Author Archives: Ralph Hanson

Is Taylor Swift the new Queen of all Media?

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

I’m working on the ninth edition of my textbook Mass Communication: Living in a Media World. The eighth edition was written in the middle of the pandemic lockdown and talks about a time when everything was being limited. The lockdown … Continue reading →

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

Are Facebook and Instagram addictive? And if so, what does that mean? We know that nicotine, meth, heroin, alcohol and the like are addictive. Biochemists can lay out the specific mechanisms that make these substances difficult to quit using. But … Continue reading →

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Rupert Murdoch Steps Down From Fox Corporation and News Corp. Management

Posted on September 25, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

Breaking news: Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as the chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp, ending a decades-long run that saw him become the driving force in American conservative media through Fox News. https://t.co/5AtAwR6VB7 — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) … Continue reading →

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Everyone’s Gone to the Movies – The Year Sequels Didn’t Rule

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

It is almost fall, but it still seems like the summer movie season has a little time yet to go before we jump into the doldrums that lie in between the blockbusters and the late-fall/early-winter Oscar bait. Oh, wait a … Continue reading →

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Remembering A Motorcycle Ride to the United 93 9/11 Memorial on a Rainy Summer Day

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

It was 22 years ago this morning that I was teaching my freshman media literacy course at West Virginia University.  I had a class with close to 350 students in it. C-SPAN’s Washington Journal morning show was playing on the … Continue reading →

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Riding Up North – Wheels on Walls Part 5

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

This is the fifth post in a series of images from my travels for the  Wheels on Walls motorcycle scavenger hunt sponsored  by Team Strange Airheads. For it, I need to collect photos of my motorcycle and rally flag taken … Continue reading →

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‘Great 78 Project’ Works to Preserve Vintage Recordings; Big Music is not Amused

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter. Therefore, ye soft pipes, play on.” – John Keats: If record companies had their way, there would be a lot of really sweet music out there. Let me explain. The music … Continue reading →

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The Lessons of Barbenheimer Shake Up Movie Industry

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

The standard narrative this summer is that audiences are tired of going to theaters for movies and would rather just stay home to watch streaming. Audiences stayed home in droves from one more Indiana Jones flick and didn’t show Mission … Continue reading →

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Riding The Storm Out – Wheels on Walls Part 4

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

This is the fourth post in a series of images from my travels for the  Wheels on Walls motorcycle scavenger hunt sponsored  by Team Strange Airheads. For it, I need to collect photos of my motorcycle and rally flag taken … Continue reading →

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Riding with Strangers – Wheels on Walls Part 3

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Ralph Hanson

This is the third post in a series of images from my travels for the  Wheels on Walls motorcycle scavenger hunt sponsored  by Team Strange Airheads. For it, I need to collect photos of my motorcycle and rally flag taken … Continue reading →

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