Knowledge management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Knowledge management - Essay Example Conversely, knowledge management views knowledge as a tacit concept that is resident in individuals and organizations. Information management seeks to enhance internal processes and ensure the quality of business operations whilst knowledge management seeks to facilitate knowledge-rich relations and support ongoing innovation and development. Most Information Management Systems are based on business processes that are clearly defined, relatively stable and involve similar objects such as applications, invoices, and orders. Examples of such business processes include production processes, logistics, and administration. On the other hand, knowledge management systems are dynamic and difficult to predict because different times and situations need different knowledge. The people involved in knowledge management do not need information. Rather, they look for background information, argumentations, conclusions, methods, opinions, analyses and best practices. Knowledge management strategy is primarily the domain of human resource director and its significance to the director explains this. The strategy helps formalize, store, share, distribute, and coordinate an organization’s knowledge assets all of which are functions that touch on the work of the human resource director. The director is able to modify the culture of an organization in such a way that the organization’s values and norms seamlessly connect with the knowledge management strategy. Human resource director is able to promote a climate of trust and commitment in an organization in order to make it easy to manage knowledge. This director has the capacity to organize an organization’s employees in to networks, teams, and communities of practice in order to enhance sharing of knowledge. The strategy also helps human resource director to influence an organization to adopt policies that encourage the hiring and

Society originates Essay Example for Free

Society originates Essay Kallipolis now has three classes, the producers, the Guardians and the Philosopher-Kings and each member will perform that function, and only that function, for which he is destined by nature30. To distinguish between these classes and discover to which class each person belongs Plato brings in education and also his theory of a tripartite soul. Through this education process which is a concern of the state31 , all people reach their full potential and thereby acknowledge their social position. To understand the nature of the philosopher kings we examine Platos theory of the soul. There are three types of desire in the tripartite soul which correspond to the three parts of the state32; appetitive desires (base ones for things such as food, money and sex), spirited desires (for honour, victory and reputation) and rational desires (for knowledge and truth). In each person one of the three desires rules, thereby determining their class and values. Uneducated people are ruled by their appetites and although they can be trained through physical education and a mix of reading, writing, dance and song33 they will only have acquired a level of virtue to act prudently34. This is the producer classes. For these money is the best way of satisfying their desires. Further education leaves people ruled by their spirited desires35; this is the Guardian class that want honour. They are more virtuous than the producers but not as virtuous as the philosopher kings. Those that make it right through the education system are the philosopher kings who are bound by rational desires of the soul. They are fully virtuous and knowledgeable36 and C. Reeve argues that the education process will make them distribute the benefits of this knowledge among the citizens whilst ruling. There are other proposals for the production of citizens of the right sort including restriction of the arts, the institution of mating festivals and private property is to be abolished37 (for the two higher classes so they can focus solely on their function as rulers). Plato states the philosophers are above any corruption due to their education and training which makes them designed solely to govern and it means they possess knowledge and understanding no one else in the city does. They will not be corrupted by ruling because they recognise that others, lacking their knowledge, would do a worse job than themselves. It is a duty they must perform, to spend the rest of their time doing what they really want to do philosophical research. Plato also sets down strict guidelines for the guardians way of life, especially the absence of family life and private property which he considers the greatest temptation in public life. Plato has two ways to further explain this division of class to the reader and the people within the state. The first is the allegory of the Cave. To understand this we have to understand the forms of the good38. Kraut defines them as eternal, changeless, imperceptible and bodiless objects a pre-eminent good39 which will improve our lives we if understand and love them. Those that discover these forms, the philosophers, will attain complete happiness and will have a duty to relate these forms back to society. All mankind is situated within the cave and are all initially chained to the wall, seeing shadows of the forms which they believe are the real things. Those that break free, the philosophers, are free from illusion40 and see not only the form of the good. They are able to exit the cave and see this light and have a duty to bring it back to society. The other story is the myth of the metals41, often known as the noble lie42. The tale goes that when each person was fashioned by the gods a metal was added to each person which qualifies their social class. Those with gold in them are rulers, silver in the auxiliaries and iron and bronze in the producers. Within each class however children can be born with a higher/lower metal in their souls than their parents. When this happens they are to be promoted/demoted to their proper class43. This myth was propagated to serve to increase their (civilians) loyalty to the state and to each other44 and to persuade people to accept their social class as their destiny and therefore not to challenge it. The Economic classes should therefore take this rule without demur as the relationship of classes, like everything else in the state is perfect45. It promotes the fact that there are natural differences between human beings46 and that through education these metals can be ascertained and streamlined. However as a Christian I do not believe Platos view, that the philosopher king should rule, is correct. There are several reasons for this. The first is education does not necessarily make anyone more virtuous than others. The Bible states that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God47 and this is shown in practise today by the fact that the educated rulers can be corrupt, unfaithful to their wives and motivated by money/involved in bribery. Since the Bible tells us that we all are selfish by nature, and education cannot remove this, we should not expect the rulers to solely put the needs of others above their own desires for power, wealth, property and status, however noble that may be. The taking away of the family from the philosopher class would also in my opinion make him a worse ruler, less in touch with society and less developed as a character. Also from a secular viewpoint it is not right to put only educated rulers from one strata of society in power when those from a less education background could be more in touch with society and its needs. Also the prospect of a state education system selecting the leaders of the city is a matter of concern as the relevant knowledge which Plato advocates is purely a matter of opinion and therefore may be biased. Also these rational desires, that the philosopher king is supposed to have, are not I believe the monopoly of the educated. They can be found at all levels of society. Also Plato denies personal advancement in his city, especially once a person has been graded. In reality however once people have met their basic needs there is a desire for more. Also it is not natural for people to forgo private property even if they are a ruler. Therefore I would conclude that Platos view, that the philosopher kings should rule, is incorrect and unrealistic in terms of any real society and its values.2,045 words. Bibliography TEXT USED Plato, The Republic, Penguin Classics 2nd edition 1987 OTHER WORKS David Reece, Plato in Political Thinkers, pp 54-72 Edward Andrew, Equality of opportunity as the noble lie History of Political Thought X, 4 (1989), pp 577-596 Rex Martin, The ideal state in Platos Republic History of Political Thought II,1 (1981) P1-30 Richard Kraut, The defence of justice in Platos Republic The Cambridge Companion to Plato, Cambridge 1992, pp311-337 Christopher Rowe, Plato: the search for an ideal form of state Plato to Nato (1990), BBC books. Timothy Shiell, The Unity of Platos Political Thought History of Political Though XII,3 (1991) pp377-390 1 Plato, The Republic, P 56 Quote of a sub title 2 Rex Martin, The Ideal State in Platos Republic P1 3 Plato The Republic P56, Quote from Editor, Desmond Lee 4 Ibid P58 5 Ibid P59 6 Ibid P60 7 Ibid P60 8 Ibid P61 9 Ibid P61 10 Ibid P61 11 Ibid P61 12 IbidP62 13 Ibid P62 14 Plato The Republic P62 15 Ibid P63 16 Ibid P63 17 Rex, Martin The Ideal State In Platos Republic, P2 18 Plato, The Republic P63 19 Ibid P64 20 Ibid P64 21 Plato, The Republic, P65. 22 Ibid P66 23 Ibid P67 24 Ibid P66 25 Ibid P68 26 Ibid P121 27 Ibid P121 28 Christopher Rowe, From Plato to Nato P23 29 Plato, The Republic P119 30 Christopher Rowe, From Plato to Nato P23 31 Ibid P70 32 Christopher Rowe, From Plato to Nato P23 33 C. D Reeve in Political Thinkers An overview of the Republic 34 C. D Reeve in Political Thinkers An overview of the Republic P3 of article 35 Ibid P3 36 C. D Reeve in Political Thinkers An overview of the Republic 37 Christopher Rowe, From Plato to Nato P24 38 Plato, The Republic, P239. 39 Richard Kraut, The defence of justice in the Republic, The Cambridge companion to Plato 40 C. D Reeve in Political Thinkers An overview of the Republic 41 Plato, The Republic, P213 42 Edward Andrew, Equality of Opportunity as the Noble Lie P 577 43 R. Martin, The Ideal State In Platos Republic P10 44 Plato, The Republic P123 45 R. Martin, The Ideal State in Platos Republic P 9 46 Edward Andrew, Equality of Opportunity as the Noble Lie P1 47 Bible, NIV Romans 3 v 23 GV100 Introduction to Political Theory, Essay No 1 Name: Sarah Pickwick Class: 7 Teacher: Mr J Olsson.

Queering privilege :: Essays Papers

Queering privilege In any groups’ struggle against injustice, a glint of jealousy and bitterness seems to accompany thoughts of the oppressor and those positioned in places of privileged within structures of domination. Generally it is acknowledged that there are no simple scapegoats upon whom to unequivocally level blame for all the world’s maladies, tempting as finding and accosting such a character is. Despite the growing willingness to let go of old myths of directly responsible villains, there remains a not unrelated urge still to describe and intellectually master (exert power over by gaining knowledge of) those who inhabit structural locations of privilege. Taking the case of Patricia Hill Collins’ black feminism, a rather nuanced understanding of such characters is developed to better know their place. However, the accounts of this sort of simplistic anti-domination critique ultimately replicates, in its theorizing, the assimilationist incompleteness of the modes of tho ught it initially rejects. For people to be ‘structurally positioned’ in ‘relatively privileged ways’ means that they routinely receive benefits and escape discomforts as compared to trends in other people. Usually these trends about what is ‘routine’ and how ‘other people’ live rely on some creation of a category of â€Å"normal† from which others are understood as departures. A first issue is to determine what a benefit or discomfort would be. By discomfort, of course, I mean to sarcastically understate the range from daily and ‘accidental’ inconveniences to very intentional brutality that makes up a common experience of grinding oppression that structurally condemns folks as individuals and groups. Similarly, benefits span a sizeable range in their particularity, but compose an overarching preponderance of niceties. However, who gets to decide what is oppressive or beneficent might be the effected person, someone higher up, or impe rsonal criteria, but this is a question for ethics one is tempted to bracket. Some groups, it then seems, are in better places, but who are â€Å"they†? If black women can be defined as a group by first noticing the trends that particular people encounter, such as often being suspected of shoplifting, and then correlating these patterns with their constructed identity (the combination of categories â€Å"black† and â€Å"woman†) (Collins 25-26), then perhaps groups with structural privilege can be understood similarly. The categories of, say, â€Å"man† and â€Å"white† do seem to line up with systematic privileges. In Patricia Hill Collins’ black feminism, both the criticisms and alternative methodologies offer some insights into the nature of a position of privilege and what it means to inhabit it.

Walter Lees Dreams in A Raisin in The Sun Essay -- Lorraine Hansberry

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down barriers to become an African American female doctor. Lastly, is Walter Lee Younger, son of Mama and husband of Ruth. Walter dreams of economic prosperity and desires to become a flourishing businessman. Over the course of Walter's life many things contrib uted to his desire to become a businessman. First and foremost, Walter's father had a philosophy that no man should have to do labor for another man. Being that Walter Lee was a chauffeur, Big Walter?s philosophy is completely contradicted. Also, in Walter?s past, he had the opportunity to go into the Laundromat business which he chose against. In the long run, he saw this choice was fiscally irresponsible this choice was. In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee's dreams, which are his sole focus, lead to impaired judgement and a means to mend his shattered life. Initially, Walter?s sole focus on his dreams lead to impaired judgment. One way Walter portrays his impaired judgment is when he makes assorted empty promises. In the Yo... ...se. Still Walter will face many more roadblocks, but perhaps his shattered life may begin to repair itself, even without financial security. Evidently, Walter Lee?s judgment becomes significantly impaired and all because of his dreams. In the world today, people still struggle with the same problems and desire the same things Walter does. Success is a seemingly huge necessity. In the course of ones life, each person is destined to face personal conflicts and contradictions. These problems, with the ability to overcome them is truly how to achieve greatness. As Mr. Langston Hughes questions so powerfully in his poem, ?What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun With the help of Walter Lee Younger, the answer becomes evident. Dreams never dry up? they just change. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Signet, 2008.

Globalization and Local/Regional Economy Essay

Globalization as defined by World Bank is the increasing integration of â€Å"economies and societies world wide† (â€Å"World Bank Group,† 2001). Globalization is also perceived as a process or a trend wherein economically speaking, the money flows in the international market unconstrained and capital is reorganized allowing a maximization of profit (Robinson, 2004, n. p). On the other hand, culturally speaking, globalization has the capacity to integrate, adopt, and influence diverse cultures and the power to remove cultural barriers (Rothkop, 1997, n. p). Considering the fact that globalization is crossing over geographical borders, such trend is greatly affecting local and regional affairs at the same time. Las Vegas, Nevada also known as â€Å"The Sin City† is the world’s entertainment capital (â€Å"Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority,† 2008). Also famous for its casinos and different recreational activities, the city caters to various people. According to the 2005 U. S. Census Bureau data, the total population of Las Vegas is 538,653 wherein 273,147 people 16 years and above are in the labor force (â€Å"Las Vegas Government,† 2007). This figure shows how financially advantageous it is to invest capital in Las Vegas and to establish business there. Aside from that, the same survey conducted by the U. S. Census Bureau shows that the population of Las Vegas is very diverse such that many people from all over the world resides or works there. There are Asians, Latin Americans, African Americans and Americans (â€Å"Las Vegas Government,† 2007). What is the significance of the city’s diverse cultural affiliates and its highly advantageous economic status? Taking the concept of globalization into consideration, noting the importance of Las Vegas’ society will be very beneficial for the domestic affairs and stability of the city. Las Vegas is filled with entertaining games and activities like casinos, amusement parks and bars. These can open opportunities for the city to promote its services to the global arena. As characterized by globalization, the flow of money towards Las Vegas will be unconstrained since many investors in the international market see a great advantage in placing their stocks in the businesses held in Las Vegas like in the hotels and casino gaming industry. Aside from the flow of money via the negotiations in the international market, the city also employs cash from the local market through their visitors and tourists availing their services. Through all these economic undertakings, the people in the local and regional areas of Las Vegas will really benefit since there is a high inflow of cash and greater socio-cultural development projects for the people. In relation to the socio-cultural implication of the services and some goods in Las Vegas, there is also the observable manifestation of globalization. As what was stated earlier, globalization includes overcoming territorial boundaries and crossing over. Statistics show that in Las Vegas, 19. 4% of the residents are also foreign language speakers aside from being English speakers (â€Å"Las Vegas Government,† 2007). This means that many of the people in Las Vegas are foreigners who also avail the goods and services in the city. Moreover, since there is a huge influx of Latin Americans in the U. S. , the said trend also spills-over in Las Vegas where many Latin Americans work in shops and also holds businesses there. Also, through Las Vegas’ theatre, arts, music, cuisine and other cultural undertakings, they are also able to transcend borders right at their very city where various performers and artists from around the world presents (â€Å"Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority,† 2008). It is observable from this analysis of Las Vegas’ cultural and economic affairs that globalization is, indeed, an international trend and is greatly affecting the local agenda of states. It is therefore important to not always be reminded of the influence of globalization when a state is creating their policies both in the economic and socio-cutural aspects. References Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. (2008). Las Vegas. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from http://www. vegas. com/. Las Vegas Government. (2007). Facts and Statistics. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from http://www. lasvegasnevada. gov/. Robinson, W. (2005). A Theory of Global Capitalism. Maryland: John Hopkins University Press. Rothkop, D. (1997). In Praise of Cultural Imperialism? Effects of Globalization on Culture. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from www. globalpolicy. org/globaliz/cultural/globcult. htm. The World Bank Group. (2001). Globalization. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from htp://www1. worldbank. org/economicpolicy/globalization/.

U4 Research Project Example

U4 Research Project Example U4 Research Project – Coursework Example Shared Folder vs. NTFS Permissions & Distributed File System Sharing permissions in windows computers are available for both drivers and folders depending on the degree of access allowed by the user. NT File System (NTFS) permissions are used in drives that are formatted with NTFS. The permission is granted at the Windows logon and applies to all users irrespective of the location. Shared permission and NTFS permission have one thing in common: preventing unauthorized access.Shared Folder vs. NTFS PermissionsShaded folder permissions become effective when folders are being accessed across multiple user accounts or over a network. They are used in managing computers having FAT32 file system or those that are not using NTFS file system. Shared folders helps network users to access file resources. Share permission settings have the following options: Full Control, Read & Change. However, NTFS permission provides security in a wide range because they can be assigned to individual files a nd folders. NTFS permission controls access to both network and on local computers. The available account options include Individual users, specific or group users. For instance, in the application folder, shared permissions allow Read permission to users group. However, NTFS permission allows Read, Read and Execute to the user’s group.NTFS can hold up to 255 characters long in files and folder names. Names are not case-sensitive in NTFS but are case-preserving. However, when a POSIX application is used in the file name, it will be case-sensitive. It can support partitions greater than 400MB due to the overhead involved. NTFS supports compression of files where it can reduce the text file size by 50%. NTFS partition permits access of files by Macintosh users.NTFS provides various merits pertaining to security as well as functionality with the help of reparse points. NTFS provides security as its primary merits. NTFS requires a smaller default cluster size, therefore, by reduc ing cluster size it will improve the efficiency of storage as it will reduce sector slack. However, NTFS partition can increase fragmentation of files that will affect the output (Shapiro & Jeffrey, 2008, p. 460). NTFS provides support to disk quotas which helps in management of the storage space.Notes1. Reparse points as used in this paper means NTFS objects that are responsible for carrying special attribute tagsReferencesKenneth Gregg, B. S. (1999). Microsoft Windows NT Server Administrators Bible. Wiley.Lee Hadfield, D. H. (1997). Windows NT Server 4 Security Handbook. Pearson P T R.Shapiro, J. R. (2008). Windows Server 2008 Bible. John Wiley & Sons.Sommerville, I. (2001). Software Engineering. England: Pearson Education Limited.Distributed File System (DFS)It refers to a client/server based application system that authorizes clients to have access of the data stored on the server over several computers and to process it as though it is confined in a single computer (Sommerville , 2001, p. 240). It applies to Window Server: 2003, 2003 R2 with SP1 and that with SP2. Users are not confined to a particular actual physical location of files to allow them to have access of them but distribute file system help them in consolidating them as though they resides on a single server. When modifying file locations or when users need authenticity to access multiple targets, you should use DFS.There are two major ways of implementing DFS, namely:1. Stand-alone root DFS2. Domain DFSDFS helps users in accessing files easily. Users can access several files spread across multiple servers with ease as they will not rely on multiple drive mappings to have access to the files. Services that may require the server to be taken offline for maintenance purposes are being accomplished without Web servers being disrupted. The DFS mapping is being published by the Windows Server 2003 system to Active Directory. This ensures that Domain DFS retain access to users’ files. DFS als o helps in providing security for the files and folders with the help of standard NTFS as well as file sharing permissions.ReferencesKenneth Gregg, B. S. (1999). Microsoft Windows NT Server Administrators Bible. Wiley.Lee Hadfield, D. H. (1997). Windows NT Server 4 Security Handbook. Pearson P T R.Services, E. E. (2010). Information Storage and Management. Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc.Shapiro, J. R. (2008). Windows Server 2008 Bible. John Wiley & Sons.Sommerville, I. (2001). Software Engineering. England: Pearson Education Limited.

The Odyssey Essays - Mythology, Greek Mythology, Religion

The Odyssey Essays - Mythology, Greek Mythology, Religion The Odyssey The Odyssey The great muses are called upon by Homer to tell the great adventure of Odysseus in his travel back to his home. Prayers are given to the Greek Gods and muses by Homer in order to proceed this story. The Greeks life revolved around the gods in a matter of fashion as we presently revolve around Christianity. The depiction of the roles the gods played in the Odyssey is both presented in good and evil. The Greeks portrayed their gods as powerful and merciful. However in the Odyssey the gods play a role in a savior like Jesus Christ and the tormentor like Satan. With the present role in the story of Odyssey the gods can be seen as a key role in Odysseus life. Odysseus alone cannot have escaped the treacherous Trojan War without the aid of the gods. However can it be reconcile that the gods were truly the ones who controlled our lives? In Odysseuss case the gods played a vital role. Throughout the entire story Athena was the crutch Odysseus and his family leaned on in the time of aid. Through the treacherous paths Odysseus traveled it was hope of seeing Penelope and his son Telemachus that brought him strength and wisdom. With the loves one left behind Odysseus fearlessly face the gods and tramples over their challenges. Without the help of Athena and her wisdom and devotion to Odysseus his challenges would be help with no boundaries. With Athena on Odysseus side, he was able to return home without any harms done to him or his family. With the gods in favor of Odysseus return all he had to fight was the challenges Poseidon threw at him. With the water being the only road back to his home this challenge was fare more difficult then the Troj an War itself. With the guidance of Athena Odysseus was safely returned to Ithica. Even though Athena played a key role in Odysseus life she was still unable to protect him from the challenges he faced with Poseidon, Calypso, and Helios. The gods can be seen as Odysseuss sub-conscience. Athena being Odysseuss wisdom, Helios the jealousy hidden in our curiosity, Calypso the temptation we face, and Poseidon the challenges in life we face everyday. These main Gods played a key role in Odysseuss life. Poseidon tormented blinded Polyphemus. Poseidon would have never tormented Odysseus if only he kept his boastful self-quiet. A lesson in life learned by Odysseus to keep him self- humble at all times. Odysseus faced other challenges that slowed his journey towards home seem longer. Calypso who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years offered him the impossible. Odysseus with his wife in mind declined the gift for a passage towards home. With temptation and challenges that blockaded Odysseus journey hom e. However Odysseus and his deceased crew could of made it home safely if it wasnt for the curiosity and jealousy of the crew to open the bag of wind and their evil temptation to kill and eat Helios cows. The gods playing minor roles it was human nature that brought the crewmembers to their doom and slowed Odysseus down from returning home. Homer portrayed human nature with the gods and goddesses. We are our own enemy. We are the ones who lay the path in our life and destination. However there are bumps in the word that slow us down and break us down. With hope we resist temptation and fight evil off. The gods in the Odyssey portrayed the good and evil in human nature. Odysseus being the hero of the Odyssey resisted and learned valuable lessons in life on his adventure back home.

Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island for Study

Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island for Study Not only is Robert Louis Stevensons ​Treasure Island  one of the most popular childrens books in history, its had a major influence on popular culture portrayals of 19th-century pirates. It tells the story of young Jim Hawkins, cabin boy on a ship bound for an island where the treasure is believed buried. He encounters pirates who seek to overthrow the ships officers in a mutiny. Published as a series in the magazine Young Folks between 1881 and 1882, Treasure Island is notable as a childrens book because of the moral ambiguity of many of its main characters; the good guys are sometimes not so good, and its most memorable character, Long John Silver, is a classic anti-hero. The story has captured imaginations for more than a hundred years and has been adapted for film and television more than 50 times.​​ Questions for Study and Discussion Why do you think Jim goes on the journey as a cabin boy?How does Robert Louis Stevenson reveal the characters motivations in Treasure Island?Knowing that this was a serialized story when it was first published, do you have a sense of whether Stevenson plotted out the entire story before writing, or do you think he changed elements of the plot as he wrote each individual section?What are some symbols in Treasure Island?Is Jim Hawkins consistent in his actions? Is he a fully developed character?What about ​Long John Silverare his actions consistent?How easily can you identify with Jims feelings? Do you think this portrayal of a young boy seems dated, or does it stand the test of time?If this novel were written in present day, what details would have to change?Discuss how Long John Silver is or is not a father figure to Jim.Which of the characters surprises you the most?Does the story end the way you expected?How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken p lace anywhere else? Besides Jim Hawkins mother, there are very few women in Treasure Island. Do you think this is important to the plot?What would a sequel to this novel have looked like? Would it be possible to continue the story?

Australian Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Australian Media - Essay Example The media coverage offered a concrete context for a national response to the question whether Australia should become a republic (O'Shaughnessy, pg 185). The contemporary Australian media has diversified into a more intricate operational structure and digressed from its old way of functioning. In the recent epoch, the unrestrained growth of Australian media has made it an important subject of studying if it is performing the dual job of entertaining and educating or has it streamlined its purpose to offering nothing but entertainment Like many other media industries in the world, Australian media industry is also dominated by a group of multi-billion dollar corporations which forces their will and on the various forms of Australian media like, television, radio, internet and newspaper. Television is among the most influential tools of media which forms a quasi-indispensable part of the daily life of an Australian. The cultural mingling and confluence of different external sources have a collective impact on the integrity and reverence of this audio-visual form of media in the country. Ever since mainstream professional television was launched in 1956, the broadcasters had striven to influence the lifestyle of the people. Since television is a part of the media industry, it cannot escape the general trend of this perennially lucrative industry to attract the customer with their uniqueness and fatten their profit margin. In the pursuit of making a name for itself in the media industry, the television channels try to produce shows and programs without considering much about its educative value and the type of message they are conveying. Australia has currently 6 free-to-air networks which include ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network and SBS. Considering the expanse of Australia, each of these channels covers a large region and thus has the potential to influence a bigger audience. From the people's point of view it is expected that every media industry should aim at distributing information that concerns its audience and entertain them with light-hearted shows. Be it the television or any other form of media, it is their onus to maintain the equilibrium in their content so that they do not get inclined on one aspect overlooking the other completely. ABC network has its number of channels operating all over Australia. These main government-owned TV channels seem to understand their social obligation to educate their audience and enrich them culturally. Starting from showing documentaries to critically acclaimed plays, the channels bring before the people the deeper subjects of the world. This widely broadcasted Australian channel has a proper segmentation of shows which are broadly categorized into children's adventure shows, documentaries, and talk shows with the celebrities and political stalwarts. The channels are also consistent in broadcasting religious shows along with the travelogues and wildlife shows. The edifice of success which ABC has built for itself is not based on the foundation of entertaining motive only. Some of the long running programs in Australia like, Mr Squiggle, Play School, Children's media program Behind the News, A Big Country and Music icons Countdown and rage may have the element of entertainment but they also come with an affirmative educative value. The online version of ABC

Management communication - memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management communication - memo - Assignment Example It is an inter-level choice because of one heading and use of white space to stress points. It is also an extra-level choice because of using information displays of green blocks with information being stressed the bottom of the document. The document has used a framework of imaginary columns to merge graphic elements. The document can be improved utilizing headings to set points, using more than one font, as well as color moderation (Glushko & McGrath, 2008). Page Design 3: It is within the intra-level of design because of the use of different fonts and sizes, some in italics and others in bold. It is also an inter-level choice because of the different headings of different fonts and sizes. The document uses white space to accentuate points. It is also an extra-level choice because of using a colored picture at the centre of the document, and four other graphical pictures, which are black and white, evenly distributed within the document. The document is within the supra-level of document design because of the paper size change, grids that delineate the look of every section of the document. The document can be improved by utilizing one or two fonts, as well as using color highlights (Garcia, 2007). Page Design 4: It is within the intra-level of design because of the use of one type of font in bold. It is an inter-level choice because of the dissimilar headings of different sizes. The document utilizes white space to highlight points. It is also an extra-level choice because of using a colored picture placed at the bottom center of the document. It is also within the supra-level of document design because of the, color formats, grids that describe the look of every section of the document. The document can be improved by using two fonts or less and putting important elements in the top left and lower right quadrants of the page (Carliner et. al.,

Establishing a Business in New Jersey and the business regulation Assignment

Establishing a Business in New Jersey and the business regulation measures - Assignment Example This New Jersey authority is very essential and resourceful to upcoming and new ventures. It helps entrepreneurs to improve their businesses by providing opportunities for educational programs and workshops, financing, and real estate development services. A statewide, not-for-profit corporation on economic development called the Union County Economic Development Corp (UCEDC) formed a partnership with the NJEDA to serve better the small businesses and ventures that are minority and women-owned. This partnership gave rise to the formation of the Entrepreneurial training Initiative (ETI). The ETI offers web-based tools on self-assessment, financial business planning resources, budgeting workshops and business-plan services to provide avenues for an entrepreneur to start off the venture.The high increase in the Hispanic population in the New Jersey impelled the NJEDA to initiate a Spanish-language website. The Hispanic population has a strong entrepreneurial capability which is growing exponentially. The entrepreneurial immigrants access the consultation services that are provided by the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, which facilitates and fosters the growth of small enterprise.The New Jersey state has high cost of living and this has reflected the business arena in terms of starting up capital and regulation requirement fees. Mistakes regarding the several elections, stock ownership, consent, notification, and filing requirements can result in the termination of business status.

Evaluation of the Humane Society of Indianapolis Research Paper

Evaluation of the Humane Society of Indianapolis - Research Paper Example As a part of their activities, they provide shelter to animals, and provide effective behavioral training to animals that are in their shelters and also to animals that their owners bring for such training. Such training is also imparted to animals that have not yet been adopted but are eminently adoptable. These trainings are provided through the Society’s public training classes and the Society tries to spread awareness about humane treatment to animals through various forums that are available for reaching out to the people of Indianapolis (Services for Pet Owners, 2011). Organization The Society operates through free service provided by volunteers that are genuinely interested about the welfare of animals and are eager to provide some succor to them at times of their distress. But these volunteers are not simply well intentioned warm hearted individuals. Helping animals sure requires some rigorous training as untrained individuals might cause harm to both themselves and the animals no matter how honest and genuine their intentions are. Hence, the Society provides training to its volunteers so that they are totally equipped and fully aware of what they should do and how they should act in situations where animals need human help in order to survive in a decent and dignified manner without the fear of cruelty or ill treatment or even neglect (About Us, 2011). Criteria 1 It is a not for profit organization that does not avail of any governmental grants or donations. Neither does it accept any donations or grants from private animal welfare organizations like PETA or ASPCA, two of the more well known animal welfare organizations of United States of America. The Society is run exclusively on private contributions and donations from private individuals who are interested and impressed about the activities of the Society. This gives the Society an unparalleled independence to chalk out its own course of action without any direction or guidance from any remote central authority. This freedom allows it to micro manage its operations in ways it deems would be best suited for distressed animals in Indianapolis and thus become more relevant to local problems than any national agency, be it governmental or be it non-governmental, can ever become (About Us, 2011). Criteria 2 The values incorporated by this organization speak volumes about their ethical and integrity, moral rigidity and honesty of purpose. That they are genuine animal lovers is evident from the compassion with they treat animals and what is best is they never make any distinction between whether the animals are pets or have been abandoned by their owners and are now no more than stray dogs. This uniform approach to all animals can come from only genuine animal lovers and not those who simply pose to gain social brownie points. This compassion in all probabilities generates a deep sense of respect of the bond between humans and animals that can grow only between a devoted animal and equally devoted owner and it sure takes time to develop as this is such a sensitive issue that it can develop in a unique natural way that unfolds over a long period. The organization recognizes and is deeply respectful of this unshakeable bond between pets and their owners. Such a huge activity can only be possible through unstinted cooperation from all interested individuals and the Society pays utmost regard and is eager to embrace any form genuine cooperation. This allows the Society to reach to all sections of the society irrespective of what class, creed or ethnicity such individual s hail from. This not only gives the Society a more inclusive character but also ensures a more democratic outlook. As it

Management and Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Evaluation of the Humane Society of Indianapolis Research Paper

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Absence Of Populism In Colombia Essay Example for Free

Absence Of Populism In Colombia Essay The term populism refers to a political system where the leaders appeal directly to the people and seek the support of social sectors that are not adequately represented in the political arrangements that exist. In a populist system, the leaders tend to enjoy the support of the mass as a result of mass mobilization. In many Latin American nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, Peru and Mexico, one or more administrations have adopted populist policies (Dornbusch and Edwards, pg. 7). However, populism has failed to emerge in Colombia raising the question of why populism is not part of the Colombian society. Although populism in Colombian was promoted by the political leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan who was assassinated in 1948, populism failed to emerge after his death. Gaitan assassinated ended populist leadership in Columbia . Up to date, Colombia has managed to adopt a non-populist political system. Although the current Colombian President Alvaro Uribe leadership is considered to have some elements common with many populists, he is not a populist. The issue of absence of populism in Colombia in a continent dominated by populism and the reasons behind the absence needs to be examined. President Alvaro Uribe non-populist leadership has been attributed to his lack of interest in mobilizing masses and activating supporters. These factors are important elements in populism. This paper will explore the reasons behind absence of populism in Colombia by tracing historical events in the country. The paper will first present a belief history of Colombia and important events during the leadership of Jorge Gaitan. His emergence as a political leader and the peoples’ reaction to his emergence will be explored as well as the reasons behind lack of populism emergence after his death . Finally, the paper will evaluate President Uribe non-populist policies and why/how he has made great efforts to make Colombia prosper in absence of populism and left tendencies. Discussion A Brief overview of populism Populism embraces political representation that challenges the democratic political society where a highly polarized concept of society exists. Populist regimes like the ones that have been witnessed in Latin American emphasize on the social divide between the privileged who have benefited from the existing political practices and the underprivileged who account for the excluded majority (Coniff, pg. 22). Populist leaders claim to represent this underprivileged group that comprises of the poor and promise social justice. As a result, the leaders tend to reject any political intermediation that aim at limiting and checking their political power. Some political analysts consider populism to be nationalistic, authoritarian and depend on social mobilization for support. Many populist regimes often destroy traditional parties. The populist manifestation indicates that the traditional market reforms in a populist regime are unable to sustain economic growth, reduce poverty, generate employment opportunities and reduce inequality. Although populist leaders use democratic means to assume into political power, they are involved in undermining democratic institutions once they get into office. History of Colombia and events at the time of populist Jorge Eliecier Gaitan The collapse of the Gran Colombia 1830 led to the emergence of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Colombia became a republic in 1886. Two major political parties, the Liberal and Conservative parties emerged in Colombia due to the differences between the followers of two leaders Paula Santander and Simon Bolivar These two parties dominated the Colombian politics for a long time. Gaitan became achieved national prestige through his efforts of addressing the issues of concern of the peasants. For instance, he was involved in a Congressional investigation of worker’s revolt and strike in 1929 in Santa Marta and also wrote on the excesses of management and repressive intervention of the army in Colombia. This made Gaitan win great popular prestige and become a hero among the peasants. He joined the left wing of the Liberal party after 1930s and managed to win Congressional elections in March 1947. He continued to strengthen his position and increase his popularity by trying to reach the masses and giving them hope The Colombian society comprised of the privileged who held political offices and the poor who considered Gaitan to fight for their rights. Peasant populism and rural protests were witnessed since the 1930s. Gaitan became a charismatic leader of the Liberal party (Sharpless, pg,36). His popularity and claims to fight for the welfare of the masses attracted hundreds of thousands of low income Colombians and Union members in his political meetings. He was admired for denouncing moral, social and economic events that oppressed the masses which he promised to eliminate with cooperation and support from the people . His claim to champion the cause of the masses increased populism. The people, most of whom were peasants and low income earners were attracted by Gaitans leadership. For instance, the issue of land reforms which he seemed to address was of great concern to the people. For example, by mobilizing the masses to protest through the streets of Bogota in February 1948, Gaitan gained the support of the masses . He was assassinated two months later, an event that triggered the â€Å"La violencia†. This was characterized by confrontation between the Conservative and Liberal parties’ supporters and hostilities between classes. The Colombian society experienced violence and instability. Non-populism in Colombia after Gaitan’s death .The absence of populist regimes in Colombia in the 1930s and 1940s as well as the political instability that was witnessed in Colombia (Dix, pg. 342). After Gaitan’s assassination made it impossible for the political leaders to put into place populist regime in Colombia. Uncontrolled human confrontation in Bogota spread to the country side where bands were organized to create terror. La Violencia is estimated to have led to the deaths of more than 200,000 people over duration of eighteen years, the 1948 – 1958 periods was bloodiest . One of the most powerful guerilla group in Colombia, and known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was the product of this conflict. The period after Gaitan’s death was marked by lack of hope in the masses and the political society. Armed confrontation was characterized by rebellions and riots between 1948 and 1966(Hylton, pg. 40). Because populism requires leaders to mobilize the masses, violence drove Colombia into a politically unstable nation. The political instability that was experienced in the country made it impossible for the political leaders to secure leadership through populism. There was mass social frustration due to the killings and displacement of a large number of people. Those who had believed that Jorge Gaitan was the only hope for improving the lives of the masses were disappointed. In Bogota and the Mariano Ospina’s government struggled to restore order in Colombia. However, the rural violence that was witnessed triggered a state of undeclared civil war and violence spread throughout the country. Only the southernmost parts of Marino and Caribbean coastal area were spared. The violence phenomenon became complex and was characterized by sheer rural banditry as well as partisan political rivalry (Roldan, pg. 93). The political rivalry undermined the emergence of populism because this period of internal disorder led to the refusal by successive Colombian governments to give in to the peoples’ demand for social economic change. The repressive nature of the Ospina government undermined efforts of political leadership to participate in political meetings or engage in efforts that could increase one’s popularity but undermine the government. Violence and instability continued (Palacios, pg. 72). For example, the government on March 1949 banned all public meetings and had all Liberal governors leave their positions. These measures were being taken to restore order in the country. Furthermore, the government in 1949 ordered the closure of Congress. This meant that the political system in Colombia could no longer function as usual. The rural police forces intensified efforts to fight the Liberals and the belligerents. As a result, the liberals protest led to the liberals’ eventual resignation form their positions and as a result, protests by the Liberals continued. The failure by the Liberal party to contest during the presidential elections had Laureano Gomez, a Conservative candidate take over office in 1950. Gomez was the leader of a reactionary faction and preferred authority and order. The constitution that was drafted under Gomez’s’ guidance in 1953 was expected to expand the powers of departmental governors and enhance presidential autonomy. In order to contain the mounting violence and to prevent the regaining of power by the liberals, Gomez tried to curtail avail liberties and to acquire broad powers. In addition, the independent labor unions were removed and the congressional elections were held without any opposition. Other measures that the Gomez administration put into place included the control of courts by the executive, censoring of the press. Gomez also directed his repression against the Liberal opposition. There was relative economic prosperity during this time due to the expansion of the export markets and foreign investment increase. However, Gomez lost support due to military establishment, attacks on moderate conservatives. Gomez illness in 1951 had Roberto Urdaneta become the acting president. General Gustavo Rojas took over power in 1953 and military leadership that was witnessed in the country continued to undermine political participation and democracy in the country. In the 1960s, armed conflicts whereby left-wing insurgents, government forces and right-wing paramilitaries were witnessed in Colombia. There was lack of civil authority and public order and intense military operations were undertaken to counter the opposition. Rojas was however removed from power in 1957 leading to the restoration of civilian rule after some moderate Liberals and Conservatives formed a bipartisan coalition known as the National Front. Alberto Lleras Camargo served as Colombia’s president upto 1962. All these events made it difficult for populist regimes to emerge again in Colombia and up to date, Colombian leadership is still non-populist. Alvaro Uribe’s policies and non-populism The absence of populism in Colombia is unique in a continent where populist politics are still evident today . The current Colombian President Alvaro Uribe policies are not populist despite having some elements of populism. President Uribes is now in his second term in office. His policies have not aimed at increasing mass support for his government. In populist regimes, government policies tend to be implemented in a manner that tries to win the support of the masses. Since Uribe assumed into power, he has not advocated for policies that aim at addressing the needs of all the citizens. Instead, he has focused on improving economic development and improving security in the country. The main reason why Uribe is not populist can therefore be attributed to the fact that he has not made efforts to mobilize masses and cultivate supporters. Rather than focusing on efforts to uplift the poor in order to gain the support of the masses, President Uribe policies emphasize on improving economic growth and security. As a result, since his elections into office in 2002, he has received high approval ratings due to his policies that have promoted sustained economic growth, security and continuous implementation of sound social programs. The domestic security policy that Uribe has adopted plays a critical role in promoting democratic representation in governance. The policy was unveiled in 2003 and the efforts by Uribe’s administration to deepen democracy and strengthen democratic representation have ensured that democratic institutions have not been undermined to create populism. After being elected into office and inaugurated on 7th August 2002, President Uribe introduced radical policies to improve security. Insecurity in Colombia due to violence has for decades undermined economic and social development. President Uribe is a tough conservative whose political life has focused in fighting rebels and illegal armed groups in the country which cause the instability. The landslide victory for the second term provided him with adequate time to address the issue of drug trafficking and armed groups. The democratic security policy seeks to cater for the wellbeing of all Colombians. (The Uribe Administrations Democratic Security and Defense Policy, pg 1). The Colombian government has been working together with the US to fight drug trafficking groups and leftist insurgent groups by consolidating state control so that the country is not a sanctuary of perpetrators of violence, terrorists and drug traffickers (Kirk, pg 52). This has protected the entire population from illegal drug trade and victimization by illegal armed groups. The government social programs have been well planned and coordinated unlike in populist regimes. The programs receive consistent and great financial support from the government in order to increase social and economic development across the country. In other populist regimes in Latin America, social programs are poorly coordinated, fail to reach the targeted beneficiaries and receive huge funds during the election period. This has not been the case for Colombia. Uribe’s social programs to improve the living standards of the people by reducing inequalities has minimized sectoral and class conflicts in Colombia (US Central Intelligence,np) Agency. Populism is established when inequalities are not eliminated hence they create a social divide between the privileged and the underprivileged. In addition, populism is promoted when a large group of people who feel that they very minimal benefits from economic development support populists who promise to improve their welfare. In Colombia, the social divide has been addressed by the economic policy that has been implemented to improve income distribution. The benefits of the social programs reach the expected beneficiaries. The element of clientelism that still exists in Colombia prevents enlarged political participation and mobilization. The political system is supported by faithfulness and loyalty and together with the development of professional class of politicians who are committed to intermediating between the voters and the state has made it difficult for populists to succeed. The government has accepted limits and checks in governance and intermediation between the state and the civil society is possible. Uribe’s leadership has not in any way attempted to mobilize the masses in efforts to overcome inequality and poverty. The efforts to improve leadership and promote democracy in the government oppose the utilization of state resources for personal interests or to maximize political support. This is a clear indication that Uribe is not a populist. However, his efforts to have the constitution amended so that he may run for a third term in office has made him resemble the populist presidents who undermine traditional institutions of democracy. President Uribe has shown great commitment in maintaining democratic institutions and addressing the needs of Colombia as a nation rather than focusing on issues that increase the support of the masses. Why and how President Uribe efforts to make Colombia prosperous President Uribe has been making great efforts to make Colombia a prosperous nation free of populism and leftist tendencies. Populism and leftist tendencies undermine democratic institutions and result to political instability that compromises prosperity of a nation. Political stability is meant to support economic prosperity which improves the living standards of the poor. This narrows the social divide that allows populism to contribute to low economic and social development. For instance, the presence of leftist armed groups for decades has made it impossible for the government and the people to increase economic prosperity. The primary groups that are considered to be a threat to Colombia’s stability and peace are the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the ELN guerillas. These groups rely on criminal activities to generate funds. War and drug trade have derailed economic prosperity in Colombia for a long time (Livingstone, pg. 21). This has turned Colombia into one of the world’s largest center for drug trafficking. President Uribe democratic security policy has improved both the national security and economic growth due to stability. In Uribe’s administration government policies, lack of populism is clear . This has been achieved by ensuring that market reforms move towards sustaining economic growth, reduction of poverty and unemployment as well as a reduction in inequality. Uribe’s economic policy has been able to move away from economic populism where emphasis is placed on the risk of deficit finance and inflation, reaction of economic agents on non-market policies and external constraints. Rather than mobilize the masses through the implementation of social programs that never benefit the people, Uribe’s government has developed and implemented sound social programs that distribute resources equally and have the living standards of the underprivileged improved. In other Latin American nations, social programs are implemented by the political leaders to win the support of the masses. Unfortunately, the people never benefit from the programs because a large proportion of the financial resources put aside to support the programs is either wasted or embezzled. The allocation of resources to support government programs has been consistent, an issue that has improved economic growth in Colombia. Transparency and democracy ensure that leaders are responsible and accountable. By improving the living standards of the people across the nation, Uribe’s leadership has made it difficult for political leaders to become populists by claiming to represent the underprivileged. The presence of leftist groups in Colombia has led to blood shed, prosperity of the drug trade and social injustice. These groups have been involved in the drug trade and in the rural areas impose their rules on the people. The domestic security policy has aimed at defeating armed groups such as the ELN and FARC. The president has expressed concern that some of the major security threats in Colombia include narcotics trade and terrorism. He has therefore taken a hard line stance against guerillas. Together with the assistance from its neighbors and the US, the Colombian government has managed to force out rebels from Colombia’s cities and towns. For example, the government has succeeded in fighting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The need to restore peace in the country and invest in improving the welfare of the people has become a priority. For example, the security program that is implemented is expected to increase judicial action against the perpetrators of crimes with high social impact, restore peace, reduce human rights violation as well as the dismantle terrorist or leftist groups. The security policy is expected to demobilize illegal groups, increase intelligence capacity, engage civilians in leadership and increase defense spending. Colombia is engaged in regional economic cooperation as a means of improving regional economic growth, political stability and security. For instance, President Uribe has been able to put aside political differences that Colombia has had with its neighbours such as Venezuela to pursue economic progress. Furthermore, because the neigbouring nations are concerned about the presence of illegal armed groups in Colombia, bilateral relations have made it possible for the nations to fight leftist groups together. Regional economic growth has had positive impact on the Colombian economy. President Uribe has been working hard to strengthen government institutions that increase freedom. For example, in 2004, President Uribe managed to engage citizens throughout the country in governance after he established a government present in about 1,099 municipalities in Colombia. President Alvaro Uribe supports free trade policies and has attempted to fight internal forces that cause political instability which affect the country’s economic and social development for decades. He has strong domestic policies that support government programs that empower people economically. For example, his administration supports economic cooperation with its neigbours. Diplomatic ties with the neighbours in Latin America has been supported, economic development supported and efforts to combat leftist tendencies improved. The Colombian government has been involved in expanding the country’s participation in the international trade, strengthening the rule of law, promoting good governanace, protecting human rights and reducing poverty (US Central Intelligence Agency, np). Conclusion Populism has been a common element in Latin American nations whereby the leaders attempt to win the support of the masses through mobilization. Countries such as Chile, Peru and Brazil have had populist political parties dominate political leadership. However, Colombia is a Latin American country that has managed to maintain non-populism since the death of the populist Jorge Gaitan in 1948. The current Colombian President Alvaro Uribe policies have shown that he is not a populist. In addition, great efforts by Uribe to make Colombia prosperous free of populism and leftist groups have been successful. Works Cited Conniff, Michael. Populism in Latin America. University of Alabama Press, 1999 Dix, Robert. The Varieties of Populism; the case of Colombia. Western. Political Quarterly, 31, 334-351, 1978 Dornbusch, Rudiger and Edwards, Sebastian. Macroeconomics of Populism in Latin America, University of Chicago Press, 1991 Hylton, Forrest. Evil Hour in Colombia. New York: Verso Books, 2006 Kirk, Robin . More Terrible Than Death: Drugs, Violence, and Americas War in Colombia. United States: PublicAffairs, 2004 Livingstone, Grace. Inside Colombia: Drugs, Democracy, and War. Rutgers University Press, 2004 Palacios, Marco. Between Legitimacy and Violence: A History of Colombia, 1875– 2002. United States of America: Duke University Press, 2006 Roldan, Mary. Blood and Fire; La Violencia in Antioquia, Colombia, 1946-1953. Duke University Press, 2002 Sharpless, Richard. Gaitan of Colombia: a political biography. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1978 The Uribe Administrations Democratic Security and Defense Policy. Embassy of Colombia. Accessed on April, 29 2010from http://www. presidencia. gov. co/sne/visita_bush/documentos/security. pdf Urrutia, Miguel. On the Absence of Economic Populism in Colombia. University of Chicago Press, 1991 US Central Intelligence Agency. Colombia. Accessed on April 29, 2010 from; https://www. cia. gov/library/ /the /co. html

Media Essays News Citizen Journalist

Media Essays News Citizen Journalist News Citizen Journalist Introduction We live in an era of information overload: it requires no groundbreaking analysis to establish this. Society is bombarded from every angle with news: Newspapers; television; streaming news services on the Internet and independent blogs written by ‘citizen’ journalist. This worldwide change has occurred over the course of a minute timescale. Since the dawn of journalism until very recently, there were always a finite number of news sources. In the 80’s there were ten UK dailies, and three channels which contained news bulletins. By 1998, at the dawn of online news coverage, articles were a day old and suffered the disadvantage of not being specifically written as an online medium. Sites were updated once a day, and breaking news would sometimes be covered by a small news ticker at the most. If we are to use September 11th as a comparative vantage point, set close to the present and catastrophic at a worldwide level, the scale of the change within the news becomes visible. The 7/11 bombings in America were viewed in Britain on five terrestrial television channels, three dedicated news channels (BBC News 24, Sky News and ITV News), and news services such as Reuters, CNBC and Bloomberg provided continuous information updates. This does not even attempt to cover the countless other news sources around the world whose focus was to cover this tragic event around the clock. The Internet was saturated with theories, creditable news stories and speculation. The Guardian and The New York Times at the time provided online coverage, and since then nearly every news channel has developed online news services. For the first time everyone was capable of getting their opinion out there: The Internet allowed people to post their views, share their sadness and grow theories of conspiracy as could never have been done before. On the 7th July bombings in London BBC 1 and ITV1 had coverage completely uninterrupted until 7pm. Material included large amounts of footage sent in by the public, including videos and pictures taken on camera phones. News now travels at light speed. The gaps between major news stories, which steal the public’s attention, are hardly long enough to allow absorption of the story, let alone understanding any greater sense of context within which it may lie. The Internet itself is growing at a massive and uncontrollable rate. According to Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, the search engine would need another three hundred years to successfully index the five million terabytes of data it is approximated the internet now holds. Google has been indexing information for the last seven years, and has managed to index somewhere in the region of one hundred and seventy million terabytes. Statement of subject Because it has never been easier for individuals to broadcast their opinion, the divide between what is and isn’t considered to be ‘journalism’ is being narrowed. The power to be published has been extended to anyone who may wish to take it: Words no longer need to be passed through an editorial filter; instead the public can broadcast their opinions through blogs, feedback and their own webpages. There are countless online forums and e-zines where the public can submit their own work, and as such there are no official standards because we are no longer tied to words entwined in the ethos of a large corporation. For the individual, when it comes to getting their word out, things have never been better, and the same applies to music, filmmaking and photography. To be published no longer certifies a vocational integrity. In my dissertation I am going to assess the increasingly important role of citizen journalist, and the effect of new media on independent reporting. In an article in the Guardian on the 12th November 2007, David Leigh points out that our principles are being degraded through the lack of discrimination we exert over sources. â€Å"Some voices are more creditable than others†¦a named source is better than an anonymous pamphleteer†. Essentially I want to assess whether the reporter is a dying species, overrun by ‘citizen journalist’, and in what areas a sense of vocationally based journalistic integrity will prevail and withstand the peripeteia taking place in the media. Reporting staffs are being cut globally, with more and more reporters going freelance. Investigative journalism is on the decline, and citizens are contributing to more stories than ever before. Leigh quotes a BBC Radio 4 interview where John Simpson, the BBC’s veteran international news correspondent was asked if all news corporations were cutting back. He confirmed that in his opinion reporters were under real threat, and were not needed anymore, â€Å"We just want people’s opinions about what’s happened, not the facts†. In the article Leigh quotes Max Hastings, the ex-editor of the Daily Telegraph, who states that â€Å"all sorts of areas of the world are now thought to be too boring to keep a correspondent there. The commentariat has taken over.† Explanation of research Restrictions of study The topic I am researching is very broad, and varies very much form place to place. The role of citizen journalist is still developing and maturing. The public are only now fully realising the effects of independent reporting. There is also a psychological dimension that is constantly changing: People are only now beginning to trust articles that do not come from the larger news corporations. Research questions and hypothesis I need to inspect public broadcasting standards, and see what mechanisms are in place to stop the news of larger corporations turning completely into infotainment. I need to find out how much larger news corporations rely on spin departments and press offices for their information, and how much investigation is carried out independently. At the moment people rely on news corporations for objective news, and tend to read the work of citizen journalist for a second opinion. My hypothesis is that all of this will eventually invert, and the only form of sincere and detailed reporting will actually be that of citizen journalist. Definition of key terms In order to understand this essay, the definition of the term ‘citizen journalist’ must be clarified. There has been much debate over this topic, and much confusion has ensued. The Internet is the most effective medium through which the public can dynamically post comments, leave opinions after news stories and feel a direct level of interactivity with their news. While it would seem that this would lead to ‘vandalism’, sites such as Wikipedia have demonstrated that there are systems effective at minimising this sort of input, and I will examine this in greater detail later. But the ability to simply broadcast opinion isn’t, nor has it ever been ‘journalism’. Audiences have always been harnessed into the process of news making, whether the input may be in the form of letters to the editor or a clip of video phone footage. Despite the fact that during the 7/7 London bombings contributed video footage was used, public contributions have always been vital to journalists. It is easy to forget that when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963, Abraham Zapruder, a member of the public who got the best shot of the assassination, shot the video footage seen across the globe. It was his film that was used by analysts to try and determine from where the president was assassinated. But recently the public have been recruited into the news making process at a much greater level. People are intrigued by people, and want to witness the experiences of others, to humanize their news stories. Editors and producers embed stories and experience from members of the public into news stories to give them a more personal dimension. This is the citizen as an addition to a news story. At a greater level of interaction, citizens can help report in a ‘participatory’ manner, whereby they contribute to a story in the field of their expertise. Their knowledge or guidance is framed within the journalist’s context. The ability to publish a soft draft of a story on the Internet has made it easier for journalists to gain help from the public to aid a story. Citizen Journalists are too often mistaken for eyewitnesses armoured with new technology. In wake of the 7/7 bombings, people are quick to label the footage and pictures submitted by members of the public as the work of ‘citizen journalist’. But I believe ‘citizen journalism’ entails the bypassing of the commercial news system completely. This is the only way for reporting to not contain the agenda of a large corporation. It can be argued that reporting can never be truly devoid of a personal agenda, but a corporation will inevitably be entwined in a political agenda. Citizen Journalist is a term used to describe the actions of amateurs taking it upon themselves to report on subjects in an accurate, and independent manner. It is not to be confused with ‘participatory journalism’, where the public are used as sources. Another relevant term is â€Å"Infotainment†, which is essentially a slang term used to describe information given the slant of entertainment. A summary of what is to follow I am going to assess the liberation technological advance has made for ‘citizen journalist’, including beneficial and detrimental effects on news production as a whole. I want to see whether there is room for both professional and citizen journalists and whether traditional reporters are a dying species. Using case studies I am going to analyse where stories written by citizen journalist may not have been possible in a larger, corporate journalistic context, and similarly, where reporting would not be possible without the resources available to a larger news corporation. As well as this I am going to analyse the trends of corporate news, and asses whether the very roles of citizen journalist and news by larger corporations will invert: with serious stories being written by the citizen journalist while corporate news is almost entirely reduced to infotainment. Literature review This topic is relevant because it affects all of the information we receive. The forces of supply and demand work heavily on the corporate news system, and as such are debasing the level of our news. Citizen journalist on the other hand, is relatively free from such forces, and more able to write for niche audiences. There is a new freedom to write passionately about non-mainstream topics, with the possibility of a worldwide audience. When newspapers first came into circulation, in 15th century German and Flemish states, they lacked the same institutionalized nature that they do today. It was the dawn of the industrial revolution and the creation of large cities, the cheapening costs involved in mass printing and the growth of literacy rates provided the market for newspapers in the nineteenth century. Then advertisers realized the true potential for marketing to an ever growing population of newspaper readers, and the costs of newspapers went down even further. The corporate model first took over the Hollywood film industry in 1914, and then the movie distribution system. By 1920 radio had become corporate, and by 1950’s television had followed suit. All forms of media were organized in â€Å"accordance with corporate industrial logic†. Government controlled media started to arise in many parts of less developed countries. In Africa and Asia, where power had been handed over to those whom the departing colonial powers were most comfortable with dealing with. These people were ‘clones’ of the ruling elite who had once colonised them. Hence the newly emerging media were staffed by the most Westernised natives. The New World Information Order (NWIO) was created to justify ‘development journalism’. The ethos of the organization encouraged state control of the media in order to ‘educate’ and develop the respective local populations, and in within this line of thinking the education system in developing countries was also shifted into the state run sphere. As Louw points out, Communist control of the media was justified through the same line of argument. â€Å"In Afro-Asia ‘education’ and ‘development’ were managerial tools by which ruling elites (forcibly?) Westernised their populations, thereby increasing the numbers of their own Western ‘tribe’†. (p.43) One of the most relevant aspects of the Internet, is the creation of an accessible worldwide community that endangers such political mechanisms of control. While once people’s perceptions of life itself were very much narrowed by the culture in which they lived, now people from all over the world have an interface with which they can communicate. The internet has evolved: third world countries, with their antiquated and even non existent phone lines missed out on the first generation of the internet. But as technology developed, fibre optic lines and broadband replaced the traditional ways of plugging in, and third-world countries, with no existing infrastructure to replace and facilitated with cheap labour costs, have quickly connected themselves in. The mobile phone revolution was similar: Five years ago in India if you wanted to make an International call you had to call an operator and book it in. You would then wait by the phone for an hour or two, and at some point the operator would call you back and connect you. Now every Indian with a roof over their head also has a mobile. This is an unbelievable phenomenon in a country which frequently still has power cuts, is home to immense poverty and still has a massively unreliable wired phone network. Despite this the prevalence of a mass mobile phone culture took place there even before America had abandoned their two-way. Having come from an Indian background, and with all of my family currently residing there including my fifteen-year-old sister, I have visited the country at least once a year for the last twenty years. I am persistently surprised by the massive changes that occur there from one year to the next, but these are factors relating to matters of economy and fiscal development. The most prominent changes have occurred, in my opinion, since the Internet and the mass availability of American cable channels. The standardization of social values simply through watching American cable television is enormous, and the impact on the younger generation is massive when in contrast to their parents. An issue, which is widely ignored in more developed western countries, is the dominance of their media throughout the world, and the lack of correspondence between them and local cultures. The birth of citizen journalist has empowered countless people in less developed countries. But spatial boundaries have been eroded by technology, distance has been tamed and while news once took months or even years to travel, today it travels in the blink of an eye. Because of this the relevance of political borders, and the concept of culture and country has become more peripheral. The importance of the citizen as a reporter, the value of hyper-local news and the democratic nature of the internet as tool for expression is quickly becoming invaluable. In part due to these matters authoritarian states such as China, Cuba and Iran have been forced into moving away from their isolation, both ideologically and culturally, and individuals are privy to the writing of journalists not within the borders of their own, controlled domains. Monroe Price asked the question â€Å"Can a nation state survive in a world in which the boundaries of culture, faith and imagination do not (1995: 236). Nation states have survived and, McNair argues in ‘Cultural Chaos’, they will continue to do so. He argues that they will bring into conflict nation states with conflicting ideologies. A brief account of the issues relevant to the topic The creation of a press department in any company or political organization is a key factor. Journalists rely more and more n the information fed to them by the very people they are trying to write about.*EXPAND â€Å"What is clear is that there will always be some individuals or groups trying to control meaning. Underpinning this is a competition over resources (material, cultural and status). Our life chances are set by the social parameters facilitating or hindering our access to such resources† (p25 The Media and Cultural Production – Eric Louw, 2001) Technological advances have resulted in a massive, global, spatial dissolution, and are becoming more and more relevant to our lives. This enablement of social realization through geographical space is a concept being dissolved through the advancement of technology. Technology affects the way we write, the footage we can capture to accompany our stories, and our ability to access the news itself. It is the advancement of technology which has enable the creation of a citizen journalist in the first place. The world is getting smaller, and the amelioration of communicative potential is bringing human beings closer together. Since the 1980’s, and more specifically with the onslaught of ‘live’ news coverage that CNN brought to the Gulf War in 1991, a new sense of immediacy has been brought to the news. There is a new sense of participation, and interactivity that has been brought to broadcasting and the news in general, with broadcasts becoming more dynamic. We can be transported from the isolation of our domestic environments to the parochialism of the news environment we are watching. Through news exposure, which includes the horror of human catastrophe, society is becoming more and more disengaged with the context of what it witnesses. People don’t have enough time between major world events to become fully acquainted with the context of any particular situation. Broadcasters would rather keep viewers engaged with sensational footage, than risk loosing audiences with a contextual background which could be deemed more ‘boring’. As a result people feel that there are too many events to care about any at all, and more importantly there is a widespread concern that we are essentially powerless to do anything about it. Our press has the freedom to fully articulate the injustices of today, but tomorrow there will be new injustices. When the format of the news we are subject to is too consistent and perpetual to never expect not to be shocked by a front page or a top story on a daily basis, we have no choice other than to be emotionally indifferent. McNair describes us as having ‘become fatigued by the proximity of human suffering’ (pg 7, Cultural Chaos). The News corporations, governed by the same principles of supply and demand as any other capitalist institutions, have advertency converted our round the clock news coverage into a form of entertainment†¦of ‘infotainment’. One of the primary book I am going to look at is â€Å"We the Media: Grassroots journalism, by the people, for the people†, by Dan Gillmore. â€Å"We the Media† inspects the blogging phenomenon, and more specifically analyses the relationship between the readers and creators of news. Gillmor acknowledges that blogging is still in an early stage of development, and that in many respects professional journalists are not only behind the developments occurring in news production, but struggling to keep up. He goes on to argue that institutionalized journalism needs a new model of conduct in order to be in a position to â€Å"fight the good fights†. I have also been looking at Cultural Chaos: Journalism, news and power in a globalised world by Brian McNair. He draws on examples from the War on Terror, the invasion of Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the London Underground bombings to examine the relationship between journalism and power in the digital age. McNair explores the geographic and cultural breakdown-taking place as provoked by the digital age. He examines the impact of the digital age on journalism the effects it has in creating a global culture. There is a fear among news media professionals that the rise of ‘citizen journalist’ will eclipse the role of the professional journalist. The biggest, and most universal fear is a public reliance on the information provided by citizen journalist will lack the accuracy and â€Å"objectivity† of the larger corporation. Citizen journalists on the other hand feel that the professional media lack the passion or the flexibility to report as accurately or incisively as them. One of the advantages of citizen journalism is that the massive number of amateur writers overshadows the comparatively small number of professional journalists. When people can choose what to write about, it is guaranteed that they will do so with passion. Their articles will be researched; it can be argued, with greater dedication. Citizen journalist are ruled by no sense of hierarchy; as a group citizen journalist can use a skill set appropriate to a project. However, a journalist is merely meant to be a vehicle through which to convey a message. Will this influx of citizen journalism actually diminish objectivity? At least with the mainstream media the public can have an understanding of the context of the paper in which thy read their article. When a different writer, writes every article with no editor to moderate output, can we ever have an understanding of the standpoint of the writer, with no prior knowledge of him or her. On top of this, we can’t even count on a set of defining, professional journalistic principles, nor will amateur writer sever have access to the resources of a professional department. Case Study On Sunday, April 6th there was an article in the New York Times Observer about an undercover vegan, who set out to expose the horrific conditions of a South California slaughterhouse. â€Å"To fit in he bought sandwiches made from soy riblets and ate them in a dusty car parking lot with the other workers†. Despite his vegan beliefs, this citizen journalist spent long days escorting cows to the kill. Armed with a buttonhole camera, he â€Å"made sure he was successful in recording images of workers flipping sick dairy cows with forklifts, prodding them with electrical charges and dragging them by their legs with chains so that they could be processed into ground meat†. The investigation resulted in the United States authorities taking action at a national level. The film the citizen made was picked up by the mainstream media, and was effective because it was edited in a sensationistically limited manner. Citizen journalism is useful because it allows smaller groups of people to be heard, and the more empowered we become by technological advances, the easier it becomes for us to challenge the images we are exposed to by the mainstream media.

John Stienbeck - Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers fc

In my essay I will discuss the theme of loneliness in the novel â€Å"Of Mice And Men.† The essay will consist of information based on the novel towards minor characters such as Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks. This essay will state information about Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks’ loneliness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Curley’s Wife was probably one of the loneliest characters of all. She never talked to anyone and she never really liked Curley all too much. â€Å"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.† (p.86) Curley’s Wife seems to get a lot of the other guys in trouble. Curley always suspects that she’s fooling around with the other men, â€Å"Any you guys seen my wife?† (p.53) Curley’s Wife always gives an excuse to confront the guys saying, â€Å"Any you guys seen Curley?† Then she tries to hang around and make conversation. The guy’s see her as a tramp and a troublemaker but all she wants is someone to talk too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crooks who is another lonely man was very sad as well. Because he was black he wasn’t allowed into the other guys bunkhouse with them because they thought he stunk. â€Å"Why ain’t you wanted?† Lennie asked. â€Å"’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They think I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me.† (p.68) Crooks is always by himself and working hard even with a broken back. Crooks sits in his room all the time by himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candy is the other character that is lonely. Not because of the the men not talking to him of anything like that. Because, when Carlson shot his old dog, Candy felt alone. Candy had that pup since he was a kid.