The Role of Mass Media in the 2008 U.S. Elections Essay Example for Free

The Role of Mass Media in the 2008 U.S. Elections Essay The United States of America rejoiced on the outcome of the recently concluded 2008 Presidential Elections which made Former Senator Barack Obama victorious over his political opponent Senator John McCain. The election was considered as one of the most memorable in the history of politics in the United States for it was the first time that an African American won over the dominating White race in the very powerful and elite field in the society. In a society that has a rich history of racisms and discrimination; it is hard to believe that people will allow such event to happen. It just proves that parity among races and ethnicity is almost at hand. The mass media is one of the most important tools that play a significant role in the presidential election that happened last November. Through the mass media, people were able to keep tabs of their candidates if they are winning or losing the race. Media also informed the public of the polls that are being counted in various states all at once. Thus, making the acquisition of relevant and useful information is a lot easier through the use of mass media. They have a duty to inform the public of the recent important events that bear relevance and concern of the people’s daily lives. Media will always play an important part in every election or any important event that will happen, because the media is tasked to record any important events that will shape the contemporary society. Mass Media Mass media has been around for generations and its importance in the society is recognized over the years as it participated in some of the most significant events that shaped the contemporary society to what it is now. Mass media is a collection of tools that is used in mass communication to disseminate vital information and messages that is perceived by the people. Mass communication and mass media are partners in informing, entertaining and educating the public. Mass communication is the process of transmitting messages and information through a medium or a channel to a large and diverse audience or market (Lane). It is a special section of the media intended to use in reaching a very large audience. Mass media is a tool of communication that is utilized in facilitating mass communication. It is composed of eight mass media industries which include Magazines, Newspapers, Books, Recordings, Film, Radio, Television and the Internet (Lane). These eight media industries are grouped in three main categories which are the print, broadcast and digital medium. It is not easy to define and describe the various aspects encompassing the functions and roles of media since it is an industry that is most adaptable to change. The emergence of digital communication technology which is a recent addition to the collection mass media tools, manifests that the media industry adheres to the dynamicity of the modern society. Recently, there are another additions in the collection of mass media tools due to the advancement of human technology which invents and innovates tools and gadgets that are capable of reaching a large audience all at the same time. A cell phone is one of the most wonderful products of technology. Mobile phones or telephones are technically considered as tools for mediated-interpersonal communication. Conventionally, it was only capable of bridging two people together in an exchange of messages. But because of the technology that is responsible for the recent features that are added to the typical mobile phones, some phones nowadays are equipped for internet browsing, radio streaming and camcorders that are classified as tools for mass communication. The media have so many functions that it helped the public in attaining relevant information in an instant. Media also serves other functions in the contemporary society such as informing the public. During the times of war, acquisition of information is very difficult and some of the information obtained by the public is often filtered by the government officials. The government also imposed restrictions to what type of information the media can impart to the public. This process is also known as â€Å"gatekeeping†, which means filtering of information by either the government or the media itself. During these years, media is controlled by the government. When a war has ceased, reconstruction of the casualties and damages caused by the war should follow. In this light, amendments on the governing laws of the government are done and freedom on media activities is provided. However, the freedom that is provided is not absolute, because there are still laws that are being drafter to ensure that freedom abuse by media will not occur. The First Amendment of U. S. Constitution states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances† (â€Å"U. S. Constitution: First Amendment† n. p. ). The others functions of the mass media is to entertain and educate its audience. To entertain is to provide leisure to the audience in various forms like programs and advertisements. The media also educates the public in several ways, such as through the programs being broadcasted and through articles that are published by the print media. Mass Media: The Fourth Estate The media is often accused of imposing a culture that is far from reality. It is often criticized by leftists and supporters of the Marxist ideologies and communism which control all the functions and aspects of the state. In communist and socialist countries like China and Russia, respectively, the media serves as a medium wherein the role of the government is emphasized and its intentions are being made clear for the public. However, in democratic countries that allow the media and the press in exercising freedom of speech, they serve a function of fulfilling the important roles of being the fourth estate of the nation. They become the watchdog of the government, â€Å"the guardians of democracy, and defenders of the public interest† (â€Å"The Mass Media as Fourth Estate†). The phrase Fourth Estate is attributed to the 19th century historian Carlyle who expounded Edmund Burke’s statement about the Three Estates of the Parliament. But Carlyle then referred to the reporters in the gallery of which he described that acquired equal powers as the other estates. The press is considered as the Fourth Estate or the fourth power who watches the checks and balances of the three other wings of the government which are the executive, legislative and the judiciary (â€Å"The Mass Media as Fourth Estate†). The media closely watches over the activities of the government officials and public figures ready to expose any of their misconduct and wrongdoings for the public, in order to come up with necessary actions to be imposed against the committed delinquency. As such, the role of the press is to inform the public of the government’s activities and in turn, become the public’s voice in order to express their opinions and stand on the issue. Roles of Media in 2008 U. S. Elections The mass media takes part in every significant event that happens in the society. The mass media is able to record every detail of a particular event. As such, the media has a strong impact on the political landscape of the United States. Media greatly influences the outcome of political events and participates greatly in political decisions. Media played a significant role in the recently concluded 2008 U. S. Presidential Elections. From the first step of choosing the candidates for the political parties in the United States, towards the campaign period and until the Election Day and tallying of votes; the media takes a huge participation. The people have seen how Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hilary Clinton fought over the presidential bet of the Democrat Party. The people were informed of how they debated many times presenting their platforms and ideologies that hopefully would win the hearts of the Democrats and the supporters. It was broadcasted in television and radio and printed in newspapers. The entire world has heard how the critics commented on the huge change that will be brought by the Democratic Party – whoever of the two will make it on the Presidential seat – either Obama will become the first African American president of the United States, or Clinton will emerge as the first female president of the country. The campaign period was put into motions and people have seen how the candidates utilized the various media outfits to gain an advantage over their political opponent. People have witnessed how the candidates infiltrated the different mass media industries to increase their popularity and win over the race. The common tools of political campaigns are the television, radio and newspapers. The faces of the politicians are to be seen everywhere promising political reforms and national development. Even the digital communication technology was also used due to its prevalence and popularity especially to the young people. Even though the utilization of broadcast media increased exponentially, this is the first Presidential election wherein the social networks in the internet such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube were utilized to persuade the electorate (â€Å"Social Media and Presidential Election: Impact of YouTube, MySpace†). The utilization of these tools is new and convenient. First, the use and access of the various social networks is free. As such, this can cut off the costs for the campaign fund. Second, it reaches a large audience because the internet is used by people every now and then. Plus, the social networking in the internet is very popular especially to the young people and that every voting population has a registered account. It is traditionally known that people will turn to the conventional media to acquire information about a candidate and obtain political information pertinent in making their political decisions. But nowadays, people are also turning to internet sites and personal social network accounts to see the views of their friends on who to vote for. The information they find in the internet, especially on social network accounts, are information they find more credible and persuasive (â€Å"Social Media and Presidential Election: Impact of YouTube, MySpace†). There are also discussions pertaining to how media presents and determines the outcome of the Presidential Race. The media greatly influences the people and has a huge tendency to shape the public opinion solely based on their concentration on a particular political candidate. This is why media popularity is considered most important. It is important that you are able to reach people even in the farthest places and make them know the candidates well (â€Å"The Involvement of Mass Media in Political Campaigns†). The voter’s view can also be altered by political advertisements that do not merely focus on the real political issues but only of trivial concerns. This may cause voters to either dislike the candidate or develop sympathy towards them. With the involvement of media, elections often become popularity contests due to the popularity polls that are being shown in the broadcast and print media prior to the actual voting. Commercial advertisements were also used in election campaigns to get the voters to believe and take the position of a particular politician. Politicians have a difficult time in guiding the voters’ opinions due to these particular actions of the mass media (â€Å"The Involvement of Mass Media in Political Campaigns†). Media also plays a significant part in covering the counting and tallying of votes during the Presidential Elections. The coverage of mass media involves two key elements which are news reporting and paid advertising. The combination of the two makes an important and influential factor in the election process. The media looks forward on the election for news and revenues they will gather because the candidates rely mainly on the media to reach the largest number of voters possible (â€Å"Mass Media Coverage of Presidential Election†). The media plays a very powerful and justifiable role during elections. Despite of being accused on focusing not on the main political issues but on the unnecessary personal lives of the candidates and other criticisms thrown against the media, it still performs its duty to the public as the watchdog of the government. Their job is simply to present the truth and detect any misconducts or wrongdoings done by any of the political figures aspiring for a seat. Conclusion Mass media continues to play significant roles and functions in the conventional and contemporary society. Mass media enables people to acquire necessary information in an easy and fast way. Mass media also plays significant roles and functions during elections. They perform their duties from the start of the campaign up to the counting of the electoral votes. The mass media has been an important part in the recently concluded 2008 U. S. Presidential Elections wherein Senator Barack Obama obtained victory and as such, became the first African American president of the United States. The participation of mass media in the campaigns marked the presidential elections. It was the first time that the candidates utilized all the available mass media means just to reach the largest voting population as much as possible. It is undeniable that the mass media will always continue to record history and shape and mold the society. Works Cited Lane, Beth. 29 June 2007. â€Å"What is Mass Media? † Suite101. com. 11 December 2008 http://medialiteracy. suite101. com/article. cfm/what_is_mass_media_. †¢ The article defined mass media and mass communication and examined the recent additions to the mass media industry which is the digital communication technology. â€Å"Mass Media Coverage of Presidential Election†. 19 December 2001. OPPapers. com. 11 December 2008 http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Mass-Media-Coverage-Presidential-Election/22555.

Research Paper on Gregory Rasputin -- Biography biographies bio

Grigori Rasputin was not a very great person in history. A great person in history does good and important things for his people, country and the world. Early Life and Family: Grigori Efimovich Rasputin was born on January 10, between 1864-1872, along the Tura River in the village of Pokrovskoye. Rasputin was married to Praskovia Fyodorovna in 1889. His mother was Anna Egrovna and his father was Efim Rasputin. Grigori had three children with Praskovia, named Varya, Maria and Dmitry. Because of his constant drunkenness and "sexual appetite," the people of Pokrovskoye resented Rasputin. He grew tired of peasant life and in 1901, left behind his family and home in Siberia as a pilgrim. During his travels, Rasputin visited Greece and Jerusalem and, in 1903, Rasputin arrived in St. Petersburg where he claimed to be a holy man with healing powers. In St. Petersburg, Rasputin was able to catch the attention of St. Petersburg's religious leaders with his stories and beliefs. Years as a Monk: At the age of 18, Rasputin spent three months at the Verkhoturye Monastery. Because of his exceptional physical endurance and perseverance, Rasputin was successful at Verkhoturye. During his time at Verkhoturye Monastery, Rasputin became fascinated with the Orthodox faith known as the Skopsty. Followers of this faith believed that, in order to reach godliness, you had to sin. This religious attitude explained Rasputin?s controversial personal life of drinking and sleeping with women. Rasputin left the monastery and traveled throughout Russia and the holy land as a holy man and healer. During his travels, Rasputin caught the attention of the Russian church with his knowledge of peasants and religious teachings. In 1905... ... disturbed by a group of Petrograd workers, after the February Revolution. They carried Rasputin?s body to a nearby forest and burned it. In Rasputin?s last days, he became suspicious and wrote a prophetic letter describing his death. In the letter, Rasputin wrote that if he were to be murdered by a noble, that noble would be cursed for twenty-five years and Russia would fall into chaos. Bibliography Arnold, Phyllis. The Soviet Union. Edmonton AB: Westweb Press, Canadian Social Sciences Services Ltd., 1984. Beeche, Arturo. The Evil Monk. www.eurohistory.com/rasputin.html, 2006. Fuhrmann, Joseph. World Book: Rasputin. Chicago IL: World Book, Inc., 2001. ________. Grigori Rasputin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasputin: Wikipedia Inc., 2006. Moynahan, Brian. Rasputin: The Saint Who Sinned. New York: Perseus Books Group, 1999.

America’s First Ladies

The Intrigues and Witticism of America's First Ladles Introduction According to many Americans, First Ladies usually play the normal roles of wives to their husbands, doing the regular activities that wives are supposed to do for their husbands. Such activities, of course, do not include the usual house chores such as doing the laundry and scrubbing the bathroom. These are left for their trusted maid servants. Apart from ensuring that the President's suits have been nicely pressed, the First Lady will also be expected to accompany her husband during certain state functions of which she is required to.However, as Bill Alder reveals, the White House Is not Just a place to sit back, relax, watch TV and Walt for Mr.. President to come back home from a busy day. There are a few secret activities that go on inside and outside the chambers of the White House which would raise a few eyebrows when revealed. The following is a review of the book America's First Ladles: Their uncommon Wisdom fr om Martha Washington to Laura Bush by Bill Alder. It takes a deeper look into how these ladies are perceived by Alder and his personal opinions on their witticism and amusing undertakings in the White House.The following Is an Insight of some of Hess ladies' lives. Mary Todd Lincoln In the book, Alder pits the wife of Abraham Lincoln as a big spender. When her husband was vying for the top seat In the country, Mary Todd once whispered to a friend of hers that if Abraham won, he would remain privy to her habit of spending wildly. On the other hand, Mr.. Lincoln would have a hard time to digest the fact that his wife Is a spendthrift If he won the presidency (Adler, 2002). During her childhood years, Mary belonged to the aristocracy of Lexington.Her association with a privileged class increased her love of elaborate and showy attire and accessories. Though she couldn't settle for cheap clothing and would never have dreamt of getting married to a man who was way below her class, she so mehow fell in love with Abraham Lincoln, a poor man who was raised in a log cabin. As soon as Mrs.. Lincoln set foot inside the White House, she became a fashion symbol and was often under scrutiny by Journalists. She was mostly criticized over the high costs of her dresses.Some media houses sometimes suggested that the state funds used to buy her dresses would have been used to send aid to American soldiers who were dying in the battlefield. By doing so, her spendthrift nature would have been curbed. Her redecorating of the White House raised many eyebrows including those of her husband. Her extravagance and explicit taste of fashion actually made some European fashion designers emulate her. French Empress Egg ©nine is one of the women who were spotted adorning similar dress designs as Mrs.. Lincoln.Her extravagance was way too much as compared to previous First Ladles and her stay In the White House was a clear indicator of a change in pomp and glamour. Julia Tyler In 1844, John Tyler became the first American president to marry while holding office. He stunned Americans even more by marrying a lady who was thirty years younger than him (Adler, 2002). 21 -year-old Julia Gardener Tyler, another descendant of a wealthy family, however proved to the world that despite her tender age, she had to play near role as First Lady. Much like Mary Todd, Alder describes Julia as an explicit extravagant.The First Lady was seen to preside over functions with a high- spirited attitude. Prior to her entrance in the White House, guests used to be received following procedures laid out by the Van Burn administration. But during her time, he totally changed the reception procedures. She adorned plumes in her hair as she received guests. In addition, her maids wore white dresses which was a new trend as far as observers were concerned. According to her, she made all the alterations to revive the White House in order to please her husband.Using her wit, she believed that Presid ent Tyler would gain a lot of satisfaction by watching people praise his young and vibrant newly wedded wife. Ellen Wilson Not all women who have lived in the White House are full of unprecedented drama. Ellen Saxons Wilson is portrayed by Adler as a calm and composed motherly Oman. Most Americans at that time viewed her as a sweet caring mother. Being a daughter of a church minister, her humble and serene background may have played a major role in developing such a character in her.She is also one of the few women who never saw what the big deal was in staying in the White House. She never showed great enthusiasm in being the wife of the president of the United States of America. However, Lade shows an interesting side of Ellen. Having known each other since they were kids, Ellen and Woodrow Wilson did not shy from showing how much they loved and cared for each other. During the course of their romantic relationship, they two are rumored to have exchanged more than 1,000 love lette rs (Adler, 2002). Despite giving it her all in showing romance to her husband, Ellen also had a soft spot for art.Her love of painting saw her put up a studio complete with a skylight erected inside the White House. She continued with her hobby unperturbed even after attending the weddings of her two daughters in a span of six months. Hillary Clinton Being among the most learned First Ladies to ever stay in the White House, Hillary Roadman Clinton made her presence felt in the most convincing way possible. In her ears as an undergrad, she was a member of the National Honor Society. She also honed her leadership skills back then by being a student leader.By the time her husband, Bill Clinton, clinched power, she had already been appointed to the board of Legal Services Corporation by President Jimmy Carter. After President Clinton assumed office, she was given another official role of chairing the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. Despite all these roles, Adler shows how she still tried her best to balance between family, work and service. Conclusion The book does a good Job in giving an insight into the secret lives of America's First Ladies. It also reveals the goings-on that many an American are not familiar with.The book mostly contains anecdotes such as the antics of Mary Todd Lincoln. It also does a fantastic Job in exposing how most of the First Ladies were major spendthrifts who did their best to leave a mark in the White House in terms of pomp and color. An example is Julia Tyler who completely revived the reception procedures whenever foreign personalities paid a visit. His extensive use of lengthy speeches can be commended and criticized as well. An example is the reproduction of Hilary Silicon's address at Wellesley College. The letter sounds interesting at first but becomes dull soon afterwards.

The Utilitarian Theory on the Moral Issue Free Essay Example, 2250 words

According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the ethical theory of hedonism holds that the supreme end of man consists in the experiencing pleasure. This implies that man s action is good or bad depending on whether it gives pleasure or earthly happiness to man. Utilitarian Ethics is a British speculative conception which is viewed to be hedonistic, as it is a philosophy, based on the empirical investigation, hedonism, the association of ideas and a liberal and human approach to political and economic affairs . In utilitarianism, the good is understood to be an earthly pleasure, happiness or well-being. And Jeremy Bentham used a quantitative calculus to measure and determine the proper moral choices in which pleasure is greater than pain. John Stuart Mill, who originated Utilitarianism with Bentham, added qualitative measures to the quantitative calculus in order to evaluate higher pleasures of the intellect and the imagination. For the classical Utilitarian Ethics which Bentham and Mill developed, there are two types of utilitarianism: Individual or egoistic utilitarianism, or simply egoism. Herein the norm of morality resides in the individual. We will write a custom essay sample on The Utilitarian Theory on the Moral Issue or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now What redounds to individual happiness is good, what prevents it is bad. Social utilitarianism, or simply altruism. This holds that an act is good when it is conducive to the collective good of society. And today, several features of social utilitarianism appeals to modern-day societies and organizations. These are: First, its clear and orderly basis for formulating and testing policies/ programs/processes. What promotes the general welfare more than other alternatives is good. That which does not promote total utility equal to other alternatives is wrong or must be modified. Principles, policies, and rules must be subjected to the test of utility standards, and not accepted blindly. According to this principle, it can be seen that the World Health Organization formulated and imposed a code of ethics to safeguard general welfare, particularly of mothers and infants, as opposed to the advantage of individual groups or business companies.