Are you interested in one week's work placement in The Irish Times? Just send us a 200-word piece on a media-related topic - if it's published, a representative of The Irish Times will be in touch with you about organising the dates for your placement.
Joanne Kelly, Loreto College, Crumlin Road, Dublin
Have you noticed the latest trend in advertising? 'Make the men look stupid' seems to be the clear message from the top ad agencies.
Everything from instant noodle snacks and bathroom cleansers to sleek state-of-the-art cars is being presented to the consumer by way of a lazy, silly or stupid male.
Numerous market surveys confirm that young women are the most lucrative target group among TV viewers. Consequently advertisers, while endeavouring to sell their products, are currently resurrecting the age-old battle of the sexes.
While these ads may be amusing and highly entertaining, they are nevertheless offensive to men.
In the latest ads for alcohol, men are portrayed as everything from scheming and manipulative to naive and gullible.
If women were presented in this light there would be uproar. The "politically correct" lobby would be up in arms.
I personally think that it is time to give the guys a break.
Miriam Agnew, Holy Family Community School, Rathcoole, Co Dublin
Open any newspaper, be it local or national, and the ad is there staring back at you. Switch on the television, and lo and behold - some minor celebrity is promoting it.
Finally, tune into any show on any radio station and the by-now-familiar jingle of "the change is in your pocket" will ring in your ears.
The euro is big news in every area of the media. With two months to go until its launch, the hype and confusion has already started. We will be given just over a month - until February 9th - to trade completely in euro notes and coins.
There is going to be national bewilderment as people try to get to grips with the new system. Older generations are going to find it exceedingly difficult; I have heard them saying, when asked for their opinion on the euro: "Sure I've only got used to decimalisation!"
The euro has created a new phenomenon: "smoothing up". This is when prices are converted to euros and the resulting figure is not handy, so it's rounded up - e.g. €1.56 becomes €1.60.
At the moment, even before the euro comes in, prices are rising to figures that will be easier converted into round numbers, leaving a lot of people wondering whether we're getting more than we bargained for with the new currency.
Media Scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools. Write to Media Scope at mediapage@irish-times.ie; or by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 11-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing (01) 679 2022. Include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school.
Faxback: Worksheets on each week's topic are available to teachers who place group orders through their schools. The worksheets are sent to all subscribing schools by fax. If you have problems, telephone (01) 679 2022, ext 8568.
For group orders, FREEPHONE 1-800-798884.
Media Scope is edited by Harry Browne.
