Million Dollar Communication

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/feb/01/simmons-sign-language-at-center-stage-of-super/
This article is describing the different types of advertisements that will be shown during the Super Bowl game this year. First, a Bridgestone Tires commercial is described. Fox Network will be recieving 2.7 million dollars for every thirty seconds a commercial airs. The rest of the article describes the commercials that will be played during the game, and how much they will cost each company airing them.
This article contains cultural information that describes what type of society we live in. In our culture, one thirty second chance to sell something, anything, is worth 3 million dollars. That just doesn't seem right. That shows that we are so caught up in the business of selling and buying that people are willing to spend millions and millions of dollars to try to do so. It is hard to imagine a million dollars. To these advertisers though, it is chump change.
If a fieldworker were interested in this situation, he or she may want to inquire about certain things. He or she may ask, "How many people will see these commercials?" or "Is business helped so much by this thirty second spot that it is worth three million?". It comes down to priority. What are these advertisers really trying to do? Sell their product? Or make a name for themselves by spending the most on their Super Bowl commercial? Is communicating with a potential buyer really worth that much?
A fieldworker's questions may be different than those of a journalist. A fieldworker would ask questions like "how?" and "why?", while a journalist only attempts to get the cold hard facts. The only thing the journalist wants is the full scoop, while the fieldworker is interested in knowing why the company is choosing to do what they do.
To answer the question of "What's going on here?", a fieldworker would have many options. Maybe he or she could interview the producers of the commercials to see what type of message they want to relay and how much it is really worth. Is using a persuasive language to attempt to sell a product that literally costs a company 3 million dollars really necessary? It is not really the importance of the language here, but the timing of the language used.
A fieldworker could use research of other Super Bowls. How much did companies spend in years past? Also, he or she could find out how much sales really increase after these commercials are played. The fieldworker may also want to interview some of the people who are really "in the know". The producers, people at the network or the company head would all give insightful information on this topic.
To research the topic, the fieldworker could use one of many resources. He or she could use the internet or delve deeper into research at the library. To speak and interview with the other individuals, the fieldworker would need to seek out where they are. He or she could participate in a personal interview (face to face), which may take a bit more effort, or a phone interview.
Attempting to understand the true worth of this million dollar communication is a hard concept. For years, companies have been spending millions on that one Super Bowl day to even barely et their name out there. Persuasive language usually does penetrate its subject, but there are no guarantees. So maybe this persuasive language turned into million dollar communication is all just a scam. So, this question is: Is it all really worth it? I guess we'll have to wait and see.