Assignment # 3

“The observer changed the position of the observed.”  What does Gitlin mean by this?

I believe Gitlin is explaining that people reporting via the social movements have changed what is being taken from this movement.  It has of course changed the framing structure and ultimately changed the boundaries for this movement.  It is true that reports on specific events now underline certain conditions, mainly events such as wars and other significant occurrences.  Also shifting their views from one group focusing specifically on those individuals instead of the overall group’s perspective collecting false statements.  Not to mention changing or directing the individuals who are being questioned into the direction they want to go forth in making their next story.  Being easily persuaded is key for them and will ultimately help stories break headlines whether it is entirely true or not. 

Having these shift framing roles have actually helped focus the average American mind into believe what “they” want use to know and or believe in, whether it being the truth or far from it.  The structure their stories on what they believe will have high results and inevitable cause the most dramatic affect on the people receiving the information, the American population.  If sensualizing these stories did not accrue, the general public would have a much better understanding of what was really happening with current events and would not have to sift through all of the fluff added in order to make a “good story”. Sadly this will not change and we must stay on our toes about believing just anything we hear.  

Which of the protests that we have looked at thus far in the semester do you think has been most affected by the presence of media coverage and how the tactics utilized by that social movement have been impacted by such coverage?

Throughout all the movements we have looked at thus far, I would have to say that the one movement I feel that was mostly affected by media coverage would have to be the Gay and Lesbian rights movement.  I chose this example mainly because of the wide variety of media coverage that it entailed and how both sides of the story were covered which eventually gave people the right to make up their own minds about how they feel about this movement.  The acceptance rate for Gay people has greatly changed with positive numbers.  Whether it has been their positive protesting with students, or their smartly constructed television shows it is hard to tell, but one thing is for sure.  People are warming up to the idea of Gay acceptance.  More and more people who are gay are feeling more comfortable talking openly about their gay beliefs, which in return is helping more people come clean so to speak.  Celebrities, such as Ellen DeGeneres have helped so many people become okay with their feelings about being openly gay and she has done so much to help make sexuality of any case acceptable.  

Other shows such as Project Runway, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Will and Grace were also other huge supporters of this new revolution.  Helping people to see clearly that Gay rights is a choice, a choice that only they can make and just like other movements should be taken into all consideration. 

It is however interesting though, that before these celebrity out burst of coming clean with their sexuality, Gay rights were not seen as openly.  These people, average people were seen as scum for not like their opposite sex and that in religion they were making the biggest sin, and so on.  With time all of these things have changed, there is however large media cover about gay marriage and whether or not it is allowed in many state across the country, some states more than others are very against this cause and will be for a long time to come.  It has widened questions about people rights and their choice, but in conclusion there will never fully be acceptance from everyone on this matter. 

It is a way of life that in some ways is new to our communities and people are not sure of this change, whether to support it or be against it, either way, it is a ongoing well known covered story that the media loves to gobble up.