Adelina Ruffolo, W14: Topic Selection

I chose to listen to the 'Under the Influence' podcast. The topic of discussion was 'The Psychology of Price.' Not only do I find this topic interesting in general, but it also took a psychological perspective on the subject, which interests me a great deal. I enjoyed the use of music in the podcast in the introduction and as breaks between speech. The music chosen also fit in well with the topic being discussed. The pace of the speaker is also fairly good, he is not speaking too quickly or too slowly but at a pace that he can be understood and heard. I also liked that the language is not overtly complicated but not 'dumbed' down. It was beneficial that the speaker explained certain terms that may not be well known by the average person. The speaker is convincing and well-informed on the topic they are talking about. It is clear that a lot of consideration and research went into getting information about this topic. 

I have two topic ideas for my podcast and cannot decide between the two yet. The Under the Influence topic interests me because advertisements sell people goods and services, they can be presented to the public in both ethical and unethical ways. Advertisements get people talking for both good and bad reasons, they want to be remembered and leave a lasting impact. Some advertisements target people in an overtly obvious manner. For instance, there was an advertisement that a Canadian company did for an mothers against guns group in America. The ad depicted one child holding an item that is illegal in America and another child holding a gun. The message of the ad was clear, but many felt it was unethical to show children holding guns. The ad and the controversy surrounding it says a lot about our culture and the generation we live in. The other topic I am interesting in doing my podcast on is 'On the Media'. Journalists produce stories that are both ethical and unethical. The Rob Ford case is particularly interesting because not only is he the mayor of Toronto but also apparently a drug addict. The question to bear in mind when it comes to this particular topic is, is it ethical for reporters to discuss and uncover Rob Ford's drug addiction? Should it have been discussed because he is a public figure and therefore, his rights as a private citizen no longer apply? Or should what he does in his private time be kept from the public? Ralph Potter created what is known as a Potter Box which is a step-by-step guideline on making ethical decisions in journalism. The Potter Box helps journalists decide whether or not to publish a story that may or may not be ethical. 

The Spark website did not really help me much in regards to making decisions about my podcast. My advice to fellow students in my position is just to take the time to do proper research and not be lazy. Improper research can lead to faulty information and even at times plagiarism. Also, to get as much information from multiple sources as possible.