Why Media Ownership and Diversity Matters Essay

Why Media Ownership and Diversity Matters - Essay Example Why Media Ownership and Diversity Matters? By writing this letter, it is my firm belief that you will take a leading role in advocating for issues pertaining media ownership and diversity. From the onset, it is vital to highlight that various legislations and court rulings have rolled  the gains made in the ownership of media in the country with the issue of ownership concentrated on certain key elements while women and the minorities face challenges in media ownership. Simultaneously, it is evident that employment of women and the minority in the media industry experiences little progress despite the country’s efforts in engaging the minorities and women in various fields due to affirmative action. Undeniably, there is a persistent lack of women and minority representation in the management of media houses and broadcast companies, which consequently narrows the economic and professional opportunities in one of the most influential industries in the country. The issue does not only occur in management. However, watch ing prime time news in the media depicts minorities in a bad light. For example, the scenes that the media subjects their viewers to involve Latinos invading the borders of this nation while the black community in America is painted as criminals with handcuffs on them following incidents of crime and consequent arrest by law enforcement agencies. Indeed, this depiction of minorities paints a gloomy picture on the country’s media. On the other hand, women also face widespread underrepresentation on prime time news. In line with this, a study held by 4th Estate during the 2012 presidential poll in America observed that there were seven times as many quotes from men than from women in the country’s main TV news programs newspapers. To make matters worse, the country’s media focused more on men than on women even in instances whereby the news focused on issues related to women. Consequently, this is an indication that there is the presence of widespread exclusion of women and minorities in the country’s media, which leads to the stories of these vital groups remaining largely untold. Research studies indicate of the effectiveness of news coverage in impacting on public opinions based on various approaches such as agenda-setting and framing (Avery and Peffley 134). In line with this, setting an agenda determines the issues that media and broadcasting houses discuss in order to influence public opinion. On the other hand, framing involves the communication of content by a media or broadcasting house to the public. Consequently, it is essential to point out that the framing of the content and agenda-setting influences the way that the public in the country will perceive issues that are political, social, and economical in nature. Based on this, it is evident that the failure to involve the minorities and women in management and employment in media has failed to ensure the presence of an agenda that sets to debate issues that affect them an d how to solve these issues. For this reason, the country continues to debate on minority issues that are not conclusive since the people responsible for setting the agenda for discussion are not fully involved by the media. On the other hand, their involvement in setting the agenda might not be effective since their issues will not be solved effectively based on the evidence that

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay Example for Free

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay Motivation and Organizational Culture Assignment In any given business or workplace environment the employees that work there should be the most valued assets. Research has shown that personnel who are happy and taken care of are much more productive than those who are not, therefore establishing a more pleasing work atmosphere. That being said, business leaders and managers alike play an extremely important role in workplace psychology. According to our text, leadership is the process of leading a group and influencing its members to achieve common goals. All managers are leaders (Robbins, DeCenzo, and Coulter, 2011). In today’s society more managers are leading through empowerment by allowing team members to be involved in the decision making process. More and more employees â€Å"are developing budgets, scheduling workloads, controlling inventories, solving quality problems, and engaging in similar activities that until very recently were viewed exclusively as part of the manager’s job. As mentioned earlier, research has shown that employees who are pleased are far more beneficial than employees who are not. There are many things that managers can do to ensure that their employees feel valued, and remain satisfied. First of all, it is important that managers avoid using intimidation. To intimidate means to make nervous, or instill fear. In some cases an individual can take advantage of their title and turn in to an authoritarian. In a sense this means that the big guys squash the little guys.

Romanticism and Realism in War Stories :: Romantic Period Essays

Romanticism and Realism in War Stories Tom Brokaw called the people who lived through World War II (WWII) â€Å"The Greatest Generation†, where he shares many heroic war stories in The Greatest Generation. The classic character displayed in the book was a decorated war veteran who returned to the United States (US) and developed a prosperous lifestyle. The WWII veterans came to symbolize strength, honor, unity, justice, success, and noble sacrifice. This image was portrayed through literature and film. Books and movies created an image of the WWII veterans which the US would idolize. Popular culture gave the war a romantic appeal. People fell in love with the idea that the US was liberating Europe from the Nazi Hun and the evil Japanese Empire. After the war, men came back to marry their sweethearts and had several children who were called the Baby Boomers. This romanticism continued through television shows like Leave it to Beaver and literary titles similar to Dick and Jane, which dominated popular culture . Though popular culture defined the perfect life, the lifestyle was not typical for the average American. The Baby Boomers were called into the Vietnam War and expected to follow in their father’s heroic footsteps; but unlike their father’s generation they failed to live up to the expectations. The Baby Boomers rebelled against the state and popular culture, developing flower power, free love, and equality. The Vietnam War conflicted with many of the generation’s values, resulting in internal conflict with many of the nation’s youth. Some men joined the military to fight, while other dodged the draft, creating conflict within a generation. Overall, the Baby Boomer generation symbolized individuality, dishonor, injustice, failure, and wasteful sacrifice. Unlike the WWII era, the Vietnam War brought realism into literature and film. There were no heroic movies of men fighting in Vietnam. Men could no longer shoot fifty enemy combatants on top of a tank without being hurt. Instead, popular culture brought a realistic view of war, death, pain, and destruction. Author Tim O’Brien, like many war veterans, struggled with his Vietnam experience and expressed them through writing. Tim O’Brien exposed the truth behind war stories because he shows the difference between WWII romanticism and Vietnam realism. The difference between romanticism and realism can be seen through two variations of the same war story.

Clan X :: Essays Papers

Clan X There's a new kid at school, his name is Leigh, he thinks he is such a big shot-know all. When he rocked up at school on his very first day, he tried to do a fancy bunny-hop on his crappie, smashed up old bike and stacked it. It was hilarious, especially when he tried to get back on. He just fell straight over it again and broke three of his spokes and started to cry. He walked around school the entire week, showing off in front of everyone, telling them how good he was, trying so hard to be everyone's friend, but we made sure nobody liked him. We were part of a Clan I started called Clan-X. My gang members were: Rene, Grant, Mark, Trent, Tim, Daimien and myself, Cameron. We basically just pushed people around for kicks. Usually people that were half our size and walked around by themselves. We liked to blow up people's letter boxes the most, usually just at random. Whenever any new kids came to our school, we used to tease and make fun of them, so they felt unwelcome and had no fri ends. Usually they left the school, we loved it when they did that. Anyway, back to the story... On Friday afternoon, just after school, we were all walking home talking about how much of a loser this new guy was. By the time we got to the end of the street, we had all agreed that we should do something totally outrageous to his cat because he had been bragging about it all week. On Saturday, we all met up at the local park and brought along little tools which we thought might come in handy for this sinister exercise. Grant and Rene brought some rope and a switch-blade. Trent and Mark brought a bottle of methylated spirits and some matches. Tim and Daimien brought a voice scrambler and a mobile phone and I brought some explosives, which I got from the local markets. We thought about what we were going to actually do. Finally, I stood up and said, "Okay, First, I will jump Leigh's back fence and grab the cat. I'll take Tim and Daimien with me just in case I can't find it. Grant and Rene can then tie it up to a tree and cut it's whiskers off. Then Trent and Mark can saturate it with methylated spirits, (making sure not to drown it, as we want it to burn alive).

The Warhead Cable Test Dilemma

Question 1 According to Kohlberg's moral development theory, Stanton Wong moral development should be at post-conventional level, where it is believed that caring for other is everyone's obligation. It is because he is concerning with the well being of the innocent civilians and the military personnel if a faulty missile misfired. Beside that, he also thinking a method of solving the problem so that everyone is cared for equally and nobody will harmed by the faulty cable. For Harry Jackson, he stage of moral development is at the pre-conventional level. At this level, self-interest is emphasized and values are adhered to in order to avoid punishment and also be rewarded. It can be proved by his intentionally to ignore the result of the product test and do not take action to correct the problem. It is because he does not think of the well being of the civilians and military personnel because he more worries about getting punishment from higher up if the warhead cable cant be deliver on time to the customer. From here we can see that he emphasis on his self-interest more than the values of other people. Question 2 I think Stanton Wong should report the test result to the customer's source inspector, Jane Conway first and ask Jane to perform additional sample testing. I think it can help to convince Harry Jackson to stop the cable for shipping out for the customer if Jane found out there is a problem occurred on the cable. If Harry still refuse to solve the problem, then Stanton should report the case to the top management who have the power to change Harry's decision. One of the ethical reasoning is logic, it means before we can conclude or make a judgement , we have to ensure that premise, either factual or inferred, are know and clear. In this case, I think it is logical for Stanton to report the problem to authorities if the faulty items could harm innocence and also because he cares about the civilians and armed forces. Accuracy is one of the ethical reasoning, it means whatever evidence cited to support our judgement should be accurate, relevant, and complete. So, before he reports to top management, he should ask the source inspector to run additional test to ensure the previous test result is accurate and certainly. The other criteria of ethical reasoning is consistency. It states whatever decision a person made or action taken should consistent with his or her moral values. Thus, Stanton should makes a decision that does not contrary with his moral values. Question 3 Currently, I think he should not be a whistle-blower. Because there are several methods to solve this problem internally,such as informing the problem to top management and thus he should not involve public media in solving this problem. Beside that, he should considers his role as an employee. As a employee, his role is creating values for the company or help the company the achieve its goals. If he blows the whistle on his own company, it will defame the company plus he might get fired or distrust by his colleagues. At the meantime, it might consider unethical to be a whistle-blower because it doesn't bring any positive values for company and may against the conducts as an employee. In addition, the effect may cause to the company if the scandal concern a company leak out is always out of estimation, so he should not risk his career and the fame of his company since there are other methods can be use to solve this problem. Question 4 The company already have the protocol in testing and reporting of product tests. The company could heavily punish those who do not follow the protocol to avoid this kind of situation. In additional, the company should be careful when hiring the plant manager. They should hire someone with good moral values such as honesty and sincerity. Beside that, they should make sure the plant manager is open-minded, and with good interpersonal or people management skills. It can help to prevent this kind of situation because a open-minded manager able to listen to advices or opinions and making wise decision based on evidences. Beside that, a manager with good interpersonal or people management skills could enhance the performance of the employees and this increase the quality of the product. Furthermore, I think the company can give the quality control supervisor the power to stop or adjust the production if product failure occurred. It is often costly to reproduce the product when it was finished. Thus, the company should allow the quality control supervisor to find out and solve the problem instantly without waiting further instruction from plant manager.

Drive to Survive essays

Drive to Survive essays Transport plays a major role in the mobility of the people in society today. It offers a level of convenience where nothing else has reached. It plays a significant role on our communications and our interactions thus shaping the way we live. The thought of losing it will be unbearable as life will never again be at ease. Similarly for the Australian public cars are essential components of their daily pursuits. Even more importantly for teenagers, cars present a completely new experience as a close link with the adult world. However there has been a dramatic increase in the number of accidents on our roads associated in particularly with young drivers. Up until recently the federal government has identified Road trauma as one of the central causes of injury and mortality amongst young Australians. Any kind of solution is urgently needed to try and unravel this problem. Data from the RTA show that, in 2001 young people in NSW represented 16% of all licensed drivers and riders but acco unted for 27% of all road traffic casualties. As this shows Young drivers aged 17 to 25 years are at a higher risk of crashing than drivers of older age groups. This is a very alarming statistic and consequently demands action. Due to the soaring death toll of P-platers the Australian government is currently on the verge of implementing various strategies to relieve the crisis. Through examining some these approaches, it will become clear which methods will help to curb this complex puzzle. Research shows that young people are a vulnerable group of road users and that this is due to a combination of cognitive, attitudinal, behavioural, cultural and social factors. It is human rather than physical factors (i.e. vehicle control skills) that influence the road use behaviours and outcomes for these drivers. The major factors contributing to young people over representation in road crashes include inexperience attitudes, risk taking behaviour, unlicensed drivi...

What the woods or jungle symbolize Essay Example

What the woods or jungle symbolize Essay Example What the woods or jungle symbolize Essay What the woods or jungle symbolize Essay Essay Topic: The Jungle Life, most importantly, the risks involved in it are symbolized by the jungle or woods in the story. The character who does not hesitate to take risks in his life is Ben. Literally, he entered the jungle with the intention of realizing his dreams. In this way, he gained control of his own life. On the other hand, the protagonist is afraid and is actually losing his grip onto his life. When he lost his job, Willy told his sons that the woods are on fire (2. 2). Moreover, Ben tells Willy that even while the jungle is dark, he must nonetheless enter into it (2. 8). What the Garden symbolizes The protagonists desire to afford for his family a good life is symbolized by the garden in the story. Prior to the building of the apartment blocks, the produce from Willys garden grow in abundance. However the physical development in their neighborhood altered the case of his garden. The protagonist is attempting to cultivate something for his family. For instance, he wanted to become successful so that he can very well provide for them. Willy was almost a success in doing this. However, he eventually failed to transform is dream into reality. Toward the end of the story, one of the last things he did prior to his demise is to plant seeds in his garden. It is indeed, a futile attempt. Success, for Willy is something he most desperately craves but never possessed. What the Brand Names and the Car symbolize The use of brand names in the story, such as Studebaker, Hastings, Simonize, and Chevrolet aids in heightening the realism of the story (1. 3). These brands regarded as status symbols also signify the material success that the protagonist craves for and how it eventually proves to be hollow. Willy is deceived into believing that the possession of these things is tantamount to success. Perhaps the most suggestive symbol presented in the story is that of the car. Community and family pride are symbolized in the weekend excursions and polishing. Still, the car also signifies the instrument by which the protagonist earns a living. Just like the car, Willy also comes to the point when he wears out (Otten 54). What the Rubber Hose symbolizes The appearance of the rubber hose calls to mind the desperate attempt of the protagonist to take his own life. He tried to commit suicide by inhaling gas (2. 8). Ironically, gas represents one of the most important elements needed to produce heat which is something essential for the comfort and health of his family. Death, in the literal sense achieved by means of inhaling gas is comparable to the metaphorical death that the protagonist feels in his efforts to provide a basic necessity for his family. The theme of death is directly related to the symbolism represented by the rubber hose in the story. Willys attempt to inhale gas to kill him self denotes his intention of escaping the realities of his existence. He tries to escape the difficulties of losing his job and his failure to realize success. Deception and grief is also signified by the rubber hose. Willys wife is bewildered over the supposed purpose of the rubber hose when she found it inside their house (2. 1). The deceiving nature of the rubber hose is manifested the moment Biff asked his father about it and the latter denies its existence (2. 1). What the tape recorder symbolizes The change in the protagonists life by means of the advancement in technology is symbolized by the tape recorder. Likewise, it symbolizes the end of his career as a salesman. The moment Howard, his boss presented the tape recorder to him, it seems that Howard is more interested in the technology and sound of the equipment than on his employee who is trying to stay on the job (2. 2). Unfortunately, the services that Willy can offer is not longer needed on the job. He is then fired by his boss. Nonetheless, Willy also had his faults. He does not welcome change and would rather dwell on the past. The scene where the protagonist is left alone with the equipment and unable to turn it off foretells his reluctance to change (2. 2). He still believes and would not want to change his old formula for success. However, in his job, what matters is whom you know and not what you know. He is not up-to-date with the latest in technology or even in business. Nonetheless, he never lost hope. He wanted to leave something behind for his family when his time comes. This intention is signified by his act of planting seeds in the garden. What the downward movements imply The words down, falling, and fall as well as the movement they suggest repeatedly appears in the story. They stress the downfall of the protagonist and his family. The term â€Å"beaten down† is used to describe the protagonist (1. 6). Willy is also described to fall down in the bed with his mistress at one point in the story. He fell on his knees when his eldest son discovered his affair with another woman. Biff, his eldest son ran down eleven flights of stairs after stealing a pen from the office of Oliver. Ultimately, his wife dropped flowers down his grave as he was finally laid to rest (2. 9). He wanted to leave something behind to his eldest son. In his fantasy, he wanted his eldest son to be a successful man. Willys act of planting seeds in the garden symbolizes his dream for Biff. However, Willy is destined to fail despite his actions. He began to plant seeds in the garden in the evening, the time of day where there is no light from the sun (Griffin 54). Obviously, the planted seeds need sunlight in order to grow. Furthermore, large apartment buildings started to rise around their home suggesting a sense of confinement (Bigsby 117). As stressed earlier, Willys planting of the seeds is a futile act. Nonetheless, the protagonist is persistent on his efforts to seek pardon and reconciliation. The aforementioned symbols represent the protagonists failed dreams as well as his reluctance to change, thus his inability to live his life in the now. The story is filled with symbols which when carefully scrutinized allows the audience to decipher the messages that the author seeks to convey. The symbols also help the audience to better understand the characters portrayed. The story repeatedly stresses the failure of the man who is not exactly as successful as he claims to be. Willy misspends his meager salary by purchasing a new pair of stockings for his mistress. Such action develops into further disappointments including his inability to support his family. The protagonist attempts to raise his eldest son in resemblance of him. He wanted Biff to be hard working and ambitious like him. However, when his eldest son grew to become otherwise, Willy takes on the blame. After interpreting the hidden meanings behind identified symbols in the story, the audience can find it easer to understand the personality of the characters portrayed. The protagonist, Willy Loman, is an ambitious man. However, he is a failure in two of his most important roles in life – that of a husband to Linda and a father to Biff and Happy. The symbolism throughout the story is presented on contrasts (Murphy 7). It is built on the everyday and the ordinary contrasted against the distant and the impossible. It is likewise built on the blissful camaraderie of the days gone by with the lonely, disturbing present. Similarly, the symbolism in the story is built on fantasy with reality as well as on the selfish law of the jungle with love. Recollections of the Loman residence prior to the development in their neighborhood are that of a happy past. At present, with apartment buildings closing in, it is not possible to plant anything in the yard. Nonetheless, the protagonist still attempts to do so on his last day. The image of Willy carrying a flashlight in the evening, planting lettuce, beet, and carrot seeds in the barren land, encapsulates the senselessness of the life he lived as well as the heritage he leaves behind as his â€Å"seed. † The jungle, diamonds, timberlands, and frontiers represent the things beyond your reach. On the other hand, the refrigerator and the car among other things signify Willy’s daily struggles and frustrations in life. The picture of the life-giving water in the tank is placed in contrast to the symbol of suicide which his wife discovers, the black rubber pipe with an attachment that fits the gas pipe of the heater. The characters in the story act and sound like normal people, dealing with common domestic as well as social concerns. Still, the flashback dream sequences of the protagonist as well as the ever more apparent symbolism in the story’s clever objection to accepted social expectations also meet the requirements of an expressionistic work, which does not portray real life so much as subjective representation of life. The story presents a portrait of a man who managed to strike an emotional chord which continues to resound. Willy Loman is a man of his time. However, to a certain extent, he is also timeless. He has fascinated audiences the world over and continues to fascinate them until now. Abbotson, Susan C. W. Student Companion to Arthur Miller. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. Bigsby, C. W. E. Arthur Miller: A Critical Study. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005.