Abstract This paper discusses the theories found in "Arts of Contact Zone" as seen in the communication style of Malcolm X. Pratt's concept of a 'contact zone' is introduced and then defined in terms of Malcolm X. Examples of his leadership and communication style are given as they fit with the theories of Pratt.
From the Paper ""Arts of the Contact Zone." By Pratt, Mary Louise, states the art of conversation, and communication depends upon varying cultures, their dominance over one another and the perspective that one sees the other from its own. Malcolm X's autobiography published shortly after his murder in 1965, relates in the matter of communication, and "contact zone" so highly accomplished with his group of people that only a physical gesture of a finger was sufficient enough to silence a crowd of millions, in a public gathering."
A discussion of the claim that "agenda setting" by the popular media is the most important factor in shaping the public's view of the importance of an issue.
1,270 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 11 sources, 2002, $ 43.95
Abstract This paper examines the research that has been done on the phenomenon of agenda setting by the popular media, and the influence it has on public opinion. The relevant literature is reviewed, demonstrating that a plethora of studies have established that agenda setting is a common occurrence in the popular media. The opposing argument, that the evidence for agenda setting is purely correlational, is addressed. The effects that this influence has on the public's view of what issues are important are explored.
From the Paper "Agenda setting is a real phenomenon, and is the most important factor in shaping the public's view of the relative importance of a story. Early studies in communications revealed that the media had a minimal effect on public thinking. As such, the study of agenda setting has become one of the first real investigations into the powerful effect of the media on public opinion (Morgan). Agenda setting is important because it shows that the news media has an important role to play in the subjects that the public think about. Agenda setting, in its most insidious form, tells the public what political matters to consider important (Severn & Tankard)."
Tags: communications, thinking, socioeconomic, political, Shaw, McCombs, election, news, television
This essay compares the strength and weaknesses of news coverage on television and newspaper and uses the World Series as the common reporting subject.
Abstract This essay compares the coverage of the World Series by newspapers and television news and concludes that neither the newspaper nor the television news was better. The author states that personal taste dictates the selection. The author prefers television coverage because, as a novice to baseball, she could enjoy the sights and sounds of the World Series. The presentation of the strengths and weaknesses for both the newspaper and television news coverage are thoughtful.
From the Paper "Both newspapers and news shows provide the public with information of interest; however, after researching, I can now conclude that the newspaper reporters wrote their sports stories with the interest of the busy working adult in mind. Newspaper articles went straight to the point by stating the game's final score toward the beginning of the article and supporting details and quotes later on."
Abstract This paper rhetorically analyzes Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail", and his great blend of logic and emotion. It describes the human rights demonstrations of that time. The paper illustrates how this letter states the goals and struggles of the African-American civil rights movement and the blind ignorance of the southern whites.
From the Paper "History will remember Martin Luther King, Jr. as one of the greatest writers and speakers of the twentieth century. He carefully blended logic and theory with passion and force to mold his eloquent ideas into formidable arguments. One of his greatest works is his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." This letter was written in response to an public statement composed by eight Alabama clergyman. The original document questioned and denounced the recent human rights demonstrations by Negro citizens. While in jail, King read this statement in a newspaper and proceeded to write his rebuttal, a lengthy yet concise perspective of the current racial strife. This rebuttal turned into the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail", a desegregationalist's discussion of the civil rights movement. King's letter focuses on his responsibilities and goals, the Negro's struggles and hopes, and the white man's ignorance and resistance."
Tags: black, civil, liberties, logic, negro, rhetorical, rights
From the Paper TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 AND ITS IMPACT ON BUSINESS
This research paper summarizes the principal features of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 (TCA), as it has been interpreted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the federal courts, and its principal impact on business.
Outline and Thesis Statement
Outline
1. Background to TCA
2. Technological Developments Which Led to TCA
3. Principal Features of TCA
4. Regulatory and Judicial Framework and Interpretations
5. Impact of TCA on Business
6. Conclusion
Thesis Statement..."
From the Paper "In The Age of Missing Information, Bill McKibben writes that "As much as [TV] loves choice, . . . it doesn't actually believe in choosing. It urges us to choose everything--this and this and this as well" (185). The question is, how can "TV"--an inanimate object or process--"believe" in anything? Does a river "believe" in the choice people have to look at it, or swim in it, or drown in it? The fact is that TV has a life of its own, just as the river does, and just as capitalistic society does in the theory of Karl Marx. TV, in that sense, does not "believe" in human beings' free choice any more than history believes in human beings' free choice. In both cases, human beings are dealing with forces beyond their control. And just as capitalism ultimately steals the soul of the worker (and the soul of the capitalist, too, of course), so does TV steal the soul of the.."
From the Paper "Americans at times seem to be consumed by crime, showing at one and the same time a fear of crime and a fascination with it. Crime is a topic in the daily newspaper, often crowding other news off the front pages. Crime and fear of crime are important subjects in political campaigns. Crime is a staple on entertainment programs on television and in books and movies which detail both real and fictional crimes from a wide variety of points of view. Organized crime is only one aspect of the crime problem in America. In the past, organized crime was a more potent and feared force, especially in the cities of the Northeast, but then and now organized crime has an effect on society in terms of added costs to goods and services, increased costs for law enforcement, and an effect on the administration of justice and on the degree to which Americans place their trust in..."
From the Paper "Television viewing has become one of the most prevalent pastimes in the United States, with violence one of the most common acts portrayed on television shows, network and cable alike. Because of this, social psychologists have studied the effects of violent television on aggressive behavior.
The two major theories concerning television aggression are frustration-aggression and social learning; each theory makes different predictions about the effects of television violence. The frustration-aggressive theory suggests that viewing an aggressive act will lessen the instigation toward future aggression. If children vicariously experience aggression by watching violence on TV, they should therefore be less likely to aggress. Social learning theory, on the other hand, suggests that witnessed aggression leads to more aggression rather than..."
Results of brief research project to determine whether teen-age slang can be understood by non-adolescents. Key features of slang. How slang words & expressions change meanings over the years.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 63.95
From the Paper "Slang is a term that refers to words and phrases that deviate dramatically from the style and uses of the standardized language. Because slang is an unconventional language that reverberates with irreverence and rebellion against mainstream perceptions, it has been appropriated by adolescents for many generations (?What is Slang,? pp. 1-2). In fact, teenagers have contributed significantly to slang by creating their own version, teenage slang, which prevents adults in their lives from understanding their communication with their adolescent counterparts.
The focus of the research project in this paper is to determine whether teenage slang is a distinctive language that cannot be understood by non-adolescents. Furthermore, the specific features of the changes in teenage slang throughout the years..."
Discusses ethical issues raised in 1981 film re: abuses by press & police; investigative powers of government. Legal issue of malice. Plot. Characters.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 55.95
From the Paper "In the film Absence of Malice (Sydney Pollack, 1981), a number of ethical issues related to the actions of the American press and to the abuse of police and investigative powers on the part of the government are raised, along with certain personal ethical issues involving personal relations among the characters. While the primary focus of the film seems to be on press abuses, overzealous government prosecutors are given considerable attention as well.
Cynicism is the mark of both journalists and government agencies in this film, and actions are guided by this attitude. Each of these groups has the underlying attitude that it is on the side of the angels and that whatever it has to do to control crime and report the facts is acceptable. Legality and ethical behavior are confused in the thinking of many in this film. The ..."
Analyzes Hillary Rodham Clinton's '1997 speech to wives of Heads of State of governments of the Americas, & a commencement address delivered by the Dalai Lama. Primary purposes, styles of speeches, use of emotion, reason & parallel construction.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 79.95
From the Paper "Seventh Conference of the Wives of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas"
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Setting
The setting is a meeting at the Seventh Conference of the Wives of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas in Panama City, Panama. This was held on October 10, 1997.
The speaker is Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of President Clinton of the United States. As the representative of the United States at the conference, her words would have been of particular interest to the other countries of the hemisphere. She speaks primarily not to politicians but to their wives, and her message is tailored to what she presumes are their interests in protecting women, children, and families. The speech as given..."
From the Paper "Although the term "public relations" was not coined until 1919, it did not emerge as a part of the public consciousness until the 1960s and 1970s (Mercer, 1989, p. 5). Today public relations has emerged as a thriving $0.5 billion-a-year industry with an expectation of a 12% annual growth rate (Mercer, p. 5). Scrutiny of these dates indicates that the growth of public relations, understood as the art of creating and sustaining a positive public image, coincides with important changes in the social and economic status of women. First, in 1919 at about the same time the phrase "public relations" was born, the American suffragette movement was successful in its campaign for women's..."
From the Paper "The media in the time of the writing of the Constitution was a much smaller and more timid institution. Today, the media has become dominated by the electronic media, and especially by television, which has become powerful in ways not envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Television has become the conduit of choice for political candidates, and this has altered the style of the political debate, leading to the sound-bites and attack ads that have been so criticized in recent years. Television did not set out to shape the political debate and did not intend to cheapen that debate as seems to have occurred. It might be argued that the media lacks power because it does not seem to be in control of the capabilities it wields, but those capabilities are themselves considerable and have had a massive influence on how Americans conduct themselves in elections and between..."
From the Paper "The New York Times from September and October of 1935 provides a strong sense of the issues of import to the people of the time, the concerns they faced both domestically and internationally, and the nature of life in New York City. We look back to this time with greater knowledge than the people of the time had about the meaning of the events they were contemplating, but it is clear from the emphasis given to stories about Mussolini and Hitler that the newspaper and its readers realized there were momentous events taking place and that these might produce a real danger for the U.S. at some point in the future. At the same time, as might be expected, life goes on, and the life of the city was especially vibrant in this era with an emphasis on diversions in sports, the arts, the theater, and film. One impression that emerges from this analysis is that.."
Describes the conflict between the Constitutional rights to a free press and a free trial. Discusses over-the-top press coverage of sensational cases and focuses on the conflict that sometimes arises when a reporter is required to testify.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, 1997, $ 47.95
From the Paper "Freedom of the Press is embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution, and the courts give great importance to this doctrine when weighing competing rights. However, another vitally important right is the right to a fair trial, and more and more, courts are being asked to consider which of these rights takes precedence in different cases. The press frenzy around recent major cases such as that of O.J. Simpson, the Unabomber, and the Oklahoma City bombing raised questions in the public about the ethics of the press in covering these trials. This is not a new issue, and forty years ago the excessive coverage of the first Sam Sheppard murder trial led to a reversal of his conviction and public censure of the press. In determining when press freedoms might impinge on such other cherished freedoms as the right to a fair trial, courts examine press ..."
