The Deepwater Horizon and the Ixtoc oil spills have been the greatest in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1979, the Ixtoc platform experienced the biggest oil leak ever in history. In 2010, BP Company reported one of the largest gas leaks, which led to subsequent explosions that killed 11 people. The Harte Research Institute and BBC released reports on the causes and effects of the BP spill and Ixtoc disaster.
BP Communication Strategy
BP presented its disaster report in a review published by Ernst and Young, with aims of briefing stakeholders, investors, communities, and consumers. The company created a breakdown of activities from the time the disaster struck, through the losses, and finally to the response measures. The strategy was instrumental in revealing the companys social responsibilities and its commitment to consumer satisfaction. The first section sympathizes with families and friends of those affected by the disaster (Ernst & Young par. 1). In the main section, the company illustrates its financial commitment to mitigation strategies.
BP also offers its commitment to research to ensure the BP fails to demonstrate its commitment to public safety when it fails to admit responsibility for the technical breakdowns. Additionally, the company does not include any effects of using dispersants during the oil spill. Whereas the traditional oil spill responses relied on floating booms, skimmer ships, and controlled burns, the use of dispersants created challenges in separating oil from seawater. The company has also scheduled its financial commitment towards reviving tourism and fishing, which were worst hit by the oil spill. The commitment does not stipulate the extent within which the company will lay its resources to address the specific issues that led to deep-sea spills.
Report by the Harte Research Institute
The Harte Research Institute also addressed the BP spill. Although the institute was involved in post-spill research, it gathered information from experts in order to understand the causes, damages, and possible control measures. According to the researcher, BP erred in introducing dispersants, which interfered with normal clean-up activities (Harte Research Institute par. 2).
The mitigation strategies reported by the research institute include mapping of shorelines to detect any change (Harte Research Institute par. 9). Additionally, shoreline models will be constructed and distributed to various geospatial laboratories. One of the advantages of the communication strategy used by the firm over others adopted after oil spills is focusing on practical mitigation strategies. It presents detailed accounts of what transpired during the spill. One of the accounts includes the effects of the oil on the microbial community in the region. In fact, it presents statements made by professionals, hence enhancing its authenticity and reliability.
Although the report admits that errors were committed during the recovery process, it proposes future solutions to similar disasters. The proactive approach to the specific oil spill is expected to increase trust in the firm. The other advantage is that the company presents its rationale for studying the BP spill. It argues that the findings from the spill will contribute towards identifying better solutions in future spills. Despite the advantages of this communication strategy, the report has one serious disadvantage. The company does not present any information to illustrate its financial commitment towards finding alternatives to dispersants.
BBC Report
In 2010, BBC published an article on the 1979 Ixtoc spill that took more than nine months to control. The introduction presented the causes, magnitude, and damages incurred during the spill. Similarly, it highlighted different control measures adopted by Pemex, a Mexicos state-owned company. In the body paragraphs, the article presented conflicting arguments from researchers and fishermen.
Whereas some researchers argued that the impact was reduced by winds and other natural factors, others claimed that many fishermen were severely affected by the disaster (Miglierini par. 11). The article was beneficial because it reported different views and perceptions of victims and researchers. Additionally, it attempted to predict the effects of the BP spill to the ecosystem. The last section proposed long-term solutions collected from drilling experts.
The communication strategy adopted does not present biased information. In fact, it presented views of victims, drilling experts, and researchers. The collective information focused on facts and attempted to create awareness over the BP spill. Additionally, it assessed the mitigation measures applied after the spill for errors and assumptions that caused the deaths and serious damages to the ecosystem. Finally, it presented professional views on long-term mitigation measures along the Gulf of Mexico. One of the drawbacks was failure by the author to quantify damages caused by the disaster. Although it presented unbiased reports, it failed to explain how the ecosystem was affected by the oil spill.
Communication Analysis
BP focused on improving its PR by consoling with the affected communities. Additionally, it presented its financial plan and commitment to finding a long-term solution. However, it did not admit to any technical liability during and after the disaster. Harte Research Institute concentrated on faults committed during and after the disaster but failed to establish a connection with the affected communities like BP did. BBC also recognized the losses suffered by surrounding communities. The approach taken by BBC and BP was aimed at building trust with the affected communities.
Works Cited
Ernst & Young. Deepwater Horizon accident and response. 2014. Web.
Harte Research Institute. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Four Years Later. n.d. Web.
This research paper outline aims to evaluate the current communications policy of Canada and its impact on various aspects related to consumers and service providers. The current developments in technology have necessitated certain changes in the communication policy of Canada.
Thesis topic: The Canadian communication policy and the importance and implications of the convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting fields.
Introduction
Statement of the problem: Over the years, telecommunications and broadcasting fields are swiftly budding and assembling into a distinct area of communication. Several innovations and subsequent acceptance about the provisions, relevance, and infrastructure are being carried out throughout the world. It has become an uphill task for the supervising bodies to keep pace with such developments.
Significance of the problem: Considering the issue above, it has become imperative for the regulators to consider the linkage between telecommunications and broadcasting while making decisions. The impact of such a convergence on business and user behavior should also be determined. Moreover, since various factors such as cultural expression and the related sector are at stake, it becomes imperative to conduct a study on this topic.
Hypothesis
The preferences of the consumers, technology suppliers, and providers of communication provisions suggest a change in the prevailing communication policy.
Digitization has been a step towards convergence of broadcasting and telecommunications.
Convergence has augmented the significance of the current distribution system.
Variables
Independent variable: For this study, the prevailing independent variable is the communication policy of Canada.
Dependent variables: The dependent variables include consumers choice, impact on business and user behavior, and the impacts.
Trends
The new global technology is having an impact on the broadcasting scenario.
Distribution platforms have more capacity.
The viewing habits of consumers have changed.
As a result of the introduction of the internet, there has been a proliferation in the options available for advertisement.
Canadians are the largest consumers who use online videos.
Free advertising provided by various sites is an added advantage for advertisers.
Personal Video Recorder (PVR) has been launched in Canada.
It is believed that PVRs might hurt advertising.
Regulatory implications
Fragmentation
Implications: The implications can be understood by considering the prevailing approach; both radio and television service providers have been certified and given official approval.
Canadian consumers have easy access to content from outside the country through the internet.
Wireless and wired broadband services are getting better.
An opportunity for Canadian organizations to accomplish better economic benefits.
Positive social and cultural implications.
Consolidation
Competition within the market will be minimized.
Will give rise to domination of the field by a limited number of companies that will be able to manipulate the prices.
The entry of foreign companies and the subsequent competitive prices in this sector will benefit the consumers.
External considerations about strategy
Policies about competition and copyright protection will be beneficial.
Conclusion
It is expected that the prevailing regulations will not become irrelevant within the near future.
The regulators will have to keep a close watch on the trends and devise a new strategy in accordance to these trends.
The future policies should be formulated considering their long-term implications.
The current competition and its impact on the prices should also be considered by the regulators.
We are normally affected or influenced by the media at any given time and place. When we are at home, we watch news on television and get information from the internet. In our cars we like turning up speakers while driving to hear the billboards music or hot breaking news. The American time use survey 2009, showed that watching TV was a leisure activity that occupied most time (2.8 hours per day) accounting for about half of the leisure time on average, for those aged 15 years and over (Bureau of labor statistics). It is true that, TV and radio are the main sources of our daily information. As the mass media have huge invisible powers that build, affects and changes peoples sense of worth. Therefore this paper agrees to the fact that there should be a commission to regulate the media so that the information provided is true and accurate.
Many countries have different commissions to regulate the information that is given out by the media. These commissions work towards the prevention of faulty information broadcast provided by the media. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission has the authority over what the media can say on air and it has the right to control who can use the airwaves. In this way, the media has restrictions about what they can say. In the article Why We Need to Abolish the FCC , Robert Garmong thought the FCC hurts Americans right of free speech and it should be abolished. Because the First Amendment declares that Congress shall pass no law&abridging the freedom of speech, or that of the press . I cant go along with him because instead of hurting our rights on the whole, the FCC protects us. We have two main questions in this context. The first one is that, does the existence of FCC hurt peoples freedom of speech and secondly what actions done by FCC are right or which ones are wrong.
Before discussing the first question, we need to define what free speech is. The definition of free speech is quite critical. There are many argumentations on the topic. One of them is, is hate speech free speech? In my opinion, free speech means we can say anything we want to say, but what we say should not bring negative impacts to others and the society as a whole. For example, Racial insults are particularly undeserving of First Amendment Protection because the perpetuators intention is not to discover truth or initiate dialogue but to injure the victim (Lawrence 375). Thus hate speech cant be a part of free speech. The US does have certain laws limiting peoples rights of free speech. The Supreme Court for instance, has the right of final say on free speech; it is clear that obscenity, fighting words, defamation, child pornography, perjury, blackmail, incitement to imminent lawless action, true threats and solicitations to commit crimes, are some of the types of hate speeches.
These nine kinds of speeches are not protected by the first amendment. Therefore it is reasonable for the FCC to ban these kinds of information relay, and this action doesnt go against the first amendment. Again we cant say that this hurts our rights to free speech. The author Robert Garmong once argued that FCC will restrict the content of information provided by the media. He said the very existence of FCC is a flagrant violation of the right to free speech. (587) I strongly disagree with him on this one. The FCC is supposed to safeguard the public from the wrong information; however it is not supposed to control the media. Its mandate is to provide a service to the public but not to hurt us. Therefore, as Robert said in his article free speech means the absolute right to express ones views, so long as one does not violate the rights of others . Consequently, if the FCC could be non-existent, the information is given out by the media maybe untrue or can be harmful to some people. We can imagine a situation where the television contains a lot of pornographic information and children are watching, or some variety shows spreading extremely aggressive ideas for high audience rating while no one controls them. This would cause a lot of problems and finally violate the peoples right. Therefore, FCC should be considered as the police of the media world.
It is necessary to have a commission like the FCC to control what should be broadcast, but the main concern will however be, how much control the FCC should have over the media. As much we would not like to receive offensive and indecent materials from the media, we also would not like the media to become the governments voice tube. This shows that there is need for some proper limits as far as this issue is concerned.
As a consequence, we need to think about what is not suitable to broadcast over the airwaves and how the FCC can control the media. Out of question, the nine kinds of speech I mentioned earlier like obscenity, fighting words, blackmail these words should not be broadcast over the airwaves. Then how about the sensitive subjects like politics, economics, war and international relationship? We can say that US is the most democratic country. For example, the ex-president George W Bush was always ridiculed in television programs, one of these was NBCs late show by Jay Leno, of course he is not the only one who scoffed at Bush, other famous talk-show hosts like David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, tried to attract views by making the Bush jock . These jokes about Bush did not only try to play to the gallery. Some of these were about his foreign policy, especially the trade with Iraq; and some were about his reactions towards the Hurricane Katrina. Moreover, Bush is not the only leader who is always being ridiculed, Clinton, Gore, Cheney, and all previous governments leaders were taunted by various media agents from time to time. The talk show is a typical American TV program, from the measure of it to see the whole media system; we cant say the FCC brings too much pressure on it. In many other countries, it is impossible to see these kinds of words and jokes because they are all banned by the governing law.
Furthermore, the FCC can regulate the media while the government also has corresponding mechanisms to adjust FCCs policy (the US court). Robert Garmong mentioned in his article that so far, only indecency has been targeted by the FCCs crackdown . Is FCCs crackdown policy fair or too over? A United States appeals court tossed out the indecency policy of the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, calling it a violation of the First Amendment (The NY Times). From this case, it is clear that the FCC cannot do just as they please. The US courts have supervisory control over its policy to the media. Conversely, we cant abolish the FCC because some of its policies are too over. And at the same time, I think the FCC needs to increase its transparency to the public, and let the public know what their standard towards the control of the media is.
In synopsis, there should be a commission that controls the material the media gives to the public, while the public makes their choices. We need to think about what is needed to get a balance between regulation and freedom. Therefore, as shown in this paper I cant think of a better method than letting FCC strike this balance.
Super Haiyan Typhoon is one of the strongest tropical cyclones that have ever been recorded in recent times. The magnitude and duration it took had a devastating effect in parts of South East Asia, especially in the Philippines. According to the reports from meteorologists experts, this typhoon originated from the high seas, south-east of Pohnpei, due to very low pressure in that region. The meteorologist started monitoring the typhoon from November 2nd when it was suspected that it could develop into a serious storm in the high seas. By November 4th, it had become a tropical storm and was given the name Haiyan.
An alert was issued by the meteorological departments, particularly to the coastal towns which were on the path of the storm. After assessing it for three days, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center classified it as a category-5 super typhoon. On November 8th, the cyclone finally hit the lands of the Philippines at a speed of 315 kilometers per hour. There was massive destruction caused by this typhoon, mainly in Samara and Leyte, which received the storm when it was at its maximum speed. Houses were brought down, crops destroyed, many people killed, while others sustained injuries. The effect of this super typhoon on this region was devastating.
The rescue mission was affected by poor communication and difficulty of movement. According to the estimates given by the Red Crescent, about ten thousand people lost their lives, with 2.5 million people being left homeless. Two days after the event, the country was left in dire need of food and shelter as properties were destroyed in the storm. The event was largely covered by both the local and international media stations
The impact of the event on the public
This event had a tremendous negative impact on the public, more so on families that lost their loved ones or sustained injuries during the storm. As mentioned above, over ten thousand people died from the storm. It is estimated that this number could be higher, given the fact that many others could not be traced after the incident. According to the reports given by the Red Crescent, many people in this region sustained serious injuries during the storm that changed their lifestyles completely. They needed urgent medical attention, which was not readily available at that moment, following the immense destruction caused by the storm. Millions of people could also have starved to death, were it not for the timely intervention made by the international community to send food aid to them. The people of Samara and Leyte lost almost everything. People could not go to work for several days because various companies in the region were destroyed completely. However, there was a reprieve when the international community came to their help, both materially and emotionally.
How the media covered the event
Super Haiyan Typhoon was considered one of the strongest cyclones to ever be recorded in recent times. This explains why media was so keen on reporting every detail of the events taking place as soon it was brought to their attention. From the local media in the Philippines to international media such as Aljazeera, Cable Network News, British Broadcasting Corporation, to the social media, the events of this tragic typhoon were followed very keenly.
The attention of the world was turned to this Asian country as these news channels tried to give a status report on the events taking place in the region. Although the print media and radio stations made reports on the developments that were taking place, television stations and social media played a major role in giving a comprehensive report on the activities on the ground. According to the reports given by various humanitarian agencies, some journalists were injured trying to capture live events of the destruction of the wind, mainly the Philippine journalists who arrived at these areas when the storm was still raging. However, this did not dampen their spirits as they made a concerted effort to give first-hand information about the effects of this tragic cyclone. However, it is important to note that most of the media stations came when the storm had already calmed. The attention was, therefore, given to the massive destruction of properties, lost lives, and the humanitarian aid that was needed in the country.
The success of media when covering the event
The success of media can be determined by the effect it had on the affected population in this country. It would be right to state that the media did a good work in bringing the true events that were taking place in this area, especially after the catastrophic storm. It was unfortunate to see people attacking tracks carrying food in order to avert starvation, while others were succumbing to their wounds. The media gave a true picture of the events at this place to the international community. The mass media such as Television and radio stations gave a consistent report of the status of the people, while the social media offered an avenue for discussion. This helped in convincing the international community which help was needed. Indeed this help came from various countries across the world, and the media played a great role in it. Their work was a success.
Evaluation of the relationship between the media coverage and the event
It would be important to evaluate the relationship between the event that took place, and the media coverage within this period when the region was affected. As mentioned above, both local and international media stations thronged the towns that were affected to give a detailed report of the impact of this event. It is necessary to appreciate that most of these media stations are business entities meant to make profits. Their presence in this region would therefore, be interpreted as a way of increasing their profitability. During such catastrophic events, many people would want to watch news, and this means that other business units would want to make advertisements to reach this wide population. It is to the benefit of the media stations. For this reason, they would try to paint as grim picture of these events as possible to attract attention of the public. This was witnessed in some of these reports given by the media stations. Although they tried to paint the true image of the events on the ground, their coverage was somehow blown out of proportion, probably to attract attention of the public.
Case Two: The September 11 al Qaeda Attack
General description of the event
The September 11 al Qaeda attack still remains one of the worst attacks in the United States by a terrorist group in the recent times. Coming at time when the country least expected such an attack, the event led to massive destruction of properties, and loss of lives in the cities that were targeted. It took place on September 11, 2001 when a group of militants associated with al Qaeda hijacked national airlines, and used the planes to conduct the attacks.
The first plane, Boeing 767 that was loaded with about 20,000 gallons of jet fuel, was hijacked at about 8:45 in the morning immediately after taking off. The terrorists guided the plane and crashed it onto the World Trade Centers northern tower on its 80th floor. After about 18 minutes, the second plane was crashed onto the southern tower of the same building, an event that did not only shake New York City, but also the entire country of the United States.
While the country watched these events in New York with dismay, the third plane sliced into Pentagon military base in Washington, D.C. The country was under attack. The fourth plane did not reach the target because the passengers and crew members attacked the terrorist. The plane crashed in a rural field in Pennsylvania, killing all the people on board. At the World Trade Center, the rescue mission was not easy as the planes continued to burn on the walls.
This affected the strength of the building, and it was inevitable that the World Trade Center would finally come down. The firefighters and police officers who were on the rescue mission were also affected by the intense heat, and the falling debris from the building. Some of these officers died trying to evacuate people from the building in order to save lives. There was heavy media coverage of these events, especially by the local media houses during the initial hours of the attack, before the international media station started thronging the two affected cities. In fact, the second plane that hit the southern tower of the World Trade Center was caught live on camera. About 3000 people died, many were injured, and property worth billions of dollars lost by the attack or events after the attack.
The impact of the event on the public
The September eleventh attack on the United States had a devastating effect on the public, not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world. To the American public, the event meant that the terrorist had finally managed to humble them on their own soil by successfully attacking some of the iconic buildings in the country and killing many people. The country had experienced various disastrous events that caused many lives, but on this particular day, the cause of deaths and destruction was an enemy that the United States had ignored for a very long time. It was a real savage struggle, and the public did not take the matter very lightly. People who lost beloved people, those who were injured, and others who lost their properties were devastated by this event. Fear gripped the entire state as it was not clear when this group would try to make a similar attempt. For some time, people avoided public gatherings and social places that were considered a target of this group. It took some time for normalcy to return to major cities in the United States.
How the media covered the event
During this event, there was an articulate coverage of the activities going on in the affected areas. As mentioned above, the media made it possible for the Americans to watch the second strike on southern tower of World Trade Center in live coverage, as the plane sliced into the building. Although this brought fear among people as many thought that another strike was on the way, journalists did not run away. They continued their live coverage of the events, making sure that even the slightest information regarding the attack was covered. At first, the media associated the first crush of the plane as possible accident, till the second plane hit the second tower 18 minutes after the first one.
Success of the media when covering the event
The media tried to cover the events of this incident in as much details as it was possible. The reports given by some of the government officers tasked with releasing official information on the casualties of the accident indicated that some of the victims of this attack were journalists from major media stations in the country. This means that these journalists risked their lives in order to bring news into the light. Although critics have identified some issues that were considered unethical for journalists and the editors of these media stations, the truth is that it was an extraordinary situation and media stations had to act extraordinarily. For instance, ethics states that television stations are not supposed to show the face of a dead person, especially when the face is severely damaged. However, some channels had disturbing images of people who died painful deaths. However, it is understandable that circumstances were unique, and their work was generally considered a success.
Evaluation of the relationship between the media coverage and the event
Evaluating the relationship between the events that took place, and media coverage, the analysis would take two fronts. Within the first 24 hours of the attack, the media station did a great work, and their reports indicated the true events taking place in Washington, D.C., and in New York. Their motive was to bring news in an articulate and professional manner for the benefit of the state. Perhaps it happened because of the shock and fear that the attack brought them. After this period when the reality of this incident sunk in, media realized that they were business entities that could make good earnings from such events.
They continued with their live coverage, but this time, they introduced advertisements in such live programs. Some of the top private hospitals and insurance companies seized the opportunity to reach the Americans and the world at large. The attack was very relevant for their advertisements, and to the media houses, it was an opportunity to earn more income. It means that they had to continue exaggerating the impact so that more people would be glued to their televisions and radios even when it was clear that the situation had been solved.
The Civil Revolution in Syria
General description of the event
The Syrian revolution has attracted the attention of the media stations, especially from the international community. It all started in 2011 when a section of this country was convinced that the president of the country was supposed to be overthrown. They must have been motivated by the successful revolution in other Arab countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya where the presidents were forced out of power. People were convinced that the power of masses was able to defeat even the most oppressive regimes. The uprising was specifically focused on removing President Assad. The government had expected such eventuality because it acted very swiftly to quell the uprising. The president quickly organized a militia group and armed them to counter such protests. He also marshaled government security forces to quell activities of the dissidents.
What followed was a two-year battle between the rebels and the pro-government forces in various towns of the country. Homs was the worst city that was considered the capital of this revolution. The rebel forces managed to take over the city from the government, and turned it into their stronghold. This turned the city into the center of the battle as government troops made efforts to recapture it. The local media houses were under a pressure to avoid any negative reports about the activities of the government. This left the international media houses as the only source of valid information to the international community.
The impact of the event on the public
The revolution had a massive negative impact on the country, specifically those that acted as strongholds of the rebels. This battle lasted for over two years as the rebels tried to topple the president, while government forces moved to crush the rebellion. In early 2012, the fight was so intense that the revolution finally forced the president out of the office. However, it did not happen. The government forces and the pro-Assad forces gained ground steadily, suppressing the rebellion in many regions except Homs. The battle which took place in Homs led to massive destruction of homes. The government forces bombarded the city, bringing down many buildings that were thought to harbor rebellious group. Many people died in this war, and several sustained serious injuries. The economic growth slowed as the countrys resources were channeled towards the war. Syria is still reeling from the effect of this rebellion, although the country is relatively calm now following the defeat of the rebels.
How the media covered the event
When the revolution started, the government of Syria acted swiftly by issuing a warning to local media houses against participating in the rebellion in any way. Any newscast that was seen as being sympathetic to the rebels would be considered a direct participation of such media houses in the war against the government. Assad made it clear that such acts would not be tolerated by his administration.
This scared the local media, and those who tried to go against the directives were suppressed by government authorities. This left the locals with the social media as the only channel through which they could share and pass mass communication to one another. The problem with the social media was that it lacked professionalism and accuracy. Some of the communications were also misleading. The only valid source of information was the international media that made a deliberate effort to report on the activities taking place in this country. The international media houses, especially the print media and televisions played a major role in letting the world know about the atrocities committed by the government forces. In most of the cases, these events were covered live, as a way of letting the world know the truth about what was happening in Syria.
Success of the media when covering the event
When analyzing the success of the media in the coverage of this event, focus would be given to their specific activities, and how they impacted on the society in terms of bringing back peace. As mentioned above, the activities of the local media stations in Syria may be considered a failure because they did not give an effective report on the atrocities committed by the government. This could be attributed to the crackdown by the government.
However, it is worth noting that some local media houses made some effort to bring the world to terms with the events taking place in the country. The international media houses made a concerted effort to report on the activities that were taking place in volatile cities. For instance, the British Broadcasting Corporation was reporting the live events in this country periodically. Marie Colvin, Times journalist and Remi Ochlik, a French photographer, were killed by government forces trying to cover some of those live events taking place in Syria. When the government developed biological weapons to help it end the rebellion, it was the international media that brought that information to world leaders. It helped to spare lives that would have been destroyed by such weapons.
Evaluation of the relationship between the media coverage and the event
The evaluation of the relationship between media coverage and the events that took place would be analyzed from the angle of how accurate the reports were, and the intent of the involved media stations. When this rebellion erupted in Syria, the world had seen three other revolutions that had successfully forced the regimes out of power. Two of these revolutions took turn of events that many did not expect. Many people did not believe that Hosni Mubarak, a revered president of Egypt, could be ousted by a rebellion that was not backed by the military. The same was the case with Muhammar Gadaffi of Libya who had ruled the country for almost four decades. However, both were toppled by the people. When the rebellion reached Syria, many people thought that he would easily be forced out of power, for he was not comparable to the ousted leaders of Libya and Egypt.
The media must have harbored this notion when moving to this country. This explains why most of the reports by international media houses were pro-rebels. They could have become frustrated, when the war reached the second year with minimal chances that the regime would be toppled. Although the media reports tried to give a clear picture of the activities going on in the country, a keen analysis of their reports show that they were biased against the government. Both the rebels and pro-government forces were committing atrocities against humanities. However, there was a selective reporting where the government was depicted as an enemy of people. The international community, specifically the United States, was almost attacking the government of Syria because of such reports.
Overall Analysis of the Cases
The three cases have confirmed the fact that media is a very powerful tool that may be used to build or destroy a society depending on the angle which it takes. It is a common saying that communication is a very powerful tool that should always be used to bring people together in order to achieve a common goal. The power of communication has always been given to the media. From the above analysis, it is apparent that media plays a pivotal role in the society. The world has become a small global village because of media. It has empowered the society because it is used to highlight the plight of people as a way of soliciting for support whenever it is necessary.
Understanding some of the communication theories may help to bring more understanding into the real power of media, and how this power has been used by different media stations. Aristotles Rhetoric Theory of communication talks about the power of communication, especially when one has adequate communication skills. This theory emphasizes the power of communication when one uses charisma and emotional proof talking to the audience. From the above three cases, this was clearly demonstrated by the media reports that were given by various stations. The emotional proof in the Philippines typhoon tragedy was clearly evident in the massive destruction and the loss of lives captured by the camera. The same was the case in the United States terrorists attack on September 11, 2001, and Syrian revolution of 2011-2013.
Media was keen on capturing the scenes that would evoke emotions of the viewers. With the use of rhetorical words, such media houses can easily sway the minds of the public to share their way of thinking, giving them immense power. For instance, the Philippines tragedy was reported with a lot of emotional proofs of flattened cities and mass killings. Using a lot of words may not bring the impact, and the media knows about it. However, when there is a clear image taken of such occurrences, the images would always speak for themselves, and this is what media always do. A lot of support came from all over the world, with countries from various continents giving their donations and support to the affected group. This was a clear show of power of communication, and how it could be beneficial used with good intentions.
A sharp contrast of it would be the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The same media was used to pass hate speeches towards some tribes, and the result was a mass killing of over one million people. A similar case happened in Germany during the Nazi regime when Adolf Hitler used rhetoric to incite people against the Jews. The result was tragic. The above three cases show that media is a powerful tool in the society that must be used responsibly for the benefit. Based on the Constructivism Theory developed by Jese Delia, media has the power to marshal the community to achieve a common goal using skilled construction of sophisticated messages, but presented in a simple way that can easily be understood by everyone. This is a responsibility that they must always keep.
Multimedia, as the term suggests, refers to the use of multiple media and content. The different content forms like text, audio, still images, animation, video (IET 1) and interactivity are combined into a structured form in multimedia. Multimedia communications are often defined as
The electronic means by which multimedia content (voice, text, image, data and video) is created and distributed in the fields of government and public services, business and commerce, education and entertainment (IET 1).
One of the more prominent examples of multimedia communications nowadays is the combined use of computer and videoconferencing technology in making long-distance presentations.
With the rapid expansion of markets, the need to develop and implement standards related to multimedia communications has been felt more acutely. It is generally believed that standardization of multimedia communications helps in maintaining uniformity, specifying the modes of interactivity and defining the levels of performance, quality and compatibility. However, there are strong objections to the implementation of standards in the field of multimedia communications (Very 593-614).
This essay seeks to emphasize the fact that Standards related to Multimedia Communications are necessary to ensure functionality, compatibility and efficiency. Standards should be developed cooperatively and all developers should adhere to standards. The next section presents suitable arguments in favor of the above statement.
Arguments in favor of standardization
The primary aim of specifying standards for multimedia communications is to ensure interoperability. Interoperability refers to the situation where a product or a system can smoothly operate with other products and systems in the absence of any special Endeavour on the part of the user. Standards not only help in achieving this objective but also create the necessary support for current applications as well as future applications. Furthermore, it facilitates the development of a number of implementations (Bozios 243-261). This helps in ensuring the functionality and compatibility of multimedia communications where the main purpose is to deliver the content to the end-users via a combination of media.
However, it is often argued that the stress on interoperability reduces the scope for innovation and experimentation which is necessary to address the challenges of the rapidly evolving environment of multimedia communications. Standardization, according to many, impedes the development of functional and efficient multimedia communications by stifling creativity (McFarlane 201-212).
The above argument against standardization becomes invalid if the objective behind the formulation of standards becomes clear. While interoperability is crucial in this context, it does not mean that there would not be enough scope for creativity. The underlying principle is to define the basic norms/ standards necessary for facilitating interoperability while leaving enough scope for the compatible products to develop uniqueness and efficiency in the market. Additionally, standards are not something cast in stone. These need to constantly evolve and modify with time which in itself is a creative process (Miraj-E-Mostafa 335-357).
Another argument against the implementation of standards is that standardization affects competition which is important for growth and development. The very spirit of competition, according to many, works against the collective formulation of standards (McFarlane 201-212).
In this context, it may be mentioned that in the field of multimedia communications which is widely popular, competition is basically price and service-driven. Standards help commercial organizations to expand the market collectively. Moreover, standards also help the new entrants get a foothold in the market which otherwise may prove to be difficult for them. This is because, in the absence of standards, the market would be dominated by a select few who would not allow the entry of more competitors (Bozios 243-261). Furthermore, the standard is just a guideline, and the companies can implement these by putting ample use of their innovation and efficiency. This helps in increasing competition.
It must be understood that the primary intention of standardization is to achieve commonality and uniformity in the use of interfaces. This is because, in multimedia communications, there is a constant overlapping of multiple media and content. Standardization supports competition but at the same time, believes in creating a market that would benefit everybody in the long run (Miraj-E-Mostafa 335-357).
Along with interoperability, standards also help in enhancing connectivity in the field of multimedia communications. Interoperability and connectivity are the two important services the users expect in this context. Hence, better and effective connectivity would make the users satisfied and this can be done by the formulation of effective standards. This also reiterates the fact that standards do not deter the progress and efficiency of multimedia communications. Rather, the efficiency and functionality of the products and services are increased manifold (Very 593-614).
It is often alleged that standards are the product of compromise (Caplan 1) and can be tailored to act as a possible solution only to a specific application. It cannot be developed for all applications in general.
The above issue can be addressed by taking into account the extent to which the standards are generalized. Usually, the standards/norms that are developed by combining a set of widely tested and verified tools prove to be effective in providing technical solutions to a wide variety of applications. This depends on the approach of the implementer (Bozios 243-261).
Standards prove to be effective only when these are developed collaboratively and all the developers abide by them diligently. This is because, in the case of multimedia communications, there is a combination of media and content.
If developers are left free to formulate their own mechanisms, without any coordination among themselves, the standards would turn out to be application-specific. It is not possible for a single developer to formulate multiple solutions. On the other hand, if developers work collaboratively, it would prove to be more effective as this would lead to the development of multiple application solutions. Thus, a free market without the existence of any standards will give rise to an utterly chaotic situation (Very 593-614).
Moreover, the implementation of standards can be successful only when these are adhered to by all the developers. Fragmented use of standards reduces interoperability thereby deterring growth and development in the field of multimedia communications (Miraj-E-Mostafa 335-357).
Conclusion
There is an ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of developing standards related to multimedia communications. However, the importance of developing and implementing standards becomes all the more pronounced with the rapid expansion and usability of this field (McFarlane 201-212).
In other words, it may be reinstated that in the present scenario, standards have emerged as the most viable means of maintaining compatibility and ensuring interoperability in this highly complex field. This calls for a concerted effort on the part of both government and commercial organizations to appreciate the principle underlying the formulation of standards and emphasize the need for effective implementation. Moreover, standards are not rigid and need to be constantly evolved in keeping with the demands of the rapidly changing world of multimedia communications (Miraj-E-Mostafa 335-357).
Works Cited
Bozios, Helen. Experiences from the Implementation and Use of Multimedia Synchronization Mechanisms. European Transactions on Telecommunications 11.3 (2000): 243-261.
Caplan, Priscilla. Oh what a tangled Web we weave: Opportunities and challenges for standards development in the digital library arena. First Monday. 2000. Web.
IET. About the Multimedia Communications Network. The Institution of Engineering and Technology. 2010. Web.
McFarlane, Alex. Assessment and multimedia authoring a tool for externalising understanding. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 16.3 (2000): 201-212.
Miraj-E-Mostafa, Atif. Improved implementation solution and general mobile network architecture for the interworking between MMS and streaming. International Journal of Communication Systems 19.3 (2006): 335-357.
Very, Paul. Multimedia Communications: Relative standing and the performance of US firms. Strategic Management Journal 18.8 (2008): 593-614.
Technological advances have changed the lives of very many people today in the world. This is because most of the things that were being done in the past are no more thanks to advances in technology. Some of those things include sending letters by post to the dear ones, traveling long distances to make a call fro a booth. In the contemporary world, sending letters has been replaced by things like emails, short messaging systems, and also social sites like Facebook, where people are able to chat.
The new Cyber communities
According to Douglas (2007), all these things have come each at a time and have affected humanity positively as well as negatively. He notes that as much as technology makes life easier for us, it is also responsible for our sufferings at times. For instance, he points out that online learning has made the costs of acquiring education cheap because the student does not have to attend lectures, which are usually the expensive part of education. In addition, online learning gives room for a student to do other things as she does not have to spend all her time reading; that is, a student becomes the master of how he or she wants to attend classes.
Regarding online dating and the chat rooms, Adler (2011) has observed that many people have managed to get life partners once they log in to these sites. However, according to him, some of the people have reported being cheated and exploited on such sites. This has made others, particularly women, to desist from visiting the sites. Concerning social networking, skype, or even message boards, he notes that people have been able to make new friends who have become relevant later on in their life.
Impacts of cyber communities on our relationships
Cyber communities have had both positive and negative impacts on the way we interact with people. Ananda (2010) claims that there is a lot of impersonation by some people and therefore making others think that they are chatting with the right person when actually the opposite is the case. Having realized that, people no longer accept other peoples request without confirming their real identity. Moreover, he has observed that there are other people who use the sites to settle scores, and thus many shun from joining the likes of facebook or twitter.
Impact of cyber communities on deviant loners, colleagues, crews and formal deviant organization
Deviant loners are known not to associate with other people, and therefore one of the impacts the cyber community may have on them is that it may encourage them to continue engaging in cyberspace crime while concealing their identity. Ananda (2010) adds that cyber communities might impact the colleagues negatively in that they are able to share their ideas no matter the distance and hence strategize on their next move. According to him, crews are composed of about 12 people or less.
He argues that in most cases, these people have a very strict rule that governs their engagement. As a result, he notes that cyber communities may help such a group with ideas on how to carry on with their group. Formal deviant groups may get an opportunity to continue with their dirty works. For instance, if they are involved in conning people of their money, the trend is likely to continue.
The cyber communities have, in a great way, helped eliminate the stigma associated with self-harm. For instance, Adler (2011) notes that people do post a number of useful materials that can be read by all concerned parties. In addition, self-harmers are able to meet others with whom they can share their stories.
Facebook is my cyber community, and from it, I have managed not only get to have new friends but also chat with my friends who are in far places like in England and Australia. This is a free social networking site where anyone can join and find old friends. In my own opinion, this site has led to a greater social connection among Americans. This is because we are able to get in touch with some people who we have not met for years.
The fact that we were used to making calls in telephone booths sometimes back, we can say that cyber communities have reduced the distance in that we can see each other as we communicate over the internet.
Conclusion
Advances in technology have really helped us move forward in many instances, and therefore we should strive to make good use of this technology other than look for ways of depriving people of their resources. The government should formulate laws that make it a criminal offense for anyone found engaging in cybercrime.
Reference list
Adler, P. (2011). The Tender Cut: Inside the Hidden World of Self-Injury. New York: New York University Press.
Ananda, M. (2010). Digital Communications: From E-mail to the Cyber Community. New York: InfoBase Publishing.
Douglas, A. (2007). Online communities. Berlin: Springer.
Between 2017 and 2019, the state of California witnessed a sequence of ravaging wildfires that cumulatively resulted in residents compelled evacuation. Albeit California state and local fire departments, as well as other stakeholders, tried to contain this incident, their resources were substantially limited. Various analytical studies point to several areas where inadequacies such as infrastructure and communication were noticeable. The paper presents an in-depth case study analysis related to the incident mentioned above.
Executive Summary
In 2017 October, an assortment of massive and rapidly-spreading wildfires began in Northern California, particularly in Solano, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, resulting in one of the most life-threatening wildfire catastrophes the state has ever witnessed. Cumulatively, the three major fires destroyed over 140,000 acres, demanded emergency relocation of an estimated 100,000 persons, and triggered losses of approximately 15 billion dollars, and 44 deaths (Serna, 2018). The fires broke out in rapid succession, thereby overwhelming the emergency response teams and the available fire response equipment. The 2018 Camp Fire, which severely damaged Butte County and Paradise Town, burnt a cumulative 153,336 acres, demanded a rapid evacuation of 52,000 people, and resulted in 85 fatalities (Serna, 2018). Other wildfires like the 2018 Woolsey, Hill, and Saddle Ridge fires are just other pointers of the wildfire threats in California that resulted in considerable losses and fatalities.
Given the rapid acceleration of the wildfires, many residents found themselves in emergently- precarious situations, particularly at night, with a minimal window of time for evacuation. The phenomenon mentioned above yielded two primary identifiable issues: stress on public resources and infrastructure, transport and shelter, and considerably low levels of preparedness by emergency management agencies throughout the state. Cumulative estimates reveal that the catastrophic fires during the period between 2017 and 2019 forced over one million citizens to depart their residences (Wong et al., 2020). For holistic and effective interventions during such life-threatening disasters like wildfire, it is compelling that response models be reconstructed with informative retrospect to avoid future recurrences of the poor evacuations witnessed before.
Key Stake Holders and Supporting Figures or Organizations
The main identifiable primary stakeholders in the California wildfires and any other wildfire emergencies for that matter:
The Fire Department
The Transport Department; Public and private
The Police department
The Telecommunication department
The Community
Volunteer groups; individuals and organizations
Analysis
Cross-state wildfire analyses and comparisons of California wildfires point to one crucial issue at the cause level, which seems viably potential to recur in the future. Comprehensive evidence revealed that wildfires are primarily started either directly or indirectly by human activities, for instance, car ignition sparks and human-electrical faults, among others (Wong et al., 2020). At the evacuation level, broader findings pointed at three critical itemsfirst, inadequate resources, especially within the emergency response departments. Nearly every unit did not have sufficient public resources for the effective and swift transfer of the whole threatened population during these catastrophes (Wong et al., 2020). There were also indications that several agencies- within California and at the national level are not adequately equipped to evacuate vulnerable persons lacking the means and ability to safeguard themselves during disasters.
Second, areas with difficult-accessible roads significantly impaired the smooth and swift evacuation processes. According to Wong et al. (2020), neighborhoods with solitary exits and highly-debrided streets significantly impacted the clearance procedures by triggering congestion. Clogging was also exacerbated by peoples preference to evacuate with their vehicles instead of a public means (Wong et al., 2020). Third, with regards to communication, the department had a myriad of alternatives to adopt, albeit not all options were exhausted. The impact was that inadequate communication was substantially witnessed in several Californian wildfires (Wong et al., 2020). A combination of these inefficiencies resulted in substandard evacuation approaches and considerable losses that arguably would have been averted.
Recommendations
Each of the identified stakeholders had an instrumental role in facilitating the swift and effective emergency evacuation during the wildfires to mitigate the total realizable risks from the disaster. However, these responsibilities were not manipulated exhaustively to ensure peoples overall safety. To improve future emergency responses during such calamities, several new models are recommendable. First, the state and local jurisdictions should assess or evaluate the longitudinal impact of historical fires and establish patterns; this will help distinguish the vulnerability of localities, in effect, mark them as vulnerable and deploy significantly adequate emergency resources within convenient vicinities. Cross-state longitudinal evaluations can aid in identifying gaps in infrastructure and other critical items necessary for emergency evacuations.
Second, there is a need to explore the most comprehensive communication media available to the residents. During this era of technological robustness, a myriad of avenues should be available for communication with citizens, especially during emergency disasters. Third, the community should be widely educated on the adverse impacts of wildfires and taught fundamental response measures. During this period of sharing economies, there are many options to address issues like shelter and transport through applications such as Uber and Lyft, or Airbnb. Such items could significantly address the issue of transportation and settlement of evacuated persons.
Conclusion
Wildfires pose a significant threat to the economic welfare and lives of many communities. In particular, California has witnessed severe damages and incurred substantial losses from wildfires, especially between 2017 and 2019. Nonetheless, evidence points to the states continued lack of adequate preparedness to combat such recurrent emergencies. In this era of technological advancements, several strategies that aim to facilitate aspects such as proper communication and timely emergency response should be implemented to prevent the adverse impacts of these disasters.
In the recent world of technology, media plays a significant role in communication, politics, economy, and culture (Baran and Davis 232). The media exposes people to current information related to several fields. Similarly, it creates entertainment that breaks boredom and idleness, which protects the society especially the youths from engaging in immoral behaviors. E-media makes communication easy, fast and reliable. This paper focuses on reporting an experience of a 24 hours e-media fast.
Experience
E-media fast means no use of television, computers, and iPods or other mp3 devices, radio, video games, CD players, records or cell phone for 24 hours. The fast came on a school day that I had some assignments to complete. My plan was to use a computer in typing my assignment as well as for research purposes. I had to use my change strategy that forced me to work on my assignment from the library. It took me five hours to do a research that could have taken me only an hour if I were to use a computer. The day turned long for me, as all schoolwork that was to be completed on that day had to be done from the library, which was tiresome. I had to write my research reports that were several pages something I was not used. Similarly, apart from communication with my friends in school, I spent the day without communicating to my parents and other friends. This made my day look odd as compared to the other days. During our leisure time, instead of involving ourselves in video games, watching the TV, listening to music or communicating with friends through the social network sites, we planned to have several physical exercises on the school playground that were followed by sport activities.
On this day, I realized that I used to spend most of my time on media with my favorites being the internet, radio, video games, mp3 players, television, and the iPods. I used the media in communication, schoolwork, listening to music, watching news, movies and other programs, and for entertainment. The level of my media usage had risen to a point that I could not spend a day without the use of any of the media sources. The media fast day came with its repercussion as it had several emotions on me. I felt as if the world had turned at random and everything had fallen apart. The day ended without any updates of the happenings of the day across the globe. This made things even worse as I was waiting to know the progress of the proceedings of a court case in the International Criminal Investigation court. The family and friends too felt the impact of the media fast.
My observation for the day helped me to realize the importance of media in the society. Many things happened around the globe but society only received the information of the things that happened in their jurisdiction. Majority of the people spent the day idle, bored and stressed, as there were no means of reducing the stress and pressure. To overcome the idleness and boredom most of the people walked, engaged in physical exercises while others participated in different sports activities such as volleyball, basketball and riding. The workers only attended to the tasks that they were manually capable. In addition, the lack of effective communication in work places made the running of the organizations almost impossible during the day. Many businesses incurred losses because they could not perform their online activities. At school, the library was full and there were struggles in accessing the books as every student turned to the library in order to meet their assignment deadlines. In addition, the school canteen made profits on that day as everyone purchased plain paper and foolscaps for schoolwork purposes. It was my first time in my university life to see students hard write their assignments. The observations indicate that electronic media plays a great role in the day-to-day activities of the people.
The discomfort due to lack of information, surveillance, entertainment, and communication lead to majority of the people understanding the roles that media plays in their lives (Baran and Davis 232). Although, I faced challenges in my schoolwork, the fast exposed me to an understanding that I had not realized in life, of the need of the electronic media. My joy was submission of my first handwritten assignment and my first time to participant in physical exercises at school that gave me the passion for physical exercises and sports. Further, I realized that the media had brain washed the people to an extent that they do not have time for their physical health exercises or time to interact directly with their friends. The fast gave me an experience of avoiding too much communications that has helped me in saving a lot of time.
Conclusion
Electronic media plays a great role in the society by creating means of communication, entertainment, surveillance, exposure to information as well as for political and economic purposes (Baran and Davis 232). However, there is need for the society to learn to live without the media as its gives life experience of the unexpected.
Works Cited
Baran, Stanley and Davis, Dennis. Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment, and Future (Sixth Edition). Boston: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Promoting beauty products to young women in the 21st century is a challenging task, as most female customers tend to follow the existing trend instead of choosing what product will suit them specifically. Therefore, consistent changes in the company brand are required to suit the needs of millions of young women all over the U.S. and the world.
However, as soon as a message regarding the uniqueness of each customer and, therefore, the need to choose the appropriate product is sent, the target audience is likely to buy the goods that will make them unique. The key idea that the company sends to its customers, therefore, is not shaping their appearance to comply with the current trend but, instead, to create their own concept of fashion with the help of the products provided. The organization under analysis bends the concept of beauty, offering every young woman an opportunity to feel not only beautiful but special.
Introduction
The significance of appearance or, to be more exact, the appearance that follows the existing concept of beauty can hardly be overrated nowadays. The people that are deemed as beautiful gain more attention are treated in a more favorable fashion and are overall more socially successful than those who are not. Herein the significance of beauty-related services lies. However, while most beauty services do exactly what the current standards compel them to, very few offer their customers actual help in identifying the means to emphasize their beauty as they see it. Company X does exactly that; it bends the current concept of beauty so that its clients could find their unique style and shape it the way that they like.
Thesis Statement
To make the target clients perceive the message and, which is even more important, believe its sender, the latter must be as brusque as possible, which can be achieved by combining a comparatively persuasive message written in a delicate font with a series of rather sharp images.
Rationale
The rationale for the choice of the image in question is rather basic. Seeing that the representation of beauty as an ambiguous concept that can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on the environment that it is placed in is the key message to be conveyed, the images under analysis have to represent the traditional concept of beauty yet also trick the audience into challenging the current beauty standards.
The sequence of images chosen for the promotion, in its turn, serves the specified purpose perfectly. For instance, the billboard that contains the image of a woman and that advertises a beauty product can be used as a stock representation of female beauty. Combined with the textual part of the message, the information in the picture will become contradictory to itself since the picture will applaud to the concept that the text criticizes. As a result, the audience will spot the inconsistency and will feel the urge to analyze it, thus, coming to the necessary conclusion.
The image of a woman belonging to one of the African cultures, when combined with the specified textual elements, will help the audience view the problem from a different perspective.; Particularly, the people whom the specified commercial will be targeted at will perceive the message that the concepts of beauty depend on the environment that they were created in, and what is interpreted as marvelous in the country of the customers birth will not necessarily be accepted as such in other parts of the world. Thus, the audience will be ready to accept the fact that beauty is a very controversial concept that can be attached to literally any visual element (DeMello, 2013).
Last but definitely not least, the combination of a comparatively unattractive and at some point, quite scary image of a woman with the above-mentioned textual part will most likely trick people into analyzing the current perception of beauty from a critical perspective. People will question the current beauty standards and, therefore, be able to realize that they possess intrinsic beauty that the company in question may help the reveal.
Media and the Message
As it has been stressed above, the project in question is aimed at stressing the significance of the contemporary problem concerning the wrong perception of beauty. Particularly, every single element of media is supposed to point to the need to reconsider the existing interpretation of beauty so that people could stop pursuing the goals that were foisted onto them and search for the interpretation of the phenomenon in question as viewed through their esthetic lenses (Wolf, 2013).
Each element of the media chosen, therefore, represents the message in a rather obvious manner. Particularly, the visuals speak to peoples traditional image of beauty, therefore, pointing to the fact that it is mostly influenced by modern media. The sexualization of the images used in advertising is also stressed in the next image, which represents a billboard commercial for a skin product (Gunter, 2014). The mild contrast between the images, the choice of a font and the message that the text conveys serves as the trigger for the audience to pay closer attention to what they consider beautiful as opposed to what media offers them is the foundation for the weight of the message to grow (Sponder, 2011).
The shift to a social satire of beauty as the key idea behind the imagery used in the next slides also serves as food for thoughts. Last but definitely not least, the image containing a screenshot with the words Youre ugly on them represents the worst effects of the pursuit of the ideals suggested to the target audience by modern media. Making people view the concept of beauty from a critical perspective, it points to the fact that the positive assessment of ones physical appearance depends on not only the societal prejudice and standards but also on ones personal interpretation of the subject matter (Wang, 2012).
Intent
The key intent of the message concerns convincing young women that, instead of shaping their appearance to the current standard of beauty foisted onto them by modern media, they should seek the unique characteristics that single them out and try making their own fashion statement. The project in question is not aimed at proving the current concepts of beauty wrong since not all ideas promoted by modern media are misguided.
There is a grain of truth in the way that beauty is represented in the modern media; however, the positive characteristics thereof are concealed by a thick layer of prejudice that can lead to a significant drop in self-esteem among young women (Shields, 2013). Herein the need to emphasize the importance of a positive self-image and the need to redesign the target audiences perception of their selves lies. The project in question, therefore, is aimed primarily at pointing to the fact that physical beauty can be viewed as a combination of physical health and unique characteristics of ones appearance that makes one stand out as an individual.
It would be wrong to believe, thus, that Company X wants its clients to abandon the existing standards of beauty. Instead, the message sent to the target audience conveys the idea of finding the unique characteristics that make them stand out of the crowd and use these characteristics as the means to make them unique in their beauty. It is essential that the target audience should realize that they are not persuaded to buy the companys product but, instead, are provided with a different way of interpreting essential social concepts. As a result, the relationships between the organization and the customers will be based on mutual trust, which will create an opportunity for enlightening the specified audience on the issue of beauty in media.
Conclusion
Although persuading the target audience to bend the concept of beauty to their advantage and view the features that modern standards do not consider beautiful as such although the general opinion is a challenging task, it can be carried out by incorporating the imagery that contrasts with the message and, therefore, makes the latter stand out. Once the information concerning the uniqueness of appearance and the necessity to glorify it reaches the customers, they are likely to be exhilarated about trying the services of Company X.
Reference List
DeMello, M. (2013). Body studies: An introduction. New York, NY: Routledge. Web.
Gunter, B. (2014). Media and the sexualization of childhood. New York, NY: Routledge. Web.
Shields, R. C. (2013). Measuring up: How advertising affects self-image. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. Web.
Sponder, M. (2011). Social media analytics: Effective tools for building, interpreting, and using metrics. London, UK: McGraw Hill Professional. Web.
Wang, A. U. (2012). Visualizing beauty: Gender and ideology in Modern East Asia. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Web.
Wolf, N. (2013). The beauty myth: How images of beauty are used against women. New York, NY: Random House. Web.
An example of an emergency experience where poor communication significantly affected operations is Hurricane Katrina. Although other similar disasters have occurred lately, this event of 2005 is memorable because it was devastating, and its intensity shaped a new approach to response and preparedness (Weil et al., 2018). For instance, after the attack, policies were proposed for substantial changes in the roles and mission of emergency response teams such as Homeland Security and the department of defense. The hurricane damaged precedented parts of key communication systems throughout the Gulf of Coast region. Local emergency services, for instance, the 911, were disrupted, many customers could not use the telephone services, and broadcasting stations were affected after utility poles toppled (Shittu et al., 2018). Although federal, state, and local agencies provided the ways and communication strategies to deal with disasters, the plans or assets were inadequate to respond effectively to the calamity. Communication resources available were not used fully due to a lack of national or regional plans to incorporate them.
The costs and impacts that resulted from the hurricane were enormous, including undue deaths and property destruction, which caused more challenges to responders. Millions of individuals in the Gulf of Coast as well as in New Orleans were left homeless. More than 1800 people died in the disaster and flooding while vital equipment or services to communicate were lost (Shittu et al., 2018). A single action that could have prevented the problem is designing a communication plan before the disaster strike. Emergency response teams should have been prepared earlier by recognizing that infrastructures are vulnerable during disasters; hence, various means to coordinate and disseminate information should be devised (Howard et al., 2017). In case there is an outage in one network, other approaches to transmitting messages can be immediately adopted through regional plans. Implementing the strategy was feasible since responders could know how to contact one another and the community at national, local, or regional levels.
References
Howard, A., Agllias, K., Bevis, M., & Blakemore, T. (2017). Theyll tell us when to evacuate : The experiences and expectations of disaster-related communication in vulnerable groups. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 22, 139-146.
Shittu, E., Parker, G., & Mock, N. (2018). Improving communication resilience for effective disaster relief operations. Environment Systems and Decisions, 38(3), 379-397.
Weil, F. D., Rackin, H. M., & Maddox, D. (2018). Collective resources in the repopulation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Natural Hazards, 94(2), 927-952.