DURATION: 2 hours

KEY TOPICS

• Analysis of advertising regulations
• Application of regulations to current advertisements
• Advertising as a revenue model

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this unit, teachers will be able to:

• Investigate advertising as an important source of revenue for television
• Examine and assess the purpose and effectiveness of regulations in the advertising industry
• Apply existing regulations to current examples of advertising
• Evaluate the impact of advertising on programming and media content

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES and ACTIVITIES

• Using the Internet or a library, investigate the regulations that exist in your region for the advertising industry. Identify where the regulations are located for citizens needing to access this information. Identify what individuals or groups have created these regulations. Summarize the key areas that are covered by the regulations and explain their purpose. Explain how they support the interests of citizens and consumers. Explain the potential impact of these regulations on the industry
• Apply the regulations to a variety of ads found in local media. Assess to what extent the regulations are being followed. Give specific examples from each ad to support your response. In instances where an advertisement violates the regulations, investigate the recourse available to consumers
• Investigate whether the needs of advertisers have affected the type or quality of programming or coverage in the media. Investigate advertising as a revenue model for a particular medium. For example, examine the schedule for prime time television or radio programming in your region. Note the programmes that are broadcast between 20.00 and 23.00.
• Select a particular station, and view or listen to one or two hours of this programming, listing the ads broadcast during this time. Explain the reasoning behind the placement of the ads during specific programmes. Also note any advertising or product placements that occur within the programmes themselves. Assess the effectiveness of the advertising strategies used during this time frame for reaching target audiences
• Investigate the ratings for the Top Ten television programmes in your region. Select one television network and determine the products or services that you would choose to advertise during a particular programme or time slot. Explain your choices, identifying the target audience that could be reached during that time. Conduct research to determine the revenue generated by a 30-second ad during that time
  • Given that advertising is a primary source of revenue for media; Should Freedom of Expression, Freedom of the Press or Free Access to Information be sacrificed to please advertisers, big companies, or the government? What are the implications of this? Should government subvention to public funded media and other information providers be made public? Should publicly or privately funded media and other information providers be answerable to the government upon receipt of advertising revenue?
  • The primary aim of media and other information providers is to make profits. Discuss this statement. Give arguments for and against this. Can media and other information providers operate without advertisement? What actions should be taken by citizens if media and other information providers are found to be sacrificing the public good for advertising revenue? Why should certain actions be taken?

NOTE: This exercise could also be adapted for use with newspapers, magazines, websites, etc.