Niamh Mulvey, Presentation Secondary School, Loughboy, Kilkenny
There is often cause to question the relevance of many parts of the secondary school curriculum, but one part of the English course that is of paramount importance is media studies. It is almost impossible for the average person to avoid coming into contact with literally thousands of advertisements each year, some of them many times over.
To contemplate the effect these enticing glimpses of a world in which every problem is solved by some miracle product can have on our fragile brain cells is frightening. How many times can you hear you need a certain brand of shampoo "because you're worth it" before you either begin to despise American sitcom actresses and French footballers or, worse still, begin to believe the narcissistic message?
Through analysing advertisements, you begin to detect the cunning ploys the advertiser has used to capture your attention, money and mind. While I would not be so arrogant as to say that media studies has entirely eliminated my susceptibility to advertisements, it has certainly increased my awareness of the devious methods and insidious nature of the advertising industry.
Patrick Coyle, Newpark Comprehensive, Blackrock, Co Dublin
Comics are a dying medium - why? Some people would say it's because they have nothing left to say, but cartoonists like Martyn Turner and Gary Trudeau (Doonesbury) prove this thinking wrong. Others would cite television as the reason, saying comics can't compare to the visual power of TV.
These reasons are just excuses. There are plenty of comics that can contend with the mainstream media, people just aren't aware of them. This is due to the cop-out view that comics are just for kids.
For example, DC Comics prints around 20 titles aimed at adults, all available in specialist comic shops. Some of these titles can get away with being much more controversial than television because no one takes notice. A good example is Northern Irish writer Garth Ennis's comic, Dicks, about two private detectives from the North, Ivor, an ex-UVF man, and Duggie.
So next time you pass a comic shop. take a moment to see what's inside. You never know, you might find something worth reading.
Write to media scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 11-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing them to (01) 679 2789. Be sure to include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school. Or you can use the Internet and e-mail us at mediapage@irishtimes.ie (no file attachments, please).
media scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools. Group rates and a special worksheet service (see `fax-back', right) are available: freephone 1800-798884.
media scope is edited by Harry Browne.
