A. Hall & Hall (1987). Understanding Cultural Differences 

1. Monochronic time and Polychronic time

           In monochronic time (M-time), events are planned to occur one at a time, like when in a vacation, you are spending your time and focusing on one only thing, to unwind/relax. Likewise, when you’re on vacation, it feels like time is so slow and you have all the time to enjoy it.  Polychronic time (P-time), on the other hand, is characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of many things and by a great involvement with people. In the meme, it is symbolized by many hands of the clock when deadlines are coming and students are cramming to do their outputs. People act differently, depending on which conception of time is prevalent in their culture.

2. High Context Culture and Low Context Culture

            Generally, Hall's definition of a high context (HC) communication or message is one in which most of the information is already in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message. Siblings who have grown up together can and do communicate more economically and when asking for favors, they already know the message their siblings want to decode through the non-verbal cues like body language and mannerism of their sibling. A low context (LC) communication is just the opposite: i.e. the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code. This is true when your sibling asks for a favor and you denied it. Random words will just come out of their mouth and the rest is history. 

B. Lacson (2005)

1. The Deprivation-Deservation Syndrome: Sayang at Libre Mentality

The meme demonstrates the “sayang” and “libre” mentality of Filipinos in the context of handaans. This kind of mentality is categorized by Lacson under the deprivation-deservation syndrome which makes people, especially the poor sectors of society, behave as if they deserve something because they are deprived of it. This is also exhibited when people squat in public and private properties, bring home hotel essentials under the thinking that it is part of the payment, and eat their money’s worth in eat-all-you-can diners. In Filipino social gatherings like fiestas and birthday parties, there is always someone who takes out food from the event. This is a manifestation of the mentality because Filipinos think that the opportunity for ”libre” or free food would be “”sayang” if they do not take advantage of it.

2.  The Kulang sa Pansin Syndrome and The Quest for Ownership and Credit Seeking: Crab Mentality

The crab mentality or in Filipino, ‘talangka’ mentality starts from the observed pattern of behavior of crabs trapped in a bucket scrambling to get out of a boiling pot by clambering on top of one another. This thinking is also best described by the phrase “if I can’t have it, neither can you”. According to Lacson, the crab mentality of Filipinos also stems from their pagkakulang sa pansin (deprivation of attention/understanding) and their quest for the ownership and credit-seeking behavior. It is a toxic habit that we commonly see in various public settings like schools, workplaces, and even in the government. The meme shows the crab mentality of some politicians dragging other politicians down whenever they do something favorable to the citizens. By not wanting to be outshined by others, officials sometimes hinder the growth of the nation, or some would state “kaya di umuunlad ang Pilpinas”. 

C. Manggay (2002)

1. Pagsisiwalat ng mga Pansariling Impormasyon

         This meme shows one of Melba Manggay’s interpersonal communication called “pagsisiwalat ng mga pansariling impormasyon”. The boundary between private and public information of a person is crossed,  when  a secret  is revealed  to the public without their consent. This is commonly seen in a group of friends to tease their friend. However, this behaviour should be changed as privacy is a serious matter to everyone.

2.  Pagpapakitang-giliw

           In Melba Maggay’s Pahiwatig, this meme shows one of interpersonal communication namely “pagpapakitang-giliw”. A person puts on a fake mask of friendliness to another person, may it to be put on their good graces or to give a good impression. Pagpapakitang-giliw can be shown verbally or non verbally, a person can express her papagpapakitang-tao by their actions and facial expression. While verbally they can say sugar-coated words to the other person to show their agreement. In this  meme, the man uses the non-verbal route where he donned an amicable face when meeting a person who has debt in him.

                                                          References

Lacson, J. R. (2005, June 14). Mindsets of the Filipino: A Research Agenda for Filipino Communicative Behaviour. Retrieved December 2, 2020, from file:///C:/Users/hmebr/Dropbox/My PC (LAPTOP-HF3GLIOF)/Desktop/COMM 10-7/5.2 LACSON_Mindsets of the Filipino.pdf

Hall, E. T., & Hall, M. (1987). Understanding Cultural Differences. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/hmebr/Dropbox/My PC (LAPTOP-HF3GLIOF)/Desktop/COMM 10-7/5.1 01 HALL _ HALL_Understanding Cultural Differences SELECTED.pdf

                                 Ebreo, H., Laylo, M., Villaluna, N.

                                        Ebreo, H., Laylo, M., Villaluna, N.

                                           Ebreo, Hershey Kate

a. Do your selfies reflect or mirror who you really are? Why or why not?

No, because these selfies are only a side of me that I want other people to know me as. In my selfies I look happy and vibrant, but in truth I am neither of that. 

b. What do you do to make your selfies more appealing/pleasing/attractive? 

To achieve the perfect selfies of myself, first, I make sure that I have good lighting. Second is to make sure that my clothes flatter my figure. Third, I angle myself to capture a flattering picture of my face. Lastly, I smile because I think this is the only pose that suits my face. 

c. Would you consider your selfies a fair representation of yourself? Why or why not?

                                       Ebreo, H., Laylo, M., Villaluna, N.

                                                       Reference

                                         Ebreo, H. , Laylo, M.

                                                                    Reference

Jung, E., & Hecht, M. L. (2009). Elaborating the communication theory of      identity: Identity gaps and communication outcomes. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01463370409370197

                                               Created by Canva

                                             Ebreo, Hershey Kate 

1. What is the basis for the labels you use to refer to yourself?

     In doing this activity, first, I think of the things that I know are true in this moment example: being a daughter or a sister. Then, I put traits that I have observed with myself like: being talkative and trustworthy. Lastly, I use the description of my friends and family, but it needs to pass my judgement first, if I agree with their notion, I will use this to identify myself in the future.

2. Which of other people’s labels for you do you identify with and why? Which of these labels do you not identify with and why?

       Almost all of the descriptions of my friends and family about me are true. They say that I have an athletic build, yes I have, because of years of training and playing volleyball. They say that I am morena, again it is true, you can see it just by looking at my skin. They say that I am namit, well I think so too and that’s because of my athletic build.

        The label that I do not identify myself with is being mataray. I know that my face looks scary as if I cannot be approached, but I cannot change how I look when my face is resting. My friends and family often commented on that, so to make sure that there is no misunderstanding,  I say to my friends, family and my new acquaintances that they can approach me anytime. That way they can change the notion that I am mataray. 

3. How did/do you become aware of other people’s notions of you? And how do others’ notions of you affect your concept of self?

                                      Ebreo, H., Laylo, M., Villaluna, N.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iEdpdpPpdGeuP9KiQRZB_D7zJZifUcvT?usp=sharing

                                               Made by Canva

1. What rhetorical exigence spurred the writing of the commentary?

          On August  1 the Philippine Medical Association with different medical communities called for the President of the Philippines Duterte to heed their call to change the lockdown imposed to Metro Manila from GCQ to ECQ. After months of GCQ wherein, people can go to work but are restricted to persons who are 21 to 60 years of age and public transportation is permitted but with adherence to social distancing. These may have affected how COVID fared as GCQ has given less moderation on people’s movement as opposed to ECQ that set a particular place in total lockdown. The continued rise of COVID infection in the Philippines pushed the medical front liners to ask for a 2-week ECQ respite since they are besieged by “fatigue, fear, and poor working conditions”. This timeout according to the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) president Dr Jose Santiago can be utilized by the Government to gauge the strategies they are using to combat COVID.

2. Who is the rhetorical audience? What are the characteristics of this rhetorical audience?

        The primary intended rhetorical audience is the Philippine government and specifically President Duterte whom the letter is addressed to. As a consequence of the overwhelming number of patients that barraged hospitals and unfavourable conditions of medical front liners, the medical community appealed to the PH government who have previously declared the general community quarantine status of mega Manila to return ECQ for another two weeks. Aside from the government, the public is also an audience to the distressed call since the citizens are directly involved in the problem of rising infection cases. The medical community encourages people to stay home quarantined as much as possible in order to avoid the spread of the virus. The audience- the government and public, are key players in the exigence of the rhetorical situation. With the information from the letter, the audience can become enlightened and be able to make informed decisions which can positively affect the existing problem.

3. What are the constraints to the post’s rhetorical effectiveness?

         Different constraints have the power to influence the decision and action of the audience such as the government, specifically President Duterte and the public in imposing the ECQ again in Mega Manila. For the government, they will think first the economy, the returning of ECQ will worsen the country’s economy. It will definitely impact tourism, exports, remittances, household consumption and the GDP. We all know that the economy is the primary foundation of a nation and the fall of it will cause a domino effect in every aspect. Second, the social impact that includes the different industries, services, and constructions will also be affected in the return of ECQ. Public Utility Vehicles(PUV) will be suspended again that will result in difficulty in commuting. Moreover, stranded individuals and OFW’s will stay longer to the place where they were quarantined. The movement of the people will be limited so as the movement of the nation’s capital if the 2 week-long ECQ will be granted at Mega Manila. For the public, their opinion can be a constraint whether they agree or disagree in the return of ECQ. Also, the platform in which the letter was posted can only be accessed by those people who have internet connection thus, can be said as one of the constraints to rhetorical effectiveness.

4. Does the number of likes/shares/retweets make the commentary or post more credible? If so, in what way? If not, why do you say so?

        The number of likes, shares and retweets does not make a post more credible. Just by examining its content, we can say that it is already trustworthy as it is from the Philippine College of Physicians with the support from different Medical Community. They also have an authority to speak about this problem as they are a member of the medical community that takes care of the people during this COVID pandemic. Not only that, but the information that is presented in the letter are facts that can be verified. To add to this, the verified mark in the page where they post the letter indicates that it is checked by Facebook as a real organization. No amount of shares, likes and retweets can make a post credible, only the content, the author and the organization who posted it can show its authenticity.

5. If the article was published only in offline media (newspapers, magazines etc.), would its persuasive quality change? How and why?

          If the article was published only through offline media such as newspapers and magazines, its persuasive quality would be affected because of the relatively smaller reach it would generate compared to the online option. Traditional print media has decreased in popularity since the dawn of the internet. By publishing it solely offline, the people who would be able to see it would be significantly fewer.  However, through social media where most people check for updates on a regular basis throughout the day, its readership would be obviously higher. Through online means, the spread of the article is also much faster. Unlike in offline modes where materials are individually and manually distributed, it only takes a few seconds to share or send content on the web. Because of these factors, the persuasive quality of an article would definitely be higher when online technology is used. 

                                                     Reference

                                     Buenafe, J. Ebreo, H. Laylo, M

           President Duterte’s weekly report on the condition of the Nation this October 5 addresses the public on what is the current happenings in the Philippines. In his talk, we can see how he uses political rhetoric to establish a connection with the public.           The first rhetoric that he uses is the implicit displays of rhetorical alignment as he wears a casual polo shirt that is vastly different from his colleague. It emits an air of being a commoner. Another one of this example is in 49:32 mark, he uses the pronoun we to say that they will find means to help the public for their financial problem. But in his statement, it does not explain who “we” is. These  "we" can mean the public or the government. Hence, it establishes a connection with the public that they are helping the President. Next is the explicit appeals to common in-group membership, that is seen in 47:35  mark where the President calls to the public as “mga kababayan” ko. This phrase situates himself as a person that is one of them and then talking about the dilemma of other Filipino people who suffers in terms of commuting. After that is taking and avoiding side in 44:14 and 44:59 mark. The President discusses the telecommunication towers that are needed for a faster connection.  But in his speech, he frames his statement that the country let the problem go on and that “nobody was really taking notice” giving vague declaration whose the main problem. Lastly is constructing aspirational identities, wherein the President shows support to impoverished people by saying that they are much more affected than those who are educated.            Overall we can say that he utilizes the rhetoric well in his address to the nation. We can give the President credit on his move to solve the issues like the internet connection in the Philippines. However, his speech was gilded with ambiguity and his personal story. Also, understanding political rhetoric let us see his move to persuade people and thus makes us sceptical on what he is saying.

                                                    Reference

                                                      Created using VisMe  

           Five Points of Change in the Evolution of Mass Communication                                                                Buenafe, J. Ebreo, H. Laylo, M 

Oral Communication to Written Forms

            Oral communication is the predecessor of writing and dominant communication before any of the media we use today. Pictographs are one of the first innovation of writing as people use a representational symbol to communicate. The rise of societies in Mesopotamia as people settle down to one place and cultivate the land gave rise to this new system of writing, cuneiform. People need a marker to keep the information like their trade and business since people have a limit of their extent to remember information. 

           Writing and orality are both used to communicate a message. But writing makes the information more accessible to others as it is written and can be perused to know about its content. While orality only passes down information through storytelling and repetition. Over time, a large part of history and culture is lost as there are limitations to how far a person can retain information.

           This early writing is all window to the past, an account of their lives and their history can now be accessed through this. Because of the society that emerges out of this settlement, people now have a government. They have to pay taxes and write down laws for people to follow. Writing make it easy for the government to keep track of its business and also to remind of the laws that governed the society. 

1440 Printing press

                                   Image by Patrice Audet from Pixabay

           Johannes Gutenberg invention of the printing press changed the world. It was an innovation that led to the creation of the mass publication. Paper was found to be a great form for communication but the printing press increased the production of newspaper, books and pamphlets. Because of this, people can easily share and spread information to those from afar. 

           Since the paper was found to serve as an accessible form of media, printing press developed what paper can do. It improved the use of paper from a simple form of communication to mass publications. Thus, we can say that paper was the tool to develop a more advanced printing press.

          Technologies are improved based on demand. Printing press allows for massive dissemination of information. Communication improved, and reading became a popular pastime. It also improved the field of literature. Printing press sparked the scientific and cultural revolution. This media has important roles in shaping culture and standards in society. Indeed, it affects people’s behaviour, thoughts and values. 

1894 Radio and  1927 Television 

           Even though print media paved the way for mass media publications, the paper couldn’t transmit information in just a second nor a minute. During this time, warships couldn’t be notified when wars ended and they sometimes went on fighting for months before they could be located and informed. Because of the desire to reach further than what paper can travel, the emergence of signal devices came forth, i.e. radios, TVs, telephones, etc. The rise of this kind of media reached greater distances and transmitted information in just a matter of time. Indeed, it introduced a world of boundless potentials in terms of technological advancements.

          Up to the present time, print media was still used to communicate and disseminate information. However, radio and TV have much more to offer, these devices sped up information dissemination. Imagine a print media advertisement being delivered from Manila to Iloilo takes a month or less but radio and TV allows huge numbers of people to listen and/or watch that commercial at a short period. Provided of course that there is a signal in both places. But still, the speed of information transfer is incomparable.

             As time passes by, the demand for a wider range of media and communication increase. The desire to communicate across long distances, distribute information faster and entertain the audience in just a blink of the eye called for the discovery of radio and television which presented a glorious opportunity for communication. Radio and TV became the primary platforms in featuring social issues and events concerning the public and government. This media influences more people in terms of their belief and opinion.

 1969 Internet

      One of the most important invention of mankind is the internet. Communication is better compared in the early 40s which is the era of vintage television. Information dissemination is faster than usual. The internet became a prominent tool for the people to communicate with each other through the World Wide Web (www) which has accessible and unlimited features. Earliest phones and radios have a limitation in terms of signals. Frequency is being used to acquire information but because of the geographical location of the place, signals were being affected. Compared to the radio and TV, internet can provide more effective result. Also, computers were first used in computations and decoding messages in war but later shared to the public.

        The radio, TV and the earliest phones indeed are great tools for communication, however, they are less efficient than the internet. The internet provides easier access, speed and technological advances in media and communication. Although both mediums are important in receiving and disseminating information, still, the Internet and World Wide Web are more effective and efficient compared to its predecessors.

         The invention of the internet lessens the difficulties of sending messages to other people, near or far. It became a catalyst to the sender and receiver for the exchange of information and ideas. The Internet became the lifeline of media and communication. Every person can communicate easier and faster because the barriers between them lessened, unlike what radio, television or first handheld cell phone can do.

 2000 Age of Media Convergence      

                                    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

            The digitization of almost all information with the high-speed connectivity and the advancement of technology results in the convergence of media. The traditional media loss viewership and patrons as more people choose to consume information through the internet, but they cope up by making their media available through the internet. Some examples are magazine in a digital form, newspaper that is now available online and books that can be accessed as an electronic book. The convergence of new media and traditional media resulted in greater accessibility as more people are adept to use their phones, laptop and internet to access this information.  

         Both traditional and new media have the power to inform and entertain people. But the convergence of media is far superior as it incorporates both media inside it. In terms of accessibility, traditional media like television are fairly accessible to many households as many people already have it, while new media and convergence of media are dependent on the internet. They are available to those who can afford the internet connectivity. 

          The different platform is open for people to use, not only for those who are in power but also to an ordinary person. They can share their views and opinions through this platform to empower, to inform or to entertain. The convergence of media bring different information from around the world real-time, that can be used to promote an array of products. It affects the way we communicate with another person as we can now video chat and see their reaction at that moment. The convergence of media also brings a different culture to our doorstep since we can now watch foreign films and see their customs through our devices. It also changes how we consume media, now that all of it is on the internet we can read the news without buying a newspaper, we can read a book through our device, we can watch movies and series without leaving our homes.  

  Predict what communication and media would be like 50 years from now based on past and current trends in communication.

            Looking at the trend of mass communication, we can say that in 50 years, communication can be like that of the science fiction movies we watch. As accessibility and convenience pushed the technological development in mass communication, we can state that in the future there will be a gadget we can wear that will let us know the message or talk to someone without saying a word. The brain will directly communicate and the gadget will be the medium of the conversation that will exist between people.

                                                         Reference

Baran, S. (2019). Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture. New York, NY, USA: McGraw Hill.

                                         Buenafe, J. Ebreo, H. Laylo, M 

                                   Photo by Kristina Paparo on Unsplash

            According to Bitzer(1968), three elements comprise a rhetorical situation. The first one is exigence, exigence is the problem or situation that needs a response. Second is the audience: they are the receiver and the one who will act on the situation. The third is the constraints: it is an event, place, situation, people that can hinder or modify the exigence.

        Between the two videos, video 2 (Joel Lamangan Speaks Out in a Citizens Assembly) is rhetorical since he speaks about how former President Marcos is undeserving of being buried in the Hero’s Cemetery for his crime to the people. He also reiterates his struggle and experiences under Martial Law, appealing emotionally to his audiences, thus persuading them. The audiences act on this by voicing out their agreement through shouting and cheering. Their collective understanding of the past is the constraint that modifies the response of the audience to the situation. The other constraint is the weather, people may leave the protest if the weather worsens. On the other side, video 1, the news about (Storm Surge in Tacloban City) is not a rhetorical one since the exigence is a natural disaster which cannot be changed nor fixed. The audience (television viewers) is unable to give any response, albeit they are informed of the devastating situation happening in Tacloban. The power outage and connectivity issue are some of the constraints of this situation, as this limit the information they get from the reporter in Tacloban.

                                                        Reference

                               Buenafe, J. Ebreo, H. Laylo, M

                            Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

           Communication has already come from a long away. Primary oral culture is the first type of communication of people 30,000 to 50,000 years ago. They passed down their tradition and ideas through storytelling and verbal cues. But because they are only dependent on oral communication and memorization, a large chunk of their history is lost. After a thousand years of verbal communication, the literary culture has emerged. Literary culture is when every thought and important occasion are all written down. This means that people have now recorded their history, and can be consumed by the people in the future. Thus, we cannot deny that both of them are related as Ong said, writing is “technologizing the word’’ in which people use a tool to write the verbal words.

          The intersubjectivity of communication is when a person is talking with a peer, they first think what to say to the other person and also coming up with possible answers that his peer may throw at him, thus making communication takes place in his head first before they tell it to his peer. According to Ong,  "communication takes place when both sides of the sender and receiver have feedback to each other". Communication only works out when the receiver hears the message encoded by the sender and gives a response on it. While media is only a passageway for the sender to send the message to make it through the receiver.

         Chirographic conditioning is a one-way type of communication, that means that the sender, sends his message through a medium and the receiver, received the message but there’s no feedback from the receiver. Some examples are writing, radio and television.

                                                  Reference

                               Buenafe, J.  Ebreo, H.   Laylo, M.

          The evolution of media has been constant throughout mankind’s history. Newspaper and magazine were the principal sources of mass communications in mid last century, but later, radio became a better medium and after that, television turned into an essential source of assets. One of the factors that ousted a medium with a better one was primarily the innovation in science and technology, especially in the search for something that works better and more impressive than the previous one. Another is the chance to publicize and commercialize everything by the organizations that feed content to the masses.  Television provides an easy way to advertise programs targeting specific audiences. Further, and has the most effect, the comfort. Need is the mother of creation, and the need for comfort is never satisfied. People always want convenience, and big companies continue to invest in research and development for the next big hit.

                               Photo by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash

             Technological developments such as digitization revolutionized the communication system of the world because of the capacity and ease it provides for both makers and consumers of media. Digitization consequently made sharing, preservation and access to information and media far easier. Today, users can access more videos across the various platforms and devices available. Advances in digital technology are also providing the public with a more personal and interactive information consumption experience.

            Media accessibility prompts a quicker and simpler method of data dispersal. The news is conveyed on moment and individuals are updated now and then. It is likewise utilized for educational purposes and as a source of entertainment. Also, voiceless are allowed to be heard. It also helps a nation in political and financial aspects. Indeed, media is said to be an influencer of its users’ behaviour. Nevertheless, abuse and misuse of media could result in disinformation, hate, chaos and injustices.

                                              Reference

                               Buenafe, J.  Ebreo, H.  Laylo, M.  

                           Image by penny zhang from Pixabay 

         Modern people communicate and gain knowledge through different platforms on the Internet. We all have extensive information to utilize, but to know what the future of the media we are using, we need to look back at the past.

          It begins with the primary oral culture, wherein people express their thoughts and convey their culture through verbal prompts and storytelling. A thousand years later, the literary culture came into being, wherein people drew symbols and markings for storing important information and evolved into writing that we all know today. The next big thing that happened is the invention of the printing press, where books, journals and newspapers were mass-produced and this help to disseminate information to a wider audience. The curious mind of people and a need for better communication led to the invention of electronic media like television and the radio that has far better reach than the aforementioned print media.  

                               Image by fancycrave1 from Pixabay 

            As the prevalence of the internet and computer has risen, we see the birth of new media, where we consume new information and entertainment in social media and streaming platforms. As more people connects through the web, and get their principal information and entertainment through it. Traditional media showed a decline in customers and sales because more people prefer browsing in the net rather than consuming traditional media. And that pushed them to integrate their media with the new media. The product is the convergence of media where different types of media are all in one platform, as a result, the blurring of media ensues. 

           The convergence of media brought us solidarity. Using our social media accounts, we can share our opinions, find people with the same interest as us ,thus, having a community that supports us.      

         Looking at the changes in communication, we can assume that the media will continue to advance to keep up with the changing world.

                                               References 

Baran, S. (2014). Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture. New York, NY, USA: McGraw Hill.

Ong, W. (2002). Orality and Literacy. London, UK: Routledge.