Annotated Bibliography/Research Paper - Essay Example

My first source is a television interview aired February 28th, 2008 on station WNBC in New York The interviewer was senior news correspondent Gabe Pressman. He interviewed New York state health commissioner Richard Daines about the portrayal of smoking in the media and how it impacts young people as they decide to smoke or abstain from smoking. The interview focused on an advertisement placed in several prominent magazines and newspapers in the New York area. Mr. Daines defended the advertisements as necessary in calling to accountability the executives of the leading movie studios.

He stated that major motion pictures continue to depict smoking. This depiction has proven to be a major factor in a young persons decision to smoke or to abstain. Many statistics were shared over the course of the interview. Mr. Daines stated that there were over 11 billion tobacco impressions in motion pictures last year. A tobacco impression is made any time a tobacco product is used in a movie, whether the movie glamorizes tobacco or not. For example, the Lord of the Rings movies had 24 scenes depicting the use of tobacco that were witnessed by 12.

5 million adolescents resulting in 300 million tobacco impressions. Studies show that the more tobacco impressions a child is exposed to in the media, the greater the chance they will use tobacco. Mr. Dane appealed to the executives that have control over these movies to self-censor by making any movie depicting tobacco usage restricted to viewers under the age of seventeen. I felt that this source was a very good one. I liked the questions asked by the interviewer, Mr. Pressman. He seemed incredulous at the onset of the interview.

He raised the specter of censorship. He also questioned Mr. Daines concerning the high price tag attached to the advertisements placed in the New York media. I believe Mr. Pressman wanted to hold Mr. Daines accountable for his decision, which seemed appropriate considering the nature of the program is an investigative news program. I found Mr. Daines responded with clarity and articulation. I could follow his argument concerning the tobacco impressions found in media. His professional and clam demeanor added credibility to his message.

I could not detect any bias in the interview. The questions were thorough and incisive. I felt that Mr. Daines answered these questions credibly. I also liked using a current interview with my research. It made me feel as though I was using very fresh information on a topic that is presently of great public concern. A weakness of this source stems from the fact that the information is very narrow. There is only one source of authority, namely the person being interviewed. An article in a professional journal would provide a broader view of the topic by reviewing the current literature.

Work CitedDaines, Richard. Interview. "U.N. Report on Smoking Deaths." News Forum. NBC. WNBC, New York. 24 Feb. 2008.