OCY and Moodle article

Both Our Cancer Year and the Almasi, Stafford, Kravitz, and Mansfield article explained the significance in the placebo effect in terms of patients’ knowledge. I agree completely with the idea that the brain is a very powerful force and is capable of influencing one’s physical conditions. However, patients should be fully informed about the procedures and medications that they are given. Everyone has a right to know what is going on in their own body. In Our Cancer Year, the doctors kept Joyce and Harvey informed about most medical situations but when Dr. Cantor is too busy to inform Joyce about Harvey’s conditions, Joyce is more than worried. Most people are scared of the unknown and illness is already scary as it is. Joyce would have been more at easy if she had gotten details from Dr. Cantor, good or bad. In the article, Richard Kravitz states that Direct to Consumer Advertisements should be “regulated, not banned.” Sometimes it is to the patients’ advantage to be half way informed.

                From a strict advertising stand point, I completely understand that it is in the nature of advertising to persuade rather than inform. In a perfect world the product or idea (whatever you are trying to “sell”) would be able to sell itself but that it not the case. Consumers always have the right to full disclosure but at the same time, a business is a business. I agree with Kravitz when he says that DTCA should be regulated.

OCY and Moodle article

Both Our Cancer Year and the Almasi, Stafford, Kravitz, and Mansfield article explained the significance in the placebo effect in terms of patients’ knowledge. I agree completely with the idea that the brain is a very powerful force and is capable of influencing one’s physical conditions. However, patients should be fully informed about the procedures and medications that they are given. Everyone has a right to know what is going on in their own body. In Our Cancer Year, the doctors kept Joyce and Harvey informed about most medical situations but when Dr. Cantor is too busy to inform Joyce about Harvey’s conditions, Joyce is more than worried. Most people are scared of the unknown and illness is already scary as it is. Joyce would have been more at easy if she had gotten details from Dr. Cantor, good or bad. In the article, Richard Kravitz states that Direct to Consumer Advertisements should be “regulated, not banned.” Sometimes it is to the patients’ advantage to be half way informed.

                From a strict advertising stand point, I completely understand that it is in the nature of advertising to persuade rather than inform. In a perfect world the product or idea (whatever you are trying to “sell”) would be able to sell itself but that it not the case. Consumers always have the right to full disclosure but at the same time, a business is a business. I agree with Kravitz when he says that DTCA should be regulated.

project 2 free write

     For project 2 I plan to use one of the UNICEF commercials. UNICEF stands for United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, more formerly known as United Nations Children Fund. I chose to use a UNICEF commercial because they are one of the few commercials that have always been successful at affecting me, emotionally. The company's targeted audience is upper to middle class families who do not always think about the under privileged children. The tone is very strong in this particular commercial which I thought was different from the rest. Other UNICEF commercials attempt to appeal to the audiences' emotions by making them upset about the conditions some children have to live in. This commercial tells the audience that this non-profit organization is effective and strong and that you should be a part of it. I believe that the strongest subject of this commercial is pathos because it really appeals to the audience's emotions. My personal connection to this piece has a lot to do with remembering my how the commercials affected my emotions as a child. UNICEF commercials are becoming more rare on television but I remember seeing them as a child and wanting to help those children. I used to trick-or-treat for UNICEF every year. 

 http://youtu.be/Vqnif9gnqhI#aid=P9DoN1p-xc4

rhetorical analysis of Khan and Krisberg articles

In terms of logos, the Krisberg article had a very interesting quote. Bernardt told The Nation’s Health “…if we want to reach them we have to communicate with then the way that they communicate with each other.” I feel that this statement is effective because not all of the audience may agree that texting is the best way to contribute to society’s health. This statement persuades the audience that it is a good idea because society is always on their phones; they rely on their phones, and associate them with every daily activity. In the Khan article, a zombie apocalypse is logically compared to any other natural disaster. As for ethos, the Krisberg article does a good job at listing titles of all contributors. Every person that is quoted, talked about, or has contributed has defined titles such as “Jay Bernhardt, PhD, MPH, director of the National Center for Health Marketing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” This allows the audience to trust the information is coming from a well-educated person. In the Khan article, there is a government link provided to provide the readers with more information and credibility of given information. For example “To learn more about what CDC does to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all kinds, visit: http://emergency.cdc.gov/cdc/orgs_progs.asp and to learn more about how you can prepare for and stay safe during an emergency visit: http://emergency.cdc.gov/.”  Both articles also did a good job with kairos because the zombie apocalypse and texting are both very popular social topics. 

Peer Review Analysis

     The number one thought that goes through my mind while I'm working on a project is "Will my audience enjoy this?" That is the main reason why I value peer reviews so much. The peer review process for out first project was thorough and gave me a very good idea of how my audience was going to respond to my podcast. However, not all peers necessarily know how to review papers or podcasts. If how to review, what to look for, and constructive criticism was stressed more, I would have gotten even more out of the process. With every partner I received the same comments about how they liked it and how my points were strong. I appreciate the compliments but I would love some criticism as well.
     I feel that two to three rounds of reviewing is an ideal amount. Anything less would not have the full potential of benefiting the students. Anything more would be tedious and students would stop caring to thoroughly review others' as well as their own. Most of the comments that were useful to me came from the review that I asked for my professor to do. Overall, this was one of the best peer reviewed projects that I have ever done and I really enjoyed the process.