Communication Strategies

2.1 Phase I New Media Meets Old Media-Medium Theory
The first of the tripartite theories that compose this dissertations Phase I lens is Medium Theory. In 1964, Marshall McLuhan challenged the conventional definitions of what media was perceived to be when he claimed that the medium is the message. With this claim, he stressed how all the then-current channels differ (print, radio, television), not only in terms of their content, which he considered to be only a secondary factor, but also in regard to how they awaken and modify thoughts and senses (McLuhan  Fiore, 1967). He differentiated the media by the cognitive processes each required, placing a higher cognitive value on print, but a more emotional (visceral) reactive process to radio and especially television. McLuhan (1964) keenly noted that news was a core component of the medias we exist as message role and thus popularized the idea that media channels were and remain a dominant force that must be understood to know how they influence society and culture.

By focusing on the mediums characteristics itself, rather than on what it conveys or how information is received, McLuhan and others objectified the media and gave it a strength based on much more than a physical presence (Katz  Lazarsfeld, 1955). In medium theory, a media channel is not just a newspaper, a radio, a magazine, the Internet, a digital video camera or anything else conveying a message. Rather, it is the symbolic environment, the contextual envelope, of any act of communication. Therefore, due to its widespread reach and mutability, media, apart from whatever content is transmitted, has a measurable and noticeable impact on individuals and society (McLuhan, 1978).

Medium Theory proposed that people adapt to their environment through a certain balance or ratio of the senses, such as auditory over visual in jungle-like environments and that the primary medium of any age brings out a particular ratio, thus affecting perception (McLuhan  Fiore, 1967). To this environmental aspect was added the concept of time, as in the time invested to focus the senses on a particular activity. When attention is scarce, whatever method or system allows one to combine foci is deemed an improvement, thus leading to the observation that the content of a new medium is the old medium, in a sense, repackaged.

Medium theory examines physical, psychological and social variables as the senses that are required to attend to the medium whether the communication is bi-directional or uni-directional, how quickly messages can be disseminated, whether learning to encode and decode in the medium is difficult or simple, how many people can attend to the same message at the same moment, and so forth. Medium theorists argue that such variables influence the mediums use and its social, political, and psychological impact.

2.2 Modernization Theory
Modernization Theory is defined as the appearance of modes of social life or organization which emerged in Europe from about the seventeenth century onwards and which subsequently became more or less worldwide in their influence.(Giddens, 1991). Modernization Theory and variants try to explain the ways that communication and media are used in both traditional and modern societies.

Modernization Theory has been controversial and thus has been altered fundamentally in a series of three waves. The original Theory appeared in the 1950s and throughout the that decade and the 1960s, Modernization Theory tried to explain the diffusion of Western styles of living, technological advances and individualistic types of communication as the product of an intrinsic superiority of Western culture and of individual motivation and achievement almost exclusively present in Western cultures. (Littlejohn, 1999). As can be expected, this culture-centric view was increasingly dismissed, leading to three variants in the first wave of change, each narrowing an aspect of Modernization Theory to strengthen the defined impact of mass media

That mass media is the key to promoting the global diffusion of many technical and social innovations that are essential to modernization. Think business, economic and science news for the masses.
That mass media can teach literacy and other essential skills and techniques, encouraging a state of mind more in favor of modernity, or the imagination of a different way of life beyond the traditional way. Think celebrity, new wave and trendy news.

That mass media could support national identities in new nations (colonies) and support attention to democratic policies (elections). Think political and social news and commentary.

However, although these variants did further define the role and impact of mass media to some degree, they were discredited because of their now subliminal pro-Western bias (Schramm, 1964). The impact on news coverage varied from country to country, with some nations, particularly the U.S., focusing their news effort inward (what we are doing in the world) while others, such as England and Japan, focused in outward fashion (what the world is doing.)

The second wave of modernization theory is a part of the critical theory that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. It did not support, but actually criticized the influence of Western modernization, leading to charges of forcefully imposing Western cultural and economic imperialism on the rest of the world.  One aspect did stand out

The idea that peripheral countries were assumed to be dependent on mass media, as provided extensively by the Western world, thus creating a media dependency. We shall see more of this dependency further below.

The third wave of modernization theory, rising in the 1990s, tries to be more neutral, neither in favor nor against Western modernization. It focuses more on the contradictions in the modernization process and to explain the consequences of modernity for individuals in contemporary society (Giddens, 1991). Giddens showed that modern societies are characterized by time-space distortion (time and distance lose meaning as the past and the distant are within reach) and disembedding mechanisms.

Modern societies can stretch further and extend themselves even more across space and time using mass media and interactive media to establish and strengthen connections. These connections may not be necessarily based on a shared socio-cultural background, but are increasingly seen as based on personal preferences (Rasmussen, 2003). Disembedding mechanisms are things such as money, symbols, the use of English as a common language and the Internet, and these help present activities once embedded in particular material products and in limited places to the larger forum connected by the Internet.

This theme of combination of unification and fragmentation in society and in media use also is part of the rise of the new media primarily because computer networks, PDAs and mobile phones have become important tools for modern life. They enable simultaneous reduction and extension of scale, creating a unitary and a fragmented world, a world that is both social and individualized.

2.3 Diffusion of Innovations Theory
Diffusion of Innovation Theory declares that media in all its forms, as well as interpersonal contacts (word of mouth), provide information and influence opinion and judgment. Using the excellent definitions of E.R. Rogers (1962), diffusion is thus the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over a period of time among the members of a social system. An innovation is an idea, practice, or object that is perceived to be new by an individual or other unit of adoption. And communication is a process in which participants create and share information with one another to reach a mutual understanding.

Rogers (1962) defined innovation as occurring in four stages invention, diffusion (or communication) through the social system, time and consequences. The information flows through networks, thus the more effective and efficient a network is, the better the chances of diffusion and thus of innovation.

Innovation diffusion research has tried to isolate and define the variables that influence why and how users adopt a new medium, such as the Internet. Opinion leaders are known to exert influence on audience behavior via their personal contact, but additional intermediaries called change agents and gatekeepers are also included in the process of diffusion. The five accepted adopter categories are (1) innovators, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards. These categories follow a standard deviation curve, with very few innovators adopting the innovation in the beginning (about 2.5) and early adopters making up for about 13.5 of the population. A short time later the early majority (about 34) jumps on board the innovation followed by the late majority (another estimated 34) and after some time, the laggards (about 16) come to the innovation (Croteau  Hoynes, 1997). The key to critical mass or the tipping point is being able to attract a large number of early adopters. For new media, the price of computers and the limitations of the Internet did not allow access to early majority numbers until the mid-1990s, when new media could then begin to challenge the old.

2.4 Phase II New Media Challenges Old Media--Dependency Theory
The Baby Boomer generation saw television move into their homes and become the centerpiece of news and entertainment. For their children, growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, television was cable with over 100 channels, all day news networks and take it with you media like the Walkman. The new media explosion emerged in the 1990s, as two generations watched a third grow up with global access and tools to make them known in it, such as blogs, podcasts, vidcasts (video blogging)and social areas like MySpace.

To describe this phenomena, Dependency Theory states that media is dependent on the social context (DeFleur, 1989). Media use and preferences are directly influenced by how society views it. In this way, Dependency Theory integrates several perspectives (Innis, 1964)
By combining perspectives from psychology with ingredients from social categories theory.
By integrating systems perspectives (how systems work) with elements from more causal approaches (why they work as they do.)
By combining elements of Uses and Gratifications Theory research (also discussed below) with those of media effects analysis.
By providing a contextual philosophy featuring traditional aspects of media use along with the content of media messages and their effect on audiences.

Dependency Theory proposes that there is an integral, almost symbiotic relationship among the audiences, the different media and the larger social systems. The theory states that a person depends on media information to meet certain needs and achieve certain goals, which is a common link with Uses and Gratifications Theory. But the fact is that people do not depend on all media equally with two factors clearly influencing the degree of media dependence (1) one is more dependent on media that meets a higher number of personal needs than on media that meets  just a few and (2) dependency is heavily influenced by social stability, so that when social change and conflict are high, with established institutions, beliefs, and practices being challenged, the reliance on the media for information will increase, whereas in more stable times the dependency on media will drop (DeFleur, 1989). What was not in doubt under Dependency Theory was that there was a high degree of media dependency in societies and that much of the media was increasingly ineffective in meeting the more personalized needs arising from the potential of new media.

It is a basic principle of sociology that a persons needs are not always strictly personal, but may be shaped by the culture or by various social conditions. By the same token, individuals needs, motives, and uses of media are equally contingent on outside factors that may not be in the individuals control. (Innis, 1964) These outside factors act as constraints on what and how media can be used and on the availability of other non-media alternatives. And the more alternatives an individual has for gratifying needs, the less dependent he or she will become on any single medium. When the old media lost its aura of authority and objectivity, new media was there to provide a customized alternative for thousands and then millions of people.

2.5 Uses and Gratifications Theory -- The Dialogue Begins
Uses and Gratifications Theory attempts to explain the uses and functions of the media for individuals, groups, and society in general. There are three goals that are guiding the development and research of Uses and Gratifications Theory (Donohew L., Palmgreen, P.,  Rayburn, J. D., 1987)
1) Explaining how individuals use mass media to gratify their needs, in essence, seeking an answer to the question What do people do with the media
2) Discovering the underlying motives for an individuals use of the media and why they prefer one media over another.
3) Identify the positive and the negative consequences of an individuals media use.

At the center of Uses and Gratifications theory lays the assumption that people actively seek out the mass media to satisfy their individual needs (DeFleur, 1987). Thus a medium will be used more when the current motives to use the medium leads to more satisfaction. In the realm of traditional news journalism, the mountain top was the newspaper and the TV evening news, a rarified air where news emerged with the power of authority. But faced with a 24-hour news cycle and increasing evidence that bias was rampant in the pursuit of ad revenue and ratings, the old media left much of its audience disenfranchised and disillusioned. Efforts by the old media to think local, act global were met with cynicism, as time and again news was treated as a commodity instead of a public good, in effect, making it a private sinecure (Watson and Hill, 1997). To the surprise and alarm of the old media, their once impregnable fortress of journalism was eroding, from within by celebrity news and ratings and from without by bloggers and a rising tide of citizen journalists.

2.6. The Framing Theory
The concept of framing in the Framing Theory is related to the Agenda-Setting tradition of theories (Overview, 1993), but it expands the research by focusing on the essence of the issues at hand rather than on a particular topic. For example, rather than evaluate the frames similar to those used in the abortion debate, Framing Theory looks at the context created by the Abortion is murder and Pro-choice frames (Ball-Rokeach et al, 1990).

According to Fairhurst  Star (1996) framing consists of three elements forethought, language and thought. To use language, people must have thought and reflected beforehand on their own interpretive frameworks and those of others so as to develop the intended frame. The language (combination of communication elements) the helps the individual to remember information and act to transform the way in which they view the situation presented.

Fairhurst G. and Star, R. (1996) describe several techniques for framing situations. Amongst these
Metaphor To give an idea or program a new meaning by comparing it to something else.
Stories (myths and legends) To frame a subject by anecdote in a vivid and memorable way.
Traditions (rites, rituals and ceremonies) To pattern and define an organization to confirm and reproduce the organizations values.

Slogans, jargon and catchphrases To frame a subject in a memorable and familiar fashion.
Artifacts To illuminate values through physical vestiges (sometimes in a way language cannot, for example medals, trophies, monuments, warrants, etc.).

Contrast To describe a subject in terms of what it is not.
Spin to talk about a concept so as to give it a positive or negative connotation. (Davis  Baron, 1981).

Some recent examples of frames include the Cold War, the Tea Party and battling cancer, phrases created and specifically used to elicit commonly shared images and meanings.

The basis for this dissertation of the Framing Theory is that the media focuses attention on certain events and then places them within a field of meaning, using words, images (if video or photography is used) and even music to create the intended context. Framing is an important topic since it has been shown consistently and across societal differences to have a major influence on audiences for almost every media.

The media draws the publics attention to certain topics because it decides what people are going to see and hear, leading to what they will think about. This is the original agenda, the basic frame, this setting of the thought. Beyond that basic context, often created without much thought, Framing Theory looks a the way in which the news is brought to the public, the frame in which the news is presented, the spin, which is also a choice made by journalists. Thus, a frame refers both to the way the media and its exponents organize and present events and issues that they cover, but also the way audiences interpret and react to what they are provided. Frames are abstract notions that serve to organize or structure social meanings that can lead to action or non-action. A frame that heightens emotional response is radically different, in form and finality, than one whose purpose is to downplay potential reaction, whether that reaction is storming the walls or modifying an opinion.

Under traditional media, framing was in the hands of print and radioTV. Over time, government, corporations and other entities began using framing as a way to enhance their messages or overcome that of others. Their primary intent was to create the Needle that would cure the issue or the Bullet that would lay it to rest. Thus framing is a tool of communication that leads others to accept one meaning over another. It is a skill with profound effects on how organizational members understand and respond to the world in which they live. It is a skill that most successful leaders possess, yet one that is not often taught.  And one must not forget that media products are human products and that these constructs are ones that the audience routinely takes for granted.

2.9 Priming Theory
During the 1980s, as Framing Theory was gaining precedence, much attention in Agenda-Setting research was focused on the concept of priming. This concept was derived from the cognitive psychological concept of priming, meaning an increased sensitivity to certain stimuli due to prior experience. Because priming is believed to occur outside of the persons conscious awareness, it is different from memory in that memory relies on the direct retrieval of information, while priming relies on implicit memory. Research has shown that the affects of priming can impact the decision-making process (Domke  Wackman, 1998), thus making it an effective tool for providing contextual influence.

Priming refers to enhancing the effects of the media by offering the audience a prior context  a context that will be used to interpret subsequent communication. Basically priming creates a toolboxfilter kit that allows the person primed to come to a decision faster and more easily. The media does its job, positively or negatively, by providing the audience with selected standards and created frames of reference. In the old media, frames were limited, highly-controlled and difficult to challenge. The new media upset that that imbalance in favor of the audience.

Agenda-Setting and thus framing refer mainly to the importance of an issue priming tells us whether what the person is exposed to is something that is good or bad, and whether it is communicated effectively (Hassan  Thomas, 2006). The media have primed audiences about what a news program looks like, what a news report should be, what a good guybad guy dichotomy looks like and much more. Priming is now in the hands of new media, who can move quickly to either establish or undermine frames. Whereas old media can still provide gravitas to help cement a frame in place, it is in the new media that critical frames are being developed, each one priming sectors of the audience to greater awareness. There is a large possibility that these priming efforts, crucial to dealing with information overload in terms of personal time and effort to achieve understanding and satisfaction with the media, are actually increasing the information burden. However, it can be argued that when few or only one voice dominates the public discourse with its frames, when only one side gets to prime the message to the masses, then those people are ill-served by the masters of the message. Control of information is power, and better to have that power in the hands of the masses, of each person capable of using the tools of mass media, than to have it condensed into the hands of few. This dissertation will prime the notion that new media is freedom of expression--literally--personified.

A tort is legally known as a civil wrong which can either be deliberate or negligent. Tort law generally defines what a legal injury is and what is not. Tort refers to the causing of damage to a persons reputation or to property or impairment to a persons commercial interests (Lunney  Oliphant, 2003).

Before a court can order a remedy, four basic elements must be present in torts which are breach of duty by the defendant, an injury be it physical or financial it must be there, a legal duty to the victim must be owed by the defendant and causation (cause of an injury to the victim is the breach). A legal duty is enforceable commitment to conform to a particular conduct standard. Tort is not a crime. Defendants actions in most torts were an accident even though torts also cover wrongs intended by the defendant to harm the victim.

There are four common law privacy torts which are appropriation, false light, intrusion, and public disclosure of private facts.

Intrusion is an information-gathering tort which can be physical, mechanical or electronic. At the time of the intrusion is when the legal wrong occurs. Examples are peeping, trespass, photographic spying. When a person invades another persons personal affairs and private matters yet the individual has the legal right to expect privacy then that will be intrusion. To open ones mail is a crime but to go through ones garbage on the street is allowed. Intrusion cases are clearest on private property. Intrusion defenses include consent journalists do not go onto private property and common custom go on property with law enforcement (Lunney  Oliphant, 2003).

False light is another tort and is similar to libel. It occurs when publicity or news concerning an individual publicized a private fact that is not true. This is the only privacy tort that allows truth as a defense, privileged source, actual malice, is not offensive to a reasonable individual though we do not know the standards and has consent in its defense.

Appropriation is the use of an individuals likeness, name or identity for advertising or trade without hisher consent. There are two types of appropriation recognized which are private right of privacy and celebrity right of publicity. A private right of privacy gives an individual the right to be left alone, personal right, the rights die with the individual and violation will mean mental harm. They thus cannot claim loss of money. A publiccelebrity on the other hand may be transferred or inherited, a right to profit, property right and breach will cause fiscal loss. Celebrities are publicized thoroughly and as such cannot claim publicity shame. It is the oldest recognized tort and is the most legally concrete thus the plaintiff is most likely to win. Individual not identified, newsworthiness and consent are its defense claim. It is mostly used for commercial gains.

Public disclosure of private facts is the last type of tort which normally occurs when a person releases a private fact about another that a reasonable and normal individual would find offensive. Public disclosure is so intimate that publication outrages the publics sense of affability and is not of concern to public. Its defenses are consent, publicity, is not offensive to a reasonable person, newsworthiness and qualified privilege. In the case of Steve this type of tort is present (Lunney  Oliphant, 2003).

Libel is a fixed form of character defamation, exposing an individual to public mockery or disdain, a civil immoral which erroneously impugns the character or status of an individual, communication of a statement claiming to be factual and hence giving an individual a negative image. Fair comment on a matter of public interest is defendable against a defamation claim if a reasonable person could entertain such opinions the statement is protected (Wilson, 2009). Libel defenses resulting in suit dismissal before trial include the statement being of opinion rather than the fact or fair criticism and comment.

Legally there is a difference in disclosing personal indiscretions to the members of the church, public and elders. When one is disclosing information to the church heshe knows that it is going to be a confidential matter just as is the Libel mostly appears in books, billboards, posters, magazines or in a television broadcast. In this case it is libel since Steves personal information wants to be exposed to the public which will lead to Steve being ridiculed by the public. An action of libel has three principal defences justification, qualified privilege and fair comment (Wilson, 2009).

Expectation of privacy is defined as the reasonable expectation that, what one says or does will not be seen or heard by someone else. The criteria used to establish whether ones expectation of privacy in a given situation is reasonable are degree of privacy afforded by certain places or buildings, general legal principles, invasiveness and sophistication of surveillance technology used and vantage point from which the surveillance is taken.
 
In Steves case the expectation of privacy is not reasonable since the communication in question was knowingly exposed to the church leaders by Steve. The simple desire for privacy, nor the fact that one took measures to obtain it, entitles one to rationally expect it. Steve knowingly exposed something to the church leaders thus, he has no reasonable expectation of privacy in information he knowingly exposed (Wilson, 2009).

The most common defences of libel and the privacy tort regarding Steves lawsuit are consent, illegality and contributory negligence. In contributory negligence Steve being the plaintiff has through his own negligence, contributed to the harm he is suffering. This is an unfair negligence since the plaintiff will be denied compensation entirely. Economists have criticized this negligence since it does not yield optimal precaution levels in calculus negligence.

Illegality defence simply means that no action arises from an appalling cause. Steve was involved in wrongdoing at the time the negligence occurred thus reduces the defendants liability.

Consent defense (implicit, written andor explicit) is uncommon. Here, the claim made is that the claimant agreed to the propagation of the statement. When the claimant implicitly consents to the risk of loss and or damage that is when it operates. Thus, defendants ought to take active steps to fence the site and take reasonable precautions to prevent danger which is known from befalling those at risk.

Fair comment on a matter of public interest is defendable against a defamation claim if a reasonable person could entertain such opinions the statement is protected. Libel defenses resulting in suit dismissal before trial include the statement being of opinion rather than the fact or fair criticism and comment.

Legally there is a difference in disclosing personal indiscretions to the members of the church, public and elders. When one is disclosing information to the church heshe knows that it is going to be a confidential matter just as is the case of a doctor and a patient. Church leaders are only allowed by their church doctrine to disclose personal information to only its church leaders in authority and not the public (Wilson, 2009).
In this case Steve did not expect that the church elders will decide to share his personal information with anyone and thus the elders are going against their norms but in this case we cannot say that invasion of privacy was not the case since the information was given voluntarily.

A threat of disclosure by church leaders threatening to disclose the information accorded to them by Steve is compelling, but all this depends on the words used in the blackmail law.

Indiscretions made publicly are dangerous because everybody will have hisher interpretation of your story and thus one is advised to avoid making public confessions or else they will have no one to blame but themselves. Publicity of any way is not best since it makes one exposed to all sorts of vices which are hard to control and hence make an individuals life unsafe (Lunney  Oliphant, 2003).

Elders on the other hand are supposed to be the ones directing people to the right track but what do they do They use your information as a tool to spread all sorts of things about you. What do they expect us to do We shall do as they do. Where will we be heading if everyone behaves like that It is thus advisable not to trust anyone with vital information concerning your present or future life.

The first amendment issue is the courts interference with religion. Steves freedom of religion had been breached by church leaders and as such had the right to sue the church for that.

In summary, a legal difference is present. Given that the information was voluntarily disclosed to the church elders, Steve trusted the leaders to keep the information confidential. Steves freedom of religion had been breached by church leaders.

Creation or generation of meanings and understandings is a vital item in the existence of social relations and are vital in defining the essence of human society. This in turn creates a special link which provides meaning to the communication that takes place amongst people and which is greatly dependent on language as a central fundamental role player. Many varying accounts exist which attempt to explain this. With respect to this communication, this paper takes a keen analysis of the propaganda theory by Chomsky and Herman.

Discussion
According to Chomsky and Herman, in their propaganda model theory, structural economic causes provide a profound explanation and understanding of the systemic biases, which according to the theory, exist in the mass media. The theory looks at the mass media as business entities that have a sole interest of selling their product to the public and have nothing to do with provision of quality products to the target market (Corner 2003). The theory argues that there is no sense in studying the functioning of institutions except by way of contributing to the body of literature that is comparatively unclear or murky.

The propaganda model theory presents a postulation of five major items that are key determinants to the type of news that mass media present to the society. The determinants which form a list of five elements include ownership of the media institution, funding resources of the medium, its sourcing, its anti-communist ideology and the medias general tendency to be criticized (Chomsky 2002). These items are the ones that Chomsky and Herman refer to as filters in the theory and they argue that the media use these filters as avenues to instigate propaganda campaigns as would be helpful to national establishment. The mentioned filters interact in a chain-link to create reinforcement to one another.

Bearing in mind that the propaganda model theory was essentially developed as a characterization of the US media, the developers of the theory believed that the model was fit to describe any other country that has the characteristics that the model describes with respect to the economic structure (anti-communism ideologystructure) and principles of organizing that lead to media biases.

Ownership is a filter identified in the theory as influencing the systemic biases in the mass media. Early in the days of British press, mass media was involved in advocacy issues especially where it radically voiced the concerns of workers. Restrictions were introduced through unnecessarily excessive stamp duties. This of course implied that only the wealthy could afford to own the newspaper (Corner 2003).  The propaganda model holds that the mainstream outlets of media products are large corporations or components of conglomerates and therefore products availed to the public readership or public access will be in line with the interests of these corporations or conglomerates.  This calls for fundamental biasness on the part of the media firms especially where it implies that such a move translates to profit maximization.

Advertising is another filter of the propaganda communications theory model. In order for the costs incurred by the media companies to be covered, the companies have to attract and sustain large quantity of advertising (Kumar 2006). Without such an arrangement, they would be forced to increase the prices of newspapers to record sufficient revenues to cover the costs of production.

During the period when advertising was not prominent, the prices of the media products were higher to reflect the need to cover these costs. When advertising became part of the medias part of doing business, the media firms could afford to reduce the prices of the newspapers to attract more readerships of their papers (Chomsky 1989). Those which faced insufficiency in advertising were put at a disadvantage and they would easily be dislodged out of business. In addition, the firms that get more of advertising business are able to bring in more features to their products and thus have an added advantage in attracting more customers. Such features include promotion and color effects. And the choices made by the advertiser will have an impact on the survival and success of the medium.  

Affluent readers comprise the market for the newspaper and they are similarly the educated decision makers of the society. The audience comprises the very businesses that pay for their business interests to be advertised. With respect to this element or filter, the news channeled by the media is just a packing that secures chance for privileged audiences to see the advertisements made for their interest and the news has to be packaged in the most convenient way that ca attract them (Jeffery 2005).

Sourcing as a filter in the model, works for the media to ensure that the media only reports news in places where it gets economic reciprocity and fulfils its interests. This allows the corporation to plant its reporters to selected places where that interest will be fulfilled (Herman 2003). On the other hand, flak as a filter comes in as a necessary mechanism that aims to manage public information basically by scrutinizing and discrediting, where necessary, the information relayed to the public.

Countries that have power bestowed in the hands of a bureaucratic state, also bestow monopolistic control over the respective countries media and this is often enhanced by censorships that clearly show how the media serves or is supposed to serve the ends of the few dominating elite. According to the theory, therefore, the propaganda system is not common where the media is comprised of private ownership and where there is no formal censorship (Luck 2007). In such a case the privately owned media would compete and sporadically launch necessary attacks on the corporate governance and expose misconduct in government quarters. The media will also portray themselves as spokesmen and advocates for free speech and promoters of the interest of the entire community. Nevertheless, there is huge inequality in control of resources and this limits the absolute access to a system of private media.

Conclusion
In conclusion, propaganda model directs its focus on the existing inequality in command of wealth and power and the multifaceted nature of the inequality on the choices made by the mass-media and the interests it develops in making the choices. Thus, it brings out the concrete relationship between the ability of power and money resources to filter out the news in the media to provide room for the government and prevailing private interests to pass their messages across the public arena and monopolistic control of the media.

There is an overwhelming amount of information supporting the overpopulation of dogs and cats in the world today. In the USA there are 45 cats and dogs for every person born. Only 1 out of 10 dogs born ever get a home. Only 1 out of 12 cats born ever find a home. 800 dogs and cats are KILLED each HOUR.

Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S., and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, every year 4 to 6 million animals are euthanized because there are no homes for them.

Is euthanization the solution to pet overpopulation or is there another solution The current popular belief is that euthanization is not the solution, and the problem of pet overpopulation would be better resolved with all pets being spayed or neutered at a very young age. This platform is controversial however, veterinarians and animal shelters support mandatory spayneutering programs for all companion pets. The evidence is very convincing. Today there is more information and proof available that mandatory spayneutering laws and programs are necessary, to control overpopulation of companion pets, than ever before.

Reason 1 Euthanization is not the answer to control dog and cat overpopulation.
Millions of unwanted cats and dogs are killed by euthanization every year by shelters because their owners no longer wanted them. When the former pet owners were asked the reasons why they did not have the mother spayed before pregnancy, cost was the most frequent answer. Others said they didnt know the animal was in heat, they were going to get rid of it, they do not believe in altering animals, the procedure is inconvenient, they forgot or didnt have the time, thought the pet was too young, and a variety of other reasons.

Most people believe that pets taken to shelters are adopted out however, the sad facts show that most are killed by euthanization. Sick and unadoptable animals are euthanized at shelters regularly. Most likely, these are animals that were once someones pet, and they will be euthanized at a shelter, because they were in the wrong place, at the wrong time. These animals are not reject animals, but animals that were unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of people who decided they didnt want the responsibility, those who did not research the type of pet they were getting, and those who didnt treat the dog like a dog, but rather a human, which always causes behavior problems, sometimes major ones.

Veterinarians take a firm stand that a pet that is spayed or neutered is a healthier pet, and that unplanned births can be avoided with mandatory programs. They believe the number of euthanizations will decrease dramatically with mandatory spayneutering of all dogs and cats. The goal is to eliminate unwanted pregnancies, before they occur, not to use euthanization as the method to eliminate unwanted pets.

State and local governments agree that euthanization is not the answer. It is a difficult problem that can be resolved with fewer unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, government run shelters make it too easy for people to dispose of their unwanted pets. Government is, however, willing to support the solution of eliminating unwanted cat and dog pregnancies, through mandatory spayneutering programs, in an effort to lower the overpopulation of cats and dogs, in the United States.

Reason 2  Mandatory government regulation of spayneutering programs would educate people to realize how necessary spaying and neutering is, to your pet.

It is clear that what needs to change is the overall concept of what is involved when a person becomes a pet owner people need to be educated of what their responsibilities are, to their pets. People need to realize that adopting a pet is a long-term commitment, and a healthy pet is a happier pet. The internet is available to research various kinds of dogs and cats, before they adopt a pet. The internet can also be used to research health and behavior problems pet owners may encounter with their pet, so they should not reject the pet because of their ignorance and inexperience. Puppies and kittens grow up into adult dogs and cats the educated pet owner does not take their animal to the shelter, because it grew up into adulthood.  

Unfortunately, the knowledge a person has, of responsible pet ownership, varies by the region they live, their economic status, and the state of the economy. Areas that are more prosperous have fewer pets turned in, to shelters, than areas where the economy is not well off. The level and willingness to understand their pet seems to be directly related to the economy and education.

Different regions have different beliefs of the needs of their pets that may have lasted through family generations. Many people do not know that spayneutering programs improve the health of their pets. Overpopulation leads to disease and behavior problems this is the fault of the pet owner, not the pet. Pet owners must be more aware of the problems that occur without spayneutering programs, and mandatory spayneutering programs help pet owners understand their responsibilities, so their pet does not become just another statistic in a state shelter, who will be euthanized, because they were unwanted. The majority of animals killed every year are young and healthy. Millions of dogs and cats are killed by cars and hundreds of thousands are abandoned, severely neglected, or abused.

There is no doubt that the more educated a pet owner is, the more able and willing they are to understand the needs of their pet, and this education can be achieved through mandatory spayneutering programs. These programs help educate the uneducated person to be more aware of their pets needs, and avoid unwanted pregnancies that occur because they didnt know the consequences or what to do, at the time. Veterinarians and shelters help educated pet owners who they encounter, and mandatory spayneutering programs would cause more people to be exposed to the information process of educating themselves and becoming a better pet owner. Mandatory spayneutering programs provide a very affirmative situation to educate the public, that can only be thought of as a positive situation.

Reason 3 Mandatory spaying and neutering laws would eliminate unwanted animals due to International economic and distribution.
A greater, international problem has developed that involves the overpopulation of pets, and that is over-breeding and puppy mills. Specific breeds are over-breed and sick puppies are brought across the borders, spreading disease. Unfortunately, rescuing animals in distress from other countries does not solve the overpopulation of animals in the United States, nor does importing animals from other countries, by breeders.

The fact that pets are readily available and affordable, through puppy mills and international internet websites, cause many Americans to try out different breeds, and ultimately dispose of the animal if the pet is not suitable for their needs. If the pet proves unsuitable, the pet is turned in, to a shelter, where it is considered unadoptable and euthanized.

There needs to be better laws involving breeding that are more parallel with pet overpopulation. Many successful transport programs exist and many more are being planned in order to better address the localized variations in supply and demand for specific adoptable pets. (DVM Newsmagazine. March 25, 2010) Many believe that veterinarian and shelter involvement would benefit the transport of pets and help eliminate regional overpopulation.

Is the problem of over-breeding creating a pet overpopulation problem  Although breeders provide more pets than there are homes, they only breed pets because people will readily buy them. The real problem is that people purchase puppies or kittens on impulse, and treat them as disposable then the pet becomes the problem of the shelters, with the owner moving on to test another breed. Mandatory spayneutering programs protect overpopulation of pets, as well as providing breeders with guidelines and exceptions that will hopefully provide an agreeable solution to both sides involved. With stronger mandatory spayneutering laws, transport of pets, from other countries into the United States, are dealt with appropriately, and laws are designed to detour the activity, completely.

Opposing Views
Understandably, there is an opposing viewpoint and long lists against mandatory spayneutering laws. Some say that the pet overpopulation problem is limited to specific regions of the United States, and that government regulation could make the problem worse. They argue that fewer euthanizations could lead to more animals sick and suffering, left to die in the shelters, causing more cruelty than ever before.

Opponents against mandatory spayneutering laws claim there are many other problems connected with the laws. The problems include that the programs cost too much, would be difficult to enforce, is an infringement of the rights of the public and constitutional rights, and is ultimately not effective, to curb the pet overpopulation. They say that those people, who are currently complying with rabies vaccination and licensing laws, may avoid the program completely, if they now had to comply with mandatory spayneutering of their pet. Still others claim that mandatory spayneutering would not curb the aggressive behavior in dogs, and those dog kennels who raise and compete in dog fights, who would not comply with the laws, would find themselves intentionally breaking the laws.

Rebuttal Information
In all fairness, supporting veterinarians, shelters, and other supporters of the mandatory spayneutering laws and programs, in the United States, provide factual information that cannot be refuted, in response to the objections of the laws.

First, they state that, although detailed statistics cannot be produced as to how many euthanizations are actually performed, during a year, all general information shows that the number of euthanizations has increased steadily, every year, similar to the number of unwanted pets, in the United States.

Secondly, voluntary spayneutering are already established throughout the country, and the cost to spay or neuter a pet is very affordable. If someone cannot afford the low cost, there are agencies that will help with the payment, so pets who have not had owners who care for them can enjoy their life, being neutered or spayed, and being more healthy, because of it.

Finally, it is societys moral obligation to try to protect and keep dogs and cats, in todays world, from harm, as well as prevent unwanted pets from entering into the world, who will live a life of pain, hunger, illness, neglect, and abuse against people who should know better.

Conclusion
Most government state and local officials, veterinarians, shelters, and responsible pet owners agree that pet overpopulation is a huge problem, and something needs to be done immediately, to curb the ever-growing dilemma. What they do not  agree upon, however, is if mandatory spayneutering laws and programs are the answer. The more people that realize the horrors of this problem and know how they can help minimize it, the better. The more animals that do not have to die needlessly, the better job we all are doing of spreading the word.

The goal is to have all dogs and cats spayed or neutered, for their own safety, and for the safety of overpopulation. As long as there is an overpopulation of pets, uneducated people will continue to dispose of unwanted pets at shelters, where there is only a remote possibility that any shelter pet will find a home, because there are simply too many pets and not enough homes. Unless we begin to enforce mandatory spaying and neutering of pets, we will never begin to solve the pet overpopulation problem. Mandatory spayneutering laws are the beginning of an attempt to solve a problem that cannot continue, for the sake of all of the pets, in the United States. They must be established and it must happen now.

This speech discusses the various consequences of underage drinking including

Physical effects such as injuries and death resulting from underage drinking

Mental consequences. Here underage drinking effects such as brain damage, addiction and memory loss are discussed.

Legal implication as underage drinking is against the law.

Lastly, a discussion on how underage drinking compromises the social life of the victim is given.

Underage Drinking
Underage drinking is quite common in our society despite is numerous effects on the physical, mental, social, and economic life of the victim. First, there are many physical consequences of underage drinking. According to available statistics, an estimated 5,000 teens die each year due to alcohol related injuries (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Such include car accidents, homicide, drowning, burns, and suicides. It has also been established that underage drinkers are at a higher risk of sustaining fatal alcohol poisoning as well as permanent scars and disability. Since drinking slows down reaction and thinking, underage drinkers have increased risk of being victims of rape (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This is because it makes it hard for them to either refuse sex or escape an attack. Other physical consequences include liver damage, stomach problems and problems of growth and development hormone production which can compromise development of body organs (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003).

Underage drinking is dangerous to the mental health of the victim. Drinking alters the thinking ability and feeling in the victim (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Based on this reasoning, underage drinking has been closely attributed with incidences of depression, anxiety and suicide among the teens. According to scientists, the mind of an individual continues to develop until their early twenties. This has the implication that underage drinking can have long term effects on the victims brain (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Some of these effects include possible brain damage, compromise memory problem and problems of thinking, and learning. It has been sufficiently established that victims of underage drinking are at a higher risk of being psychologically dependant on alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This is quite detrimental to the victims day-to-day academic and economic life as their effectiveness and reliability will be influenced by alcohol.

Another consequence of underage drinking is its legal implications to the victim. It is a crime under the constitution of America for a minor to drink alcohol. This means that once caught drunk, teens are subjected to legal punishments such as serving prison terms, losing driving license, paying fines, or engaging in unpaid community service (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Also, underage drinking has been identified as a reason for increased crime activities among the youth. Such include rape and homicide whose legal implication is quite serious. According to available statistics on underage prison population in America, an estimated 70 percent are due to alcohol related crimes (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Still, underage drinking can be a source of legal consequences to the adults who provide alcohol to teens. It is due to this reason that parents and other adult members of the community are legally bound to serve in informing the teens of the negative effects of drinking alcohol.

Underage drinking affects the social life of an individual (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This is because drinking compromises the reasoning and judgmental power of an individual. Such social effects include loss of reliable family relationships by the victim as well as breakdown of social relationships with others in the society. Education has become a crucial tool in the realization of sustainable social-economic life by individuals in the society. However, according to available statistic alcohol has been closely attributed to the high levels of school dropouts and poor academic performance by students (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This has the final implication of increased unreliability of the future generation of the American community.

Therefore, owing to the numerous physical, social, and economic consequences of underage drinking in the American community, there is need for all stakeholders to device means of solving this social vice. To realize this, the law enforcement should engage its resources in fighting against the access and use of alcohol by the teens. It is only by doing so that the future of our nation can be promising.

Executive summary
The proposal has been submitted to the General Manager of the company, Mr. John, by the senior office staff at Drill Business Services. The purpose of this proposal is to bring into light the recent problems that the company is facing with regard to the customer complaints which is then affecting the revenues. This proposal would bring all the symptoms of the problem to the knowledge of the general manager and a solution would be proposed by the senior team at the office. This solution aims to reduce all the customer dissonance and encourage a healthy work environment within the office.

The problem as identified by the senior team members is the lack of concentration by the sales personnel towards the customers. From our close observations it has been observed that the office staff does not have a proper work environment as they have a lot of distractions while they are attending the customers. This has made the customers feel neglected due to which they have had this dissatisfaction. The foremost problem that was identified was the mismanagement of the employees themselves.

I have suggested a few solutions to this problem which are based on introducing the clean- desk policy at the work place. This would help the employees manage themselves properly and the customers would also be taken care in the best manner. I feel that in order to sustain our competitive advantage of good customer service, Mr. John should incorporate the suggestions provided in his decisions regarding the work place.

 Introduction
The purpose of this proposal is to identify various problems that our company has been facing in since last few months. The proposal tends to give a clear insight of the problem and after that I have suggested some solutions to the problem that I feel would help the company in coming out of this turmoil. Our company Drill Business Services is a sales oriented company where the number of sales done per day is very important and affects the revenues of our company heavily. The employees are given daily sales goals which they have to achieve.

Drill Business Service is a consulting firm which provides complete business solution to the clients. It is located in Czech Republic and manages the HR related functions of various companies who have outsourced their work to the company. The employees on daily basis have to get clients as the company is in its growth phase and is looking for more and more employees in order to achieve economies of sale. (Drill Profile)
Being selling oriented requires the focus to be only on sales for which the interaction with the consumer has to be done in a very superior way. (Longenecker, Moore,  Wil, 25)

Problem Identification
Mr John, I as the team leader for this tenure have been facing a lot of problems in terms of customer satisfaction which in terms is affecting the sales goals which the employees are not being able to achieve.
Being a service provider, we have a direct contact with the customers. The moment of truth, which is when the sales persennol attends the customer, has become a little controversial as now the customers are not satisfied by the way they are attended. According to our data we have now been receiving 30 more compalints and a lot of customers are seen going back without getting their work done.

Surprisingly in these last few months we have also seen a few customers snapping and yelling at the sales people for the first time ever. We have always been very proud of our service but now this differentiator or the compatitive advantage is turning into our weakness because a lot of customers in their feedback have pointed out that they were not satisfied by the way they were attended. Moreover, they felt that the salespeople were not as active listeners as they used to be and had a lot of distractions while the customers were being attended.

I along with some other senior staff considered it as an alarming situation and we decided to have a close watch of the sales people while they were busy with the customers. It was obvious that there were no external sources responsible for this as the compalints were regarding the environment of the office and the sales people.

Solutions
Sir after a complete and a thorough research we have found out that the basic problem right now is the mismanagement of the employees due to which they are not been able to serve the customer in the best manner which has had an impact on the sales goal due to which ultimately the revenues of the organization are going down  (Cooper).

Solution  1
I feel that in order to curb any sort of mismanagement or distractions within the office, you should incorporate the clean desk Policy within the company. By the clean desk policy I precisely refer to a corporate document which directs the employees to leave their desks clean when they leave for there places after the whole days work. (Falcone,63) This would enforce all the employees to make sure that when they leave the office their desks are clean and no official document or any other belonging is left idle on the desk.

Affect on the employee
This would create a habbit of keeping the desk clean in the organization as everyday before leaving the premises, the employees would make sure that the desks are left empty. Due to this the employees would also avoid creating a lot of mess on the desks during they are working as they would know that they have to clean it before they leave.

Solution  2
Other than that, the employees should be given strict instructions to make sure that their desks are empty when they are attending the customers. They should be asked to make sure that no irrelevant document or anyother belonging is on their desk while they are busy with the customer. Once a customer is there with the saless person he should not be allowed to manage his documents or other personal things and his complete concentration has to be towards the customer.

Affect on the employee
This would help in reducing the compaliants that we have been receiving in past few months regarding the lack of concentration that the customers have felt from the employees. The sales people would not waste their time in managing their desks and handling their documents. They would focus only towards the customer while he is there. Moreover, the prim and proper work place would represent a healthy work environment and a good personality of our company. Since the employees judge the company by the sales people with whom they interact, so they would ave a better picture of the organization into their minds.

Solution  3
Clean Desk policy would not be restricted towards the  official documents only but would also include the food or any personal belonging that the employee may keep on the desk. The employees should not be allowed to have their lunch on the desk as it may become dirty with it.

There should be a strict rule regarding having lunch on the desksand even for beverages it should be made sure that as soon as it is drunk it should be removed from the desk. (Cochrane, 99)

Affect on the employees
By adopting this solution the work place would become more presentable and the customers would also feel comfertable while they are visiting the office. This measure would ensure a clean and hygienic working place with prim and proper desks and the overall workplace.

Advantages of these solutions
By incorporating the above solutions into the business practices, the company can enjoy various advantages which are as follows
First and foremost this policy would encourage a paper free environment in the office as people will prefer not to have a lot of documents which they would have place in order before leaving the office or attending the customers.

A proper working environment would be in place where no clutter would be found on the desks and no irrelevant material would be placed on the desk while attending the customers. This would also help in reducing any deviation by the sales person.

This policy would help in boosting the image of the company as the sales people and the office environemnt represents the company. A clean and a properly manged office would have a good impact on the employees.
Most importantly the core problem which is customer dissatisfaction would be reduced and they would be attende in a better way as the customers would not waste their time in managing their desks.

The problem that is being explored in this report is the issue of privacy that face social networking as a popular communications tool in the globalized world. The advent of extremely popular social networking media such as Facebook and MySpace has raised very serious questions on how private information that is registered in social networking sites are protected and safeguarded to ensure their confidentiality. Among the often-cited instances where user privacy is compromised are the following practices the lack of control over activity streams,  unwelcome linkage, and deanonymization through merging of social graphs (Chew et al., 2008, p. 1).Specifically, this report answers the questions

Do social networking sites compromise user privacy
What steps are being undertaken by social networking sites to protect user privacy
The purpose of this report is to inform individuals on the issue of privacy which holds significant implications for global communications. It also aims to highlight the policies and measures that are currently being employed to prevent the needless and unrestricted flow of information which could be compromise the identity and reputation of end users. This will be an informational report that focuses on the most popular social networking sites Facebook and MySpace. It will focus on the privacy issues that users of said social networking sites have experienced as well as the measures that have been undertaken by management to address these issues.