Communication has the power to change the world by drawing global attention to an important issue or event. It can change the way a whole system works. The 1960 televised Presidential Debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy is an example of this. Until that debate, Nixon was handily winning the election. The televised debate was not the first ever Presidential debate, but it was the first one to be broadcast on national television. This debate was supposed to be Nixon’s crowning achievement that would ensure him the win. However, because of the hot cameras, Nixon began to sweat much more than JFK. Nixon was also coming off a bout of the flu and still did not look fully recovered. Thus, he ended up looking nervous, untrustworthy, and unhealthy to the television viewing audience. This debate became the turning point of the election that JFK went on to win. On TV that night, JFK simply looked more “presidential”. And TV changed the way the whole system of politics worked from then on. The political candidates needed to be very careful about how they looked on this fairly new household appliance. You can read more about this significant change in the article, “How the Nixon-Kennedy Debate Changed the World” located in the Week 6 Resources. In this Discussion, you will reflect on how another contemporary electronic communication technology has the potential to bring about change in different areas of society.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Think about the role electronic communication can have in changing society in some way, positively or negatively. This could be as big as the global society or as small as your local community or workplace.
• Read: Webley, K. (2010). How the Nixon-Kenney Debate Changed the World. Time U.S. Retrieved fromhttp://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2021078,00.html
• Go to the COMM 1001 Library Course Guide link from the Week 6 Learning Resources area:
  • In the Week 6 Discussion window, click into the “ProQuest Central” link.
  • At the top of the page, find the “Search” box.
  • In the search box, type your search terms (see below for suggestions) and hit “Enter.”
  • A list of links to articles that will cover a variety of topics within the subject you searched for will come up.
  • Choose at least one article to read fully that talks about how that communication technology affected the world in some way (either positively or negatively).
• Read the Walden Student Handbook articles.
• Review the Week 6 Discussion Rubric.

With these thoughts in mind, your assignment is to:

Post by Day 3 a 200–300-word discussion. For this post you should:

1. First, search ProQuest Central for recent (from the last ten years or so) articles that discuss the use of an electronic communication technology that has brought about positive or negative change to some specific area of society or even to the whole world.

   Note about searching in ProQuest: An electronic communication technology includes programs, software and applications. In general, they may be used for the internet, computers, and cell phones. Thus, saying “the Internet” or “cell phones” is too broad. Think of more specific technological advances that promote communication, and perhaps are used through the internet or a cell phone, etc. An example might be the social media app, Foursquare. Thus, you would type “Foursquare” into the search box in ProQuest Central. If your search is not narrow enough, giving you too many articles to weed through to find any that discuss how Foursquare may have changed some aspect of society, you may want to search for two terms together. For instance, you could type in “Foursquare AND change.” Or, “Foursquare AND communication.” You may NOT use Foursquare as your technology, please find your own example. But, you could try typing “communication technology AND change” into the search box. While this will give you many articles to weed through, it will also give you many more options for examples if you are having trouble thinking of an example of communication technology by yourself. If you are in doubt about whether you have chosen an appropriate communication technology, please consult your instructor.

2. Using the article (or articles) you found about the recent electronic communication technology, explain:
   • How the communication technology brought about positive or negative change in the area of society you chose to highlight.
   • Why the change is positive or negative and what positive or negative impact it has had in that area of society.
   • Be sure to quote the article(s) you found and apply at least one idea from it (them) in your post. Please credit these sources by following the “How to Apply Terms, Module 2” document.
3. In another paragraph answer the following questions:
   • How might/did the change you described above impact you personally?
   • How might/did it change the way you communicate or see communication?
   • How would/did it change your perception of the world?
   • How can you use this technology to create positive social change in your own community specifically? Even if the change you described was negative, describe how it can be used in a positive way.
   • Correlate the Walden University outcome on social change to your description.
   • Apply at least one idea from the articles assigned out of the Walden Student Handbook. Use the “How to Apply Terms, Module 2” document to help you.
   • Be sure to give examples as you discuss these questions.