Category Archives: Uncategorized

Meet my commentary and blogging students

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

Looking for some interesting college students from out here on the prairie to hear from? Here’s your chance. Here are the blogs and Twitter feeds for my #JMC406 Commentary and Blogging students: Alexis Henry Blog: https://alexisjhenry.wordpress.com/blog/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexisjaidyn14 Ashley Hopkins … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off on Meet my commentary and blogging students

Memories for the 9/11 anniversary

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

Editor’s note: Much of this is drawn from a series of annual posts I have made over the years to commemorate 9/11 It was 20 years ago tomorrow morning that I was teaching my freshman media literacy course at West … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Memories for the 9/11 anniversary

Ten Twitter Accounts Worth Following

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

One of my first assignments for my commentary and blogging students is to have them put together a post of 10 Twitter feeds worth following. Overall, I want them to be the kind of people who would be of value … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Ten Twitter Accounts Worth Following

Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Posted on August 25, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

What is Rachel Maddow going to be doing going forward? Hint: It’s not going to be business as usual at MSNBC. If you pay any attention to the cable news business, you will know that Rachel Maddow is the only … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Ignoring partisan rhetoric, what is critical race theory? Making sense out of what critical race theory (CRT) is and is not, Part II

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

There’s been an awful lot of loose talk about “critical race theory” (CRT) and how it is being taught in everywhere from grade school to college.  Most of the people who use the term have little idea what CRT actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Ignoring partisan rhetoric, what is critical race theory? Making sense out of what critical race theory (CRT) is and is not, Part II

In The Heights, Returning to Theaters, and the Importance of Representation

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

While I’ve always been a big fan of action and sci-fi flicks, the movie I’ve been most excited about seeing this summer has been Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (Hamilton) and Jon Chu’s (Crazy Rich Asians) musical extravaganza In The Heights.  In the Heights … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on In The Heights, Returning to Theaters, and the Importance of Representation

Bezos, Jeff Bezos Meets Bond, James Bond – Reconfiguring the Media Landscape Part 1

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

Huge transitions and consolidations are happening in the media business right now as the COVID pandemic winds down.  We’re going to take a look at a number of these changes over the next week or so. Today we start with … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Bezos, Jeff Bezos Meets Bond, James Bond – Reconfiguring the Media Landscape Part 1

Time to reboot after pandemic spring

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

For the last few months I’ve been down to posting about once a month with everything going on. Now that the semester is over it’s time to get back to thinking about where our media have wandered off over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Time to reboot after pandemic spring

Is Broadcast TV Done and Over? Or is it Just Awards Shows?

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

Last evening I was reading reading CNN’s Brian Stelter’s nightly media news newsletter that had just shown up in my mailbox. The lead story was about how television habits have changed during the pandemic. Stelter notes that one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Is Broadcast TV Done and Over? Or is it Just Awards Shows?

Director James Gunn takes on critics of “cancel culture”

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

Movie director James Gunn has had his own personal run-in with the so-called “cancel culture,” aka being held accountable for things you have said. As you may recall, long before Gunn became a big-time Marvel Cinematic Universe director of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Director James Gunn takes on critics of “cancel culture”