Posts

Showing posts with the label Mass Communications

Taking a look at Russian media

Image
Russia has a media system that has undergone massive changes since 1991 when total censorship was synonymous to the Russia’s media system. The post-1991 period marked a new historical era in Russia on the account of the fall of the soviet system of governance that had dominated the country’s political class. Russia’s political structure has shifted from a completely authoritarian system to one that allows critics to criticize the government and put the government in check using a multi-party system. However, the multi-party system in Russia has been encumbered by slow maturation in a way that makes the country’s political structure to be considerably different from democratically-mature countries such as the U.S. The post-soviet construction has, as such, been characterized by political parallelism. Culturally, Russia has more than 100 ethnicities. While Russian is the official language, the existence of such numerous ethnicities implies that Russia is culturally diverse and, t

President Barrack Obama’s farewell address

Image
(President Barrack Obama - White House Press Office) On the 10th of January in 2016, the former United States’ President, Barrack Obama gave his farewell speech in Chicago city’s McCormick conventional center. In a break of tradition, the former president decided not to deliver his farewell speech in the White House as is the norm. He chose to deliver it in the city of Chicago, which is both his home town as well as the place he delivered his victory speech when he was elected president back in 2008. The former president offered his speech to US citizens physical present at the venue, as well as those who followed it via the various news channels. The purpose for the speech was to thank Americans for giving him a chance to serve them. The former president delivered his speech in a fatherly, humble, and composed manner, characteristic of his speeches. Throughout the speech, he gives a compelling account of all the happenings that were experienced in his administrative tenure. Over

Understanding political satire and decoding a political cartoon

Image
To the average person, political cartoons are merely forms of entertainment. However, a scrutiny of contemporary and past political cartoons would substantiate that political cartoons are essential forms of strategic communication which aim at sending specific messages depending on prevailing events in the political climate. The field of political cartoons could be considered an art that utilizes the latent power of advertising in driving a message home. The art of developing political cartoons necessitates high levels of critical judgment among political cartoonists while coming up with ideas on how to generate persuasive caricature of public figures. As such, well-structured caricatures are indispensable in triggering the attitudes and behaviors of the target audience to act in a particular way (Pavlik and Shawn 412; Sundem). At an abstract level, political cartoons have varied goals. Triggering social activism when political figures overstep their mandates is one of the most signifi

Social media and journalism today: Fox News

Image
Fox News is a media company that focuses on the 24-hour delivery of news. The media company, by extension, also produces informative and educative documentaries that are broadcasted in the more than 80 countries in which the media company operates. While the media powerhouse operates within the larger media industry, the corporation, particularly operates in the new industry alongside firms such as BBC, Al-Jazeera, and CNN. To Fox News, social media is useful in enabling the business to develop and sustain an online audience. In turn, sustaining an online audience through the social media is helpful in expanding the media company’s market base. Again, social media enables Fox News to drive traffic to their news website; thereby, ensuring that there is increased access to real-time news on the official Fox News website. Additionally, social media enables Fox News to interact directly with their virtual audience at all times. Analysis Twitter, Snap Chat, Tumblr, Facebook, Pinte

Reforming US Africa policy to curtail China’s influence on the region and attendant threats to US interests

Image
Problem Statement China is making huge investments in Africa, and is winning major contracts to build roads, railways, dams, and airports, almost unchallenged. The structural projects which are normally accompanied by very enticing soft loans and conducted through military support, trade, and diplomacy, hampers United States’ ability to exert meaningful influence on Africa and thus makes it difficult for the U.S. to protect its interest in the continent. Background Africa is rapidly transforming and achieving greater relevance in the international stage, and the approach used by the United States in Africa seems not to keep pace. As China is utilizing opportunities to make investments and establish a strong foothold in Africa, the U.S. is struggling to compete efficiently (Brigety, 2018). The U.S. political, emotional, and intellectual interest in Africa has grown over the years. In 1960, the African continent took 4% of U.S. exports and supplied it with 3.7% of the imports (E

My reaction to Matthew Cooke’s “Survivors Guide to Prison” documentary

Image
Problematic Procedural Issues in the Documentary Movie Matthew Cooke’s Survivors Guide to Prison captures and abstracts America’s criminal justice system in a way that sheds light when it comes to the twisted manner in which there are significant procedural and policy issues which beat the normal logic. While an analytical examination of the film would reveal several tricky issues, three problematic procedural issues stand out in the film. The first notable problematic procedural issue is that of interrogation. It is unquestionably true that interrogation is helpful in obtaining useful information among suspects to enhance the quality of a prosecutor’s arguments in a criminal justice case (Hunter & Wagner, 2007 p.89). However, Survivors Guide to Prison plainly depicts the scale to which the interrogations carried out in the US court system are defective. Interrogators are driven by the bias and do not necessarily integrate the rights of supposed criminals to speak to lawyers

A class discussion on audio and visual media

Image
 As we discussed the topic of Visual Media in my Introduction to Journalism class at the University of Maryland, College Park, the following statement came up: "Seeing is becoming the way the world chooses to transfer information, via tools/apps/platforms that are increasingly visual." We shared our views about that statement. Although I didn't address this particular statement in that class as I chose another statement, I nonetheless find it a compelling one to write on. My view on that statement is that it shows that today’s digital media have been exemplified by real-time transmission of data that allows for improved surveillance. Contemporary digital gadgets such as high-resolution CCTV cameras are comparatively more advanced when juxtaposed with previous CCTV cameras given that these cameras are network connected.  In particular, I hold that view because one of my neighbors has installed a high-tech CCTV camera in her house that she uses to monitor how her house

The economics of tracking musician’s royalties in the digital era of music

Image
The contemporary music industry is one that has the potential to grow exponentially on the account of the extent that digital platforms have increased audiences for musicians. However, the benefits that come from the power of digital platforms have also created loopholes that could see music artists losing considerable amounts of money based on the sophisticated intricacies of tracking musicians’ royalties in today’s music industry. Arguably, music has grown from a field that was guided by the sheer passion for music to a field that is managed by professionals (Owsinski; Pavlik and Shawn 98; Wang). Initially, musicians used to rely on the sale of cassettes, CDs, and live performances to earn their living. However, dramatic advancements in digital technologies have expanded the revenue streams for musicians based on the millions of subscribers who actively subscribe to platforms which allow their subscribers to stream music at their convenience. Pandora, SoundCloud, Rhapsody, Spot

The immigration and humanitarian crises at the US border are true reflections of the inhuman treatment of immigrants

Image
The inhuman treatment of immigrants at the border is an important new story that could best be captured and understood by the use of photos which simply encapsulate the manner in which the humanitarian and immigration crises have progressively gotten out of hand. In the Southern border, for example, both minors and grown-ups are compelled to reside in overcrowded camps that certainly predispose them to contagious diseases, at the basic level. Immigrants are going for days without showers while others have little choice but to endure the inadequacy of food as the number of immigrants increase. The news story that focuses on the border crisis depicts the rather unfamiliar picture of the government’s immigration and deportation policy. While illegal immigrants should, on no account, be allowed to cross the border, the border officials who are responsible for stopping undocumented immigrants from entering the country are arguably exacerbating the crises based on how they treat immigrants.