Part One * You are the news director of a local television station. The city council has just voted to close city parks 3 days a week to save money. Meanwhile, a major celebrity has died. The park story has greater effect on your viewers, but the celebrity death will get bigger ratings? Which do you make your lead story and why?

For some unknown reason, news has become more than a center of information. It has become the platform of entertainment. Ratings have increased when the news includes celebrity highlights or “gossip.” This is where it gets hard as a news director. Trying to make the best judgment to not jeopardize ratings but to also be informative. Standing between what affects the viewer and what will bring more rating to the station. This is where as a director I would have to play it smart.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind. One is the fact that there are important things going on in the city that the citizens need to be aware of. Some people work hard and as a result don’t have the time to sit down and read a newspaper even if is online. They depend solemnly on the night news. Then we have on the other side the ones that like news that pertain only about entertainment, and this is where it gets tough. In order to keep both parties happy you try to come up with something to catch the attention of both types of viewers. Having a good marketing team that learns how to capture the different viewers attention is the key to these kinds of situations.

In this case as the director of the local television station I would play the “keep them waiting” tactic. Meaning I would announce in the beginning a short review of what we will be discussing throughout the night, making the death of the celebrity one of the first things announced but the last one to mention. Always making a comment about it before going into commercials to keep the viewer hooked to the station, waiting for the news and at the same time obtaining the ratings that kind of news would get. Maybe sharing a little bit of news here and there, without giving out so much detail would actually keep the viewer entertained and waiting for the whole story.

Definitely I would always keep on mind as a director of a local television channel the importance of the word “news.” Ratings are important because it what keeps us going, it is the popularity or the acceptance of certain shows in the channel. By having a good background in what people are expecting, and a good team that will help develop ideas to keep all types of viewers interested in what is coming up next. The story of the city will actually be interesting if you have kids that go to the park during the week. But in reality a celebrity’s death is much more catchy. Building strategies is the key to a successful television station. Learning to lean to all types of viewers without forgetting the main purpose. To inform the viewer, to obtain high ratings, and to entertain the viewers. This will help distract them from all the negative news going on around them. It is important to keep a good balance of news and entertainment. The times are different from 10-20 years ago. Worry and stress have double and people are looking for ways to disconnect but also be informed.

Part Two * Explain the effect of relationships among television, movies, and electronic games Television, movies and electronic games are all branches of one tree called “entertainment.” Throughout the year culture has changed the direction of many things in Hollywood. Television, movies and video games have taken a different more liberal path. What do I mean by liberal? Well is easy, what use to be wrong to show to 13 year old kids is now normal. This has not only affected families, but is has affected society as a whole. The sad thing is we are responsible for all the changes, good or bad. Culture now days has taken a very controversial path. We are living the consequences of that, but yet we still buy the movie tickets to certain movies and watch certain programs and feed off of this culture. I am a firm believer that everything that happens is because some one along the way bends over the rules and started accepting things, which we now see as normal. I don’t want to sound like an old lady, but studies have shown the affect television, movies and video games have had in our generations. Hollywood has a very positive and negative way to influence people. This generation or culture has yield to what Hollywood has to offer. Sex, drug, violence are just a few of these things. Little by little we are feeding our kids things we then don’t know how to stop. Recent studies have shows the increase of violence in elementary kids because of video games, movies and television shows parents let them see. The problem is that we as adults have sat and pointed fingers at the moviemakers, or video makers, because of coarse there are always someone to blame. Without realizing that the first person in the list to blame is ourselves. We buy the kids the video games; we take them to the movies or give them money to go to a movie we don’t even supervise. So how can we talk bad about this generation, or culture if we are the first ones feeding off of that? Controversial issues over modern electronic games have come up. Violence seems to have taken a lead in all these games and kids as much as adults enjoy playing them. There are a couple of issues, one being the obesity problem. Like in everything, there are good and bad games. One that influence more than the others, like “mortal combat” Just with the name you know is nothing good. But not everything is bad; there are social games that actually bring the family together such as rock band, wii sports, Mario carts. I mean there are a lot of options that do not have to include sex, violence, or sitting in a couch all day. Society is influence by television and movies. What if we would choose more wisely what our kids watch? Maybe the industry will understand when we decide to make a stop to all this. Life is more than a video game, or a movie. Is about making a difference, influencing others not others influencing you. Lets take advantage of the positive sides of television, video games and movies.