McCall, Jeffrey 1954- (Jeff McCall, Jeffrey M. McCall, Jeffrey Michael McCall)

PERSONAL:

Born February 17, 1954. Education: Graduate of DePauw University, 1976; University of Illinois, M.A.; University of Missouri, Ph.D.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Department of Communication and Theatre, DePauw University, P.O. Box 37, Green-castle, IN 46135-0037. E-mail—jeffmccall@depauw.edu.

CAREER:

Educator and writer. DePauw University, Department of Communication and Theatre, Green-castle, IN, professor of communication and theatre and director WGRE Radio station, previously John D. Hughes Professor of Communication and Theatre, 1985—.

WRITINGS:

Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (Lanham, MD), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jeffrey McCall is a communications professor who focuses on media studies and electronic journalism. In his book Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences, the author explores the failures of modern media to provide good content for viewers. He discusses why media content is the way it is today and how viewers and listeners can become more critical audience members. He also offers advice on how children's media can be better managed and discusses ways to actively challenge media companies to institute a change for better content.

"I was motivated to write this book because I believe that even bright, well-read citizens have too little understanding of how the media operate," McCall noted in an interview on the DePauw University News Web site. "The media affect our culture in so many ways, but not many Americans take a proverbial peek behind the curtain to consider and analyze media processes and messages."

In his book, the author focuses primarily on television and spreads the blame for its content on everyone from media moguls and writers to the viewers themselves for being such passive consumers. In his call for viewers to take a stand for better programming, including more balanced and in-depth news coverage, the author provides suggestions for viewers to take action, including a final chapter that focuses on specific steps, such as complaining to advertisers and to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The author also discusses how viewers can become more media literate and describes efforts already underway to accomplish this goal. Among his complaints about television news is the growing emphasis on celebrity-based stories, unusual stories that involve pretty young women, and the ploy of having reporters "live" at the scene when it does not really have any impact on the story. The author also relates his opinion that the FCC should be tougher on the use of obscene language and indecent programming in many television shows.

"Based on this reviewer's personal experience, reading Viewer Discretion Advised … will leave you vigorously shaking your head in agreement at times while getting upset at others," wrote John McGuire on the Global Media Journal Web site, adding later in the same review that the "book does achieve its goal of getting the reader to think about the media's impact on society in the early 21st century." Vanessa Bush, writing in Booklist, commented that McCall "offers analysis of media elements from the First Amendment to the advent of video news releases."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2007, Vanessa Bush, review of Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences, p. 11.

Reference & Research Book News, August, 2007, review of Viewer Discretion Advised.

ONLINE

DePauw University Department of Communication and Theatre Web site,http://www.depauw.edu/ (February 6, 2008), faculty profile of author.

DePauw University News Web site,http://www.depauw.edu/ (May 11, 2007), "Prof. Jeff McCall '76 Authors Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences."

Global Media Journalhttp://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/ (February 6, 2008), John McGuire, "Time to Get Mad," review of Viewer Discretion Advised.