Secret Messages

Do biased article titles reveal secret messages? After analyzing many article headlines authors have revealed to us that the headlines and articles they write contain secret messages. Along with secret messages you will find certain words that reveal the author’s perspective or bias. While detecting bias in historical texts about various Indian tribes we found that using words like ‘massacres’ and ‘destroys’ gave a negative connotation. Although the author uses such negative words to describe the white settlers he also makes claims that are pro settler and pro Indian as well. He uses the phrase, ‘horses change the Indian culture’. He is stating the Indians are improving. If the author wasn’t pro Indian he would have used other, stronger, words to make his claim rather than using negative words for both the settlers and the Indians. The author uses certain words and phrases that reveal his bias towards the settlers and the Indians.

Election Ads

Now that the race for president is heating up, we are seeing more and more negative ads on the tv. Each morning I will see ads from each candidate. McCain will write one highlighting the negative aspects of Obama and the same with Obama about McCain. Not only do the two candidates write about the other, they also talk about themselves. In one pro McCain ad, he talks about his prisoner of war story and how he loves America. Do you think that the negative commercials with persuade voters?

Did They Get What They Deserved?

Today in class we watched the movie documentary, Grizzly Man. The film followed Timothy Treadwell into the Alaskan peninsula every summer for 13 years. Many see a resemblance between Mr. Treadwell and Chris McCandless from Jon Krakauer's novel, Into The Wild. Each boy passed away after living alone and off of the land for a long time. Timothy lasted 13 summers and Chris lasted 113 consecutive days. Even though they lasted so long, some people would call Timothy and Chris idiots for leaving their lives and going to Alaska to live. Since both boys died out in the wilderness some people think that they got what they deserved. However, Timothy spent 13 consecutive summers with wild grizzly bears and never suffered any injuries. Along with Chris who ate a poisonous root mistaking it for a very similar looking edible one. After lasting so long, the two made one mistake which in both cases resulted in death. After lasting so long without any mistakes, do you think that Timothy and Chris should be considered idiots for traveling into the wild and never returning? Did they get what they deserved?

Speeches With Hidden Messages

For years, presidential candidates have been using certain tactics in their speeches that send hidden messages to their audiences. These past couple of weeks the Democratic and Republican National Conventions have taken place. John McCain recently turned 72 this past August. Many Americans fear to vote for a presidential candidate who is quite old. Although McCain is older than the 47 year old Obama, he isn't going anywhere. At the Republican convention, during his speech, McCain's 96 year old mother was shown on camera. She was very healthy and looked great. This hidden tactic shows that McCain still has a long time to live if his mother is 96 and living healthy. Also, in John McCain's speech, he talks about his misfortune in North Vietnam as a prisoner of war. He was at a low point in his life, nearing death, when he redeemed himself by staying and fighting for his country. In his speech he says that, "my country saved me, and I cannot forget it. I will fight for her as long as I draw breath." He continues to say that he is going to fight for everything this country needs. McCain redeemed himself in Vietnam and is now going from having misfortune to good fortune. John told his life story as a prisoner of war hero in the Vietnam war. His goal was to have his audience know his biography by the last night of the convention. He used a personal narrative to help him show his audience that he has and will continue to fight for his country. Do you think that using hidden messages in speeches will help the presidential candidate?