“All the News that Fits”
Although this article was written in 1983, the central idea of the article is still very true. The article discusses how anchormen and newscasters distract the viewers from the news it is presenting. For example, the anchorman could be announcing a natural disaster such as a tornado, tsunami, hurricane, etc. ,but if the anchorman is smiling and saying non-threatening, cheerful words, the viewer will most likely take the news better than if the anchorman looked scared and was telling everyone to panic. The same could go for any type of situation whether it is weather, crime, or world news. As long as the anchorman is presenting the news well and in a happy manner, the viewer will most likely be optimistic about the news. A quote in the article from Art Buchwald that demonstrates this is, “I remember once when the astronauts were in trouble and I was worried, my wife said, ‘Don’t worry, Walter will solve the problem.’ Twenty minutes later Walter came back on the air…and fixed it." This goes to show that it is just how you present the news that can make it seem much better. Newscasters use the technique of 'happy news' to make the audience believe that the serious and tragic areas of the news report aren't as bad as they may seem.
I believe that this is still in effect today. I especially see it on weather channels when they are reporting a thunderstorm. Obviously a thunderstorm is nothing too serious and tragic, but it can put a damper on a lot of people's days and usually is looked at as gloomy. Whenever the weather reporter says that there will be a thunderstorm, he always announces it is a cheerful tone and almost looks happy about it. Even on the weather channel when there is no weatherman, they will show the 7-day forecast will cheerful music in the background making the bad weather go almost unnoticed. On local news stations, I notice that if the newscasters are reporting a sad article, they will surround it with happy reports.
“With These Words I Can Sell You Anything”
This article describes how companies use specific wording to sell products. For example, "New and Improved," are the most frequently used words in advertising that convince the consumer that the product is better than the last or better than its competitor. In the article, Lutz explains that the product is commonly not new or improved, but changed insiginficanlty to legally use the term. These are examples of 'weasel words,' or words that describe a product to make it seem better and more desirable than it really is.
I can definitely say that I have experienced these weasel words before. They are seen with literally every product, whether it is food, toys, appliances, or toiletries. A personal example of mine is the use of weasel words with baseball bats. When I was younger, I would get a magazine called 'Baseball Express." Every year there would be 'new and improved' models of these bats made of 'high performance' material with a big sweet spot and the magazine would also use science and technology to back up why their bat has become so improved and why it is the best. A perfect example would be this commercial for an Easton Stealth baseball bat advertised by Sports Authority: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LtGbCm_tv4
Clips
Relative to the article: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LtGbCm_tv4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iPu6GNnhKs
Can't believe it's on tv/effects me negatively: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEWeOhezlwM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdtejCR413c
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