Research Report

Research, Research, Research: that is the name of the game. Any great project or life event requires loads of research in order to efficiently produce information in a intelligent manner. In this blog post I will provide and analyze 10 sources that I will use to build up my argument. 

-SOURCES-

Title, Author, & Host of Source	Author	Target Audience	Purpose/Message	Contextual Details
No more Shamu--SeaWorld to End Breeding of Killer Whales  By: Jeffrey Brown, Joel Manby, and Wayne Pacelle  Host: PBS NEWSHOUR	Jeffery Brown: (1) Career with PBS for nearly twenty years (2) Chief Corespondent for Arts, Culture, and Society  Joel Manby: (1) President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Director of SeaWorld (2) MBA from Harvard and has 20+ years of experience in the Industry  Wayne Pacelle: (1) President and Chief Executive Officer of the Humane Society  (2) Has worked for the passage of more than 500 new state laws since 2005, and he has helped to pass more than 25 federal statutes to protect animals in the last decade	The target audience is generally directed towards the audience of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Meaning that the intended audience are people watching the news. I know this because in the sidebar of the video more videos are suggested and they range from business to sports videos thus suggesting that the piece is directed towards news-watchers.  A more specific audience would be any animal rights activists or those who have been following the story. This is evident in the actual video. The two speakers that were brought on were two CEOs from opposing groups. The CEO of SeaWorld was brought on and the CEO  of the Humane Society.	The main purpose of this piece was to shed light on the topic. I think that PBS was really trying to convey to the audience that there has been a major shift in the way people perceive theme parks like SeaWorld. The program really wanted to show that there actually has been positive advancement. In addition, I also think that in a sense the video was trying to bring these two opposing groups together. It almost seemed that interviewing the two CEOs that PBS was trying to reach some sort of a resolution and end the animosity.	(1) The background information that was given regarding the topic really helped confirm that the source was reliable. It gave the piece credibility in the sense that it wasn't just giving an opinion, but rather it was providing the information in a more unbiased manner. (2) Jeffery Brown also helped to confirm that this PBS video was a reliable source. He served as "Poland" throughout the interview. Meaning that he was neutral. He asked questions that didn't necessarily favor one side or the other.
Dolphins & Orcas in Captivity  By: Hiroko Benko (Santa Barbara Maritime Museum) Host: Vimeo	Hiroko Benko:  (1) President of Condor Express (a Whale Watching company centered in Santa Barbara)  (2) Has worked all over the world and has a vast knowledge of foreign service, international relations, and administration/management.	The target audience of this piece is definitely those trying to understand the controversy. This much is clear simply by the array of experts that are giving their opinions on the matter. However, I also think that this video has more of a professional audience as well. Since this video was uploaded onto Vimeo rather than YouTube it suggests that the intended audience is targeted towards more professionals rather than the general population that flips through videos on YouTube.	The purpose or message of this video was to give expert opinions regarding dolphins and orcas in captivity. This is achieved by interviewing a variety of environmental or animal activists. Another purpose of this video was to advocate for the animals rather than for the end to captivity. This is done by supporting the animals, and not the institutions (SeaWorld) that are enslaving them.	(1) The background information given on the orcas and the dolphins is a crucial element to the reliability of this source. The main focus of the issue is freeing the animals, and should not be about the 'evil and unethical' people that support SeaWorld. (2) This source also adds important first-hand experience from oceanic adventurists like Benko herself. Ocean adventurists are those that lead tours such as whale watching. These people provide knowledge regarding the species in their natural habitat and behavior on a day-to-day basis.
Let's Throw Shamu a Retirement Party By: Naomi Rose Host: TedTalks	Naomi Rose: (1) Dr. Rose has worked as a marine mammal protection advocate at the Humane Society for 20 years (2) She is now a marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute, and has written a series of publications surrounding orcas in captivity.	The biggest clue as to who the target audience is would be the host of the video, TedTalks. TedTalks is a daily video podcast that allows for professionals to give a talk on important subjects ranging from technology to entertainment. Therefore, the target audience of this piece would be those who are looking for a more in-depth analysis of the subject through a very descriptive video.  Other than the TedTalks audience, I think that those wanting a more in-depth answer or reason as to why captivity is so bad when some media outlets claim the opposite.	I think that Dr. Rose's tactic throughout this piece was to invoke an emotional response from he people in the audience. She used a very grim tone throughout the video, and relayed information regarding the death or mistreatment of the orcas while in captivity.  I also think that Dr. Rose wanted the people to understand that the mistreatment is not the only reason as to why these animals should be set free, but rather that the ocean is where they belong. She conveys this feeling by continually expressing why orcas need the ocean.	(1) In the video, Dr. Rose gives information regarding the social structure or dynamic of orcas. This type of information proves that she has a deeper understanding  of what is going on with these orcas. She isn't just going surface deep, but she is really diving head first into the problem. (2) An important part of this video lies within the fact that Dr. Rose answers the 'why' question. Answering why is one of the hardest tasks to do, but it is necessary in order for people to truly understand the situation.
Blackfish By: Gabriela Cowperthwaite  Host:  Blackfish Website	Gabriela Cowperthwaite:  (1) Has over 12 years of experience directing, producing, and writing documentaries.  (2)She has produced for the Discovery Channel, ESPN, National Geographic, Animal Planet, and the History Channel.	The target audience for this documentary was the general public. She put the video up on Netflix thus making it accessible to anyone with an account. However, I think those that watched it were either told to by their friends or those that are animal lovers and outraged at the abuse.	The purpose or message was to shed light on the issue. Prior to Blackfish nobody really knew about the detrimental affects that captivity has on orcas. This documentary was all about explaining the different aspects of the story in terms of the business or corporal side (SeaWorld).	(1) The contextual details regarding Tilikum was really helpful in understanding why captivity is so harmful. (2) In the film Cowperthwaite really appealed to the emotional side of the story, and I think that really worked to her advantage in this case.
Orcas By/Host: Explore	Explore: (1)Multi-Media organization that documents those that have devoted their lives to extraordinary causes. (2) The site features a live camera, films, photos, blogs, and grants.	The target audience are people that are searching for specific information regarding orcas, and those who are interested in exploring the world around them.	The purpose or message of the website is to expose people to the naturalistic elements of the world, while the purpose of the orca video was to explain the nature or behavior of orcas in the wild.	(1) The two men that were interviewed or gave their expert opinions established credibility. These two men have dedicated their lives to studying orcas. (2)The fact that the information obtained refers to the orcas in the wild was important contextual information in order to just learn about orcas.
Meet the Orca By: Voices in the Sea Host: University of California San Diego	Voices in the Sea: (1) An education video that covers all things regarding marine mammals.  (2) Works to preserve and protect our friends in the sea through research and public exposure.	Similarly this video is targeted towards the educational field in the sense that everything was fully explained and there were educational games to play regarding the topic.	The purpose or message of this video was to explain how the Killer Whale has become one of the top predators in the sea. It was also to shed light on the fact that orcas need to be 'conserved' due to environmental factors that are harmful to the health of Killer Whales.	(1) The fact that the entire site was dedicated to marine mammals, includ  orcas, has helped to prove that this is a reliable source.  (2) The statistics regarding Killer Whale size, behavior, and habitat information helped to clarify the true breadth of this species.
Drones Capture Stunning Killer Whale Footage By: Vancouver Aquarium  Host: livescience	Vancouver Aquarium: (1) Center for marine mammal preservation or conservation, research, and rehabilitation.  (2) Designated as a Coastal America Learning Center by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.	There is no target audience for this video because the drones accidentally caught the footage. There was no intention of searching for the images in the video, but rather it was simply a stroke of luck.	The message of this video was to just share the beauty of these creatures. This video wasn't trying to make a stand or say anything besides, "look at these magnificent beasts in their natural habitat."	There are no contextual details in this video at all. It is just a video of a pod of Killer Whales traveling through the sea. It was helpful just to observe how the species behaves without humans near them whether it is in a boat or in captivity.
SeaWorld's Shamu "Believe" Show By:ShoKa95 Host: YouTube	ShoKa95: The credibility of this source isn't really a factor considering this is just a taping of the original Shamu show at SeaWorld. There was no way to do any modifications to alter the clip in anyway.	The target audience of this video are those interested in watching the online version of the infamous "Believe" show. However, in my case it was to observe the mistreatment of the Killer Whales in captivity.	The purpose or message would be to show the world a recorded version of the show. That way people can decide whether or not they want to visit SeaWorld.	(1) In regards to context I would say that this video helps me to gain a perspective of what the people in BlackFish and all of the other videos are referencing when they are discussing the captivity of orcas. I need to understand the show that has caused so many problems in order to effectively write about the subject. (2) This video was simply a point and shoot of the original show.
Killer Whales News By: Ryan Smith  Host: ABC News	Ryan Smith: (1) Serves as a New-York based correspondent and provides legal analysis on multiple programs and platforms.  (2)Ryan was raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A in Political Science.	The target audience of this video would be those watching the news or trying to catch up on what is going on the world.. Just people trying to get the 411. Or the audience are those who have been following this story and want more information regarding the recent developments.	The purpose of this video was to update the people. Let the people know what has changed or happened in the case. The other factor to consider is that the purpose of the video was to let people know that the popularized entertainment park is now undergoing some serious changes to it's program.	(1) The contextual information regarding why this captivity and breeding issue has been stirring up so much public argument or controversy. It is interesting to hear other people's interpretation of why things went south with SeaWorld.  (2) The other important contextual information was in regards to the future of the park. Nothing has been previously noted about the future of the park, until now.
Built For The Kill By/Host: National Geographic	National Geographic: (1) Channel that airs television programs regarding nature, science, culture, and history. (2) Originally opened in 1997, the television channel is now available in over 143 countries world-wide.	This video is directed towards those interested in learning about the hunting patterns of Killer Whales. I also think that the target audience are those that are flipping through the TV and stumble upon this video. I wouldn't say that someone would necessarily go out of their way to watch this episode.	The purpose or message of this video was to show that Killer Whales are in fact killer. They are not these show creatures that organizations have exploited themselves as, but rather they are deadly creatures that haunt the ocean. The other message would be to explain the intelligence and patience of these creatures.	(1) This video was helpful in understanding the behavior of Killer Whales within the wild. It is necessary to understand how they usually behave in order to understand how captivity changes them. (2) The other helpful contextual information in this video is the comparison between orcas and sharks. Most people including  myself consider sharks to be the king of the sea, but this video helps to explain that orcas are actually one of the deadliest creatures in the sea.
SeaWorld to End Breeding Program for Killer Whales By:Alastair Jamieson Host: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)	Alastair Jamieson: (1) Jamieson is an editor and reporter for NBC news in London. He has worked for the company for the past four years. (2) He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.	This video is targeted towards those who have been searching for quick information or an update on the story. The audience may also be those just watching the news before work or school.	The message of this video was to explain the build up to this resolution. It gave a brief background on the issue, and then explained the different sides of the story. The other purpose of this video was to also update the people on the development of this issue.	(1) The contextual details regarding the public's opinion was helpful in trying to understand the audience's opinion towards the subject matter. (2)The inclusion of the 'new direction' that SeaWorld is going in was helpful in trying to understand where SeaWorld will go from here. This will help to clarify whether or not this decision is the best decision.