We have a lot of important issues today that are unprecedented in history due to technological advancement of our age, such as: global warming, ecological pollution, DNA modification and patenting of crops, meat industry, and the list goes on. All these issues have to be addressed and decided upon with as much ethical prowess and unity of opinion among people as possible. Public opinion is a huge power and ability to sway it one way or the other can make or break a presidency, a corporate monopoly, domestic and foreign policies, or pass laws. Advertising is a very large omnipresent industry, whose sole purpose is to skillfully grab our attention and shape our decisions, thus manipulating public opinions. According to communications professor Joseph Turow, by targeting certain niches among consumers based on lifestyles, advertising segregates already diverse community even further, thus making it impossible for people to come to a consensus on critical issues, which demand our attention without delay (Goshgarian and Krueger 297). Therefore, it is important to consider how ethical advertising tactics really are, and whether it is necessary to create adequate regulations in order to control the industry.
Multimedia telecommunication technologies today have reached a point where sponsors and organizations are able to receive feedback from their viewers and readers through their choices. News programs like CNN even offer to vote by sending text message to a certain number in order to choose which news piece is going to be shown next. With such advancements in technology, wouldn’t it be logical to assume that decision making by the public has become a more coherent and straightforward process, where any particular issue can be ...
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... and distraction is the affect that modern advertising achieves among consumers, while pressing issues such as healthcare crisis need our attention and erudition, then can modern advertising be considered unethical? To simplify the question of ethics, let’s put it this way: when one is about to get hit by a train while another is trying to divert his attention in order to sell him a pretzel, is selling an ethical thing to do considering that distraction endangers the potential buyer? Does he really need that pretzel, or should he get off the tracks as soon as possible?
Works Cited
Goshgarian, Gary, and Kathleen Krueger, ed. Dialogues: An Argument Rhertoric and Reader. Longman: Pearson, 2011. Print.
Turow, Joseph. “Targeting a New World.” Goshgarian and Krueger 294-97.
Rushkoff, Douglas. “Which One of These Sneakers Is Me?” Goshgarian and Krueger 298-301.
Swales, John. "The Concept of Discourse Community." Wardle, Elizabeth and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing a College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2011. 466-480. Print.
Olson, Annie. “An Introduction to Rhetoric.” Le Tourneau U, May 2006. Web. 6 Dec. 2011.
Palmer, William. "Rhetorical Analysis." Discovering Arguments: An Introduction to Critical Thinking, Writing, and Style. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2012. 268-69. Print.
Advertisements are one of many things that Americans cannot get away from. Every American sees an average of 3,000 advertisements a day; whether it’s on the television, radio, while surfing the internet, or while driving around town. Advertisements try to get consumers to buy their products by getting their attention. Most advertisements don’t have anything to do with the product itself. Every company has a different way of getting the public’s attention, but every advertisement has the same goal - to sell the product. Every advertisement tries to appeal to the audience by using ethos, pathos, and logos, while also focusing on who their audience is and the purpose of the ad. An example of this is a Charmin commercial where there is a bear who gets excited when he gets to use the toilet paper because it is so soft.
Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2012. Print.
Longaker, Mark Garrett, and Jeffrey Walker. Rhetorical Analysis: A Brief Guide for Writers. Glenview: Longman, 2011. Print.
The subject of the learning reflection essay is my final project for English 102, “Rhetorical Analysis of FDR’s First Fireside Chat”. In this reflection, it will briefly cover 2 specific learning outcomes Critical Thinking and Oral Communication. First, for the critical thinking outcome, I will cover how I learned and gathered evidence and on the rhetorical analysis, and how chose to integrate it into the final project. Finally, I will sum up what I learned for oral communication, specifically how I learn to effectively communicate my ideas and how to organize my ideas for my project.
Downs, Doug. "The Concept of Discourse Community." Writing about Writing: A College Reader. By Elizabeth A. Wardle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 466-78. Print.
Harris, Robert A. Writing with Clarity and Style: A Guide to Rhetorical Devices for Contemporary Writers. Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Pub., 2003. Print.
Sut Jhally, a professor at the university of Massachusetts of whom won the distinguished teacher award, wrote in his essay “ Advertising at the Edge of the Apocalypse” that : 20th century advertising - the most powerful propaganda in human history - will destroy the world as we know it. The survival of the human race will depend upon our ability to minimize the harmful effects of Advertising. These effects will have lasting impacts on our culture, joy, and future.
In order to generate sales, marketers often promote aggressively and uniquely, unfortunately, not all marketing advertisements are done ethically. Companies around the globe spend billions of dollars to promote new products and services and advertising is one of the key tools to communicate with consumers. Conversely, some methods that marketers use to produce advertisements and to generate sales is deceptive and unethical. Ethical issues concern in marketing has always been noted in marketing practice. According to Prothero (2008), ethics itself has a profound, varied and rich past. It emphasizes on questions of right and wrong or good and bad.
In today’s difficult economy who can afford to spend their hard-earned money carelessly? Americans want good quality and low prices, and businesses that advertise their product make saving money possible. Advertising was created for one reason, so businesses could make known their product (Black, Hashimzade, and Myles). Some consumers may argue that advertising is not informative, but that it is manipulative because some advertisements make false claims. Fortunately, there are regulations and consumer rights that promote truth in advertising. Consumers must embrace their rights to keep advertising the way it is meant to be. Advertising is meant to be informative and not manipulative, and consumers play a great role in promoting truth in advertising.
Advertising techniques have changed and along with it, the impact they have on each individual’s mind. While there are some similarities between the different kinds of advertisements we see today, there are also many differences. Advertising has also become more unethical than it was in, let’s say, the 50s. Not all advertisements are brainless; there are a few that are even creative and fun and just pull the target audience in by entertaining them while selling them a product.
audience, the advertising industry is charged with several ethical breeches, which focus on a lack of societal responsibility (Treise 59). Child Advocacy groups and concerned parents, among others, question the ethicality of advertising claims and appeals that are directed towards vulnerable groups in particular, children (Bush 31).
...maintain that advertising exists primarily to create demand among consumers. People have certain types of wants and needs, and they are perfectly capable to discover it for themselves. People today just need food, clothing and shelter everything else is superfluous and additional stuff. Advertising are able to create demand that would not exist just by manipulating people’s min and emotions. Advertising is master in manipulate reality and fantasy, by creating “magic show.” It is true that advertising has been a powerful mechanism that distorts our whole society’s values and priorities. On the other hand, advertising educate people about several issues. In political terms, it moves mass of people and persuade them to vote for a candidate. And, of course, in terms of economy, contributes in the development through the consumption of the costumer.