The Reliability of Online Media in the Realm of Politics Essay Example for Free

The Reliability of Online Media in the Realm of Politics Essay The advent of the World Wide Web has shifted the impact of the meaning of media and reliability. From major newspapers abandoning their print outlets to the latest up to the second news on somebody’s blog, the internet has changed the way people consume the news. The political landscape has seen some of the most significant changes and is a key example of how the reliability of the online world has come under questioning following the latest elections and news. Politicians have always relied on the media to disseminate their messages. In our digital age, the traditional forums of print media, radio, and television have become integrated into an online multimedia platform. According to a 2004 Pew survey, over 50 million Americans went online for election news everyday during the Presidential election (Nogourney). It is now common practice for politicians to have their own website and a social networking page on such sites as MySpace and Facebook or to publish Podcasts and YouTube videos in order to gain exposure and to further control their messages by excluding the intermediary forces of journalists. In a New York Times article, journalist Adam Nogourney wrote of the shifting trends of politicians as regards the new utilization of online media, â€Å"The Internet appears to be far more efficient, and less costly, than the traditional tools of politics, notably door knocking and telephone banks (Nogourney). The internet has also provided an forum for constant updates and information sharing that allows candidates and the public to analyze, comment, and react to the latest news from the campaign trail. That being said, there has been an increasing debate about the reliability of candidate news and information in an era of fierce competition and rampant misinformation efforts by political party ideologues and the unverified accounts of millions of bloggers that have free reign to publish their opinions without regard to journalistic ethics. In a 2007 article concerning the role of media in politics, Associated Content wrote an editorial speaking of this impact, â€Å"The media also influences the publics perception on the viability of a candidate. If reports say a certain candidate is ahead in an election, the public will come to accept that evaluation, which can greatly influence how voters cast their ballots (Influence). In this way, political polls and published statistics and trends have a greater access to a viral online community and this can significantly impact the public perception of the campaign. The role of the online media is only going to grow as traditional forums become further integrated into the online dialogue. As has always been the case in the media, questions concerning the reliability of information will continue to be asked. Outside from party ideologues and ulterior motivated bloggers, the information presented online parallels that of traditional media in terms of reliability, it’s just that now individuals have more choice as to how they consume their news and information. Works Cited The Influence of the Media in Politics, Campaigns, and Elections. (2007). Associated Content. Retrieved 27 March 2009, from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/443975/the_influence_of_the_media_in_politics_pg7. html Nogourney, Adam. (2006). Politics Faces Sweeping Change via the Web. The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2009, from http://www. nytimes. com/2006/04/02/washington/02campaign. html

Graduation Speech: The Opportunity to Make a Difference :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Over the past year or so some dreadful events have occurred at high schools, alarming the American public while they have talked about increased security, clinging to images of guns, blood and typical-looking teenagers committing unthinkable crimes. The media has focused on these incidents without giving attention to all of the potential and talent that is flourishing throughout our high schools. I invite them to recognize the inspired pupils who are propelling themselves beyond standard and motivating others around them. That is what I want the American public to be talking about. As young adults we have the opportunity to make a difference. Not only for ourselves, but for our kids and future generations. I would like to tell everybody about someone who has made the most of his opportunity. Many of you guys know him, and he's actually a very close friend of mine. He's my dad, Mark Reiman. My father was blessed with the disease ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. For those of you who don't know what this disease is about, it weakens your muscles until you are unable to function. It can affect your voice, your mobility, and it can even affect how well you chew your food. Seventy five percent of people afflicted with this disease only live 2 to 5 years after their diagnosis. My father has now lived with it for almost eight years. Many of you are probably wondering why I used the word blessed. My dad, and my family also, have come to the belief that he contracted this illness for a reason. That reason is he has been given the opportunity to change peoples' lives. He's given people hope when they thought there was nothing left to hope for. He's loved people when they thought they were unlovable, that because they no longer had the physical abilities they once had, they were a nuisance. Believe me, you can accomplish so much with your mind and touch so many people with your heart. He's also taught people that every day we have is a blessing. We need to make every second count, because life is great. I mean life is awesome, you guys. If I have learned anything through my dad's affliction or from our years at Tates Creek, it's that I love life -- and want to experience as much of it as possible. Now my dad is just one guy, and look what he's done. We are individuals.

Livoria

Livoria deliver enjoyable experience to vacationers 2. Livoria is socially responsible that always exceeds environmental and safety regulations 3. Crew members , vacationers and marine life are safe during the journey 4. The services on cruise are high quality but affordable Leveraging (S-O Strategies) Livoria's strong brand in safety can take advantage of the growth in tourism industry and strengthen economy in Canada. After acquiring Natural Splendour, Livoria can offer mix of products that can satisfy both vacationers who value for price and for special amenities.The steady growth in revenue and income has developed a strong financial fundamental for Livoria to expand the business in Canada. Constraints (W-O Strategies) Ineffective and inefficient promotion strategies become constraints for Livorla to get full benefit of strong demand in cruise. Because of the lack of web-based booking system, Livoria only can rely on Sales agent for booking. This not only cause Livoria to miss th e opportunity to capture Saleslers who prefer booking online, but also increases the passenger acquisition cost. Even worst, Livoria attracts younger people ho less willing to spend on cruises.Vulnerability (S-T Strategies) As Livoria is known as outstanding safety among competitors, It can give confident to vacationers that the probability of on-board outbreak of disease In the cruise Is minimal. Its unique services such as whale watching and ports of call can serve a niche market In cruise Industry. This allows Llvorla to compete with large brand operators in the market. Problem (W-T Strategies) Canadian market Is relatively small for cruise Industry and the Industry Is already dominated by large cruise ships and large brand operators. The competitive force among rivals Is very Intense..The accident of Sandwich causes Llvorla over 3 Millions repair cost. In the future, Sandwich will still potentially harm Llvorla's financial stability as Its damage Insurance coverage Is Ilmlted. L lvorla's high operation cost and Ineffective marketing strategies can drive It out of the business easily. Issue Terrorist attack Is a severer external threat for Llvorla. Base on the effects of the past terrorist attacks, Llvorla's revenue Is expected to drop around 35% In 2011. Fortunately, the effect should only last for a year. In addltlon, the accident ofSandwich will Increase the repair cost for Llvorla In 2011. Comblnlng with the affect Llvorla's financial health. If management does not have contingency plan, Llvorla Is expected to have 32. 4M record losses In 2011. Current financial situation In 2010 fiscal year, Llvorla performed better than planned. Total passenger was almost 2% more than planned. Revenue was 6. 6% more than budgeted, so was net Income 15. 7%. (Appendix 2) Given the terrorist attack Incident and 6 Millions repair cos n 2011, solvency ana llqu101ty 0T Llvorla are Delng concerned. I ne current long term debt to equity is 1. which implies that Livoria has ris k of overleveraging. Fortunately, Income before tax and interest is 6. 43 times interest expense and current asset is 1. 75 times current liability. Moreover, Livoria has over 10 Million cash and marketable securities which is enough to pay off repair cost and interest expense next year. This conclude that the solvency and liquidity of Livoria is not an issue. Comparing over the course of 4 years, Livoria recorded increase in revenue, expense and net income. However, in 2010 fiscal year, the annually growth rate of revenue is lower compare to 2009 (13% vs. 31%).This also causes the annually growth rate of net income drop from 67% in 2009 to 33% in 2010. Given both cruises, Sandwich and natural Splendour were operating at more than 90% capacity, even there was no terrorist attack incident, Livoria would not have impressive growth in number of passengers in the near future. Assumptions: 1) Direct material, credit card and Sales agent commission is variable to revenue. Thus, if revenue drops 35%, so does these variable costs. 2) Dry dock revenue stays the same as maintenance works should be performed no matter good or bad season. 3) Livoria can book 2.M in capital gain by selling the dry dock 4) All maintenance, refurbishment and repair for Sandwich can be finished before the beginning of May next year. Thus, Sandwich can service in 2011 cruise season 5) Termination cost for all kinds of labour are also $6,000 each 6) Training cost for unskilled labours is $1,000 each. Alternative: 1) Divesting the Fraser dry dock. Pro: During the economic downturn, it is wise to spin off non-core business, so that company can focus its limited resources to improve its core business. Dry dock business is non-core business for Livoria. It only contributed 8. of company's total revenue in 2010. If removing inter-division transaction and associated direct material cost, dry dock actually reported 667 thousands loss. Con: Selling price for dry dock is only 4. 3 Million which is not e nough to cover the estimated repair cost for Sandwich in 2011. Later on, Livoria has to spend two Million on refurbishment every year. More importantly, reputation for safety is core competency of Livoria. Livoria is relying this to stay competitive in the market. Livoria can no longer ensure maintenance works are well performed and exceed regulation standards if it contracts the maintenance ork out.The effects on project 2011 net income for divesting dry dock; Divesting dry dock will worse off than status quo. 2) Target more profitable market segment Base on customer survey conducted in 2010, Annual family income of our customers is $72 thousand vs. $78 thousand in the industry. It is mainly because we have more customers who under 40 years old than the industry (40% vs. 29%). The revenue per passengers per day for this group is only $209 vs. $334 for 40 to 60 years old group. In aaaltlon, we naa OITTlcult to attract repeat customers. I nere was only customers were repeated vs. % i n the industry. Each repeat customer can generate $2000 vs. $1800 from first timer. The effects on project 2011 net income for aligning customer mix to industry average: Net Income before tax (691. 15) 3) Hire unskilled crew and hospitality from underdeveloped countries. Pro: It is a W-T strategy that prevents firm's weakness from intense competition in the industry. Because of registering in Canada, Livoria has higher operating costs than competitors. By hiring employees in underdeveloped which commonly practice in all kinds of businesses, Livoria can lower its labour cost by 30%.It is critical for Livoria to stay competitive in the industry. Con: Experienced crew is rare and invaluable. By swapping all experienced crew by unskilled labour, Livoria may risk losing its core competency – reputation of safety. Moreover, this may also affect our quality of service. Superior service is also critical to survive in the industry as well. Furthermore, termination and training costs c an offset the benefits of labour cost saving. The effects on project 2011 net income for hiring unskilled labour Net Income before tax. Livoria Key Success Factors 1. Livoria deliver enjoyable experience to vacationers 2. Livoria is socially responsible that always exceeds environmental and safety regulations 3. Crew members , vacationers and marine life are safe during the journey 4. The services on cruise are high quality but affordable Leveraging (S-O Strategies)Livoria’s strong brand in safety can take advantage of the growth in tourism industry and strengthen economy in Canada. After acquiring Natural Splendour, Livoria can offer mix of products that can satisfy both vacationers who value for price and for special amenities. The steady growth in revenue and income has developed a strong financial fundamental for Livoria to expand the business in Canada. Constraints (W-O Strategies)Ineffective and inefficient promotion strategies become constraints for Livoria to get full benefit of strong demand in cruise. Because of the lack of web-based booking system, Livoria only can rely on Sales agent for booking. This not only cause Livoria to miss the opportunity to capture Saleslers who prefer booking online, but also increases the passenger acquisition cost. Even worst, Livoria attracts younger people who less willing to spend on cruises. Vulnerability (S-T Strategies)As Livoria is known as outstanding safety among competitors, it can give confident to vacationers that the probability of on-board outbreak of disease in the cruise is minimal. Its unique services such as whale watching and ports of call can serve a niche market in cruise industry. This allows Livoria to compete with large brand operators in the market. Problem (W-T Strategies)Canadian market is relatively small for cruise industry and the industry is already dominated by large cruise ships and large brand operators. The competitive force among rivals is very intense. . The accident of Sandwich causes Livoria over 3 Millions repair cost. In the future, Sandwich will still potentially harm Livoria’s financial stability as its d amage insurance coverage is limited. Livoria’s high operation cost and ineffective marketing  strategies can drive it out of the business easily.Issue Terrorist attack is a severer external threat for Livoria. Base on the effects of the past terrorist attacks, Livoria’s revenue is expected to drop around 35% in 2011. Fortunately, the effect should only last for a year. In addition, the accident of Sandwich will increase the repair cost for Livoria in 2011. Combining with the scheduled refurbishment, the repair cost can reach 6 Million. This will seriously affect Livoria’s financial health. If management does not have contingency plan, Livoria is expected to have $2.4M record losses in 2011. Current financial situationIn 2010 fiscal year, Livoria performed better than planned. Total passenger was almost 2% more than planned. Revenue was 6.6% more than budgeted, so was net income 15.7%. (Appendix 2) Given the terrorist attack incident and 6 Millions repair cost in 2011, solvency and liquidity of Livoria are being concerned. The current long term debt to equity is 1.23 which implies that Livoria has risk of overleveraging. Fortunately, Income before tax and interest is 6.43 times interest expense and current asset is 1.75 times current liability.Moreover, Livoria has over 10 Million cash and marketable securities which is enough to pay off repair cost and interest expense next year. This conclude that the solvency and liquidity of Livoria is not an issue. Comparing over the course of 4 years, Livoria recorded increase in revenue, expense and net income. However, in 2010 fiscal year, the annually growth rate of revenue is lower compare to 2009 (13% vs. 31%). This also causes the annually growth rate of net income drop from 67% in 2009 to 33% in 2010. Given both cruises, Sandwich and natural Splendour were operating at more than 90% capacity, even there was no terrorist attack incident, Livoria would not have impressive growth in number of pa ssengers in the near future.Assumptions: 1) Direct material, credit card and Sales agent commission is variable to revenue. Thus, if revenue drops 35%, so does these variable costs. 2) Dry dock revenue stays the same as maintenance works should be performed no  matter good or bad season. 3) Livoria can book 2.3 M in capital gain by selling the dry dock 4) All maintenance, refurbishment and repair for Sandwich can be finished before the beginning of May next year. Thus, Sandwich can service in 2011 cruise season 5) Termination cost for all kinds of labour are also $6,000 each 6) Training cost for unskilled labours is $1,000 each.Alternative: 1) Divesting the Fraser dry dock. Pro: During the economic downturn, it is wise to spin off non-core business, so that company can focus its limited resources to improve its core business. Dry dock business is non-core business for Livoria. It only contributed 8.5% of company’s total revenue in 2010. If removing inter-division transactio n and associated direct material cost, dry dock actually reported 667 thousands loss. Con: Selling price for dry dock is only 4.3 Million which is not enough to cover the estimated repair cost for Sandwich in 2011. Later on, Livoria has to spend two Million on refurbishment every year. More importantly, reputation for safety is core competency of Livoria.Livoria is relying this to stay competitive in the market. Livoria can no longer ensure maintenance works are well performed and exceed regulation standards if it contracts the maintenance work out. The effects on project 2011 net income for divesting dry dock; Divesting dry dock will worse off than status quo.2) Target more profitable market segment Base on customer survey conducted in 2010, Annual family income of our customers is $72 thousand vs. $78 thousand in the industry. It is mainly because we have more customers who under 40 years old than the industry (40% vs. 29%). The revenue per passengers per day for this group is onl y $209 vs. $334 for 40 to 60 years old group. In addition, we had difficult to attract repeat customers. There was only 20% of customers were repeated vs. 40% in the industry. Each repeat customer can generate $2000 vs. $1800 from first timer. The effects on project 2011 net income for aligning customer mix to industry average: Net Income before tax  $ (691.15)3) Hire unskilled crew and hospitality from underdeveloped countries. Pro: It is a W-T strategy that prevents firm’s weakness from intense competition in the industry. Because of registering in Canada, Livoria has higher operating costs than competitors. By hiring employees in underdeveloped which commonly practice in all kinds of businesses, Livoria can lower its labour cost by 30%. It is critical for Livoria to stay competitive in the industry. Con: Experienced crew is rare and invaluable. By swapping all experienced crew by unskilled labour, Livoria may risk losing its core competency – reputation of safety. Moreover, this may also affect our quality of service. Superior service is also critical to survive in the industry as well. Furthermore, termination and training costs can offset the benefits of labour cost saving.The effects on project 2011 net income for hiring unskilled labour Net Income before tax  $ (3,550.04)

Good Communication Is Effective Communication - 958 Words

Good communication is effective communication; it provides direction, a clear goal, and encourages the flow of ideas. Successful communication is achieved through a variety of methods, but most importantly, it begins with a foundation of security and trust within the team. Successful Communication Over the past few weeks my group has been using our group discussion board as our primary method of communication. Since beginning our power point project we have been posting updates, questions and simple check ins to see how each member of the group is coming along with their portion of the PowerPoint assignment. Our key to success has been because of our communication; this is especially important because we are a virtual group. We touch base with each other regularly for multiple reasons, the first being the need to establish a relationship. In contrast to teams who meet face-to-face on a regular basis, we cannot pick up on non-verbal clues that are expressed through body language, nor are we able to establish an emotional connection with one another; with that being said, we must maintain regular contact in order to build a rapport. Secondly, regular communication allowed us to report progress and drawbacks that may hinder our success. Moreover, scheduling regular periods of communication enforced accountability by instituting periodic milestones of progress. In previous experiences I have had working in collaborative groups, in regard to the importance of communication,Show MoreRelatedEffective Communication Is Enhanced By Good Communication Skills1322 Words   |  6 PagesCommunication involves the exchange of ideas and thoughts between two or more people with the aim of conveying information. Effective communication is enhanced by good communication skills. 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