Government Spending & Budget Essays - Fiscal Policy, Free Essays

Government Spending & Budget Essays - Fiscal Policy, Free Essays Government Spending & Budget As many Federal departments and agencies lurch into an era of running without funds, the leaders of both parties of Congress are spending less and less time searching for a compromise to balance the budget, and more and more time deciding how to use it to their advantage on the campaign trail. Meanwhile money is easily borrowed to pay for government overhead. In an attempt to change this, on June 29, Congress voted in favor of HConRes67 that called for a 7 year plan to balance the Federal Budget by the year 2002 (Hager 1899). This would be done by incorporating $894 billion in spending cuts by 2002, with a projected 7 year tax cut of $245 billion. If this plan were implemented, in the year 2002, the U.S. Government would have the first balanced budget since 1969. There is doubt by citizens that a balanced budget will become reality. A recent Gallop Poll from January, 1996 showed the budget as the #1 concern among taxpayers, but 4/5 of those interviewed said they doubt the GOP will do the job (Holding 14). Meanwhile, an ABC poll from November reported that over 70% of those polled disapprove of the current performance by Congress, and most blamed politicians for failure to take action (Cloud 3709). These accusations of failure to follow through come with historical proof that Congress and Clinton have failed to compromise and resolve the issue. After all, current budget plans are dependent on somewhat unrealistic predictions of avoiding such catastrophes as recession, national disasters, etc., and include minor loopholes. History has shown that every budget agreement that has failed was too lax. One might remember the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bill that attempted to balance the budget, but left too many exemptions, and was finally abandoned in 1990 (Weinberger 33). So after a pain-staking trial for GOP Republicans to create, promote, and pass their budget, as promised on campaign trail 94, Clinton rejected the very bill he demanded. This essentially brought the federal budget back to square one. Clinton thought such a demand on Republicans to produce a budget would produce inner-party quarrels and cause the GOP to implode. Instead, they produced a fiscal budget that passed both houses of Congress, only to be stalemated by a stubborn Democratic President Clinton. Meanwhile, Clinton bounced back with a CBO scored plan with lighter, less risky cuts to politically sensitive areas like entitlements. Clinton?s plan also saved dollars for education and did not include a tax increase, but most cuts would not take effect until he is out of office, in the year 2001. Although Clinton is sometimes criticized for producing a stalemate in budget talks, the White House points out that the debt has gone down since Clinton took office, with unemployment also falling. Republicans are quick to state that Clinton originally increased taxes in 1993 and cut defense programs, but his overall plan was for an increasing budget without deficit reduction. Startling Facts about the budget: As of 1996, the national debt was at an all time high of $5 trillion dollars, with interest running at a whopping $250 billion per year (Rau M-1). This equals out to an individual responsibility of more than $50,000 per taxpayer. Nearly 90% of that debt has accumulated since 1970, and between 1980 and 1995, the debt grew by 500%. Currently, the debt grows by more than $10,000 per second (Rau M-l), and at current rates, a baby born in 1992 will pay 71% of his or her income in net taxes. At current rates, our government is about to reach its breaking point. If that?s not enough to scare a taxpayer, by 2002, 60% of government spending will be for entitlements, and by 2012, these programs are projected to take up all government revenue (Dentzer 32). Not only economic development, but also family income is hurt by debt. With the cost of living going up, it becomes harder to find a job. According to the Concord Coalition, real wages peaked in 1973 and have gone down ever since. If the economy grew as fast as it did in 1950, without a debt, the median family income would be $50,000, compared to the present median

6 Tips for Writing Good Website Copy Blog

6 Tips for Writing Good Website Copy Blog 6 Tips for Writing Good Website Copy The internet is a big place, with a lot of websites competing for attention. How, then, can you make sure that your website stands out from the crowd? 1. Get to the Point! People have busy lives. If they’re looking for information online, they want it quickly. As such, each page on your site should clearly state what it is about. If you are writing copy for a pizza restaurant, for example, you would want to say what kind of food it sells and where the restaurant is first, as these are the most important details. An appetizing image will go a long way, too! Should you have more to say, you can save it for further down the page! 2. Keep It Short Short paragraphs are much easier to read, especially on screen. And since you’re not limited by page size with website copy, there is no reason to pack a lot of text into a small space. The ideal length of a paragraph on paper is typically around 100-200 words. But even this is too long for online copy, where paragraphs shouldn’t be more than two or three sentences long. You can even use single-sentence paragraphs, like this one! 3. Use Simple Language There is a place for long, fancy words on the internet (especially in online Scrabble). But your website copy needs to be easy to read and you should keep your writing simple. This may include: Using clear, concise sentences Avoiding jargon and technical language Using the active voice Using shorter words where possible For example, if you were selling lawnmowers, you could boast of offering â€Å"contraptions for the accelerated and efficacious reduction of Poa pratensis.† But it would be much better for everyone involved if you simply said â€Å"machines for fast and effective lawn care† instead. 4. Format for Skimmers How you format your copy is almost as important as what you write. In particular, you need to format your writing to catch the attention of skim readers. This means using: Subheadings to break up the text Bold fonts or other emphasis to highlight key words Bullet points and numbered lists Images and/or videos alongside the text If your reader can spot key information thanks to formatting, this will keep them on the site. 5. Think SEO When writing website copy, you’re not just writing for human readers. You’re also writing for search engines, as this is one way that people will find your site. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. We won’t go into any depth about SEO here, as it is a complicated subject. But the basic idea involves: Identifying key words for each page on the site (i.e. what people will search for to find it) Working these naturally into your website copy If you do not have key words yet, do a little research online to find the right ones for your site. 6. Proofread Everything The internet is a Wild West for writing, with the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation often ignored. But typos on your website will look unprofessional. And if you don’t care about your website copy, people might think you don’t care about your business either! As such, getting your website copy proofread before it goes online is essential.

Australian Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Australian Media - Essay Example One would be hard-pressed to visit any Australian home and not find a magazine of some kind. Moreover, magazines, like other print media, appeal more to the intellect than to the senses and emotions of their audiences. Magazines became volatile commodities with the advent of television but were able to sustain their territory because they were not as transient as the broadcast media. They are more permanent than newspapers, with a longer readership span; and magazines remain in readers' homes for weeks, months, and sometimes even years. Since the beginning of magazines in Australia, those with the highest circulation have been aimed at female audiences. The editors announced they would no longer depend on advertising for economic support; instead, they solicited private donations. Magazines have been responsible for the dissemination and proliferation of information to masses of people. As the first national medium, magazines have been at the forefront of the transmission of ideas, information, and attitudes from person to person, city to city, state to state, country to country, and continent to continent. Magazines appear in many forms and formats. Magazines have been so successful in their attempts to communicate with the masses that other media have often emulated them. Newspapers have become more like magazines in marketing methods, writing style, and format (Lester 75). Every year for the past decade there has been the creation of television programs promoted as newsmagazine shows. Still women's earnings are rising compared with men's, a fact that helps make women a consumer group of vital interest to the mass media. In addition, many women who do not work outside the home exercise a considerable voice in making purchases. For years advertisers have recognized the buying power of women consumers and targeted messages to them via the mass media. The movement of women into the labor market has enhanced advertiser interest in reaching a female audience (Biagi 38). This situation stems from the fact that traditional news values represent conflict, controversy, power struggles, political battles, and changes in the status quo--all elements linked to the masculine domination of society. Women, as a group, have not been key players in the political, economic, and military developments that make headlines. Women's activities traditionally have been seen as unworthy of prominent news coverage, either on the front pages of important newspapers or on nightly network newscasts. Women's news general ly has fitted into the "soft news" category of entertainment or feature material (Lester 71). The rankings of newspapers on coverage of women in the Women, Men and Media study underscored this point. Apart from their relative absence in the news, the images of women in other areas of mass communications have come under attack. Researchers consistently have found the portrayal of women in advertisements at stereotypical levels. These facts explain entertainment nature of contemporary magazines aimed to bring pleasure and delight instead of education and informing functions (Biagi 35). Since the future can only be understood in terms of the past, it may be instructive to quickly note the history of women's efforts to influence media content. Feminists have been trying for one hundred years to attack the pervasive stereotypes used in media portrayals of women as

From London Riots to Pussy Riot To what extent western societies' Dissertation

From London Riots to Pussy Riot To what extent western societies' Liberal Ideal today misinterpret the idea of 'righteous' Civil - Dissertation Example Such is the case with Western reactions to the rulings and events surrounding recent riots in London and in Russia. Many times judgments of events of this magnitude are made lacking a clear, complete understanding of other cultures. Yet, these same critics rationalize extreme acts of retribution within their own societies. This paper will examine these misconceptions based upon the rulings on the cases of the London Riots and the Pussy Riots in Russia. The objective is to underline how acts of ‘Righteous’ Civil Obedience are misinterpreted by Liberalists who do not appear to possess a full understanding of foreign cultures in this respect. Table of Contents List of Illustrations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Chapter 1 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 1.1 Righteous Civil Disobedience†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 1.2 Liberalism to Terrorism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.7 1.3 The Riots 8 Chapter 2 Statement of the Problem 11 2.1 Hypothesis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.â₠¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 2.2 Scope and Limitations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Chapter 3 Literature Review 12 Chapter 4 Case Study: Western Criticism 18 4.1 The Verdict 22 Chapter 5 Discussion and Conclusion 26 5.1 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.28 Works Cited 30 Appendices List of Illustrations Figure 1†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Cover Page Photo: Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Moscow, Russia; Bell, A. (2004). Byzantine Cathedral Figure 2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦London Police Riot Photograph; Martes, A. (2011). La gran tragedia de robos y asaltos en Londres, Manchester, Liv erpool y Bristol, no es exclusividad britanica Figure 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Statue of Liberty Photo; JMG. (2013) Statue of Liberty Photograph. Jolted Media Group. Figure 4 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Arrest of Garry Kasparov; Stewart, W. (2012). Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov dragged away from massive protest as Russia jails Pussy Riot trio for two years for hooliganism in 'show trial'. Figure 5†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Excerpt from PR song Punk Prayer; Berger, R, (2012). Pussy Riot Sentencing: Can't Jail Female Fur. Huffington Post. Religion. Chapter 1. Introduction On the Eastern side of the world, the word for the day has been ‘riot’. In north London, a 29 year old man was killed by a policeman during Operation Trident, an investigation of illegal weapon activity in London’s black community (Stringer, Satter, Culp, Selva, & Wilson, 2011). The man was said to have gang affiliations and was involved in gun activities. The incident sparked explosions of rioting and violence, as Londoners destroyed property across the city in outrage, causing massive damage and fatalities amongst the public and the London police force. Press releases that dispelled the defense that the deceased, Mark Duggan, was armed and had fired a weapon at the London policeman fuelled a fire that desecrated the city. As buildings burned and potential targets ran for cover, the heart of London was being irretrievably broken. Approximately 1500 miles away in Moscow, a group of Russian Lady Gagas were charged with

A comparative overview of the development experience between Jamaica Essay

A comparative overview of the development experience between Jamaica and Ghana since 1960 - Essay Example According to (What is Development? 2004), the priorities of countries differ as outlined in their development policies. For instance, the goal of some countries may merely involve increasing national wealth whereas in others may involve improving the well-being of the citizens. In relation to the definitions provided, I will define development as a dynamic process. In relation to my definition, I will compare the development experience between Jamaica and Ghana extensively since 1960. In addressing this, I will detail on the indicators of development that include eradication of poverty, the realization of human basic needs, protection of human rights, and the increase in national wealth. Jamaica is a country in the North America continent with approximately 2.8 million people. It is one of the countries in the world that has undergone several stages of development which are well defined by social, economic as well as political outlook (Revitalizing the Jamaican Economy, 2004). Despite Jamaica having an independent Constitution that recognizes equal rights of all people, the residual impacts of a society purposely shaped in inequality upholds. Over the last three decades, Jamaica’s economy as well as society has been evolving significantly. Unfortunately, the majority of the people tend to doubt the country’s developmental potential. In the 1960s, the growth of Jamaica was very significant (LeFranc, 1994). The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) was approximately 5% each year (differing from 3 to 12%). This was boosted by not only the expansion of bauxite, but also alumina and tourism (LeFranc, 1994). However, this growth trend started to fail at the beginning of the 1970s. This was a result of the populist government of the 1970s diversion of attention on redistribution as well as equity instead of growth (Fosu, 2007). The expansionary

Newspaper Coverage Of Celebrity Crimes Media Essay

Newspaper Coverage Of Celebrity Crimes Media Essay Media has a significant influence on people and so do the celebrities. These effects can be both positive and negative. The kind of coverage of celebrities and celebrity crimes by newspapers and magazines can influence the opinion of the public on the celebrity criminals. This kind of influence can be greatly attributed to the process by which the news about celebrity criminals is evaluated and presented for the readers to analyse. This paper is going to look at the effects of the print-media coverage of celebrity criminals which could be biased or unbiased and its influence on the public accordingly, thus questioning media credibility. Introduction My interest in traditional form of media i.e., the newspapers has always been deeper than the other forms of media. Also, I believe that news in the newspapers is better evaluated and helps to form a strong opinion about issues and events that occur globally. This interest in understanding the impact of newspapers on public opinion developed even further when I read about coverage of celebrity crimes. The manner in which news is presented in the newspapers whether it is about national or international celebrity crimes is something that caught my interest. In addition to this, my interaction with people of different ages and status regarding celebrity criminals considerably inspired me to choose this topic for my research. Prosperity of both science and culture has made people familiar with supply of information in abundance. Modern media, such as the internet, mobile phones, television and the traditional media such as newspapers and magazines make news and variety of information easily accessible to us. However, the most common form of news is that about the celebrities and public figures. It has become very evident in the recent times that media pays too much attention to the personal lives of the celebrities (popular figures). Addition to this, the important factor is that most of the reports on lives of famous people are always focused on brilliant achievements, lavish lifestyles and exaggerated enjoyments which overstate the attractive part and understate the painstaking part. Therefore, the masses especially young people are often biased and tend to perceive celebrities as their idols. They happen to adore their idols with such passion and zeal that the amount of negative news and information about celebrities can even change their perception towards life. The extent and quality of celebrity news in the media appears especially inordinate today, multiplying and intensifying at such a rate that legitimate news has fallen in precedence (Brown, 31). Whether it likes it or not, the public knows more about Britney Spears and how many pills she swallowed than about many political issues (Wright, 1). It is a known fact that in India we treat celebrities no less than god. And the Indian media being very well aware of this fact ensures that celebs and celebrity crimes get a lot of coverage so as to garner attention of the masses. In this process of covering celebrity related news, media tends to sensationalize the stories, often focusing on irrelevant details about celebrities instead of the main crime that has taken place. This research informs about the news coverage of celebrity crimes, the faith of public on media (print media) and the manner in which the presentation of such news coverage influences their opinion. In this vein, analyzing the content presented by newspapers, as well as celebrity-news magazines, offered the clearest method by which to examine how news on celebrity crimes is covered and publicized. Researching articles on the major, relevant topics of media ethics, the role of celebrity news in Indian society and credibility of media was instrumental in gaining a better understanding of the subject matter. More emphasis was placed on researching relevant topics, as it is difficult if not impossible to determine the exact effects of media coverage of celebrity criminals through a study or direct observation. One can constantly see and read about celebrity crimes, however the influence of such news on public opinion is what really matters. Through analysing media coverage of celebrity criminals, especially the print media with the help of several  examples  of celebrity crimes will enhance the objective of this research paper. The purpose of this  research proposal  is to s ee if media coverage of celebrity-crimes is biased and how this changes peoples opinion and perception on celebrities, thus questioning medias credibility. Articles and news reports covered by various newspapers (both English and regional), on the crimes committed by celebrities like Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Shiney Ahuja, Saif Ali khan and many more were looked upon in this research paper. Also a survey was conducted to understand the effects of newspaper coverage of celebrity crimes and how it influences opinions of the public. The survey acts as a supplement to the newspaper articles that were analyzed to gain a better understanding of the objective of this research paper. The literature review provides Literature Review To understand the influence on the people of the portrayal of celebrity-criminals by media, it is important to understand the terms celebrity, crime, media bias and public opinion. These terms may not be connected with each other directly; however the understanding of these together would contribute in assessing the study of this paper. Celebrity The word celebrity is derived from the word celebrate, in that a person is supposedly famous because the community celebrates him or her (Rockwell, 20). The term celebrity indicates someone whose fame rests overwhelmingly on what happens outside the sphere of their work and who is famous for having lifestyle. The celebrity is thus constructed through gossip, press and television reports, magazine articles and public relations (Redmond Holmes, 99). Public Opinion Commonly the concept of public opinion is taken literally to mean the opinion of the public. While this is not incorrect, it constitutes a rather naÃÆ' ¯ve understanding of the concept. A more sophisticated conception must acknowledge the element of publicity in public opinion: public opinion as distinguished from private opinion. Indeed public opinion is a shared aggregate phenomenon. It is a collective social entity, and publicity is necessary for its formation. It is the knowledge of the very existence of others who share values, beliefs and concerns that forges a host of discrete opinions into a viable social entity (Shamir, 1). Based on these factors there have been researches that explain how biased media-coverage plays a crucial role in forming biased public-opinion. Media has a fixed agenda of providing certain news in a certain manner so that it is perceived in the manner that print media wants it to be perceived as by the people. Through their day-by-day selection and display of the news, editors and news directors focus our attention and influence our perceptions of what are the most important issues of the day. This ability to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda has come to be called the agenda setting role of the news media (McCombs, 1). This theory of agenda setting is applied by the media and describes a very powerful influence of media its ability to tell people what issues are important. It explains the correlation between media and people the rate at which media covers a story and the extent that people think this story is important. Studies into the agenda-setting function of the press confirm that media have a great deal of influence upon political decision making and that they are especially influential in telling the general population what to think about (Kuypers, 5).   The media tends to be biased whenever it provides flawed or irrelevant facts to support a certain viewpoint. It is also biased when it frames certain issues in a particular manner. Such framing is done so that the issue is perceived in a particular way. According to many scholars our perception of a certain issue is more or less dependent on the way the issue is framed (Kuypers, 7). There are millions of events that occur globally in todays world. And to examine these events and report about them there are thousands of people around the world who are employed by media organizations. The media decides and tells us which issues are important and which ones or not. We have never physically witnessed the war situations of Afghanistan, Iraq or even Kashmir. Despite this we have the pictures of these events in our heads. The media reports inform about the latest events and issues that are taking place in the world and are inaccessible to us. Thus, most of our perceptions about the world are based on the second-hand reality created by the media organizations. There is no guarantee that this reality is an accurate picture of the world (Saqib Riaz, 1). This explains how gate-keeping is done by the media, wherein it chooses the newsworthiness of certain news and evaluates it based on a variety of reasons and preferences. The aspects of a certain event that are covered in the news and the kind of importance that is given to these aspects leads to significant differences in peoples perception of that event. The portrayal of news stories results in the peoples understanding of the journalists consideration of important issues and who the most prominent public figures of the day are. Thus from the details of the coverage of news stories and their evaluation by the media helps the public form their perception of these news stories and the public figures (McCombs, 7-8). Thus from the above literature it is evident that public opinion is formed on the basis of the kind of information that media prioritizes and later provides to the public. The media does set the agenda of what is discussed around the world on a daily basis. It chooses stories that are reviewed by the public regularly. Not many people seem to be aware that the stories they read are picked by the media organizations before getting printed. The impact of someone selecting the news stories for the masses to read can be positive as well as negative. Therefore, even when crimes committed by celebrities are covered by the media, it tries to change peoples opinion depending upon a positive or a negative coverage of that particular news. Media can manipulate news using a variety of strategies that can alter peoples perception. It can navigate their audience through what it feels is potent and viable concerning topics specifically related to celebrity crimes. The aspects that contribute in the assessment of opinions of the public are the audiences of the media, their lifestyle, interests and their level of sophistication. Nevertheless, there are many other dependent variables that create a different representation of truth. And through this, media has the power to influence peoples point of view. 2.1 Media and Celebrities Usually news about celebrities is considered to be soft news (entertainment) unless a crime has been committed by a celebrity. Media today places a lot of importance to celebrity news. Reports of soft news outweigh the amount of hard news that gets reported in todays mass media including the traditional media i.e., the newspapers and magazines. According to Bennett (2007), some of factors affecting the increase of soft news include the economics of the news business, journalists dependence on sources who control information, routine news-gathering practices, professional norms and a need to fill the news hole that has been created by 24/7 news coverage. Celebrity focused, soft news tends to be quick and easy to report about. Additionally, such stories have proven to be popular among audiences and are easy to dramatize. Celebrity stories may also serve the uses and gratifications of many audience members. Bennett (2007) suggests that in addition to learning, many viewers use news to satisfy their needs for curiosity and surveillance, entertainment and escape, and social and psychological adjustment. With the advent of the Web and the Internet, increasing numbers of citizens turn to alternative information channels that deliver politically packaged information in a format better integrated with personal interests and various citizen-action options (Bennett, 2007). This statement is valid not only for politics but all kinds of news information. There are websites, magazines, newspapers, television stations, etc. to suit every different need and people have the choice to visit only the ones that interest them. Therefore, the shift seen in news coverage from informative to entertaining cannot be blamed solely on the media. Celebrities become products and are endowed with expertise outside of their celebrated areas (West Orman, 2003: 118). The celebrity culture today expects that stars be spokespersons for all kinds of issues, as well as bear the responsibility for issues that are problematic. This power is not derived from within these stars, but rather from the audiences interest in them. Celebrities are expected by many to be shining examples of model citizens, yet their good deeds like activism are overlooked in favour of scandalous, dramatic, negative reports about them (Amanda Jones, 2009: 8). This sheds light on how media portrays celebrities. There are times when media will provide sensationalized news about celebrities to garner attention and increase readership. Journalist Caspar Llewellyn-Smith makes this point when he states that the guiding principle of celebrity gossip magazines is to show famous figures off-guard, unkempt, unready and unsanitized (Llewellyn-Smith, 2002: 120, cited in Holmes, 2005: 23) (Holmes Redmond, 2006: 184). According to McCrackens findings, the mass media are, in effect, making a concerted effort to provide unflattering coverage of celebrity personalities. It is these kinds of news stories that are increasingly present in our every day mass media outlets. Such stories provide the drama and sensationalism that media consumers are looking for (2009: 311). The above literature explains that media often portrays the celebrities negatively by presenting sensational news about them. The news coverage on celebrities and celebrity crimes done by the media is negative often to create drama and stir the publics interest. 2.2 Media Coverage of Celebrity Crimes The role of the press is to educate and create awareness amongst the masses, however in the recent times it seems to have switched this role with that of entertainment. Instead of focusing on the details of the crimes committed by the celebrities, media tends to divert the attention to the celebrities lives and sensationalizes the news about them. In covering the most titillating or personal aspects of a story, present-day coverage often trivializes more important structural and procedural issues. During the 2005 Michael Jackson molestation trial, the Los Angeles Times, which ran approximately 317 stories on the case, printed only two pieces focusing on the crucial new California statute that allowed prosecutor Tom Sneddon to introduce evidence of past allegations against Jackson. Much of the Times coverage offered almost daily trial updates, which consisted primarily of subjective descriptions of the personal behavior and appearance of the various witnesses and courtroom actors in t he case (Fox et al., 2007: 6).

Love Poison Essay -- Social Issues, Mistrust, Jealousy, Power

What is love? Love is a strong affection out of personal ties. Those who misunderstand and misuse it will have terrible consequences, and those who know the true meaning of it will have benefit from it. The example of misunderstand it will happen when one person mixes s/he’s own feeling with love, something terrible. For examples: jealousy, manipulate one and others, mistrust and desire for power. In the Macbeth by William Shakespeare, love has taken into a lot of different forms some are bad and some are good. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ‘s desire toward the crowned is one example of misunderstand of love. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband to kill King Duncan is another example of misunderstanding of love. Later on Lady Macbeth is suffers from nightmare because she misuses the concept of love. Macbeth is suffering from his own problem which is the death prophecy. In the other hand, Maduff and his family is the one that are using the love in a positive way. The love p rotection from Lady Macduff to her son, from her son protects his father, from Macduff to protect his family. Even thought, Macbeth has order to kill Macduff family, Macduff is still survives the suffering, he uses this as his power to revenge for his family. Macduff become the victor in the end, which is the example of those who use it wisely can be either benefit from it or have good feedback. The first time that indicates Macbeth misuse that love as the desire is right after he heard about what witches have said to him. Him lost in his desire, â€Å"My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man That function is smothered in surmise, And nothing is but what is not. ( Act 1, scene3, line 151-155).† At this moment he is alread... ...h’s head on his hand. He revenge for his son and his love, Lady Macduff and what he gain is a peaceful night with respect from others. He turned the anger into his power and blessed by his family. The one who knows how to use the love can benefit from it. Love is a lot of thing, sometimes love can show by kissing someone or just simply caring for someone. Sometimes people manipulate love into something else while thinking they are doing for the right reasons. Those who misunderstand and misuse it will have terrible consequences, and those who know the true meaning of it will have benefit from it. Those who does not use it properly will end up like Macbeth for losing s/he’s own mind. Those who use it property will end up something good, although during the process, there might be some obstacles, but as long as s/he can survive it, then it will all ends up good. Love Poison Essay -- Social Issues, Mistrust, Jealousy, Power What is love? Love is a strong affection out of personal ties. Those who misunderstand and misuse it will have terrible consequences, and those who know the true meaning of it will have benefit from it. The example of misunderstand it will happen when one person mixes s/he’s own feeling with love, something terrible. For examples: jealousy, manipulate one and others, mistrust and desire for power. In the Macbeth by William Shakespeare, love has taken into a lot of different forms some are bad and some are good. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ‘s desire toward the crowned is one example of misunderstand of love. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband to kill King Duncan is another example of misunderstanding of love. Later on Lady Macbeth is suffers from nightmare because she misuses the concept of love. Macbeth is suffering from his own problem which is the death prophecy. In the other hand, Maduff and his family is the one that are using the love in a positive way. The love p rotection from Lady Macduff to her son, from her son protects his father, from Macduff to protect his family. Even thought, Macbeth has order to kill Macduff family, Macduff is still survives the suffering, he uses this as his power to revenge for his family. Macduff become the victor in the end, which is the example of those who use it wisely can be either benefit from it or have good feedback. The first time that indicates Macbeth misuse that love as the desire is right after he heard about what witches have said to him. Him lost in his desire, â€Å"My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man That function is smothered in surmise, And nothing is but what is not. ( Act 1, scene3, line 151-155).† At this moment he is alread... ...h’s head on his hand. He revenge for his son and his love, Lady Macduff and what he gain is a peaceful night with respect from others. He turned the anger into his power and blessed by his family. The one who knows how to use the love can benefit from it. Love is a lot of thing, sometimes love can show by kissing someone or just simply caring for someone. Sometimes people manipulate love into something else while thinking they are doing for the right reasons. Those who misunderstand and misuse it will have terrible consequences, and those who know the true meaning of it will have benefit from it. Those who does not use it properly will end up like Macbeth for losing s/he’s own mind. Those who use it property will end up something good, although during the process, there might be some obstacles, but as long as s/he can survive it, then it will all ends up good.