Category: Entertainment & Media 1830

The press involves various materials that include the media, machines and other printed items. The main aim of the press is ideally to inform the masses. History has it because most of the information we get is from the press. The press has undergone a revolution which in many aspects has been beneficial to many. Historians in their part have used the press to communicate and give views on different issues and, at the same time criticize.

Adrian and Elizabeth have started their articles with some kind of dialogue. Adrian commends Elizabeth on her article about the way she handles the printing culture. This, he says, shows printing press as an instrument of transformation. This also explains why she talks of unacknowledged revolution. She notes that although everyone seemed to agree that the consequences of the advent printing were of great importance, they all stopped short of telling us just what those consequences were&&&A beginning is what I attempted to provide.

This tends to help Adrian in his work, and, he agrees that it is important to be grateful to Elizabeth for her efforts to get a comparison. Elizabeth also addresses Adrian directly and talks about the differences they face. She says that the formulation of questions they ask is the center of their differences.

This clearly shows the dialogue between these two writers. Their main aim is to evaluate the press revolution and address the issues concerning it. This is because modern printing is very different from early printing. They both agree on the revolution of the press and its changes in society.

There is an argument between Adrian and Elizabeth on their historical work. Adrian is trying to criticize her works. Particularly, in the article printing press as an agent of change, Adrian finds foul where historians have applied some of her information to inform the masses. According to Adrian, this is wrong since her way of giving information does not conform to what is at stake today. The two historians disagree on some issues that regard to the revolution of the press.

The book on The Nature of The Book is part of their argument. Elizabeth insists that her perspective to view the situations is very different. Further, she says that the aerial view of a landscape is different from that on the ground. This justifies that she has her own opinion regarding the printing press.

John insists that Elizabeths work as centrally about the history of books. The argument is countered by Elizabeth, who states that John did not have a good look at her illustrations on the book. Religion is one of the areas of argument where Elizabeth claims that John dismisses her contrastive view of censorship.

Elizabeth also opposes Johns to focus on major European powers neglecting the minor powers. John sees this as an objection by Elizabeth on the concerns of local labors. Elizabeth defends her position with the use of quotes in her book that an article in 1964 misled her.

Information dissemination is different regarding the two historians. The text used is very different to exchange of knowledge which, is a factor that the historians should deal with. Chronology of Gutenberg commemoration, according to Elizabeth, is not simple. She further states that it started way before Isaac Newton and James Watt. The arguments of the two authors are based on the printing press and its revolution.

The printing press has gone miles in terms of growth. John, on his side, wants to show how Elizabeth printing work has changed the views of historians. He uses some quotes from her books, to express his views on most of Elizabeths work. Although they may seem to criticize one another, various issues in the printing press are well outlaid. The only difference that may be seen is that early printing is not the same as modern printing.

This has as well revolutionized modern historians, as most of them have improved their cases. The evidence they present is also in a way similar as their arguments are easily countered. Historians have also been monitoring the values of printing for many years. The statement shows how printing has changed the concerns of the authors as it has undergone a revolution.

Benedictine recorded printing invention as a great achievement and used it to make his work. Benedictine also used it to buy modern work at low prices and trade to ignorant librarians. According to him, hand made books are superior as compared to printed works.

Many other authors have wrestled with the subject of printing. Several questions have been asked, like when printing first was discovered. The expansion of bibliography as a recognized regulation and most of its proponents cataloged and sorted written materials. Many careers came into place with the printing press like the typists, new trade style and advertising.

These careers, according to authors depict how modern printing helped societies. Some new tools were used to answer to questions historians had. Historians like Lucien and other historians of the Annales School showed that tracing could be done on how printing changed the lives of authors and readers. Diagnostic tools were also used to measure the temperature and texture of a whole culture.

The historians also joined in giving various contributions to the printing press. This gave printing different styles as Roger Chartier and Robert Darn ton used printing history as a key to their work. Bob Scribner addressed propaganda forms in protestant rectification in the course of the history of printing. Carlo Ginzburg rebuilt the empire of the individual reader. This made the printing steadily mount to a turf where historians and others could deliberate and team up while practicing various historical research.

This gives an argument that is different from that of John and Elizabeth. The later authors use the history of printing to move ahead and give proper information to others and, also inform them. Elizabeth and John, to some extent, influence them since the same tools that they used were later used to measure the credibility of the printing press. The revolution of the printing press makes an impact on historians in their endeavors. They also seem to share their ground as well as learn from the manuscripts and scribes from early centuries.

The arguments of the different historians can be accounted for in rather a different way. The later authors acknowledge the work of Elizabeth in the unacknowledged revolution. This talks more about printing and its evolution. Although John does not agree with Elizabeth in the part of The Nature of the Book, it does not affect the later authors.

According to Elizabeth, The Nature of the Book has attracted many accolades and prizes, but, it seems to treat the shifting of the script to print as inconsequential. Adrian, on his part, does not agree with Elizabeth, and this gives them a different opinion on printing history. John wants to show that, The Nature of the Book acknowledges printing, which is different from what she thinks.

The authors that come later into writing about the printing press contend with an unacknowledged revolution. This explains why they were seeking more knowledge about printing. Many of their questions regarding printing are asked in most of their works. This proves Elizabeths questions on printing and its impact on the other historians. The revolution of the printing press came at a time when most of the historians were cynical in trying to use the improved techniques.

Many of the stories placed centuries apart, cannot be similar, according to Elizabeth. However, John has an idea that these stories can find a feature that joins them. All in all, their arguments cannot be ignored, as they give options and knowledge on the history of the printing press. It is no doubt that their work helps other historians take a big step towards a great achievement in the history of printing.

The arguments presented by the two historians, that is Elizabeth and John can all be countered in different ways. The later historians use their arguments, to come up with a more elaborative history of the press. Although they try and twist the issue at hand, their arguments are as a result of Elizabeth and Adrian. Several concepts in the historians work came from earlier printed information.

Protestant reformation issue is a good indicator whereby, scribes and manuscripts as part of the printing press were helpful. The historians all agree that printing press brought change to the entire society. Hard copy books and manuscripts stayed long past the printers had started to work. This makes historians talk more about the revolution of the press. The agreement on issues of printing by the historians indicates that they all have seen the evolution of the printing press.

The historians also adopted the use of bibliography and chronology, which is part of the evolution of the printing press. The dialogue created between Adrian and Elizabeth is a sign that they all enjoyed the printing press as they can give their views and try to understand one another. Historians have also put into consideration the culture of reading and writing. This is one of the successes of the printing press as encroachment in the printing press is felt.

The revolution of the printing press is seen in these editions since many of the historians give their account on the printing press. From as early as the eighteenth century to the twentieth century the growth of the press is felt by the authors. The arguments of Elizabeth and Adrian are a major boost to the education of the printing press on other historians. This shows that they all accept and agree that the press has undergone a revolution.

Bibliography

Adrian, John. How To Acknowledge A Revolution. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2002.

Einstein, Elizabeth. An Unacknowledged Revolution Revisited. USA: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Einstein, Elizabeth. Reply. USA: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Grafton, Anthony. How Revolutionary Was The Print Revolution. USA: Cambridge University, 2002.

Executive Summary

Changes in media presentation and information delivery is a 21st-century issue that people embrace from different parts of the world. Pitiably, some parts of the world still strive to integrate such structures into existing systems. Besides giving an overview of the ethnic and socio-political environment of Bahrain, the paper provides an opportunity to compare traditional and new media.

Even though digital media strives to surpass traditional media, the electronic media is still at its infancy, and therefore under huge surveillance and government control. Other issues under discourse include the merits and demerits of electronic media for the people of Bahrain with much focus on the positive effects. The Arab Spring and its consequences are still evident, and it explains the austerity regarding new media in the country.

Largely, the Bahraini media broadcast and print are in Arabic with an occasional presentation of news pieces in English and Malayalam. The Bahrain News Agency is in control of most media outlets but plans to embrace new media from other countries, including CNN. It also offers oversight to regional and global news delivered in Arabic or English. Bahrain is a kingdom ruled by a family condemned for its austerity over media censorship.

The media in Bahrain experiences partial freedom because the ruling power policy largely defends the media that highlights the activities of the royal family in a good light. Bahrain has a diverse population with immigrants from different countries, including the US, China, and Malaysia, among other countries. It explains the significance of local media content in fulfilling the desires of the target consumers. Transition to digital media was not very easy for the Bahraini government ahead of the Arab Spring of 2011 to 2012.

Introduction

Bahrains media industry used to be one of the most conservative in the UAE. State-owned media houses operate under the influence of the government. Unlike Dubai and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain accommodates different religious beliefs, such as the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, among several others.

Two years ago, the Bahraini government decided to open its system to new media. The digitalization of media content and reduced censorship of traditional media explains the extensive involvement of Bahrain residents in social media. Today, the country records about 1,000,000 digital media users in the country.

Traditional media in Bahrain

Al Waqt and the Al Wasat are the most common dailies produced by the Bahraini Press. Most Newspapers read in the country are in Arabic, gaining a readership of about 70 000 people daily. Media censorship mostly results from extensive appraisal of the kingdom and the family that runs it. In the recent past, the monarchical government permitted privately owned media houses to invest in the country.

The growing demand for digital media was obvious, especially for foreign media houses broadcasting in English, Pakistani, and Hindi, among other languages. Bahrain has different ethnic groups, but the four most popular are the Shia, Balochis, Bania, and the Sunni. Normally, over censorship of the media leads to the departure of most media outlets to other countries. In addition, media censorship reduces political, economic, social, and technological growth in different countries, not only in Bahrain.

The media provides coverage to different UAE countries, and it explains why Dubai gets the highest amount of publicity, followed by Saudi Arabia in the UAE. Ordinarily, Saudi Arabia has strict media censorship characterized by the existing societal frames. According to the framing theory, different regions create frames that best identify with their cultures, political ideologies, and beliefs (Ebrary, 2008).

When the set frames display excess censorship of the media, it becomes very difficult for other countries to understand ongoing activities within the target environment. Sometimes people prefer establishing businesses in Saudis hostile environment because of its good media coverage as opposed to Bahrain or Kuwait, which are fairly calm and good for businesses. According to Plunkett (2007), press freedom or diversity does not signify fewer media censorship.

The Bahraini government is yet to come to terms with the transforming business environment since it places more emphasis on media content in comparison to the value media freedom adds to the country. Most people feel that the Bahraini kingdom censors much information, and it explains the slurred technological growth.

Oil-rich countries in the gulf mostly experience the challenge of overreliance on religion and political viewpoints while forgetting that media freedom should serve the people and not the government. Media gagging most occurs through prominent constitutional clauses such as the Press Law of 2002, which restricts the media in terms of sources of information.

Changing media habits in Bahrain

It took about nine years for the media in Bahrain to enjoy using digital content, a battle that began in 2002. By 2011, the media in Bahrain and other parts of the world declared the country one of the most misinformed states in the world. Signal blocking for Al Jazeera in Qatar and Al Arabiya in Saudi Arabia during the Arab Spring, and limiting internet use prevented many people from understanding the happenings within the country and the UAE.

According to RSF, Bahrain tops the list of internet foes. Bloggers, activists, and other social network users are in the process of seeking justice after their imprisonment for displaying pornographic material or data that was likely to fuel ethnic violence. Intimidating digital media is not a way to peace and normalcy in countries. Instead, media freedom and moderate surveillance of media content are good for a developed country.

Bahrain protects the Muslim religion, its political activities, and the culture, and it explains why the media has to be careful when covering such content. When Bahrain invited international media into the country, the visitors had to pay attention to minute details. Media filtering is nothing new in the country, and the international media had to give a list of all the equipment they would bring into the country (Gunther, 1992).

Accountability is different from asking people to present the list of both tactical and informational equipment in a country. Since the country opens to foreign direct investment and the international media, the people from Bahrain enjoy high-speed internet connectivity and advancements in ICT. Al Wasat and the Gulf News that cover the larger GCC went digital, and information became accessible and affordable to many people who could not purchase newspapers daily.

Bahrain citizens do not have to wait for publication the next day; they access newspapers online. Technology is ubiquitous and inevitable in the 21st century (Plunkett, 2007). Sometimes the surveillance authorities fail to realize that people opt for digital content because of its easy accessibility allowing people to access different materials from phones and other small gadgets. In addition, powering technology is slightly easy because portable and light devices can store power for many hours.

By 2008, the UAE displayed the highest amount of internet penetration in the world. Du and Etisalat, the greatest mobile data and phone operators, enjoyed consumer attention, but Bahrain was still in the process of opening its overly conservative system to new media. The following graph explains the different ways in which the internet slowly penetrated the Bahraini landscape.

Internet penetration is a transition that takes the world by storm. In the recent past, the Bahraini people depended on computers to access the internet. Today, they depend on smart TVs and Phones for similar services (Chhabra, 2013).

The fact that people carry high-speed internet gadgets enabled by 4G internet connectivity proves that Bahrain is in the process of a major internet revolution. From cyber cafes to open email addresses and the use of social media in homes, colleges, and other social places, the government fears for a great Arab Spring that surpasses 2011 attempted coup.

Impact of changing media on society

Freedom of the press is an indicator of democracy. However, media management is necessary because the information remains very sensitive, and lack of control could lead to massive destruction. The digitalization of media content in Bahrain has great consequences for the people. They enjoy high-speed connectivity at affordable prices, but the trend threatens the morality of its youths.

Positive

Media content digitalization

When digital media surfaced in the world, traditional media was afraid that it might lose jobs, especially some print journalists. Naturally, the role of the editor in the newsroom keeps changing because he or she is no longer the gatekeeper. Instead, the news editor plays the role of a receiver of critical information through blogs and other timely news avenues. With 4G internet connectivity, people can receive virtually all types of news in various languages, including Hindu and Sunni.

In an attempt to revive the dying print content, newsrooms transform newspapers and magazines into softcopy, enabling Bahraini residents to access Al Wasat online. Bahraini citizens can also use Etisalat phone and internet services to search for various information of great interest to them, and this varies from one individual to another.

Today, 60% of newspaper readership depends on digital content, and the greatest advantage is that the digital content has translations into the nine ethnic subgroups of the Bahraini people (Watch, 2010). Consequently, international media uses the same platform for communication in English and foreign languages. Even though Bahrain is one of the most accommodating countries in the UAE for immigrants, the Arabic language and Islam are some of the most prominent cultural aspects that even digital media appreciates.

E-commerce

Antony is a business analyst who identifies the government, the social environment, and the political climate as dependents of e-commerce. SMEs are largely dependent on e-commerce because of the need to identify the growing markets while advertising at the same time. Media houses apply a similar concept by opting for the digitization of newspapers and tabloids to increase access to the materials.

Chhabra (2013) discusses resource mobilization in four different ways. He identifies the way e-commerce contributes towards the development of business-to-business (B2B), business to customer (B2C), customer to business (C2B), and customer-to-customer (C2C). The four areas summarise the societal facets that specifically require the services of e-commerce. Once an economy goes global and capitalist, there are high chances that it will equally go electronic.

China and the Middle East had some of the most conservative economic structures. However, they realized that Africa is an excellent market for crude oil and other raw materials. Structures put in place in the developed world have few e-commerce avenues whose expertise is obvious. The regulations are top-notch, and taxation is inevitable. Regionally, people promote the growth of e-commerce through diversified structures.

Chhabra (2013) mentions that regulation is difficult when countries operate many e-commercial outlets at the same time while neglecting legal and ethical measures requisites of protecting the buyers and sellers. Other key players in the industry include broadband service providers who provide high-speed internet services while enabling the suppliers to meet the sellers and the customers.

Electronic companies have the role of designing software that would accommodate the growing need for e-commerce, including affordability and reliability. The agricultural sector and the fashion industry cannot ignore the role that e-commerce plays in promoting businesses.

Today, farmers share information concerning-agriculture, which provides sustainable agricultural solutions. Sesame seeds, sunflowers, and cauliflower are in high demand, but few farmers are capable of accessing this information without e-commercial knowledge. Even as these areas require the attention of e-commerce, the Bahraini people need education, empowerment, skills, and equipment to manage e-commerce.

Cultural integration

Cultural integration opens up economies to different investment ventures in the world. When two countries do not understand each other, it becomes impossible to establish foreign relations. At the macro-environmental level, the Bahraini people often communicate with different people across the world through social networks. Today, Facebook and Twitter are the most common social networks through which they share information.

The response to social networks owes to the affordability, efficiency, and effectiveness of information transfer from one place to another. For instance, it only takes seconds to connect to a person in the US through Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively, people can use VOIP services, which are equally fast, safe, and efficient, but are slightly costly in comparison to social networking, emailing, and other internet usage platforms.

The internet breaches all cross-cultural barriers, and it explains why Bahrain is in the process of establishing an American entertainment industry in the country. Walt Disney is in the process of extensive investment in parts of the East, and its success in East Asia gave the company optimism that it would survive in the Middle East. Initially, the Bahraini government ardently protected the Muslim religion while dictating the morals of society.

Through Pay TV channels, the people of Bahrain get exposure to international media, and it explains the reduced austerity on religious and cultural issues in the country. The media transforms the lifestyles of the people of Bahrain in a good way. For instance, the country largely depended on fish and other natural foods (Watch, 2010).

The eating etiquette is an element of culture influenced by the consumption of digital content since Pay TV has many food channels from across the world. The changing trend is a health concern for the people of Bahrain, but it boosts the economy for processed foods, especially proteins.

The media still changes in Bahrain, with most people embracing infrastructural development while realizing the need for quality communication in tapping the business potential of the country. When Saudi Arabia decided to develop a second megaproject in the country, other members of the UAE displayed massive interest in the facility. King Abdullah Economic City borders Jeddah and the Red Sea, while its proximity to Mecca is obvious.

Its placement in the region attracted Dubai, Kuwait, and Bahrain into establishing seaports that directly link to the KAEC. It means that digital communication is a rider for economic development because it provides an environment of information sharing and discourse across borders. The UAE countries understand that such projects will expand the entire region in one way or the other.

Saudi will not be the only beneficiary of the project because other member states of the UAE provide either mutual or direct support for the successful completion of KAEC in 2020. Digital media provides an excellent platform through which people in Bahrain can communicate with others within and outside the UAE in order to share information about development agendas (Ebrary, 2008).

Negative

Ahead of the 2011 Arab Spring, Saudi prevented Aljazeera from live broadcasts, and the internet went down until the crisis ended. Bahrain took a similar approach to digital content since the countries knew that social media and the internet fuelled the violence. Today, there are different graffiti in praise of social networks such as Facebook. The closure of Facebook was aimed at reducing ethnic mobilization and incitement through digital media.

During the Arab Spring, different surveillance units arraigned bloggers and journalists in courts for accounts of incitement. Arrests and torture were understatements for people found sharing any information that contradicted the rule of law. Antiriot police officers dealt ruthlessly with street demonstrators, and the intelligence units tracked servers across Bahrain. Following a temporary closure of Al Wasat, its reopening signified the extent to which government influence could cause the intimidation of independent media.

Issues of violation of human rights, corruption, and intimidation attracted many discussions, and the government had to intercept such information from reaching other parts of the world (Gingrich, 2003). The Wall Street Journal, the Sun, the BBC, Al Jazeera, and the New York Times, among other foreign media outlets, lacked access to Bahrain because the immigration commission refused to finalize the visa-issuance process during the Arab Spring.

Media ethics

Besides the increased revenue of digital media instead of traditional media,, there are concerns that the new media promotes obscenity, and it lacks privacy. For instance, during the Arab spring, the government intimidated media surveillance agencies to trace the IP addresses of different content users. Digital media is easy to corrupt since people use Photoshop software and other capabilities to impersonate other people and track them.

At the micro-environmental and the macro-environmental levels, digital media exposes several risks in Bahrain daily. The ruling family of the Bahraini kingdom only gives credit to religious, political, and cultural ethics with limited emphasis on the ethical and legal conduct of other people. In the future, Bahrain might be one of the greatest controllers of the roaming internet, especially when it threatens the political class (Patrut, Patrut, & Cmeciu, 2013).

Conclusion

In review, the transition from traditional to digital media is an exercise that will take Bahrain to realize it completely after a very long time. The monarchical government displays displeasure in free media because the 4th estate is likely to use the information to overturn the government. The situation in the expansive UAE is not very different because the government expects anything from the community that aggressively uses media sources for information dissemination.

References

Chhabra, S. (2013). ICT influences on human development, interaction, and collaboration. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

Ebrary, I. (2008). Doing Business 2009: Comparing Regulation in 181 Economies. Washington: World Bank Publications.

Gingrich, G. (2003). Managing IT in government, business & communities. Hershey (PA), IRM Press.

Gunther, A. C. (1992). Biased Press or Biased Public? Attitudes Toward Media Coverage of Social Groups. Public Opinion Quarterly, 56(2), 147-167.

Patrut, B., Patrut, M., & Cmeciu, C. (2013). Social Media and the New Academic Environment: Pedagogical Challenges. Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global.

Plunkett, J. W. (2007). Plunketts wireless, wi-fi, RFID and cellular industry almanac 2008. Houston, Tex: Plunkett Research.

Watch, H. (2010). World Report 2008. New York: Seven Stories Press.

The wonderful thing about writing a regular blog post is that you have a steady writing assignment. The challenging thing about such a gig is that you need constant streams of fresh content. How can you generate endless new ideas  ideas that seize reader attention, reel them back in for more, while, oh by the way, convince them to take appropriate action? The challenge is identical whatever you are promoting, whether a product, an idea, or behavior change. Fortunately, unexpected sources of inspiration surround you. One way to manage this is to reference whatever excites your audience, and then, while your reader is nodding in pleased recognition, lash that idea or concept to the underlying purpose of your blog.

Use the News

Scan the news each day for stories that work people up. In journalism, the old saying is that if it bleeds, it leads. The vast number of comments that almost all news stories accumulate reflects peoples avidity to air their own take on the events and trends with you or with other readers. For instance, imagine that you blog for a young adult audience. News coverage of the ongoing evolution of high stakes assessments such as the SAT, as one example, could trigger engaging blog posts on a whole constellation of related issues potentially relevant to your site or your clients. What about testing anxiety, test prep, changes in math and language arts pedagogy, the predictive value of test results for adult success, inequities in college admissions and efforts to offset them, and on and on? Somewhere in that list, there is something that many blogs could latch onto for a topic that will ignite interest. Listen to NPR or the BBC for an effortless brain feed of credible stories.

Use Social Media

If you have a Facebook account, you have blog content. What are your friends on Facebook discussing or posting? Grab it. Your Twitter account, as well, is a direct line to the unconscious of literally millions globally. What is trending? Duck-faced selfies? Consider how this might relate to the general subject of your blog.

Are you familiar with AskFM? This anonymous message board attracts mainly the middle and high school set, but if your blog deals addresses this demographic, then you need to be connected. While tending to the trivial and profane, but there are nonetheless important topics embedded in this tween/teen stream of consciousness. Dip into AskFM to illuminate what consumes youthful minds and time, for example, perpetual discussion of games, whether the sort that people play on hand-held devices or the multi-player variety. What a great entree to discussing the new addictions, the lure of hand-held devices, the new ways of spending discretionary time, the opportunities for advertising on such game sites, and a myriad of other cool topics!

LinkedIn may not necessarily be your go-to site for blog ideas. However, remember, people on this professional/social site post pictures and news snippets about their industries and workplaces. Use these as a launching pad for your next blog post.

Use Internet Videos

YouTube is another social media that reflects, albeit indirectly, what shocks and amuses people, day by day. Watch what shows up often  and check out another site called YouTubeNation. This regularly features videos on related topics, usually genuinely hot, for example, on developments in internet privacy, always an explosive topic. You could blog on protecting ones online identity, or advocating for greater protection.

Use the visual freebies posted by others

iFunny is another source of content  especially visual material. iFunny displays what seems like an unending stream of memes and pictures, visual jokes, and anything else that strikes the global funny-bone. Sometimes too racy for family-friendly blogs, these images/cartoons/memes reflect what folks are worried about, angry about, or amused about, thus make great blog fodder.

Integra has been denigrated as Twitter for the illiterate, but it is nonetheless a terrific window into the popular mind. Granted, the vast majority of hash-tag topics seem to deal with Hobbits, lunch platters, kittens, and Justin Bibber. Nonetheless, there are plenty of serious topics as well. Be aware that many of the joyously uploaded photos are actually proprietary. Check for copyrights, please. The main benefit here is inspiration. What obsesses that many people will interest someone in your blog  consider the phenomenon of photo-bombing. What does this say about modern society?

Miscellaneous Sources of Great Blog Ideas:

The Style section of The New York Times includes wildly diverse stuff, like Daniel Jones Modern Love column, featuring reader essays. Reference these juicy fashion and relationships insights in your own blog posts. Check out the Sunday Review of Books as one exemplary free source of the newest literature in your field.

The Federal Register records all the actions of the US Congress and Senate, which sounds deadly. Actually, it airs daily idiocies of the nations highest bodies. Check for the equivalent in your jurisdiction. And speaking of political sites and publications, almost all politicians will happily send you newsletter of local or regional machinations.

Reddit.com is where many young people head for news  so much the worse for the legacy news organizations! This mix of totally amateur stuff and some rather more serious items can inspire innumerable blog posts in almost any subject area.

Use your readers good ideas, whether through guest posts, competitions, or a survey.

Courage  the world is full of a number of things!

The past few decades have been characterized by an increase in the media content available to the public. Some of this media is of a violent nature and questions have been raised as to the effect of exposing children to violent media. Parents, teachers and psychological health professionals all express concern about the effect that violent media might have on children. The article Violent Media is Good for Kids by Gerard Jones addresses this issue. Gerard argues that violent media can play a positive role in the development of a child by enabling him/her to express his rage and other intense energies in a manner that is beneficial to the child while at the same time benign to everyone.

Children learn a lot from their surrounding during the early developmental years. At the early age, children are very impressionable and they make use of the material obtained from the external environment to construct their own ideas. It is therefore suggested that exposing children to violent content will make them prone to engaging in the same violent behavior in real life. Parents are frequently warned that exposing their children to violence will predispose them to developing violent tendencies.

It is assumed that engagement with violent content will increase the probability that children will make the child adopting violent behavior outside the media situation. Gerard disputes this commonly held perspective on violent media. He questions the assumption by parents and educators that exposure to this violence will have a detrimental effect on the development of the child. Gerard argues that parents should not be quick to keep their kids away from violent content as it might play a positive role in the lives of the children.

The article is aimed at parents and educators, who are the individuals who play a significant role in exposing or limiting the exposure that children have to violent media. Gerard is addressing an audience that does not share his opinion. He notes how teachers beg parents to keep their kids away from violent content. At the same time, he notes how parents are keen to protect their children from this content. The main point made by the author is that exposure to violent media has a positive role that the society does not recognize. Gerard warns that modern kids are far more likely to grow up too passive (203). Through his argument, Gerard seeks to change the mind of the hostile audience and cause them to consider the merits that violent media might have on the development of the child.

To make his case for violent media, Gerard Jones employs the use of various rhetorical appeals. He makes use of ethos by highlighting his own experiences with violent media. He reveals how this exposure changed him from a scared little boy into a successful action movies and comic books writer. By revealing his profession as a successful writer, Gerard communicates to his audience that he is not only familiar with violent media but also one of its creator. This establishes his authority on the topic since he has intimate knowledge on the subject. Gerard relies on pathos to demonstrate the positive impact that violent media can have in real situations he has witnessed.

He paints a clear picture of the little girl Emily who was writing violent stories in class while her parents were separating. Gerard notes, She was small, an only child, a tomboy at an age when her classmates were dividing sharply along gender lines 201). The audience is moved to feel sorry for this poor child. The Author then reveals how the violent media helped her to become a leader among her peers. Gerard also makes use of logical reasoning to persuade his audience. He provides evidence of how violent media has resulted in positive outcomes. He gives instances where children made use of these aggressive media to overcome various challenges. Gerard declares that thanks to violent media, Emily came out of the bad experience not only fiery and strong, but more self-controlled and socially competent (202).

In the second case, an older girl coped with a chaotic family situation through violent music. This enabled her to avoid adopting deleterious behavior in her teenage years. The examples show a cause-effect situation where violent media led to positive outcomes in the life of children.

I feel that the author was very effective in making a case for violent media. He acknowledge the reservation that many people have about exposing children to such content and proceeds to show that negative emotions are present in all humans. He shows how violent media can help children express this energy in a safe place as opposed to repressing it. The use of real-life examples to make his case increases the effectiveness of the authors work. The audience can identify with the situations the children highlighted face and easily see the positive impact that violent media had on their lives. I find the article organization very effective. By starting with his own experience with violent media, Gerard establishes himself as an expert at an early stage and the audience finds his claims credible because of this.

Parents and teachers have expressed great concern about the impact of exposing children to violent media. The article by Gerard Jones seeks to alleviate these concerns by showing that violent media actually has a positive effect on children. Instead of trying to prevent their children from accessing this content, parents should encourage it. The arguments made by the author are strong enough to persuade parents and teachers to view violent media in a more positive light.

Work Cited

Gerard, Jones. Violent Media is good for kids. Current issues and enduring questions (A guide to critical thinking and arguments, with readings). Eds. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 199-203. Print.

This documentary film casts a light on the peculiarities of Ayurvedic medicine. One should note that it is a set of techniques which have been practiced in India for more than two millenniums. In turn, the movie explores the experiences of a journalist who wants to undergo this form of treatment.

I heard about Ayurvedic medicine before, but I did not attach much importance to it because I have always believed that medicine has to be based on evidence derived from experimental studies with a clear methodology. Furthermore, other scholars should be able to replicate this research. In contrast, alternative forms of medicine are not supported with the help of such evidence.

Additionally, I think that alternative forms of medicine are mostly based on the placebo effect. In other words, a patient may feel relief if he/she believes that the physician offers a valid form of treatment. The main issue is that this medicine does not eliminate the underlying causes of pain or discomfort.

Moreover, it does not change the physiological state of a person. These are some of the assumptions that I made prior to watching this film. To some degree, this movie has confirmed some of my beliefs. In particular, Ayurvedic medicine also involves the use of placebo effect. This is one of the reasons why a patient is asked to take part in religious rituals.

Moreover, the practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine do not believe that their method is the best solution to every possible illness. In many cases, they state that a person should refer to a conventional doctor. They can do so if a person has an acute health problem (Palfreman Film Group & Reid, 2010).

To some degree, this openness prompted me to adopt a more positive attitude towards this technique. The problem is that in many cases, the advocates of alternative medicine do not admit that their techniques have limitations. In contrast, the practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine take a more responsible approach to such cases.

Yet, this film shows that Ayurvedic medicine does not enable patients to make informed decisions. In particular, they do not know if there are different treatment options available to them. In many cases, patients simply do not know what a physician is doing (Palfreman Film Group & Reid, 2010). In my opinion, it is the duty of a medical worker to discuss the peculiarities of treatment with a patient. This is another limitation of Ayurvedic medicine.

Overall, modern scholars are rather skeptical about Ayurvedic medicine, even though it incorporates techniques that are commonly accepted. For instance, much attention is paid to the use of massage which is widely adopted in various fields of medicine (Douillard, 2012, p. 3).

Nevertheless, scholars do not recognize the validity of herbal therapy which is an important part of Ayurvedic medicine (Carroll, 2011, p. 47). These practices can produce the placebo effect at best. Moreover, it is possible that they give rise to complications. These are the main details that can be singled out.

This film has been very informative because it enables viewers to take a critical and unbiased view on alternative forms of medicine. The movie is not aimed at showing that Ayurvedic practices are useless or dangerous. Instead, people should keep in mind that the perceived improvements brought by this method can be based on the placebo effect.

Moreover, viewers should remember that this approach is completely inappropriate if a patient has to struggle with an acute health problem. Nevertheless, it is important to conduct experimental studies that can determine if this treatment has any therapeutic impacts. These are the main details that should be identified.

Reference List

Carroll, R. (2011). The Skeptics Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Douillard, J. (2012). The Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Massage. New York, NY: North Atlantic Books.

Palfreman Film Group (Producer), & Reid, T. (Director). (2010). Second Opinion with T. R. Reid: Inside Ayurvedic Medicine [Motion Picture]. New York, NY: Palfreman Film Group. Web.

The observation essay Witnessing: US citizenship and the vicarious experience of suffering by Carries Rentschler inspects the way the residents acquire and are probable to be a spectator to human misery by the means of mass interceded representations. According to the author, the residents bear witness by the means of not only ordinary but also unexpected methods of media records.

The main topic of the article is the images of the violence, killings, and travail that are presented with the help of mass media; moreover, the author provides the reader with the vivid examples of how mass media applies these images in order to manipulate certain political and nonpolitical events.

Proficient and unprofessional vivid demonstrations of killing and brutality, for example, appeal to the audiences and requests them to prudently turn their attention to the imageries of travail and its reasons as a part of a traditional bereavement; however, these images could be applied in order to maintain soldierly accomplishments as well. The author claims that in its deceptively traditional methods, at that time, the performances of mass facilitated observing possess an unavoidably party-political constituent. This declaration appears to be the thesis statement of the whole article.

The author supports his thesis statement immediately with the examples of pictures and prints hanging in the windows of trade shops throughout the metropolises and smaller townships in the United States with the appeal to reminisce the fatalities of September 11^th terroristic attack. These posters play not only the traditional role of memorial services and gratitude, as these deceased sufferers play the chief part in explanations and defenses for the war of the United States against terrorism as well.

Despite the fact that the fight with extremism provides a connotation to the appeal to pay witness to the reminiscence of the fatalities of the terroristic attacks on September 11th, conflict followers have made imperceptible a lot of the noncombatant and combatant losses of soldierly exploit of the Unites States and the United Kingdom in the confrontation as well. Furthermore, the party-political discrepancy amongst the deceased whose misery deserves to be displayed, and the fatalities that remain unnoticed becomes fabricated into the deed of bearing witness.

Moreover, the author states that perceiving establishes a custom of discriminatory responsiveness towards the sufferers of the military actions, and from time to time empathy to the deceased, in customs that every so often make imperceptible residents own contribution to national viciousness against other people.

One of the main claims towards the support of the thesis statement is the explanation of the concept of the witness. It indicates the situation of a stayer, a person that has observed the fierceness near him and survived to express what he has seen to other people. One of the most noticeable clusters of stayer-spectators in the Unites States and a lot of area of the Western domain are Holocaust fighters. The author states that this example is competent as the structured assemblies of survivors and their party-political agents have turned the practice of honoring the Holocaust survivors and increasing the awareness of the tragedy into a very mindful governmental scheme.

An observer, nonetheless, possesses an ability to indicate a consistently motivated variety of performances that African-Americans conduct in order to reminisce the inheritance of oppression and the combat against chauvinistic ferocity at the present day. The Holocaust is apparent as a range of survivor involvements and actions of observing, in addition to some of the administrative explanations stated before, for the reason that it has been very well renowned.

In several significant customs, then, the connotation of witnessing might change from that of the specific (narrative) involvement of the stayer towards the more widespread involvement of the mass media viewer. According to the article, to witness implies an action that is beyond simply observing or seeing. Moreover, it appears to be a method of physical and party-political contribution as well, when the individuals perceive and document what is every so often disguised by their apparent detachment from the proceedings, apart from, possibly, in those unexpected practices that the individuals make of broadcasting documents to remember the disaster.

To observe, perceive or overhear anothers persecution from in the distance is able, on the other hand, to establish the affecting and governmental systems of contribution to others misery. The individuals are able to take prurient inclination or immature attentiveness to the descriptions of others misery. The indirect involvement of others travail, at that juncture, occurs in the framework of the relations that individuals establish with substances, chronicles of the past events, even the procedures that people use in order to structure their day.

The strengths of the article are concentrated in the observation of the researches regarding the subject matter, as the author supports his arguments with the theory of mass media studies. The weakness of the article lies in the fact that the author applies his entitlements to the majority of political and non-political events, thus ranking the work of mass media to one practice of using the tragic events for their own purposes.

A documentary titled Explorer: Inside North Korea produced by the National Geographic Channel provides a unique view into the life of the most reclusive society on earth North Korea. The country also has the worlds fourth-largest army and probably the most protected border in the world. North Korea is ruled by a dictator who exposes his citizens to unimaginable horrors and demands that they refer to him as Dear Leader.

The documentary has been produced by the National Geographic Channel crew headed by an American reporter Lisa Ling. In order to get a glimpse of the totalitarian country and its totalitarian political culture, the crew pretends to film the work of a famous eye surgeon from NepalDr.Ruit. The surgeon has a noble goal of treating patients who suffer from the debilitating disease of cataracts. Even though it is a common illness that is easily treated by a simple surgical procedure in the West, developing countries are not able to create the conditions necessary for timely examination and treatment of the disease. Dr. Ruit has been granted permission by the government of North Korea to arrive in the country with a humanitarian mission of treating more than one thousand blind patients.

Upon arrival in the totalitarian state, the crew discovers that the country vehemently opposes technical advancements from the outside. However, the rejection of modern technology is not a single peculiarity of North Korea. With the help of hidden cameras, the crew is able to film the hysteria and almost religious fervor surrounding the communist leader of North KoreaKim Jong Il. He is not entirely different from other famous dictators: while the country is mired in poverty, he enjoys religious reverence that comes with materialistic perks of luxury. The crew discovers that nobody is allowed to lie on the ground in front of a statue of the leaders father Kim Il Sung, who was also considered a godlike figure. It becomes clear that even a minor perception of a transgression against the leader of North Korea could lead to hauntingly tragic events such as imprisonment in one of the numerous concentration camps or even execution by firing squad. One of the operators of the National Geographic Channel crew discovers a park bench protected by an impregnable case. He is being explained by a guide that the bench has to be preserved because Kim Il Sung once sat on it.

Dr. Ruit has to perform more than a hundred surgeries per day in order to achieve his objective to remove cloudy lenses from the eyes of old people and children of North Korea. Perhaps, the most striking part of the documentary is its finale. When the doctors patients uncover their bandaged eyes and discover in amazement that they have been cured of the horrible disease of cataract, they immediately proceed to praise their totalitarian leader. In the pandemonium of happiness that follows, they take photos with pictures of Kim Jong Il, and nobody even thinks about thanking Dr. Ruit for returning them their eyesight. The crew observes in amazement how officially atheistic people engage in almost religious worship of their leader. An old Korean lady yells that she is so thankful to Kim Jong Il for treating her blindness that she promises to work even harder in salt mines for the glory of their nation.

The movie I recently watched was filmed in 2015 and appeared on the screens this year. It was directed by Candace Maracle, who has already won an award for her first documentary, so I expected this one to be rather impressive as well. Being an experienced journalist, the director gathered lots of information about the indigenous mobilization, which provided her with the opportunity to include numerous details in The Grandfather of All Treaties (VanderStoop, 2016).

A lot of different issues are discussed in this film, but what grabbed my attention was the emphasis on the connection between society and the environment (May First, 2015). I was very impressed by those meetings, during which people wore gas masks to emphasize the existing problem of environmental pollution. In addition to that, the slogans on their T-shirts pointed out the necessity to clear the human spirit as a part of nature, which made me realize that the majority of the population, including me, think of human beings as something unique and independent. Still, we are not able to live outside of our environment, and that is why it is critical for us to preserve it just as shown in the film, where people used their treaty rights to protect nature.

I was also impressed by the scenes of indigenous life, such as the process of making a belt. A man seemed to perform some ritual so that each movement and decision he made had additional meaning and ensured the success of agreements. Such dedication can hardly be found today as we tend to treat our work as a routine. It was interesting to see how the protesters communicated and cooperated as it seemed that togetherness empowered them and gave them more energy to fulfill their goals.

Even though I would like to get more information about the original treaty and the connection between the past and the present, I really enjoyed this film. It made me reconsider the way people treat and preserve their nature as well as their readiness to return to their origins and cooperate for a mutual goal.

References

May First. (2015). The grandfather of all treaties: New film to look at the most important treaty in history. Web.

VanderStoop, W. (2016). The grandfather of all treaties: A film by Candace Maracle. Web.

Introduction

In my perception, Chinese Ney Year is inseparably linked to rich symbolic imagery, ancient superstitions, delicious foods, and colorful festivals. It is possible to say that the Golden Dragon Parade, which takes place in the Chinatown of Los Angeles every year since the very beginning of the 20th century (Golden Dragon Parade), reveals the nature of this traditional holiday to its full. The event was planned on February 17.

When I arrived at the destination an hour before the intended start, the crowd was already gathering. Many children and adults were wearing red garments including festive traditional clothing with golden embroidery on them. Some ladies were holding Chinese paper umbrellas trying to hide from the sun. One could hear the petards blasting from every side once in a while. From the very beginning, it was possible to feel a thrilling atmosphere of waiting for something big and miraculous. Then the major and the most exciting part of the celebration, the parade itself, began.

Golden Dragon Parade

Under a loud accompaniment of drums and percussions, a long procession headed by young people carrying colorful flags slowly paced along the Broadway street. Behind them, the large dragon puppets were waving and zigzagging from one side of the street to another. Most of the Chinese visitors tried to touch the dragons, and a few of them even managed to feed the puppets (and the gods whom they personify) with red envelopes  for good luck in the following year. After a short period of observation, it became evident that a plethora of practices, small attributes such as color and decorations, and the very idea of gathering together inherent with Chinese New Year has a deep meaning and implications, which may seem bizarre for those unfamiliar with this tradition.

This field experience inspired me to research a little bit more about the customs, symbolism, and rituals involved in the celebration. It turned out, the Dragon Dance (also known as the Lion Dance) dates at least two centuries back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC220 AD) (China Highlights).

At those times, the ceremony had a purely religious meaning, while at the later stages, it started to serve as entertainment as well. Nevertheless, even today, many Chinese people see the dancing dragon (lion) as an agent of Heaven who can break bad formations and save anyone from misfortunes (Yap 232). The given New Year tradition drastically contrasts the American one.

Christmas, as an equivalent to Chinese New Year, is rather quiet time. Of course, during the holidays, we are all full of similar festive sentiments as Chinese people are during the New Year, and perform our rituals, many of which resemble those practiced by Chinese. However, the origins of the majority of Western celebrations are by far less prominent, and they appear to be much more conservative in their character. At the same time, the Golden Dragon Dance reminds me about some traditional pagan festivals that take place across Europe: they all have their roots in antiquity and are based on complex astrological and alike belief systems.

Conclusion

Golden Dragon Parade was undoubtedly a remarkable experience, which provided me with an opportunity to deepen the insight into a different culture. From a particular perspective, the parade held in Los Angeles can be regarded as a celebration of American cultural diversity. It reveals how different and yet similar distinct traditions may be and signifies that they may perfectly get along together within one social context.

Works Cited

China Highlights. Chinese New Year Dragon Dance. China Highlights, 2017. Web.

Golden Dragon Parade. Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, 2018. Web.

Yap, Joey. The Art of Lion Dance. Joey Yap Research Group, 2016.

Media is a powerful tool for transferring important messages can change the opinions of the public or make a difference by supporting a particular point of view or persuade to change ones opinion. This paper will examine three examples of such persuasive messages found in media. A persuasive message is the one that usually involves a benefit or appeal for the individual that receives the message. In order to persuade the receiver, the sender of a message should put an emphasis on the value that the receiver gets from responding to the message.

Furthermore, a persuasive message is built on the basis of research and understanding the needs and requirements of the intended receivers. This aspect is also instrumental in encouraging the recipient to share the received message with others. The sources of persuasive messages can be varied; however, because of a meticulous implementation, messages from media are the most persuasive.

Fiat Safe Driving

The first example of a persuasive message is the Fiat Safe Driving Campaign. Created by a Brazilian advertisement agency Leo Burnett, the advertisement is a series of three minimal black, and white posters that depict merged letters F, N, Z, and R with images of a little girl, a dog, a cow, and a bus. The tagline of the advertisement is You either see the letter or a little girl (a dog, a bus, a cow). Dont text and drive (as cited in Creative Bloq, 2013, para. 3).

Such an innovative idea has found a balance between striking and memorable imagery and a strong message that makes the recipient reflect. The purpose of the advertisement is to get attention and make the recipient look at the image further to distinguish between the shapes of a letter and an object. This is directly linked to the fact that a person can have difficulties with texting behind the wheel and cause danger to others.

Furthermore, the contrast between the black and white was instrumental in creating sleek images of a dog, a bus, and a little girl. These advertisements were created not to promote the Fiat brand but to emphasize the importance of safe driving. When a recipient first looks at the image, it is clear that it is a depiction of a letter; however, when looking further, an object can be seen. The achieved effect is parallel with texting a driving  a driver sees letters and words on the smartphone, paying less attention to the road and not seeing objects to which a driver can pose a danger.

This message did not change my perception of the environment since the danger of texting while driving is recognized. However, it was powerful in a sense of transmitting a message my the means of minimalistic imagery with an optical illusion. If comparing this advertisement with the persuasiveness of other driving campaigns, it wins in terms of the imagery-message combination. Some campaigns tend to depict quite striking images of consequences of unsafe driving. The Fiat campaign, on the other hand, does not strike the recipient with a devastating image, it tastefully combines a black and white image with a short message that was surely embedded into the memory of the recipients.

No More

The second example of a persuasive message is the No More Super Bowl Campaign. It is a strong message that reminds the public that domestic abuse and violence never stopped, even when its Super Bowl. The No More campaign is a thirty-second clip that shows a text message history between two girlfriends. One girl is having fun watching the game and encourages the other to join her. The second girl says that she should probably not go out because her boyfriend or husband is in one of those moods. When asked is she ok, the girl gives no answer.

This advertisement reminds its recipients that the signs of domestic abuse should be recognized and eliminated; domestic abuse is not a joke. According to the statistics outlined in the Up Worthy article 5 Clever Super Bowl Ads that Had Messages way Bigger than Football (n.d.), twenty-four people become victims of partner violence in the United States (para. 17). Furthermore, the campaign was also influenced by the fact that NFL had failed in handling the cases of domestic violence connected to its players.

The persuasiveness of the message is linked to its relatability. A text message conversation between two friends is a common thing; however, a topic of domestic abuse is rarely discussed in such a conversation. The No More campaign shows the problem of domestic abuse as usual, but the primary purpose of the message is that it should not be treated like ordinary.

Sam Berns TED Talk

Sam Berns was a boy that suffered from progeria, a very rare illness of premature aging that was only detected in three hundred fifty people on the planet. In his TED Talk Sam talked about his disease and how drastically it had affected his life. However, the main topic of the talk was not focused on the disease, but how he was able to have a positive outlook on life no matter what. He was persuasive in telling his audience that that it is normal not to be able to do something other people can. Thus, it is beneficial to try making some adjustments to move the things a person cant do into a category of the things that can be achieved.

To support his idea, Sam had told a story about how he wanted to play drums that were too heavy for him. The drum weighted 40 lbs while Sams weight was only 50 lbs. To make his dream come true, Sam along with his parents and an engineer had worked together to create a special drum that would be six times lighter than the standards one so that he could play with the band at halftime (TED Summaries, 2014, para. 6).

The second important message in Sams speech is surrounding oneself with people that are supportive. According to Sam, the persons environment has a direct impact on the life. Lastly, Sam stated that there was no time in life to feel sorry for himself, with the disease he suffered from he just wanted to move forward and make a difference in life. Sams speech was persuasive because he did not use any complicated metaphors or put an emphasis on his medical condition; he was persuasive because everything he had said came from his heart. By looking and listening to Sam, I was able to reflect on my life and understand that I should do a lot in my life to make a difference and have a positive outlook on everything.

References

Couch, R. (n.d.). 5 Clever Super Bowl Ads that Had Messages way Bigger than Football. Web.

Creative Bloq. (2013). Minimalist Posters Drive Home the Dangers of Texting while Driving. Web.

TED Summaries. (2014). My Philosophy for a Happy Life: Sam Berns. Web.