Confidence

Here's the assignment: read the chapter you're assigned and relate it to an article you've read or something going on in the world. Simple, right? Yes, superficially, this seems like an easy task. But for those people not comfortable or accustomed to speaking in front of more than a couple of people, leading an in-class discussion can be daunting.

Usually, I fit into that frame. The nervous, slightly quiet student in the class who speaks when spoken to or when she has to as part of her grade. "Miller, O Silent One," as Professor Conrad Fink once called me. But what's great about my Mass Communication class here at Oxford is that I've finally found enough confidence to put my thoughts out there without being so nervous. Today was my day to present my thoughts and connections to Chapter 6 of our "Media, Terrorism, and Theory" book, and as we finished up our discussion, I really felt good about what I'd said and how my classmates responded to my thoughts. And this is the first class I've taken in a long time where I've felt extremely comfortable speaking more than once in class every day. Now for me, this is quite an accomplishment. For other people, this probably isn't that exciting. "Wow, you spoke in class. Good job," someone no doubt is saying. But for me, this merits a blog post.

What might make this post take a more interesting turn (key word: might) is if I write briefly about the subject of our discussion. In this class, we've been discussing the "new and emerging media" and how they cover things like the war in Iraq and other important issues. Culture, nationalism, modernism, and other subjects play into what we talk about every day, which makes for very interesting conversation. In Chapter 6, the author talks about how pervasive the Internet can be and how anyone, from would-be terrorists to university students, can take a stand on an issue in front of a global audience. He also addresses the media's need to balance telling the story/revealing the truth and possibly promoting the terrorists' cause. He quotes another author, saying:

"Television certainly needs to show the cruel face of war -- whether in Iraq or the war on terrorism -- for the sake of truth and accuracy. But TV's hunger for shocking pictures ["If it bleeds, it leads"] is distorting Americans' view of this war, and its excessive use of terrorist video is spreading propaganda of an even more damaging sort. TV outlets run the risk of becoming mindless, amoral communications tools by which terrorists advertise their brutality, enlarge their reputations and belittle those who would protect us."

I referenced this quote in class as well as others from articles I've read on Slate.com because I think this topic is so vital for upcoming journalists to consider. And it's also important for people not in the media to think about these topics as well. I tend to stick up for journalists and their decisions because I am one (an amateur one, writing for a college newspaper, obviously) and my dad is one (he writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). I mostly quoted from a Slate.com article and Anderson Cooper's blog, both of which I encourage others to read before passing judgment on journalists and what they do. We're not perfect, but we're doing our best.