Archive for 2009

Time is running out–help The LAMP reach its fundraising goal!

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

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Time is running out to help us reach our fundraising goal for 2009!
Donate to The LAMP today, and help us reach our goal of $2,850–enough to buy three new editing stations! Already, The LAMP has taught over 500 students, but with more equipment we can continue to grow and reach more communities in need of basic media literacy. When you support The LAMP, you’re investing in our on-the-ground efforts to empower New Yorkers living in a world where media is dramatically changing the way we learn, work and interact with others. Support The LAMP, and you’re for a media-savvy student, for a more involved parent, for an innovative and modern educator. Support The LAMP, and you’re for a critical mass.

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LAMP workshops make a difference for students!

Louis and Lenox
“I’ve noticed advertisements a lot lately.
I pay attention to them. [I've learned]  that advertisements are for getting people to want to buy more. I think it’s important for children to know about advertisements more than anything… so they know what’s around them, in their community.”
–Lenox, age 19, The Bronx; student of The LAMP’s Family Video workshop sponsored by Mount Hope Housing Company
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LAMPcamp 2009
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Our Latest LAMPlit: Check Out The News!

Friday, December 18th, 2009

The LAMP has added another LAMPlit resource guide to its library! Check out the news! is written by Katherine Fry, Ph.D., Education Director and Professor of Media Studies at Brooklyn College. Dr. Fry has spent years studying news literacy, and recently has been traveling to conferences to speak on the subject to other communications professionals.

So, what is news literacy? It’s the ability to think critically about the news, and the way you find out about what is reported in the world around you. It helps you form your own opinions, and become a more active media consumer. Instead of believing whatever a news outlet tells you, you’ll be thinking for yourself about how, why and where you get the news that shapes your life and your everyday decisions. Download Check out the news! for free today, and you’ll never see news in quite the same way again.

Give the gift of media literacy in 2010!

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Media literacy can change lives.
Each week, the average youth watches a full 24 hours of television. Recent studies show that without skills to think critically about media like TV, young people are more likely to smoke, become obese and do worse in school. When you donate to The LAMP, you invest in our programs bringing free media literacy training to hundreds of New York City youth, parents and educators.

Donate now!

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“I hope we have more awesome experiences like this!”

Digital Remix students“This workshop was an awesome experience because we learned how to use iMovie and how to edit commercials…
We learned how to use sound, text, pictures, movies, and special effects on iMovie to create a remix of the commercials. [LAMP Education Director] Katherine [Fry] was talking about a special program called The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project) where she taught us about how commercials have hidden messages and how some can lie to persuade people to buy their product…I thank everyone in MOUSE Sqaud for an awesome experience on that day. I hope we have more awesome experiences like this!”


–Yvette, age 19, Queens; student of The LAMP’s “Digital Remix” workshop sponsored by MOUSE

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See LAMP students in action!
LAMPcamp 2009
Click the image above for a video about our first-ever summer program, LAMPcamp, and browse student work.
The LAMP is on:

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Are “spend to save” deals worth it?

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Even though we’re already on the third day of Hanukah and there are only ten shopping days left until Christmas, the email offers keep coming in. Ever since the week of Black Friday, my in-box has been filled with special “deals” from just about every online retailer I have ever used. The message is about the same–20% off on this, free shipping on that–and I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t taken advantage of any of them. However, the ones that trip me up are ones like the Sephora offer pictures at left. The email starts off telling me that I’ve got $15 free to spend on anything I want, which sounds good. I enjoy make-up. But then, my marketing/media literacy kicks in and tells me that there has to be a catch; nothing is ever really free. I read a little further, and sure enough, I have to spend $35 in order to save $15.

So, holiday shopping tip number three: Beware of “spend to save” deals. (Missed our earlier posts? Check out holiday shopping tips one and two.) Offers like this are tempting, and can be useful depending on your shopping plans, but they can also bring you to spend more than you may have originally intended in order to pass the  threshold of, for example, $35. You buy what you set out to buy, but then your basket totals only $30, so you throw in something else just to get the deal. Yes, you’re saving money, but you also had to make an extra purchase and are now saddled with some extraneous item, just so you could say you got a bargain.

Again, sometimes “spend to save” offers can be genuinely useful, but think carefully before you buy. Remember that the job of advertisers and marketers is to create need. Before you enter the ring and start shopping, make sure you’ve thought ahead so that you, and not the advertisements, are in control.

–Emily Long

The Salahis, Facebook and the Power Wall

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Michaele Salahi getting friendly with Joe Biden

Michaele Salahi getting friendly with Joe Biden

Like everyone else, I couldn’t help but hear about Michaele and Tareq Salahi. On Thanksgiving morning, I was eating breakfast with my parents in the hotel where we were staying, and that same bit of footage–Michaele and Tareq enter, wave, walk; Michaele holds him back for another camera opp–played over and over again. At first I didn’t realize the magnitude of what had happened; that this was a major security breach and not just a publicity stunt or a misdirected invitation. Then reading online today in the New York Times, I learned of still another sin the Salahis committed–they put the pictures up on Facebook!

Now, aside from the obvious stupidity of publicizing pictures of yourself posing with leaders of the free world at a very exclusive party to which you were not invited, I have to say I disagree with part of David Segal’s criticism. He points out that by posting photos on Facebook, the Salahis erred by making public the traditional, time-honored Power Wall (i.e., physical wall of photos of yourself with important people). The Power Wall used to exist only in offices or homes, but not anymore. Years ago, if a photo was to be seen at all, it had to be printed, so the print itself was not a big deal. Now, choosing to print a photo indicates that it is something special, and so the pictures you display in private are carefully curated by you or someone close to you. For the purpose of striking awe in someone sitting across from your desk, a traditional Power Wall is still effective, but the days of owning your image are long gone. That client can walk out of your office, find you on Facebook or Flickr, and see any old picture they want; the word ‘authorized’ means very little. Your real power wall is on Facebook, and you demonstrate power by making sure you are not tagged in photos you don’t like. One would think this would be understood in an Administration which was put in place due largely to its wielding of social media.

While a large part of this has to do with social media and technology, another part of this has to do with media itself. One of the basic points of being media literate is understanding the power of imagery, which is something we generally take for granted. The Salahis certainly did. I have plenty of friends who have posted photos on Facebook from the time they met a famous actor, shook the hand of Barack Obama as he campaigned for President, and even one friend who snapped a shot of herself with the Dalai Lama, but the difference is that no rules were violated in the process. It’s really the very well-known context of Michaele Salahi’s shot with Joe Biden that makes it so inappropriate to share, and the fact that she shared it demonstrates idiocy, naivete, lack of foresight or all of the above. But if Biden–or any other White House officials who allowed personal cameras into the event–didn’t think that photo would turn up later, he was not much better.

–Emily Long

Warning: This blog post has been digitally enhanced

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Perusing the New York Times this morning, I came across another piece about the idea that digitally altered photographs for advertising should be labeled as having been retouched. The idea is that if we’re told that a photo of a model isn’t “real” then we might not feel as bad about our real-world physical flaws and quirks. France has a law on the table that, if passed, would require all retouched photos to carry a disclaimer, just as tobacco companies have to explicitly print on their product that it is extremely hazardous to health.

Henri Robin and a Specter by Eugene Thiebault (1863)

"Henri Robin and a Specter" by Eugene Thiebault (1863)

This brings me back to a photography exhibit I saw a few years ago at the Metropolitan Museum of Art here in New York called “The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult.” Over 120 ’spiritualist’ photographs were pulled together beginning from the 1860s depicting ghosts visiting the living, physical manifestations of thoughts, dreams and feelings, and spirits appearing in seances. The photographs, though stunning, are fake. They were made by manipulating a wet photographic plate, but appeared in newspapers, journals and parlors across the country as evidence of ghosts and spirits. William Mumler, generally regarded as the pioneer of spirit photography, made a fortune selling these photos, but lost it all to legal costs incurred during the 1869 trial accusing him of fraud. The charges were eventually dropped due to lack of evidence by the prosecution, though the judge claimed he believed the photos were indeed fraudulent. Still, spirit photography continued for many more decades. The point here is that, almost from the dawn of photography itself, people have been manipulating images with no disclaimer.

How different are Mumler’s photographs from digitally altered advertising photographs of today? In both cases, an image is produced that is meant to inspire emotion of some sort in the viewer. That image is then sold to the masses, who may or may not think to ask questions about how such an image is made. Virtually all photos taken today are retouched in some way, whether to correct red-eye, brighten colors, correct skin tone or alter lighting. Many of these photos hang in museums as pieces of priceless art. The question is, where do we draw the line–should digitally altered still lifes also carry a label stating that they were touched up? And, when looking at a picture of an impossibly beautiful person, would a label really keep you from beating yourself up because you don’t look like the Photoshopped model? Ultimately, the label only scratches the surface of what really should be done, which is to educate people about how and why media images are made.

Happy Holidays from The LAMP

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

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The LAMP needs your help!

This holiday season, The LAMP needs your help during our annual fundraising drive. Our goal is to raise $2,850–enough for us to buy three new Macbooks to use in our workshops. With us, these computers are more than just laptops; they’re portals to teaching youth, parents and educators how to be critical media consumers. As a fully registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, all of your donation is tax-deductible, and every little bit helps us reach our goal. Click below to donate!

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Favorite Workshop Moment:

D.C. Vito

LAMPcamp“My favorite workshop moment took place during LAMPcamp. During our session with the male LAMPers, we explored how the media defines what it means to be a man. A couple of students were taken aback when we showed them footage of Wesley Snipes in Blade, followed immediately by scenes of him as a drag queen in the movie To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. This opened up a spectacular discussion about what really does make a man, and how stereotypes are reinforced or challenged. A lot of the students said it really changed the way they look at men in media.”
–LAMP Executive Director, D.C. Vito

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The One-Year Test

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

In continuing our series about how to stay sane during the onslaught of marketing over the course of the holiday season, here is our second tip:

Before you buy something, do the one-year test. This one is pretty self-explanatory. It means that, any time you’re about to make a purchase, think about where that item will be one year from now. Maybe your child absolutely has to have the pricey toy today, but one year from now, it is likely that he or she will have moved on to something else. Or that sweater you’re coveting–will it still be in style in November 2010, or will you consider it dated and stuff it in the deep recesses of your closet?

Of course, especially when shopping for the under-18 crowd, the rules change a little. It’s part of figuring our your own personal identity to go through phases, and denying your teen the ability to experiment can be harsh. And for younger kids, it’s a fact that they will have outgrown those clothes by next year, but they still need clothes. Toys are designed to stimulate different age groups, so it’s unrealistic to expect that a puzzle which fascinated your two-year-old will still hold his or her attention at age five.  In cases like these, it can be helpful to consider two things: durability and excess.

For example, those clothes–are they made well enough that they might be suitable to hand down, or give to a Goodwill or the Salvation Army? At the very least, look for things that may have more than one life in them. And for the teen, it’s okay to indulge their punk rock phase, but to a point. They don’t need every album or every t-shirt, and it’s ok to ask them to prioritize. Perhaps this is lofty, but giving kids the “perfect Christmas” with their entire, completed wish list under the tree, might not be the healthiest thing in the long run. It’s good to learn that you can’t always have everything.

So when you’re waiting in a checkout line, resist the urge to buy all the little things they try to get you to buy on your way out, like purse-sized perfume spray or a Lego accessory. Those impulse buys add up, and when you find them stuffed under the bed or in your junk drawer a year from now, you’ll wonder why you ever bought them in the first place.

–Emily Long

What does your holiday shopping really cost?

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Rise and shine, shoppers!

Rise and shine, shoppers!

I personally have a deep love of the holiday season, but I know many people who do not. Reasons include sentiments such as “Peace on Earth” which are forgotten after January 1, obligatory family time and holiday parties, but the one constant I almost always hear is stress. And that stress is usually related to money.

Shopping can indeed be a high-stress venture over the holidays, given the crowds, the sales, the picking-the-perfect-gift challenge and a host of other elements like the tempting food court in the mall. But, it doesn’t have to be that way, so throughout the holiday season, we at The LAMP are offering some simple ways to keep your spending (and sanity) in check during one of the most difficult times for consumers. The first one is:

The real cost is not on the price tag. On Black Friday, thousands of people head to stores right after that last bite of pumpkin pie, prepared to wait for hours in their cars or on sidewalks for “doorbuster deals.” People get injured, angry and broke over a zeal to complete all of their holiday shopping in one day, or to save money on a new flatscreen.

Before you join the fray, ask yourself if this is worth it. Is buying the hot holiday toy for your kid really worth coming home in a foul mood, exhausted, resentful of what you just had to go through for it? Remember that you teach your children what the holidays are about. If you act as though shopping is at the heart of all December activity, odds are that your children grow up and continue the vicious cycle. They recall not that holidays are about building relationships with your friends and family, but that they are for competitive shopping excursions. If you are someone who finds yourself exceedingly stressed this time of year, take a second and think–how did your parents act during the holiday season?

In the end, you may finally be getting the TV you’ve always wanted, or you may be getting your children the toys at the top of their lists. But, you’ve lost the ability to sleep in the day after a large meal, a bit of your sanity has been sacrificed, and you’re buying into what retailers mean when they say dreams come true at the holidays. The $200 you saved to buy something you probably don’t really need, the lesson taught to your child when he receives every gift on his wishlist–how much does that cost?

–Emily Long

Regret, Resignation and News Literacy

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Sean Hannity

Sean Hannity

I’m guessing most of you heard on the news this morning that CNN anchor Lou Dobbs resigned as of last night, after much controversy over his remarks about the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate.  Also last night, Sean Hannity apologized to viewers for splicing footage from two different political rallies to make one appear larger, and acknowledged that Jon Stewart was right.  What is going on?

These incidents strike me as a possible indication that we are becoming more news literate. I do believe that as far as television news is concerned, the line between journalism and editorializing seems to have blurred. I’m happy that people are asking questions, and they are asking them loudly enough that networks have no choice but to respond. I applaud CNN for its choice to remove a pundit masquerading as a reporter, and though Sean Hannity may continue to carry that mantle, I applaud him for apologizing. I have no more or less respect for his work, but it takes a lot for people to admit they were wrong, and perhaps even more so when such an admission takes place in front of audience of millions. The news frequently gets things wrong, and it frequently oversteps the boundaries of strict journalism, but it is not often that the people involved make such public apologies. (Even retractions are typically found only in fine print.) It makes me proud that the notion of news reporting as fallible is catching on.

Meanwhile, we have not heard the last from either Lou Dobbs or Sean Hannity, and we will certainly continue to hear irresponsible reporting and poorly-argued editorials. News literacy continues to be of key importance in a media-saturated environment; simply removing someone doesn’t make us more literate. But it does provide a strong example to back up what we at The LAMP say often: When we demand smarter media, the media producers will respond. After all, the best argument for removing Lou Dobbs, at least from a CNN perspective, is the ratings drop.

–Emily Long

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