Toxic Sludge is Good for You!
Stauber, John, and Sheldon Rampton. Toxic Sludge is Good For You! Madison, WI: Common Courage Press.
The title of the book Toxic Sludge is Good For You! suggests that the authors John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton are environmental activists. And in a sense they are -- activists against the sludge of disinformation so often present in American media, culture, as a result of the machinery of the public relations industry. The first chapter of this book is entitled "Burning books before they're printed," a chapter that seems particularly important in light of current media controversies today, such as the uproar over the film "The Passion," where people are tempted to judge literature before actually experiencing it on the page or on the motion picture screen. The authors extend this analysis, however, not simply to creative and individualistic works, but even to the censoring of books, where controversial topics are eliminated or edited, based not upon facts but upon fears of reactions from the public and interest groups that will react against such potentially divisive material. The second chapter of the text is more analytical, examining the techniques of media propaganda on a psychological and a rhetorical level, in the hopes of making the reader better aware of what he or she experiences on a daily basis as a media consumer, consciously and subconsciously.
This book was an excellent read, not simply because of the clarity of the prose, which at times reads as quickly and persuasively as the media it attempts to criticize. It encourages its readers to become more informed and critical citizens of what they read and hear on a daily basis, and thus is an excellent preparatory manual for the coming presidential campaign in November. However, it is not useful simply from a political standpoint. It encourages readers to be more critical of advertising and what they believe and consume in the omnipresent, public relations driven world around them. Thus one does not become simply better informed by reading the book, but a better critical thinker in a fashion that is useful not simply from a news-based standpoint, or a citizen's standpoint, but also as a student and a moral human being.
Social issue alcohol drugs consider a social issue interested. It human freedom, sexuality, deviance, crime, social mobility, poverty, education, aging, similar issues. Select a specific social issue investigate assignment. Social issue: Drug abuse The social problem of drug addiction is a long-standing one, yet the causes of addiction and the best way to treat addiction still remain difficult questions to answer. One contentious issue pertains to whether addiction is a 'crime' or
Social issues are sometimes affected by the environmental and economic issues, but they often have a life of their own. The social environment is comprised of a number of factors, including demographics, trends, mores and norms, and social factors that affect the market such as health, education and social mobility (MindTools, 2014). Those factors will affect the economic power of consumers, but also other things like knowledge that will affect
Social Problem of Homelessness Teaching Social Issues Homelessness is a social problem that is prevalent around the world and particularly in the United States of America. Homelessness has existed for much of "civilized" human history, with sharp increases in eras of history such as the Industrial Revolution. In the last two centuries, homelessness and changed and expanded, though there remains a significant amount of research to be done. Professionals who study and
Other issues arise in the clustering of immigrants around the major urban areas, thus pulling to much from the grid, taxing the already marginalized system, and allowing an unprescedented demand in new housing. Experts acknolwedge that this increased level of housing needs cause even short-term visias to now be suspect in contributed to the gridlock. Additionally one of the conundrums that support a change in policy focuses on the type
Social Issues and the Myth of Luck in "Rocking- Horse Winner" by DH Lawrence Rocking- Horse Winner" is a short story by DH Lawrence that illustrates the importance of social status and the myth of luck in Paul's family, as well as in the society that their family live in. The short story deals with these two important themes, and each theme is dependent on each other, since it is evident,
Indeed, if there is only one type of beautiful person, it contributes to increased insecurity in women who happen to be a different shape or size from the "ideal" women perpetuated in the popular culture. According to Dank, Norton, Olds and Olive (1996), there has a lengthy association between dolls and ideal proportions, a relationship going back to Greek times. For example, pre-18th century dolls were manufactured so as to
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now