Media And Politics Essays - Public Opinion, Public Sphere, Structure

Media And Politics The media is an intricate part of American government, intertwined with the practice of democracy, but to what extent does the media influence public opinion? To answer that several aspects of media coverage have to be explored. The first fact is that the media is America's basic resource for all the news concerning American politics. The second aspect is that the opinion expressed by the press influences the opinion adopted by the public. Lastly the issues the media deem important help set the national agenda. The most basic way the media influence public opinion is by offering knowledge about government decisions and access to government information. Daily the press deliver the raw information to the nation, whom in turn form into opinions. Without the media it would take the public longer to become educated about governmental proceedings. The media send messages across the nation. Before the advancement of such media as the television, radio, and the Internet, a much smaller percentage of Americans were informed about the issues concerning the nation. The second way the media can influence public opinion is through their ability to convey an overall tone to their readers and viewers according to their own sentiments. Often a newspaper's own feelings on a certain issue are expressed in their articles. When the public reads about such issues they can adopt the attitude which the media portrayed. The press my frame stories in a way that enhances the overall tone toward government and politics. Unfortunately the most common trend is to hold a negative attitude toward government. This negative tone has led to a national decline in voter participation. A greater portion of the country now attains a skeptical view of the American government. Most likely the largest way the media impact the public opinion is through agenda setting. Because of the vast number of issues plaguing America today, the press has to decide which they will cover and which they will not. Their reporting has a vital connection to what the public comes to believe are the important issues in the country. If the press repeatedly covers the gun control issue, then the nation itself comes to believe that it is significant. What The New York Times run on their front cover today is what constituents across the nation begin to feel is important. Because the nation deems it important, than it is introduced into legislature tomorrow. The press possesses the capability to create the impression that certain problems are of greater urgency than others. Given the fact that both time and space are money to the press, those certain problems are usually about political strategy, political infighting, political scandal and the private lives of politicians. These tend to over take the less entertaining, but more substantial stories because they do not make money. One of the most ironic ways the media influences public opinion is by bringing the candidates personally to each constituent through the use of television and radio. Could one honestly say that Abraham Lincoln could be elected if he were running today? Lincoln was not a very attractive man and did not have a very refined voice. How would Lincoln have looked and sounded on television and radio? The public may be stubborn to admit it, but it is true; the nation judges possible candidates upon appearances and performances. If a presidential candidate could not speak in front of large groups, he could never be elected in today's society. It would not matter that his or her policies were better than their running mates. Guaranteed by the first amendment, the media will always be there to inform the public and to decide what issues are important. Americans rely more and more on this media to judge how our leaders campaign, govern, shape public policy, and communicate their ideas. Being an independent check on all three branches of government, the media serves as a fourth branch of government. However essential the media is to the balance of government, the public must learn to make their own opinions and not just adopt those portrayed by the press. Politics Essays

Leadership is central to the appeal of Fascism essays

Leadership is central to the appeal of Fascism essays Leadership is central to the appeal of Fascism During the 1920s and early 1930s Germany was unstable economically and politically. The government was in a state of dismay, the population was disheartened and scared and the great Wall Street stock market crash of 1923 saw the economy crumble before the counties eyes. These unfavourable factors combined to create a nation of unstable form, a country that was looking for a saviour. This came in the form of fascism, a type of government based on the principles in which the individual is dominated by an all powerful state under the control of one supreme leader. The hand to lead the people of Germany out of all the problems and deceptions of these terrible times was Adolf Hitler, a fascist dominator. The problems that the German government was having were a blessing to Hitler and gave him and the Nazi party the opportunity to employ their propaganda skills to capture this frustrated nation and win their hearts, but more importantly manipulate their minds and maintain power in Germany . Hypothesis: it was propaganda, which enabled the Nazis to gain and maintain power 1. The organised spreading of ideas and information, which is meant to make people think and or act in a certain way. It normally has little to do with the truth and can be very exaggerated. Propaganda played a huge role in enabling the Nazi party to gain and maintain power. One of the main reasons that propaganda was used so much in the nazi party campaign was because the national leaders, Hitler and Goebbles were so good at designing it. They were masters at propaganda and they carefully trained their local groups in propaganda skills and used every trick in the book to get their message home. Propaganda was also used because it wasnt straightforward. Propaganda enabled the Nazi party to create any image that they wanted for their party, and with their brief slogans and vague promises, propaganda sto...

Accounting assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Accounting assignment - Essay Example In particular, the financial ratios of WM Morrison (or â€Å"Morisson†) will be compared with Tesco. To further enhance analysis, of each of the four groups of ratios will be examined in rations to each other by taking consideration of the viewpoints of all corporate stakeholders. Tesco PLC is an international retailer, having a wider customer base than competitors that may just be operating in Britain. An international scope of business may be readily seen in its having higher amount of investments in terms of total assets as against competitors, which is of course matched by either total equity, or total liabilities or both. The typical local retailer in Britain is Morisson (WM Morisson, 2014a) which will be compared latter with Tesco on the assumption that the amount of investment could influence the level of profitability, liquidity and even investment rations. The company’s retailing business and associated activities could be found in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Malaysia, Thailand, Slovakia, South Korea, India and Turkey (Reuters, 2014b) The different ratios for analysis will analyse how Tesco has performed financially for the past four years and how it differs from those of its competitors on the average, of which one them in particular is WM Morisson. Performance is basically measured from the data taken from the income statements. The said income statement contains the essentially the revenues and expenses. The excess of revenues over expenses is called net income so that a profitable company should be able to have more revenues over that of expenses (Lee, 200; Pagach, et al; 2006; Porter and Norton, 2010). In this section however, the net income of the company would have viewed in relation to the figures coming from the balance sheet which include the total assets and total equity. When net income is related to

Design Information Technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Design Information Technology - Assignment Example To embed functionalities on a simple design would require more effort than in putting the functionalities regardless of simplicity of design. Simplicity is the factor of designing that made Kaplan and Braunstein the high sale in camcorder. People love simple, adaptable, and dependable products (Colborne, 2010). Most of the companies had concentrated on making their camcorders win sales by adding advanced features. This was in contrast to the flip, which was primitive, missing on some features with low resolution. A year later flip just increased its sales to a million units with a low market of 6 million units. This came in recognition by the company, which recognized how the camcorders had become complex and intimidating. On realizing the main objective of people, which was not to make films but take spontaneous events as they came. With the realization of the customer requirements, flip is set into simplicity. It ditched the non-essential features, leaving out no cable. It effected on flip-USB connector, giving it its name. The flip had few buttons, did not require a CD for its software for it was embedded in the camcorder itself. This was among the design example of simplicity that gained the market among others that existed such as the VW Beetle and Twitter. This brings out how simplicity finds a popular audience due to reliability, as well as, being easy to use. They leave the users attracted to them. Hence, they usually get many surprising ways. This is one of the most advanced technologies that has brought up creation of powerful yet simple products. In creating complexities, when one side fails it may cost more to change everything in a satisfying manner to the people. The US Motor industry based itself on building cars that were heavy, thirsty, and expensive and sold at a premium price when the company faced a weighty problem during the 2008 economic crash. As usual, not many wanted high expenses during the economic crash. When the company did its anal ysis, it found that in restructuring itself, it would have to invest more billions of dollars. Therefore, it recognized the advantage of simplicity having withstood changes with less cost unlike the complexities that would cost a lot more when changes arise. Thus, the designers must put into consideration only the features that people consider essential, especially when rough times come, adhering to changes that would cost a lot. To give more features would require more cost unlike simple designs, which entail fewer features hence lowering of the cost (Colborne, 2010). Simplicity does not mean it would be so for all users and manufacturers. A company, which had its networking and functionality upgraded, made the managers’ work simpler, but the salespeople complained. This proves that on designing a simple part a lot would have to be put into consideration. Companies which products seem simple to the users, designers, and manufacturers usually have it rough. Google, which is t he largest and the simplest of all search engines, has the best engineers to do coding and math on the back end. Every year they set out to have the best in every of the fields they have. Employees work in the highest degree of professionalism to bring out what is acceptable by the users as simple. The one wheel bike may look very simple but prove to be an enormous challenge to ride. The Shaker and Panton chair both are simple but have a given uniqueness for their purpose. Therefore, in the design creation, we consider

Airline industry analysis by Porters Five Forces Essay Example for Free

Airline industry analysis by Porters Five Forces Essay The Airline industry provides a very unique service to its customers. It transports people with a high level of convenience and efficiency that cannot not be provided by any other industry or substitute. Airline companies pride themselves on the way they treat their customer during the flight. They have things such as food, drinks, entertainment, and a welcoming staff. The service of transportation is provided in other industries but the airline surpasses all of them when it comes to timeliness. The geographic scope of the airline industry is at a global level. Some firms are able to fly their planes all over the world while others focus on smaller geographic areas. The five forces model is one way to answer the first basic question in strategic management; â€Å"Why are some industries more attractive than others?† This model shows the five forces that shape industry competition; threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers, and competitors. In order to analyze the airline industry we have look at each of these forces. Bargaining power of Buyers The airline industry is made up of two groups of buyers. First, there are individual flyers. They buy plane tickets for a number of reasons that can be personal or business related. This group is extremely diverse; most people in developed countries have purchased a plane ticket. They can do this through the specific airline or through the second group of buyers; travel agencies and online portals. This buyer group works as a middle man between the airlines and the flyers. They work with multiple airline firms in order to give customers the best flight possible. Between these two groups there is definitely a large amount of buyers compared to the number of firms. There are low switching costs between firms because many people choose the flight based on where they are going and the cost at the time. This is some loyalty to firms but not enough for high switching costs. Each customer needs a lot of important information. They need to know the details of what  is provided during the flight. Buyers need to understand the timing of the flight and the safety aspects of flying in general. The service provided is unique. Each airline has a niche. Some airlines focus on cost, while others focus on having the best amenities, etc. Overall the bargaining power of buyers has an extremely low threat in this industry. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Next we look at the bargaining power of the suppliers. In this case the major suppliers are the airplane manufacturers. The top two manufacturers in the world currently are Boeing and Airbus(Odell,Mark). In this industry the inputs are extremely standardized. Airline companies only seem to differentiate with amenities. The planes are very similar. Currently some manufacturers are trying to make their plans more ecofriendly. Airline companies cannot easily switch suppliers. Most firms have long term contracts with their suppliers. Planes are such high capital products that firms probably make long term loan agreements and have more favorable credit terms when they don’t switch companies. It is difficult to enter into the plane manufacturing industry because of the capital needed to enter. The amount of money and expertise needed to make even one plane is around 200 million dollars. For this reason there are very few suppliers in the airline industry. Airline firms are the only source of income for these manufacturers so their business is extremely important. Based on these things the bargaining power of suppliers has a low threat as well. Threat of New Entrants Threat of new entrants is another major aspect of the five forces. This aspect has a low threat for the airline industry. There are two aspects that do however raise the threat level. First, there are extremely low switching costs. Second, there are no proprietary products or services involved. Even with these two aspects the industry still has a very low threat overall. Existing firms have a large cost advantage. This industry requires  a large amount of capital and without a strong customer base there will be little to no profit in the first few years. Existing firms can and will use their high capital to retaliate against newer firms with whatever means necessary such as lowering prices and taking a loss. Although there are low switching costs between brands, consumers tend to only chose well-known names. Airline tickets are expensive so people don’t want to give that money to firms they don’t trust. There is also a huge safety aspect involved and most consumers feel safer with firms that have been around for a long period of time. This industry requires plane and flying experience which also lowers the threat of entry. When firms decide to enter the market they first have to become licensed which can take about a year. After that they are constantly being regulated by several organizations such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation. The time and money spend to solely open an airline company is enough to prevent most people from entering the industry. Threat of Substitutes After looking at the threat of entry it is important to also consider the threat of substitutes. This industry has a medium substitute risk level. There are substitutes in the airline industry. Consumers can choose other form of transportation such as a car, bus, train, or boat to get to their destination. There is however a cost to switch. Some means of transportation can be more costly than a plane ticket. The main cost is time. Planes are by far the fastest form of transportation available. Airlines surpass all other forms of transportation when it comes to cost, convenience, and sometimes service. Consumers do sometimes choose other methods for various reasons such as cost if they are not traveling very far which raises the risk. Rivalry among Existing Players The last area of the five forces is the rivalry among existing players. The rivalry in the airline industry is very intense for many reasons. The industry is currently very stagnant. It seems to be in the mature stage of the business cycle. The number of competitors stays the same in the long run  and it doesn’t seem to be under or over capacitated. The fixed costs are extremely high in this industry. This makes it hard to leave the industry because they are probably in long term loan agreements in order to stay in business. The products involved or the planes are highly complex which also heightens the competition. The competition is lessened by the brand identities of different firms. For example, Jetblue is known for its amenities and Southwest is known for its low prices. The market share seemed to be equally distributed because each company has its own part of the market and because switching costs are low none of the firms can really hold a large percentage of the market. The strongest forces in this industry are the competition of existing firms and the power of suppliers. The rivalry of existing players is high and will push out any firm that doesnt have enough capital. Suppliers are strong forces because planes are so costly to make. If the suppliers changed the credit terms by even a small amount it could mean a significant loss for the firm. On the other hand the other forces involved seem to have a weak threat. It is costly and time consuming to enter the market which lowers the risk of entry. Buyers have a weak force because of the low switching costs and substitutes are weak because they are usually too costly. The profit in this industry is high because for most people flying in necessary. It is not a trend which makes this industry profitable for the long term. Airlines that are more profitable are in a better position because they usually have more planes and a larger variety of flights which provides further convenience for the consumer. Recently there have been some changes in some of the forces. Some airplane manufacturers have been making ecofriendly planes, which is a change in the bargaining power of suppliers. This would differentiate the products, raising the threat of suppliers. Another recent change is the use of web portals such as Expedia to book flights. This positive change creates a whole new group of buyers and makes purchasing flights faster and easier. The increase in gas prices has also been a positive change for the industry  because it lessens the power of substitutes. People are more willing to fly to their destination if driving would be more expensive. After looking at the Five Forces Model firms should make dealing with the competition their main priority. The other areas in the model seem to have an overall low threat so existing firms don’t have to focus on those areas as much in their business strategy. Now that we have brought you through our Porters Five Force analysis, the last thing that is important to consider when exploring an industry, are the dominant economic features. The next section of our report will give you an overview of what features affect the airline industry most.

The University Office of Information Technology :: Education Data Information Essays

The University Office of Information Technology Introduction In this paper I report on the history, mission, organization, finances, evaluation strategies, and current issues of a university’s office of information technology. I will use the term â€Å"office of information technology† throughout the paper. This term needs to be defined here because it is very general and each university seems to have a unique definition for it. Within this paper, office of information technology will refer to those areas of the university whose primary mission is to serve the information technology needs of the institution. Information technology needs include â€Å"that collection of technologies that enables data and knowledge to be stored and exchanged, assessed, displayed and communicated, and in some cases, synthesized and created.† (Iowa State University, 2000, p. 2). In other words, the computer hardware and software, communications hardware (phone and network) and software, media-related instructional technologies, and the organization needed to support this information technology infrastructure. These services touch the entire university and all its faculty, staff, and students. As with any administrative unit on campus, the organization of that unit will depend on the context in which it is set. Another term that I will use loosely in regard to the office of information technology is the university. While all institutions of higher education rely on information technology as a basic service to provide products to their clientele, I will try to keep my discussion and analysis confined to the concept of Kerr’s â€Å"multiversity†, or research university satisfying multiple goals. This is not to diminish the role of the office of information technology at smaller universities and colleges but only to focus this discussion. One area within a university that is often lumped into the â€Å"information† infrastructure is the library. While my definition does not include the library within the office of information technology, the technology used for many of its services is included. Lastly, I would like to preface the ideas presented within this paper through the perspective of Weick’s (1976) theory of loosely coupled systems. As discussed throughout, the office of information technology is a unit on campus that is intertwined with all other areas in some manner. Thus it must go beyond the â€Å"niche† perspective of individual units and departments and engage itself directly in the politics of the university as a loosely coupled system. As the reader will see, this has affected the history, mission, and organization of the office of information technology and is embedded in many of its

Non-Violence as the Bigger Statement Essay

In the documentary _Eyes on the Prize_, John Lewis- an attendee of the 1960 Nashville Lunch Counter Sit-In, regales the use of nonviolence in their fight for racial equality, saying â€Å"We took our seats in a very orderly, peaceful fashion†¦We just sit there, and we continue to sit all day long†¦ But for me, I’ll tell you; it was like being involved in a holy crusade. It became a badge of honor† (PBS). The Civil Rights Movement, which began in 1954, was so deeply impactful largely in part to the unusual nature of its participant’s actions against their opposition. Scarce physical tactics or retaliation was threatened against the white opposition on the black insurgent’s behalf in order to achieve what they sought. Instead, the African Americans took a stance of nonviolence as their weapon of choice, hoping to reach a middle ground of peace between all of the nation’s races. Some of the historical and structural causes at the core of this stance were the guidance of Martin Luther King Jr., the organized fight to dismantle long-standing norms of racial segregation within the white communities, and the effort to raise awareness to a blind political system. In introducing the concept of social insurgency, Doug McAdam says, â€Å"At the close of 1876-1930 period, the southern black population was only just beginning to develop the institutional strength so vital to the generation of social insurgency† (McAdam 94). Historically, black Southern Americans had experienced little to no sense of togetherness as a community; it would take someone or something with enough passion and commitment to bring them together. Obtaining a leader to push such idealistic views for the African American race is practically a requirement to incite immense social change. An organizer is the heart of the movement, because they diffuse centralized direction and coordination (McAdam 47). Having Martin Luther King Jr. as a guiding force behind the Civil Rights Movement was, arguably, the biggest motivation for non-violence as a directive in community institutions during this period. In his _Letter from Birmingham Jail_, often called the Call for Unity, Dr. King says, â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic  steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action† (Letter 2). Martin, born and raised in the church, came from humble beginnings; his father, a pastor, sermonized many ideals of a future of peace and the effectiveness of words over physicality. Dr. King went on to preach the ideals of a future based on equality, regardless of skin color or nationality, to his followers. His goals primarily focused on the rise of the nation as a whole- as one- rather than just the rise of the African American race. In his _Chicago Freedom Movement Rally Speech_, he stated, â€Å"The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the negro to free him from his guilt† (King). Dr. King was aware that for there to be peace and success for our country, we would have to learn to coexist as one community, instead of having one dominant race in any aspect. In another excerpt from the Chicago rally, he summarizes his intent with nonviolence, saying, â€Å"Nonviolence does not mean doing nothing. It does not mean passively accepting evil. It means standing up so strongly with your body and soul that you cannot stoop to the low places of violence and hatred. I am still convinced that nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, it cuts without wounding† (King). In result, his practices flourished, inspiring others to come together and follow in his footsteps. Historically, it also aided that typically only violence had been used to fight battles and/or change things in the past, which had only gotten them to the point they found themselves at then. The typical day-to-day life of White Southerners consisted of structural norms within the economy, the government, and social customs. Breaking down the barriers of such an established arrangement would never be an easy feat. Blacks in the South knew this and therefore banned together, creating solid organizations such as CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), and the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). These organizations were so vital to the cause and effect of the nonviolence movement, as â€Å"A conductive political environment only affords the aggrieved population the opportunity for successful insurgent action. It is the resources of the minority community that enable insurgent groups to exploit these opportunities† (McAdam 43). As could be expected, white oppositionists reacted extremely violently to the changes  that were being force-fed to them through the motions of the Civil Rights Movement. The way of life that they’d known for so long was being threatened and as human nature would have it, we are programmed much of the time to fear what we do not know. African American advocates in the South were brutally beaten, humiliated, and killed as a retaliation tactic. Thus, such actions sparked black insurgence to essentially stray away from â€Å"feeding the fire†, and instead choose to demonstrate the direction of race relations that they strived for. In order to achieve results, they had to ban together to strengthen their ideals within the community, thus creating strong indigenous organizations as a backbone for their fight. McAdams states, â€Å"†¦the same dynamic is evident in regard to the relationship between organizational strength and insurgency, with the pace, character, and outcome of collective protest shaping the availability of those organizational resources on which further movement activity depends† (McAdam 53). Thus, as the black insurgent groups gained the social stability, they were able to engrain their nonviolent tactics within a larger audience as they gained support. It was such growth of backing that allowed them to create cracks in the barriers that upheld the white Southerners’ traditions. It was also such groups that were the pillar to sustain an ongoing protest. The Political Process Model that McAdam lays out considers that â€Å"a structure cannot function without the routinized exercise of structural power, and any threat to structural power becomes a threat to that system itself. Thus†¦any system contains within itself the possibility of a power strong enough to alter it† (McAdam 37). Politically, much opportunity was to be gained for black insurgents through the use of non-violent action. W.E.B. DuBois issued an example of such a possible process of advancement, saying â€Å"We need sufficient income for health and home; to supplement our education and recreation; to fight our own crime problem; and above all to finance a continued, planned and intelligent agitation for political, civil, and social equality† (B., DuBois 197). Since the black population felt so absolutely undermined as a race by the government, it would do them no good to repeat the same actions as those before them when trying to change the way things worked. McAdam discourses that â€Å"the point is that any event or broad social process that serves to undermine the calculations and  assumptions on which the political establishment is structured occasions a shift in political opportunities† (McAdam 41). In other words, if someone is questioning the way the government works in the first place, already a shift has been sparked in the standards, just by drawing attention to it. To some degree, all changes involving social movement for the nation are going to imply some level of struggle to change and/or pull for institutionalized power (McAdam 36). Using this explanation in the cause of the non-violent tactics, once the aggrieved population shed light on the issues of political alignment through a peaceful approach, the movement only continued to gain attention and leverage over political opponents. McAdam sums it up when he synopsizes, â€Å"the contention is that, far from remaining constant, the organizational resources available to southern blacks increased simultaneously with the expansion in political opportunities† (McAdam 87). Like most ideals in life, the concept of nonviolence as a promising tactic for change started with one individual. Martin Luther King Jr. not only believed in what he preached, but practiced it in his own life. Through his consistent stand-by of nonviolence, the subsequent growth in support through organizational groups, and said group’s ability to power through the withstanding customs of white folk, nonviolence flourished. In his closing statements, McAdam reminds, â€Å"it must be remembered that the movement was able, in a matter of years, to dismantle a thoroughgoing system of caste restrictions that had remained impervious to change for some seventy-five years†¦These gains are hardly insignificant† (McAdam 232). Therefore, though near the end black insurgency took a turn for the worse, the influence that nonviolence caused on the nation absolutely left a lasting imprint on history. Work Cited B., Du Bois W. E. Dusk of Dawn. Millwood, NY: Kraus-Thomson Organization, 1975. Print. King, Martin Luther, Jr. â€Å"Chicago Freedom Movement Rally Speech.† Courtesy of the King Center. Atlanta, Georgia. African-American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp. September 24, 2014. King, Martin Luther. _Letter from Birmingham Jail_. Stamford, CT: Overbrook, 1968. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. McAdam, Doug. Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print. PBS, prod. â€Å"Ain’t Scared of Your Jails.† _Eyes on the Prize_. PBS. N.d. _PBS_. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.