The Effects Of Medication And The Side Effects On Children...

I often hear the advertisements on the television about the list of side effects to watch for when taking various medications. Several medicines mention the possibility of causing the very disorder they are supposed to relieve.There are medications prescribed to treat depression, with side effects that can actually cause it.Some of us have mineral and vitamin B deficiencies that also can be causing depression and mood disorders. An article in the Sunday Sun Sentinel News titled It s your pick; Natural supplements or drugs by pharmacist Suzy Cohen describes the benefits, of moving from prescription medications to vitamins and minerals, when dealing with depression . Ms Cohen, in the field of Pharmacology for 22 years, defending her stand on vitamins versus medications states, Lives depend on us being educated about natural remedies as well as pharmaceuticals. Ms Cohen further states a deficiency of Vitamin C, or B12 cannot be replaced by drugs and that using medication to accomplis h this can actually cause depression. In this article Ms Cohen compares the side effects of Medication versus the side effects of the various minerals and vitamins Magnesium, Vitamin C, B6, folic acid and 5-HTP can enhance mood. When taken in natural, physiological dosages these nutrients are well tolerated. Typical side effects are gas, diarrhea and/or minor stomach upset. Comparing with this the gold standard antidepressants, she continues; Depending on ones age and medical history,Show MoreRelatedChildren, Adolescents Psychotropic Medication Essays1681 Words   |  7 Pages Psychotropic medications, also referred to as psychiatric or psychotherapeutic medications, are used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They have been used for many years and oftentimes come with dangerous side effects. The side effects that often occur in children taking these medica tions can include: fainting, blurred vision, vomiting, extreme weight gain, and even death (SeroquelRead MoreHidden Dangers of ADHD Medications632 Words   |  3 PagesThere are many medications that affect children’s health in today’s society. Doctors prescribe lots of medication which can be avoided, when children are properly diagnosed with certain health problems. Attention - deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has impacted many people with the danger of certain medications which is overprescribed to all ages each year. The hidden dangers of the medications these doctors are prescribing, is that our children are being misdiagnosed with ADHD at a very earlyRead MoreAdhd And Its Effects On Children1723 Words   |  7 Pagesdisease in children besides asthma. Over the past twenty years, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD has risen to 3.5 million compared to 600,000 in 1990 (Schwarz A1). The families affected by ADHD rely heavily on their physicians to accu rately assess their children’s symptoms, but the doctors trust on observers to record the child’s symptoms correctly. Parents need to develop a greater sense of awareness from the observations of the serious side effects that come with the medication their childrenRead MoreEssay about Children and ADHD Medications1305 Words   |  6 PagesChildren and ADHD Medications What is attention deficit hyper disorder? ADHD is a â€Å"chronic condition that affects pre-school or very young school children (Zivkovic 3822). ADHD symptoms are difficulty sustaining attention, impulsive behavior and hyper activity (3822). There was a research conducted by Cordest hat ADHD prevails in 3 to 5% of preschoolers and is more common in boys than in girls (3822). Children as young as three and four years of age are being diagnosed with ADHD and are beingRead MoreOver Medicating Children832 Words   |  4 PagesProfessor Carlton Downey January 18, 2012 Overmedicating Children Five year old Jacob Solomon was first suffering from deficit disorder for which he was put on medication, later he was put on more medication for over five years to control different side effects by each medicine; due to the prescriptions Jacob developed tics in his neck which was a side effect of all the medications. He still took more and more tablets to cover up side effects from the first one without solving his initial disorderRead MoreThe Treatment Of Psychiatric Drugs1309 Words   |  6 PagesThe Use of Psychiatric Drugs To Treat Children Statistics determine that seventeen million children in the world have been prescribed psychiatric medications for mental illnesses or disorders (â€Å"Facts and Statistics†). In a society where one in four people suffer from a mental illness, it’s disturbing to find that many of these people are children. Many of these children will never have the opportunity to live normally without being under the influence of a drug. After taking a position as a leadRead MoreThe Effects Of Adolescent Medications1261 Words   |  6 Pagesthirty years has seen an increasing trend of children using a variety of prescription medications to manage behavior, emotional disturbances, and mental illnesses. Recent data has shown a substantial increase of children using antipsychotics as behavior modification despite minimal information, regarding long-term effects. Parents, medical providers and children are sometimes afforded a choice on which path of treatment to follow; whether it is me dication management, therapy, or a combination of theRead MoreBehavioral Medication and Children with ADD675 Words   |  3 PagesToday’s children in America have become a primary source of pharmaceutical financial gain. Up until the 1990’s children who were restless just needed physical activity, and children who were not paying attention in class were daydreaming. Presently, however, these same children are being diagnosed with ADD or Depression. They are being treated for these imagined ill-states of mental health with medicine that they do not need. More children today suffer from the side effects of the medication more soRead MoreEffects Of Adhd On Children With Adhd1442 Words   |  6 PagesSeptember 2015 Overdiagnosis Of ADHD Medication Four percent of all children in the United States Of America are diagnosed with ADHD (â€Å"When Will America Just Say No†). From 2008-2012 the rate of children diagnosed with ADHD went up 30 percent ( While there are this many diagnoses’ not all of them are correctly given. Some people pretend to have ADHD so that they can abuse the medicine with it. This is one of the reasons people are divided at giving their child the medication and not. Although some peopleRead MoreSsri s For Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor1651 Words   |  7 PagesSSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. These medications are in a class of drugs called antidepressants. Antidepressants first started being marketed in the late nineteen nineties to adults for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Studies done during this time showed that SSRI’s had less negative side effects compared to depression medications that were already being used. Prozac was the first drug in this classification of antidepressants. Today not only are SSRI’s used for

The Effects of WWI Essay - 2214 Words

Woodrow Wilson created the Fourteen Points in order to show what America wanted from the war. Out of the fourteen points, the first five were allotted towards bringing about general peace that would benefit economically and socially benefit the countries that fought in World War I. Wilson wanted to obtain peace for the Allies and â€Å"drive a wedge between the Kaisers government and the German people by holding out to them the option of a humane and reasonable peace† (Brower). This intended to lead the Central Powers to agree with the Treaty of Versailles. Another objective of these points was to remove economic barriers for international trade and increase safety. Previously, the United States had dangerous experiences travelling by ship for†¦show more content†¦The different factions of ethnicities in Austria-Hungary would all be self-governing under Wilson’s fourteen points, since most of them were discontent with being ruled by the same leader even though they did not feel as if they were part of the same nation (Brower). These eight points brought great change among several European nations. Wilson’s fourteenth point established the League of Nations, which ensured â€Å"political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike† (Brower). The League of Nations was intended for keeping peace and respecting the independence of other nations, but the concept of a league was controversial in the United States. The fourteen points served the purpose of forming peace, but America received mixed reactions on how other countries agreed with this. Wilson’s Fourteen Points did not work as they were intended for certain reasons. These points technically meant that Wilson, the American president, would be controlling foreign affairs in Europe that did not directly concern American citizens, such as borders of countries. Moreover, the Fourteen Points were equated to peace without victory, and the natio ns in the war obviously wanted victory, which is why they participated in the war. Although peace would be an ideal condition, few countries had the willingness to give up a victory. Most countries would rather lose the war after surrendering, than simply give up on the war andShow MoreRelatedPropaganda Effects of Wwi3372 Words   |  14 PagesPropaganda effects of World War I During the early 1900s a new era of warfare emerged as governments began to employ all economic, technological and psychological resources available to defeat their enemies. This concept of Total War altered the direction of humanity and governments understanding in their allocation of resources. This essay will examine the relationship between propaganda used during World War I, its effect on the masses and the absolutely essential need for the success of suchRead MoreConscription and Its Negative Effects in WWI1469 Words   |  6 PagesAct, also known as the Conscription Act. This act made it mandatory for men in good condition to fight, to go to war. This conscription had a very bad impact on Canada, going against the freedom of citizens which Canada supported, having negative effects on the families and the soldiers and lastly, dividing the nation into two, the English and the French. As a result of this Military Service Act, Prime Minister Borden did not commit to the promise he had made in the beginning of the war. He promisedRead MoreSocial, Political and Economic Effects of Wwi2238 Words   |  9 PagesLiebknecht. By the end of the war most had rejected the government offer of being integrated in the bureaucracy , but not without playing an important public role and gaining some advantages such as collective bargaining. The war may have had a leveling effect in many ways, but it also sharpened some social differences and conflicts.brbrSoldiers were revolting just like workers:brbriThey [soldiers] were no longer willing to sacrifice their lives when shirkers at home were earning all the moneyRead MoreEssay about World War Two603 Words   |  3 Pagesforever. The events would shape Europe until the Second World War. There were severe consequences of this war. These consequences can be broken into social, political, economic and psychological consequences. WWI definitely was a pivotal point in history. There were many social effects of World War I. Women became the majority of the work force. All of the men went to the military so someone had to work in the factories. These women gained equal pay also in these factories. This was a bigRead MoreHistory of World War I787 Words   |  3 Pages45 million (from both war casualties and disease)? This paper delves into the reasons behind the outbreak of war in 1914 in Europe. The Scholarly Literature on Causes Leading to WWI Professors Greg Cashman and Leonard C. Robinson (of Salisbury University, Maryland) go deep into matters vis-ÃÆ'  -vis the roots of WWI. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary of course was the spark that lit the fires of rage in Europe leading to all-out war,  ¦one of the most destructiveRead MoreEssay about The Beginning of World War I1494 Words   |  6 PagesWWI Synthesis Essay Bruce Lee once said, â€Å"Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them† (â€Å"Bruce Lee†). During World War I, the mistake of Serbia killing the archduke was neither admitted nor forgiven. A series of events brought together the European continent into a bloody and unprecedented war. WWI depicts that a small error or miscommunication leads to a bigger issue and suffering of people as portrayed through the aftereffects of the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. AtRead MoreEssay What Extent Is Germany to Blame for Ww11735 Words   |  7 Pagesblame for starting WWI? After a massive war, it easy to see why a lot people would point fingers at the country that lost the war. However, is this always correct; or do people jump to conclusions much too quickly? By doing this, do they also create a whole new kind of trouble for themselves to come in later years? Some may suggest that it is more productive to look at the events leading up to the war to determine who was at fault. The blame attached to World War One (WWI) is not exclusivelyRead MoreNational Security Requirements Exercised The Most Significant Influence On The United States Before The Second World War1302 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment of airpower in Europe and the United States before the Second World War (WWII). Nations on both sides of the ocean had experienced the multifaceted disastrous results of World War I (WWI) and airpower seemed to be the answer for future wars. Understanding the context and consequences of WWI is vital to comprehend airpower theorists like Douhet, Mitchell and Trenchard and their revolutionary thoughts on airpower. The development of aircraft at the beginning of the twentieth century challengedRead MoreThe Carnage of World War I1083 Words   |  4 Pagesto Heinz Guderian, Germanys Chief of Mobile Troops during WWII, it was actually invented far before that. In fact, it was developed right after WWI after seeing the devastating effects of trench warfare(Showalter). Ironically, the basis of Blitzkrieg warfare was also laid by German Field Marshall Alfred von Schlieffen of the famous Schlieffen plan of WWI(Showalter). The basic essence of Blitzkrieg warfare was built upon the belief that Germany was always going to be out resourced and out numberedRead MoreThe United States Into World War I855 Words   |  4 PagesHouse in 1912. Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war to make the world â€Å"safe for democracy.† President Wilson could not prevent getting America involved in WWI, because the Germans attacked and t hreatened American ships holding civilians hostage the allies would have lost (The White House). The first years of WWI, the U.S. made certain to remain out of the way. Germany’s resumption of submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships became the primary motivation behind Wilson’s decision

What role has been played by the media in US political contests Free Essays

Abstract In US political contests, the term media can apply to a range of items that vary from newspaper articles to attack advertisements. This essay examines the role played by the free press- television news and newspapers- and traces the role that free media has come to play in the results and courses of US Presidential elections, refuting, in the process, the position that free media, and the press, acts as passive intermediaries between candidates and the voters. Introduction Protected by The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which reads ‘Congress shall make no law†¦abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press’, free media, especially the press, through dissemination of opinions, facts and analysis of events concerning Presidential candidates and their campaigns, has come to play a large role in the results and courses of presidential elections. We will write a custom essay sample on What role has been played by the media in US political contests? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although Dalton, Beck and Huckfeldt (2008:111) have argued that ‘the media’s role as an intermediary is most evident at election time, when the media are the primary conduits for information on the campaign’, the common recognition that the press acts as part of the ‘Fourth Estate’, a term originally coined by Edmund Burke (quoted in Carlyle, 1841) to acknowledge the noticeable influence of the media upon politics, suggests that the role of the press and media far exceeds the simple passivity of intermediation that Dalton, Beck and Huckfeldt suggest is media’s primary role during an election. Role of Free Media and the Press in US Presidential Elections Even in the initial stages of an election, prior to official party nominations, the press can begin to directly influence public knowledge of the candidates through the frequency and detail in which the candidates are mentioned. Name recognition, in the early stages of a campaign, is of vital importance and is directly effected by, and dependent upon, the media. Ramsden (1996) notes that the victor of the 1984 New Hampshire primary, the relatively unknown Gary Hart, succeeded because he convinced the press, through intense and unprecedented amounts of canvassing, that he was a more viable candidate for the nomination than his opponents John Glenn and Walter Mondale. As such, the media concerned themselves more with Hart’s campaign than with the campaigns of Glenn and Mondale, both established Democrats, and simultaneously increased Hart’s name recognition and the viability of his claim. This media attention added momentum to Hart’s campaign and ultimately allowed him to challenge for, but narrowly lose, the Iowa caucus, and to win the New Hampshire primary by ten percentage points. Although Hart eventually succumbed to the financial superiority of Mondale, and to questions concerning the vagueness of his policies, his victory in the New Hampshire primary, over an already established Democrat, is testament to the power of the media and to the influential role they play even in the early stages of election campaigns. After candidates have officially received party nominations, the role of the media shifts slightly from effecting the nomination to effecting the course of the nominees’ campaigns. Although many believe that the bias of individual press and media networks can effect public opinion, Robinson (1996:101) instead argues that ‘whilst the media can play an important role in changing voters’ perceptions, information, attitudes, and even behaviour’, it is more often the case that media bias simply reinforces, rather than dislodging or replacing, preconceived notions and opinions. Further, Della Vigna and Kaplan (2007: 2) have observed that it is often the case that ‘right-wing voters are more likely to expose themselves to right-wing media, giving an impression that the right-wing media persuades them’ and as such, media-bias and the partisan opinions of the press, in terms of long term impact, has little contribution towards changing the political opi nions of the public. Instead, free press, to some extent, controls the course of the campaign and decides whether it become a horse-race or an issue based campaign. Whilst the media can turn campaigns into horse-races, reporting polling numbers and statistics, making the story less about the ideologies, policies and ideas of the candidates and more about their viability and chances of success, it can also, as Ramsden (1996) argues, act ‘as a spotlight’ for issues (66). Ramsden’s suggestion that media acts as spotlight for issues and ideology, which is itself more in keeping with the spirit of democracy than reporting election campaigns as horse races, argues that the media has the power to select, and cover, certain issues and topics that are not at the top of the campaign’s political agenda and to reposition them as central to the campaign. As Page (1996:22) notes, ‘a large body of evidence now indicates that what appears in print or on the air has a substantial impact u pon how citizens think and what they think about: e.g., what they cite as important problems’, and it is this guidance towards ‘important problems’ that allows the media to shape the campaign paths of the candidates. The public, in general, become more politically active and aware during campaign time (Riker, 1989), and, as Wood and Edwards (1999:328) note that â€Å"the public’s familiarity with political matters is closely related to the amount and duration of attention these affairs receive in the mass media†. In a sense, the press and free media are somewhat able to dictate and influence the agenda of presidential elections, and to choose which issues are central to the debates and campaigns. Ramsden (1996) cites President Jimmy Carter’s victory over the incumbent President Gerald Ford, in which Carter’s inexperience could, and perhaps should, have played a large role in deciding the outcome of the campaign but was largely ignored by the public because the media did not make it a concern, in order to demonstrate the control that free media can exercise over topics and issues during campaigns. Conclusion Therefore, whilst the media may hold a negligible amount of power to convert and transform the public’s political opinions, the real power of the media, or the free press at least, in an election, lies in its editorial, or ‘spotlight’ role. By choosing and highlighting which areas of policy, issues or character concerns receive attention, the free press are able to guide the public towards matters which could determine both their opinions and, as a result, the outcome of the election. Thus, within a political campaign, however undemocratic it may seem, the press and free media are strong and active political agents that can change and dictate not only the agendas and issues during an election, but to some extent, the result itself. Bibliography Andersen, K. (1984) A Wild Ride to the End, Time Magazine Carlyle, T. (1841) On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and The Heroic in History. The Echo Library, 2007 Dalton R.J, Beck P.A Huckfeldt R. (1998), Partisan Cues and the Media: Information Flows inthe 1992 Presidential Election, American Political Science Review, Vol 92, Number 1, March 1998 DellaVigna, S Kaplan E. (2007) The Fox News Effect, Media Bias and Voting, Quarterly Journal of Economics. Gerges, Fawaz A. (1999) Shaping Opinion. Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 28, No. 2: pp. 104-106 Page, Benjamin I. (1996) The Mass Media as Political Actors. Political Science and Politics, Vol.29, No. 1 pp. 20-24 Ramsden, Graham P. (1996) â€Å"Media Coverage of Issues and Candidates: What Balance is Appropriate in a Democracy?† Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 111, No. 1. pp. 65-81 Riker, W. H. (1989). Why Negative Campaigning is Rational. (Paper presented at the annualmeeting of the American Political Science Association, Atlanta, GA) Robinson, John E. (1976) â€Å"The Press and the Voter.† Annals of the American Academy of Politicaland Social Science, Vol. 427. pp.95-103 The Constitution of the United States, Amendment I, (1791) Wood, Dan B. and Edwards, George C. (1999) â€Å"Who Influences WhomThe President, Congress, and the Media.† The American Political Science Review, Vol. 93, No. 2. pp. 327-344 How to cite What role has been played by the media in US political contests?, Essay examples What role has been played by the media in US political contests Free Essays Abstract The media has often played a significant role in political campaigns. Media coverage can contribute to the way a candidate is viewed in the eyes of the public, a fact that became even more prevalent during the 2008 U.S. We will write a custom essay sample on What role has been played by the media in US political contests? or any similar topic only for you Order Now elections with the introduction of ‘New Media.’ Introduction The following essay is an examination of the media’s role in US political contests. It will look at the rise of the celebrity politician in the 2008 general election whilst examining the importance of new media, old media and the virtues of the public appearance and perception of politicians. The essay will end wondering if media coverage in the 2012 election has begun to slide. Main Body The 2008 presidential race was particularly media saturated and the public perceptions of the candidates were often shaped by the media. As stated by Halperin Heilemann it was â€Å"as riveting and historic a spectacle as modern politics had ever produced† (2010:IX) and received â€Å"wall- to-wall media coverage† (2010:IX). The Media had a bigger role in the 2008 election than simply following events though as it gave birth to, or at least brought to maturity, the idea of the celebrity politician, as witnessed by the twin phenomenon of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. Halperin Heilemann note that a smear campaign against Obama was thought up by McCain adman Fred Davis who said they should, with reference to Obama’s celebrity, â€Å"turn that against him. Big CelebritySo’s Britney Spears! So’s Paris Hilton!† (2010:330). The eventual ad was called ‘Celeb’ (Halperin Heilemann, 2010) and it led to the first chink in Obama’s a rmour with the media. It is interesting to note that later on when Palin was chosen as the running mate on the republican ticket there were fears in the McCain camp that the same type of campaign could be used against her (Halperin Heilemann, 2010), illustrating that this type of coverage, and the way political campaigns use the media, can be a double edged sword. New Media played a significant role in the 2008 election. Canavan states the Obama campaign was â€Å"aided by an acute awareness of mimetic branding and viral marketing† (2010:14). Schudson observes â€Å"in 2008 the â€Å"new media† played a newly prominent role† (2009:6). The use of new media in the Obama campaign was an important part of his strategy. Canavan writes that the Obama campaign produced â€Å"half a billion dollars from three million people over the Internet† (2010:15). This shows that the proliferation of new media in the 2008 general election, and the use of it by the candidate who most visibly signified change, was a huge coup, certainly at least where donors were concerned. What of traditional media thoughDo the news networks or the press still play a role in US political racesThe answer, at least pertaining to the 2008 race, is an unequivocal yes. The deeper question though is how these institutions actually affect the outcome of an election. In terms of the 2008 election it must be concluded that they played a massive part. Halperin Heilemann note that almost every political entity in their book has a scene where they complain about the way they are being represented in the press, even Obama (2010). But it would seem that much of the press wanted Obama to win as they would ignore infractions made by him that they would not consider for other candidates, as noted by Halperin Heilemann when, after being jabbed at by Obama in a debate, Hillary Clinton complained to her aides â€Å"can you imagine if I’d made a crack like that?† (2010:180). Halperin Heilemann go onto say â€Å"the press would have guillotined her on the spot† (2010 :180). Street asks the question of whether the media’s role in political races is a good or a bad thing. He writes â€Å"reliance on television as a medium of communication tends to shift the criteria by which politicians are judged and by which they operate. Television’s intimacy, its use of close-ups and one-to-one conversations, focuses attention on politicians’ ‘human’ qualities. The result is that populist empathy rather than elite leadership becomes valued† (2004:6). Street also notes however that aesthetics and the way candidates are perceived in the media can be an important part of a political contest because aesthetics and perception can provide a notion of the candidate’s character and that is an important aspect to consider when entering the voting booth (2004). Now that the political world is observed by both new and old media, it is interesting to note how the two have played their part so far in the 2012 election. As far as new media is concerned, the interest certainly seems to have waned. Journalist Susan Delacourt observes â€Å"The 2008 presidential election that brought Barack Obama to power was probably a â€Å"watershed† for social media†¦an apex that probably won’t be reached again in the current U.S. campaign† (2012). The current election seems to have passed by old media in many ways as well. Matthew Stieglitz wryly asks of the 2012 election â€Å"that the media bring its election coverage to something bearing a resemblance to news, and that people become informed. If the issues mentioned above are any indication, this country would be better served with a populace that spends time debating politics instead of debating the cancellation of Jersey Shore† (2012). Maybe the politics just as arenâ₠¬â„¢t as interesting to a media that can now observe the politics of reality TV stars personal lives†¦and don’t need a press pass to do it. Conclusion As you can see, historically media has played a big part in the political landscape and has helped to shape people’s views of the candidate, whether through highlighting their proposals or simply believing in the character of the person they have shown on TV. In 2008 media coverage of the election seemed to reach a critical mass, in both old and new media, but both have now begun to contract somewhat. Bibliography Heilemann, J. Halperin, M., (2010), Race of a Lifetime, 1st Edition, the Penguin Group, Great Britain Canavan, G., (2009) ‘Person of the Year: Obama, Joker, Capitalism, Schizophrenia.’ Politics and Popular Culture. [online] Available at: http://www.c-s-p.org/flyers/978-1-4438-2259-6-sample.pdf [Accessed 12th September 2012] Schudson, M., (2009)’ The New Media in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign: The New York Times watches its back.’ Javnost-the public. [online] Available at: http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/system/documents/270/original/javnost-nyt2008.pdf [Accessed September 13th 2012] Street, J., (2004) ‘Celebrity Politicians: Popular Culture and Political Representation.’ The British Journal of Politics International Relations. [online] Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2004.00149.x/pdf [Accessed 12th September 2012] Delacourt, S. (2012) ‘Is ‘new’ media becoming old hat in the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign?’ The Star. [online] Available at: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1227281–is-new-media-becoming-old-hat-in-the-2012-u-s-presidential-campaign [Accessed 12th September 2012] Stieglitz, M., ‘Dear American Media: Step Up Your Game.’ Politics 365. [online] Available at: http://politic365.com/2012/09/07/dear-american-media-step-your-game-up/ [Accessed September 8th 2012] How to cite What role has been played by the media in US political contests?, Essay examples What role has been played by the media in US political contests Free Essays In democratic societies the media has traditionally played the role of intermediary in electoral contests, disseminating information from political campaigns and candidates to the voting public. However, some political scientists believe that, in contemporary US elections, the media act not merely as a medium through which campaign information is filtered, but as a agent which shapes the campaign agenda and influences voters perceptions of candidates. Introduction This essay discusses the various roles which the media play when reporting on elections in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on What role has been played by the media in US political contests? or any similar topic only for you Order Now It traces the changing perceptions of the role of the journalist and media, from the theory of the fourth estate to the practise of agenda-setting within a partisan media organisation. The rise of social media within election campaigns allows candidates to become the medium, connecting with voters directly. Media Role In The Fourth Branch of Government, Cater described the role that reporters and the media play in the political system (quoted in Cook, 1998). He believed reporters were a ‘recorder of government, but also a participant’ (Cook, 1998:1). Cook himself saw the media as a political institution in its own right, without whose interaction with the other branches of government (executive, legislature, judiciary), democracy could not function. The relationship between media and government is, Cook believes, a ‘co-production’ and the reporter ‘a key participant in decision-making and policy making’ (1998:3). The political news media themselves see their role as that of the Fourth Estate, a collective watchdog which holds government and politicians to account and plays an educator role in keeping citizens informed about the key issues shaping their economy and society. At no time is the media’s role as instrumental as during an election campaign. A s Dalton, Beck and Huckfeldt (2008b: 111) point out, ‘the media’s role as an intermediary is most evident at election time, when the media are the primary conduits for information on the campaign’. In the US, the commercial media play a dual role during political contests – as well as scrutinising the behaviour and policies of candidates, it carries paid-for political advertisements. These adverts constitute a significant source of income for news media: the Campaign Media Analysis Group estimate that $2.6bn was spent on political advertising during the 2008 Presidential election. The media, especially television, therefore also plays a commercial role in US elections. The commercial nature of the candidate’s relationship with media affects the coverage given to candidate’s campaigns, with media bias or partisanship now prevalent within most major US media outlets (DellaVigna and Kaplan, 2007). Broadcasters such as CNN and PBS, along with print and digital media such as The New York Times, Newsweek and The Huffington Post are perceived to have a bias toward Democratic candidates, while news media such as FOX, The Washington Post and Time magazine give more favourable coverage to Republican candidates. Between the 1940s and 1970s, there was a widespread assumption that citizens voted along predictable, partisan lines, and therefore media reporting of campaigns had little or no impact on election outcomes (Lazarfeldt referred to by Finkel, 1993). The decline of partisanship in US politics since the 1960s (Abramson 1982, referred to in Finkel 1993) has seen this theory of minimal effects replaced with a belief that media can influence and change voter orientation (Finkel 1993). This acknowledgement of the influence of media has led to renewed focus on the role the media plays in elections. Shaw has highlighted the distinction between the media as medium and the media as agent (2001:16). In the 2008 primaries, for example, it is widely believed that the Democratic-leaning media forced John Edwards out of the nomination race, while advocating the candidatures of both Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton. In such cases, the role of the media as agent becomes apparent. Stromback and Dimitrova , after conducting a comparative content analysis of election coverage in selected Swedish and US newspapers, concluded that while Swedish media focused on campaign issues, US media treated political contests as more of a ‘strategic game’ or ‘horse-race’ (2006: 132). Their contention was that the media had come to see a political race almost as a sporting event, prioritising trivia and personalities over the substance of policy and ideology. Dalton, Beck and Huckfeldt challenged this view however, when they analysed data from media coverage of the 1992 presidential election. Comparing issues covered by the media to issues the public professed to care about, they found a very tight convergence between the issues relevant to media, candidates and the general public (1998a). McCombs (1997) explains the rationale behind this finding. He believes that the media play an agenda-setting role by giving greater prominence or ‘salience’ to certain issues. Once in the public domain, these issues capture the public’s attention. In this way the public agenda and the media agenda have tended to converge toward a consensus. Comscore, a US company which monitors the digital world, confirmed in a recent report entitled The Digital Politico that digital media is now a ‘formidable platform’ for political campaigns (2012). While campaign finance teams continue to spend more on TV and Radio advertising than on digital, activities such as social media (in particular Twitter), digital advertising and paid search are playing an increasingly prominent role in US elections. The use of social media as campaign strategy has given candidates more opportunities to set their own agendas and communicate directly with the electorate. Farnsworth and Lichter contend that these ‘unmediated speeches, advertisements and internet web pages †¦ qualify as the more substantive, more useful and more accurate forms of campaign discourse’ (2007:6). Conclusion The ideal of the media as a watchdog on power is still relevant to some extent, as many media outlets do hold candidates to account through scrutiny of campaign finances or probing of a candidate’s commitment to a policy. However, the commercial nature of media and cable television in particular, means that media organisations have become increasingly partisan. Most political scientists today agree that the US media influences the campaign as a political agent, and is no longer just a medium through which the public receives news and analysis. Bibliography Cook, T.E, Governing with the News: The News Media as a Political Institution, University of Chicago Press 1998 Comscore Inc., 2012, The Digital Politico: 5 Ways Digital Media is Shaping the 2012 Presidential Elections, April 30 2012 Dalton R.J, Beck P.A, Huckfeldt R. 1998a, A Test of Media-Centered Agenda Setting: Newspaper Content and Public Interests in a Presidential Election, Political Communication Journal, Vol 15, Number 4, 1 September 1998 pp 463-481 (19) Dalton R.J, Beck P.A Huckfeldt R. 1998b, Partisan Cues and the Media: Information Flows in the 1992 Presidential Election, American Political Science Review, Vol 92, Number 1, March 1998 DellaVigna, S Kaplan E. The Fox News Effect, Media Bias and Voting, Quarterly Journal of Economics 122 (August 2007) Farnsworth, S.J Lichter S.R, The Nightly News Nightmare: Television’s Coverage of Presidential Elections, 1988-2004, 2nd ed. 2007 Rowman and Littlefield Finkel, S.E, Re-examining the Minimal Effects Model in Recent Presidential Campaigns, The Journal of Politics, Vol 55, Number 1 (Feb 1993) pp 1-21 Roderick P.H Shaw D.R 2001, Communication in US Elections, Rowman and Littlefield Stromback J Dimitrova D.V 2006, Political and Media Systems Matter, A Comparison of Election News Coverage in Sweden and the US, The International Journal of Press/Politics, Fall 2006 Vol 11, Number 4, pp 131-147 McCombs, M, 1997, Building Consensus, The News Media’s Agenda Setting Roles, Political Communication, Vol 14, Issue 4, pp 433-443 How to cite What role has been played by the media in US political contests?, Essay examples

Competitive Strategies for Political and Political Factors

Question: Discuss about theCompetitive Strategies for Political and Political Factors. Answer: Owing to the boon and bane of globalization, profits and competition in market and business structure has seen immense change in the last decade. Companies and business organizations in order to stay competitive in the market makes the use of different kind of analytical tool and strategies to chalk out business plans, decide investments and analyze expected profits. The analytical tools that the paper would focus upon are Pestle, Swot and Porters Five Forces. These tools are used by almost all the small and large-scale business organizations in order to evaluate the impact of the macro and microenvironment on the organizational structure of the company. The essay would be segmented into three parts discussing SWOT, Pestle and Porters Five Forces respectively. Pestle is the extended form of PEST. PEST howsoever refers to the political, economic, social and the legal factors that affect an organization or a business. PEST was later extended with the legal and the environmental factors that too, seemed to make a significant impact on an organizational structure (Zalengera et al., 2014). PESTLE is essentially a tool that analyses the external impacts on an organization. Pestle is used and operated by the strategic managers and planners of the company. Political factors adhere to the political changes that may influence a company. For instance the change in government bring new trade policies and revision of price of products, which marks the profit of the company. Economic factors like strong unemployment rates in a particular area affect a business. Social factors are the ever-changing trend that initiates the demand of certain services. For example, work pressure encouraged the spa industry to flourish (Lichten et al., 2015). Technological aspects refers to the fact that how advent of modern technology has made an impact on any organization like the increased production, hassle free promotion etc. Environmental factors decide the positioning of the company, that is, for example, a business related to information technology would not base its branch in remote or hilly areas. Apart from that, all organizations owe some responsibility towards the environment like the use of green technology, treating waste before dumping etc. Legal factors are related to the laws that business organizations should adhere to like the laws related to employee protection acts, sewage treatment, health and safety acts, acts related to tax payment issues etc (Aithal 2016). To understand in details when and where PESTLE is used by any company, an example can be taken. PepsiCo used PESTLE to figure out the macro environmental factors before launching its products into unknown markets. For example, PepsiCo would use PESTLE to evaluate if the eco nomic structure of a place would make the business profitable or the legal factors adhere to the company policies. SWOT, once more is an analytical tool that is used by business heads of companies to determine the internal factors of a company that may affect the production, sales and profit count as a whole (Bohari, Hin and Fuad 2017). SWOT is the acronym for Strength, weakness, Opportunities and threat of a particular business. Assessing the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of a company, a business can plan its objectives in favorable manner. In this context, it must be noted that whole strength and weakness are the internal factors that matter to the company, opportunities and threats are the external factors. An example can be cited to delve into further details about the same (Wu, Song and Kang 2016). For example, the strength of Wal-Mart lies in its huge customer base and in its market share. At the same time, the weakness of the company lies in the fact that Walmart products cannot be sold any longer in America. Walmart can capitalize the opportunities to increase the growth o f the company. It can expand the company in other countries to maximize the profit. The pressure of other retail sellers like Sainsburys and TESCO are the major threats to Walmart since all the retail stores deals with similar kind of product. Hence, before launching its products in an unknown market a SWOT analysis would provide Walmart with a complete idea about the internal and the external factors of the market. Porters Five Forces as the term suggests are five powers that essentially evaluates a companys strength and its course of action regarding goods and products. The five powers that is incorporated with Porters Five Forces are buyer power, supplier power, threat of substitutes, threat of new entry and competitive rivalry (Rothaermel 2015). Buyer power refers to customers, the power of the customers to buy or discard the products and services of a particular company. Supplier power can be explained as the bargaining power of the suppliers of raw materials towards a company. If the number of suppliers are less, the bargaining power of the supplier would be more and vice versa. Competitive rivalry points to the similar brands existing in the market that produces similar kind of products. Competition is generally high if the number of competitors in the market is more, or the market is saturated (Mathooko and Ogutu 2015). Threat of substitution points to the similar kind of products availa ble in the market, which may be opted by the customers discarding the products of any particular company. Customers may discard a product for another for various reasons like its availability, prices, and the way the product appeals the customers and its promotional strategy. To overcome the threat of substitution, companies makes the use of attractive pricing strategies and gives offers and discounts to bring products and services to limelight. Threat of new entrant is about the establishment of a new company in the already existing market. A new company when launches in the existing market with similar goods and services, it creates a threat for the existing companies in the market (Brooks, Heffner and Henderson 2014). The customers are further divided and threat may include the shift of customers from the existing company to the new entrants. For example, JW Marriot would use Porters Five Forces model to assess its positioning in the market before entering into an existing market . For Marriot, the bargaining power of the suppliers would be low, as there are a number of suppliers and Marriot is a gigantic organization (Porter and Heppelmann 2014). As such, suppliers would never fall short. The bargaining power of customers on the other hand would be high as in the recent past, with the considerable growth of global economy, customers are shifting to elite class hotels and there are a number of competitors for Marriot. The menace of substitutes is again high as third grade hotels claim to be international by duping, however, the difference remains n the quality of the services that are provided. The dupe and the low price, which at the same time seems to offer the same privileges like Marriot, attract customers. Competitive Rivalry is again high. Marriot faces two strata of competition both from the similar hotels like Hilton resorts and cheap dupes of international hotels. In the concluding part, it can thus be said that PESTLE, SWOT and Porters Five Forces are extremely important and indispensible criteria of strategic planning made by small or large-scale companies. These are the analytical tools that help a companys growth, decide its investment plans, focus upon its expansion and analyses the expected profit returns. Reference List Aithal, P.S., 2016. Study on ABCD analysis technique for business models, business strategies, operating concepts business systems.Browser Download This Paper. Bohari, A.M., Hin, C.W. and Fuad, N., 2017. The competitiveness of halal food industry in Malaysia: A SWOT-ICT analysis.Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society and Space,9(1). Brooks, G., Heffner, A. and Henderson, D., 2014. A SWOT analysis of competitive knowledge from social media for a small start-up business.The Review of Business Information Systems (Online),18(1), p.23. Lichten, C.A., Castle-Clarke, S., Manville, C., Horvath, V., Robin, E., Krapels, J., Parks, S., Sim, M., van Zijverden, O. and Chataway, J., 2015. The future of anticoagulation management in atrial fibrillation in Europe: An assessment of today's challenges with recommendations for the future.Rand health quarterly,5(2). Mathooko, F.M. and Ogutu, M., 2015. Porters five competitive forces framework and other factors that influence the choice of response strategies adopted by public universities in Kenya.International Journal of Educational Management,29(3), pp.334-354. Porter, M.E. and Heppelmann, J.E., 2014. How smart, connected products are transforming competition.Harvard Business Review,92(11), pp.64-88. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education. Wu, F., Song, D. and Kang, L.S., 2016. The Development of Commercial Bank E-Commerce Finances SWOT Analysis.DEStech Transactions on Environment, Energy and Earth Sciences, (peee). Zalengera, C., Blanchard, R.E., Eames, P.C., Juma, A.M., Chitawo, M.L. and Gondwe, K.T., 2014. Overview of the Malawi energy situation and A PESTLE analysis for sustainable development of renewable energy.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,38, pp.335-347.