Read an article, magazine ad, or view a video clip. Establish a spectrum of possible opinions about the example by writing down the names of a group of people who would have different reactions....

Read an article, magazine ad, or view a video clip. Establish a spectrum of possible opinions about the example by writing down the names of a group of people who would have different reactions. Remember, people negotiate their own meanings from media. A reaction spectrum might include George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Pat Robertson, Al Gore, Ralph Nader, Hillary Clinton, Eminem, and Bart Simpson. You could also use local people or teachers and students from your school. When you have your list, think about the differing viewpoints of your group. If you are teaching in a classroom setting, assign a name to different students and have them write a paragraph that deconstructs the media from that person’s point of view. Use the questions for deconstructing mentioned earlier in this chapter as your guide. This is a valuable exercise that circumvents the reluctance of students to express different points of view because of peer pressure. Interesting things can happen when a lover of Comedy Central has to deconstruct South Park from the point of view of Pat Robertson or has to role-play the television evangelist in a debate with a student who role-plays Bart Simpson.