with. Old magazines. Staring at the publications, he jotted down his answers for each before raising his hand and waiting to be called on. "Seeker Weekly appears to be about a previous Quidditch world cup, Bulgaria vs. Ireland. The title, graphics and even the name all seem to indicate that. The Quibbler issue looks like.. an advertisement. Mainly because of the box on the front for an inquiry to be sent in." It was hard to tell from this far away. He probably should have asked if he could go closer. "The Daily Prophet looks like it would have been dated from around the time Harry Potter was in his... fifth year at Hogwarts, I believe. The title: Dumbledore daft or dangerous? suggests that, since historically that's the biggest time I can think of when the ministry was very openly against Dumbledore and his claims of you know who being back." Was he oversharing at this point? He stared some more at the last one. Witch Weekly... wasn't that a gossip magazine? "The last one, the pink, looks like it might have some cake recipes in it? Based on the picture of the witch with a cake." That could have just been misleading to get people to read it though because.. who didn't love cake? Gabi nodded at him with a smile - and he didn't have to worry. She was going to avoid mentioning last term if possible, and focus more on the media from another time. Hopefully. She couldn't control if they others wanted to bring it up, though! "All very good observations, especially the bit about the advertisements in the Quibbler," she pointed out. But how did that help them figure out what the contents were about? Quote: Originally Posted by Stefan More and more, Noah was convinced that for today's class, they would dabble in journalism... or writing in general, perhaps to inspire those like himself who were soon bound for University. But anyway, that wasn't the point, for now, at least. From his seat at the very back of the classroom, the Gryffindor summoned a jar of bluebell flame and warmed his stomach with it. Why? Well, let's just say that he's been putting extra effort into those wonderful abs of his, and he was feeling sore from all the workout he's been doing. No pain no gain, correct? And one of the best remedies for sore muscles was heat. While he cradled the jar against his stomach, Noah chewed his inner cheek in thought as he stared at the Quidditch magazine. Of course, it got his attention immediately as it was his primary interest. He then looked at the others and... well, it didn't tickle his fancy, and immediately went back to Seeker Weekly. Hmm. "All the magazines do have a target audience, and it's not so much about the colours or the wording for me, but the general interest it could invoke from an enthusiast or a prospective new follower. So for me, it's more of the branding side. The more reputable or known the publisher or author is, the better." he said, squinting his eyes as he stared at all the magazine covers in front of him, "It's like, 'Oh, Snitch Weekly has a new issue, I should get it.' simply because I trust the publisher. But for the sake of new prospects, I suppose the wording and colours come to play. Like the words, 'special edition', or 'free', or maybe the use of colour and good images," like that gorgeous lady on the cover of Witch Weekly. Sure, he can't be bothered with the contents of the magazine, but he'd most likely check it out because, hello pretty face. "Very good!" Gabi grinned at Noah as he brought up both the credibility of the publication and the words they used on the cover. "Knowing whether or not the publication is a credible one is always a good thing - and you brought up some great key words that really work to suck the reader in," she nodded in agreement at his answer. Quote: Originally Posted by Ginevra Fiona studied the various covers with a great deal of thought, her fingers softly drumming on the desk. Soon she raised her hand and gave her thoughts. "Well, Seeker Weekly's title alone is a reference to Quidditch and that particular copy is all about the Grand Final match between Bulgaria and Ireland of the Quidditch World Cup. The one from the Quibbler appears to be a form of enticing new subscribers via having a free pair of those er... Spectrespecs. The one from the Daily Prophet is a slanderous article against Dumbledore during the time that Lord Voldemort had returned. The Witch Weekly publication seems to have housewives as their target readership judging by the pink colour scheme and the image of the witch magically making a cake." Fiona paused for a moment and folded her arms. "Personally I don't like what Witch Weekly had done. It is like it is saying only women bake at home. Why can't there be a publication for everyone?" "Excellent points, Miss Janovick," Gabi replied to Fiona in regards to her response. "The Witch Weekly cover is certainly trying to lay more into the female target demographic - but you're right, it could also be seen as them trying to push an agenda that only women should be cooking or like the color pink," she added. Society had made MUCH progress since Witch Weekly had first been established over 100 years ago. Quote: Originally Posted by Emzily Once the lesson had officially started, that’s when Remy had noticed the magazine covers behind the Professor. They didn’t look all that exciting to her - maybe the Quibbler did a little. She wasn’t totally sure how to analyse ALL of them. Uhhhh… “Maybe the Quibbler magazine is aimed at kids because of the free spectrespecs,” which by the way, Remy NEEDED a pair. “It’s quite colourful, too, so I’d say it’s for a younger audience.” All of these answers were guesses. She looked towards the newspaper and studied its details the best she could. “The bold titles on the newspaper quickly draw readers in to each article, which is its purpose, really.” Duh. News was news. “The other two look a little boring, I think.” No doubt the contents would be interesting, they just didn’t appeal to her. “The Quidditch one could have been made real fun and colourful!” Since Quidditch was awesome and all that. "So you're saying you're drawn to free things and colors?" Gabi chuckled a little with a grin as Remy listed off what they had noticed about the magazine. "But good answers! Both are great ways to try and hook a reader in." Quote: Originally Posted by Bryn Nothing like getting to argue in the spirit of participation points, right? Eden perked up at the opportunity to raise her hand arised, specifically after Jenovick's response. "I think Seeker Weekly is about Quidditch as that is a Quidditch position and the whole cover is about Quidditch. I think the Quibbler is a kid's magazine judging by the free paper glasses, and that the Daily Prophet is a newspaper because it gets delivered here every morning and has the news on it," Eden didn't really care about that bit as much...onwards to the arguing! "I disagree with Jenovick's answer, professor. I think that a woman baking a cake on the front isn't saying only women can bake. The magazine's pink color and title make it seem like it's geared towards women, not everyone, and that's okay. Just because other magical people aren't the target audience doesn't mean they can't read it." Can you tell which kinds of magazines Eden liked? Or which student she'd noticed not getting into trouble last year? "Good point," Gabi nodded at Eden. "Just because it's marketed towards a group doesn't mean you HAVE to be part of that group to read it. I know my husband has taken quite a few of my gossip magazines in the past!" she admitted with a chuckle. He really liked the homemade face mask recipes they had! Quote: Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19 “Morning,’’ Claudine replied as Ashley joined them. It seemed as though her younger friend was in a decent mood. As the Snakette got her books out, her attention couldn’t help but being drawn to Ash’s doodling. Anything artistic interested her, you know. Hearing another greeting, she looked up. “Hi, Lisa.” That lively first year got a smile. As did Fiona when her dormmate took up a seat close by. Then there was Heath who got his usual greeting. “Hi, you.’’ Look at the boyfriend making a new friend! Claudine was sure he and Daniel would get along just fine. And the lesson was beginning. Was she cold? Not at all. Claudine’s attention instead went back to the publications on the board. Media happened to be today’s topic? It was an interesting one. Naturally Claudine was going to answer this on her own. She’d just make a note of the points she wanted to speak about first. When that was done, the Slytherin raised her hand. “Seeker Weekly seems to be a sport publication. Maybe it’s just Quidditch in general that it's geared toward or maybe it just happened to be Quidditch as this is a special edition. The Quibbler just seems to be doing an edition on advertising Spectrespecs. Like Fiona said, that could simply be a way to attract more readers.” Here, Claudine paused to look at her notes. “Daily Prophet… definitely a news publication, given the headlines. Witch Weekly… a magazine equivalent to those beauty magazines which female Muggles enjoy reading. The witch on the cover as well as the colour and name of the publication are the reason for my answer.’’ "All very good observations, Miss Blaze," Gabi smiled at her as she correctly guessed what each of the publications was about. Those who grew up in the wizarding world were probably able to guess them all with ease! Quote: Originally Posted by Cassirin Phoebe gave each of those covers a close scrutiny, or as close as she could get from her seat. Some people had strong opinions about Witch Weekly, although Phoebe figured that one cover didn't really give an accurate depiction of the whole magazine. Her grandmother loved that magazine! "Ummm, the Daily Prophet is a newspaper that deals with current events, based on the headlines and the layout. But it doesn't seem as interested in the truth as it does in making a splash and getting attention. It looks like it wants people to have a strong reaction either way, and then the more they react, the more they buy the paper to keep reading and reacting. And no one believes Fudge was a snappy dresser." "Exactly the point, Miss James," she responded with a nod of approval at her answer. "The goal is to get you reading and get a reaction - and what reaction they are attempting to get relies entirely on the bias of the author, but we will touch base on that shortly," she assured her. Quote: Originally Posted by Watson After glancing back and forth looking for a potential partner to brainstorm with, Lisa decided to take this one solo. Well so what did she think? She had listened fo several of her peers thoughts in regards to the various different magazines. The Daily Prophet did look like it was just going for the biggest buck. Lisa found herself nodding in agreement with Eden. Just cause a magazine or newspaper wasn’t directed at the reader or it was directed at a specific audience, it didn’t mean that others couldn’t read it. Pheobe’s comment intrigued her. She remembered what her mother and eldest brother had often debated on the matter of biased articles and unreliable narrators. “I agree with Phoebe.... but .... Well it could be someone’s truth, right? Doesn’t mean that it’s right for us... but it’s an interpretation of facts. The articles are almost like mini stories angled at grabbing the reader in. Hook. Line. Sinker.” She paused, gathering her thoughts once more. “ It’s hard to find news articles that aren’t biased towards a certain opinion...Muggle or magical ... apparently.. I think the Prophet is far more biased than other selections that you have here. ” "That is very true, Miss Nam!" Wow, a first year coming to that conclusion already? Truly a Ravenclaw, that one. "The person writing it may very well be certain of their material - or trying to get someone to believe something they know very well to NOT be true. It's a fine line, one we will touch on today in the lesson," she explained. The warm up was just to get them thinking about what sorts of devices the magazines used to get you hooked - and once you were hooked, that was when their REAL message came across! Quote: Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl Ohh, this sounded interesting actually, looking at historical events through the media published at the time. Though the Daily Prophet one seemed the most historical of the examples given. Well, maybe the Quidditch one too. A little bit of a bummer that a copy of the magazine her dad worked for wasn't up there, but there were a lot of different types of media out there, so of course not everything could be selected. And these were kinda the biggest ones, so it made sense. "I do think the use of colors definitely plays a role, like Noah mentioned," Ivy said, raising her hand. "The Daily Prophet is supposed to be more serious since it's about events going on at the time, so it's using a simpler, black-and-white sorta color scheme where the focus is on the big bold headlines and the articles. The others cover more specific and more fun topics, so they've got more colors that fit with their subject and really catch your eye." "Good observation! Yes, the big bold headlines are meant to draw you in, and their style is obviously made to grab your eye and get your attention," Gabi nodded in agreement. Quote: Originally Posted by Felixir The chair. Again. When it came to Recard's classes, they just couldn't seem to kick the habit. If Nem realised how many eyes had turned towards them before class had started - and, on the one hand, why would they, but on the other, it happened so often it was the new normal - it wasn't evident. They just sat and quietly observed the sky outside, apparently oblivious to any greeting sent their way. They drew their eyes from the window when the lesson got underway, glanced at Recard, and then stared instead at the covers on the board. Nem had no intention of working with anyone else. Probably best for everyone, because they spent the entire time writing down just the one word on a piece of parchment they'd retrieved from their bag, using a self-inking quill. As the time passed, and then as other students began supplying their thoughts, Nem went over the letters again and again. They kept their hand lowered and gave a small shake of the head any time Recard might have looked in their direction, to indicate they would not be speaking up just yet. But Nem was, as ever, paying close attention, even as their expression remained unfalteringly unreadable. Gabi had noticed the head shake, but she had also noticed the word they'd written on their paper. They'd written it largely and run over it a few times with their quill, after all. At least they got the gist of where she was going with this, even if they didn't feel like talking. That was all she asked for, really. Quote: Originally Posted by lazykitty ”Each one is definitely designed to get attention, either with the coloring, the font usage or the wording.” Dia wasn’t actually familiar with any of the publications in question, though. Nor did any of them seem particularly interesting to her. Nope, not even the one with the cake on the cover. She also didn’t see what any of them had to do with actual history, aside from the Daily Prophet one since someone mentioned that it was actually a newspaper. A newspaper with that kind of headline, though? Seemed a little too sensational for serious news. ”I do see a bit of an issue with supposed newspaper, though. What does it matter if the witch that survived the explosion of henna was ginger? Also, henna doesn’t typically explode……?” So was that a typo? The name of a place? Someone doing something with henna they weren’t supposed to? They had meant the stuff people use to draw on hands, right? "Those are both excellent questions you asked Miss Wolff - and goes to show that sometimes, titles are definitely a bit exaggerated to try and get you to read it. People probably ask the same questions - and then read the article to find out the truth, which is often rather mundane," she explained. She knew SHE was often hooked by similar tactics at the muggle grocery store... Quote: Originally Posted by Kolyander Normally Lia very much enjoyed working with a partner but as she looked around the room it didn't seem like anyone else had the same idea. No worries though, she wasn't going to let that get her down. The question wasn't all that difficult that she required a partner anyhow. Turning her gaze back towards the magazine covers on the chalkboard, the second year Ravenclaw studied them in silence for a few moments. Each was different and yet they were still the same. Dahlia raised her hand, waiting her turn to be called on. "Each one is trying it's best to appeal to it's consumer with the most important or interesting news of that time. There's the use of that bright pink and the cake to catch your eye on Witch Weekly but.. why? Witches aren't the only ones that bake?" "Good work," Gabi replied in agreement with Dahlia's answer. "And you're right, witches aren't the only ones who bake, yes? But what does that tell us about the publication? Are they trying to find a certain demographic?" Quote: Originally Posted by pundantic Kale loved witch weekly. He heard the mention of it somewhere in the classroom and started to daydream about the first time he ever saw Nigel Barrington on the cover. He was at an impressionable age. Huh. Maybe he was, like, four or five? Had to be round about there. He was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen before and his H A I R? Well. It just about did the toddler version of himself in. Magazines were cool like that. They showed all kinds of talented people and their hair and faces and smiles off. Kale liked smiles, most. No, wait. Maybe hair. Ugh. It was too hard. People in general were so, so beautiful. Everything about everybody deserved to be hyped up. SPEAKING OF HYPE. Kale's eyes started to wander for a flash of blonde hair. Oh where, oh where could a sunshine be? ...Kale was obviously not paying attention, but being quiet, and that was fine by Gabi. Although...he did know his NEWTs were just a year away, right??? Quote: Originally Posted by astrocat Ash nodded at the various people around her, not quite feeling like talking today. She almost didn't answer the question, she was so quiet. But then she did answer. By herself. Haha. She barely looked up from her markers though. "They all want you to do something. Whether it means buying whatever product they're selling or believing the ideas they're putting out. And sometimes the products or ideas are good, and sometimes they suck. And you have to decide which is which." Propaganda. That's what these things were. Yeah. "All the bright colors and long article stuff is just extra, to make the pitch sound better." These magazines all wanted different things, but they were united in trying to sell you something. Whether it was a bad idea or a poorly-made product. Or something good. Whatever. "Good answers, Miss Fox! The ultimate goal is to sell the publication - but once they get you reading, as you said, they're all trying to accomplish something. To sell another product. To believe a certain story over another. The list goes on and on," she said in response to Ashley's answer. Quote: Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy Heath smiled at Claudine's greeting. He was already looking to the front when Professor Recard began the lesson. Oh, so they were talking about media. That explained why he couldn’t think of a specific person connected with all four of the publications on the board. He blinked, unsure what to make of the activity. Analyzing the magazine covers didn’t sound too hard, but explaining his opinions to the class always made him a bit nervous. He didn’t fancy the possibility of having his thoughts torn apart in front of everyone! Couldn’t he just spare himself the worry and write his analysis instead? He looked toward the board. The first thing he noticed was the bright, splashy colors and eye-catching fonts. Then he got a better look at each one individually. The first one was clearly a quidditch magazine, as the other definition of the word seeker made no sense in context, probably from the 1994 Quidditch World Cup if the teams mentioned were any indication. Based on the design and freebie included, The Quibbler seemed geared toward more subjective and abstract topics, as opposed to The Daily Prophet. As for Witch Weekly, just the name alone suggested that it was meant to be a women’s interest magazine. Then he noticed something that all four had in common. “They all cater to a certain point of view,” he said after raising his hand. “For example, Seeker Weekly says “great final”, but the people who were pulling for any team other than Ireland or Bulgaria might not have thought that match was great at all. Spectrespecs allegedly help the wearer see wrackspurts, so by including them, The Quibbler caters to people who believe such things. The negative wording of the Dumbledore headline contrasted with the more positively worded one about Fudge suggest that the Daily Prophet takes a pro-ministry point of view. Even the Witch Weekly cover - the title, the use of pink, the cake - suggests that the magazine buys into gender stereotypes.” There was nothing controversial about that, right? He really did not want to argue with anyone! Just in case, he added, *“Whether or not we as readers agree* with those points of view is moot; the point I was trying to make is that the covers give us insight into what the publications’ beliefs were at the time.” He blinked in a daze, not used to talking that much at once. Did he really just say all that? Yeah, he was… just gonna go back to being quiet now. "Good points, Mister Jones," Gabi nodded with a small smile. "There is a certain type of audience each one of these publications is targeting - but they are also flashy and using bright colors, and large fonts, to try and attract NEW readers as well," she pointed out. "As many of you pointed out - the magazine covers are used to try and sway you to read the publication. Some try to use colors or fancy word play to draw you in. Others relay on their titles, such as the articles in the Daily Prophet, to get you hooked so you'll pick up a copy. Either way, one thing is true no matter what the publication is about - the first impression can get people to read, and once they're reading, the information INSIDE can be used to send a certain message," she explained. Many students had already touched on that briefly in their answers. "The media plays an extremely important role in our society - both wizarding and muggle alike. They have a very important job of making sure the facts are presented to the public - yet, as many of you said, they are also trying to sell you a message. There is often a mix of both factual information and bias that needs to be balanced properly - and sometimes that balance falls apart." "What is one instance in our history where the media has been used to sway public opinion one way or the other?" she asked them all with an eyebrow raise. They all should have more than a few examples to pick from! OOC: Great answers everyone! You're all doing an awesome job! For the next bit, think of any example of media being used to send a certain message in HP canon - or SS canon, if you'd like! You'll have about 24 hours to respond to this question before we move on. CATCH UP IS ALLOWED if you didn't get a chance to share your thoughts in the mini activity! __________________ I'm still standin'*________________________________________ better than I ever did* Lookin' like a true survivor_________________________________feelin' like a little kid