Enhancing Democracy Through Digital Communication Systems Media Essay

Enhancing Democracy Through Digital Communication Systems Media Essay In this essay, I aim to discuss whether the digital communication systems enhance democracy by offering greater access and participation to citizens as compared to traditional media. I will address this by defining the terms digital communication systems and democracy and exploring the differences in digital communication systems and traditional media and how these differences lead to enhancement of democracy on digital communication systems. Digital communication systems also known as network communication or new media simply refers to a constant reformulation of the relations between the media forms, interconnecting interpersonal communications established between different media in a network based on the interactions between users, mass media companies and, perhaps, regulators (Cardoso, 2011: 119). The digital communication system, as the name suggests, makes use of digital technology and devices and comprises of the Internet, mobile communications, and social media and so on. As compared to traditional media, such as the newspaper, radio and television, digital media offers more opportunities of democracy as it provides greater accessibility and allows for more participation by consumers. The arrival of social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and others changed the Internet (Cardoso, 2011: 131). These social platforms have the most impact on how digital communication systems enhance democracy. ENHANCING DEMOCRACY THROUGH DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS Firstly, content flow is less controlled over the Internet as compared to traditional media. Traditional media is still largely regulated by the state and/or media owners. Depending on the country, the media institution may be governed by the state or by private media owners. The owners of the institution direct the type of news that is broadcasted. Simply put within a specific old medium, people do not have many choices (Wei and Hindman, 2011: 220) An example would be the direction taken by media in Singapore. The media organisation in Singapore, MediaCorp, is owned by the Government and therefore, media is heavily regulated and news published will either be neutral or in favour of the Government. Not just with news, the types of programmes aired by MediaCorp are more conservative and slanted towards the Government (Seow, 1998: 183 194). Only through the Web are citizens able to express their views on the Government and its policies and receive and collect more diverse opinions from fellow citizens and not just a one-sided direction by the traditional media. With digital media, content on the Internet is available to almost everyone and anyone. There are limitations and regulations on the Web when it comes to content sourcing, however, with the advancement of technology; it is easily possible to get round that limitation and regulation. (Jin, 2011: 42) According to Bonfadelli, Wei and Hindman states that in contrast to traditional mass media, the new media such as the Internet provide much more diverse content and an unprecedented level of user controllability. The content supply on the Internet is not structured by journalists and is, therefore, heterogeneous and potentially unlimited (Wei and Hindman, 2011: 220). Jin gives an example of the criminal conviction of Conrad Black. As one of the most influential controllers of the global commercial media system, the conviction of Black confirms that people should not place all their trust in the mainstream media (Jin, 2011: 43) He explains that there is a need for the audience to produce alternative information sources and platforms for expression of their opinions. Only then will society be able to expand the avenues within interactive social networking and communication (Jin, 2011: 43). All the audience needs is a click of the button on their laptops or mobile phones and news and information will be readily available for consumption. A citizen from Australia can find out about happenings in Africa and be able to obtain viewpoints from different sources, and not just the one perspective that traditional media provides, all while on-the-go or from the comfort of his house. Secondly, audience participation helps enhance democracy as it becomes more active with the development of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well as with the growth of blogs and forums. Consumers interact on these sites and get almost instantaneous response. The popularity of these sites also gives rise to citizen journalism, whereby the consumers become the producers, putting their content whether its their view on an issue or an original work of theirs onto the Web. The intent of this citizen participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, widespread and appropriate information that is required to strengthen the democracy (Riaz and Pasha, 2011: 90) All these forms of audience participation give voice to the issues of the world. The digital communication systems can have political impact on a country as well. A countrys laws and policies can be shaped as the citizens use of digital communications system changes. For example, some individuals and parties have taken to the Web for their presidential elections, such as the Barrack Obamas presidential campaign. Obamas successful online strategy in 2008, with the use of social networking sites saw Obama winning the election to becoming the President of the United States. With the elections on-going in the states now, President Obama has taken to social media again Reddit in particular. This time, Mitt Romney followed suit, taking over Twitter to gain foothold. Social media makes it easier for candidates to interact with the citizens and vice versa. Global Voices Online is an example of how audience participation online encourages democracy. According to its website, Global Voice seeks to aggregate, curate and amplify the global conversation online shining light on places and people other media often ignore. We work to develop tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices, everywhere, to be heard (Global Voice, 2011). Global Voices Online acts as a platform for free, diverse and neutral voices (Riaz and Pasha, 2011: 90) and having more voices in the public arena can add to a more lively democracy (Riaz and Pasha, 2011: 93). These multimedia platforms have enabled new ways of bearing witness through technology and the ability to create media events; raise issues of aesthetics, cognitive distance or proximity as well as our ability to empathize and relate to human suffering (Jin, 2011: 124). This differs from traditional media where feedback and a consumers voice can only be heard if the media institution decides to broadcast it. Therefore, even traditional media institutions have jumped onto the Internet and social media bandwagon, inheriting the notion that it is important to keep abreast with of whats going on in the world so as to be not caught off-guard and be able to react accordingly (Cardoso, 2011: 120) Thirdly, the intercreative possibilities of social Web practices are leading to different kinds of representations and constructions of truth (Boler, 2008: 6). Boler explains the statement using the Persian Gulf War in 1991 as an example. She explains that one could not evidence the deceptions of television news spin easily as public archives could not be made, but now, information and sometimes, videos are easily accessible off the Internet that consumers now are able to easily determine what is factual and what is not. Consumers now demand and expect the truth. With the reach and accessibility of digital communications, political, education and the other institutions are pressured into doing the right thing and media institutions are pressured to report the truth. This is because citizen journalists have wrecked the stories about political corruption, police violence and other concerning issues to local and international communities (Riaz and Pasha, 2011: 92). It has become harder for the media, Government and any other corporations to get away when injustice has been done by them. An example would be China. After the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, China experienced an unprecedented openness in its media coverage (BBC News, 2008). Citizen journalism started flourishing as the Chinese media (were) instructed not to cover this kind of story, and a member of BBC and five other journalists were detained for a short time for approaching the parents (BBC News, 2008). This kind of story referring to articles on local corruption resulting in shoddy construction (BBC News, 2008). Unless a valid explanation was provided by the Chinese Government, talk on corruption causing the death of 87,000 citizens will not disappear. The Chinese Government then went to the extreme by sentencing activists who were investigating the cause of collapsing buildings to jail. The Chinese media might have avoided reporting on corruption and the cause of collapsed buildings, but it was not possible to stop citizen journalism from spreading like wildfire. DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AGAINST DEMOCRACY The Internet could also become a double-edged sword as the freedom on the Web leads to misuse of the freedom and of the technology. As content become increasingly available to the public, piracy and copyright has become a major concern. The public now has free access to information and entertainment that previously had to be paid for. Now that its free, would the consumers want to pay for it? They do not, which is what led to the drastic increase in consumers downloading songs, videos and even e-books online through sites like LimeWire. In situations like this, the Internet does not enhance democracy but instead, undermines the value of the work by the original owner. CONCLUSION The digital communication systems have greatly impacted not just the media industry, but also on education, politics, cultural and social aspects. The consumers rely on the media to separate facts and tangible realities from assumptions and spin, to provide a reliable account of what is really going on (Hettiarachchi, 2011). Only with an unbiased and factual report will the consumers be able to form their own viewpoint. With less regulated content flow, audience participation on social media and the constant demand for truth, digital communication systems are increasingly enhancing democracy as compared to traditional media.

Cross-cultural Communication Essay

In order to accomplish the task I decided to interview my friend from Italy who arrived to the USA after having won a language competition to live and study here and whom I recently visited in Italy. So, below you may see some differences and similarities of American and Italian culture. First of all he decided to rent a car since it was more convenient than a train or other transportation vehicle. He noted that there are almost no pedestrians in the streets as everybody drives a car. Also, he stated that American people take care of their life as no other culture in the world because they have a list of emergency calls in every household and therefore are rightfully scared to death of Italian drivers. The system of driving in Italy is almost beyond American understanding. The basic difference is that Americans like lanes and pretty much expect everybody to stay in one. Italy does not work like this at all. Instead they use a surprisingly tolerant system of swerving, tail gating, and other go-as-you-please driving etiquette that Americans would be driven to homicidal road rage by if it happened in the hometown. Traveling through Italy American person will never see anyone irritated or aggressive while driving. Italians just casually drive like maniacs and know that everyone else is too. Along the way, they adore chatting and laughing with each other. As a huge generalization Italians are very attractive people. It felt like people are living in an Armani commercial. But as he says they smoke everywhere, all the time. As expected, he liked American food everywhere: in restaurants, in coffee shops, etc. although he was more accustomed to have a dessert and a thimble of coffee. It was quite a surprise for him to reveal that dinners last an hour or an hour and a half at most while in Italy they go on for hours. Time in general moves differently in the USA, as he says. In the USA days start earlier than according to the Italian standards. In Italy the whole country shuts down from one o’clock to three or four o’clock every afternoon. There is also a great difference in architecture of these two cultures. Italy is full of narrow streets, plazas and buildings. He says if you want to live in an apartment that is several hundred years old and is probably built on top of even older building you can do it. In the USA it is hard to find something older than about 200 years old. In my essay I would like to refer to the idea of the context of situation (Kramsch 25) that includes three major parts: o The field of discourse o The tenor of discourse o The mode of discourse The field of discourse covers the situation of visiting another country and penetrating into its culture. The tenor implies the participants, while the mode includes the role of the language in this situation. Therefore, it would be appropriate to note that Italian tradition of driving may serve as a good example of the context of situation. First of all, it involves such important factors as high level of emotionality, hot weather, narrow streets, and their somewhat confusing location. As the tenor of discourse investigates the members of the situation, it is necessary to mention here the importance of the origin of the participants. As we may see from the interview and from my own experience Italians and Americans drive in completely different way and both of them believe that their driving tradition is the best and most convenient. In conclusion, I may add that cultural diversity implies different traditions that require understanding, open-mindness, and tolerance. References Kramsch, Claire. (2003). Language and Culture (4th edition). New York: Oxford University Press.

The Reflection Of Continued Professional Development

This study provides a consisting critical contemplation of my learning advancement. I will discourse the subjects that I found interesting during the bringing of Research in IT faculty and which i logged during my surveies. This study is split into subdivisions which will supply an penetration into assorted subjects including the cardinal theoretical, conceptual and applied larning points that I have researched. It will depict, explicate and analyze how and where my acquisition has taken topographic point and will besides bespeak any events of significance that influenced my acquisition in general and in research methods and information engineering in peculiar I will besides advert the Learning Outcomes and explicate how my acquisition relates to this. I will reflection on my old apprehension and current and explicate what I am able to make better now? What new rules have I understood? What new competencies have I acquired? What inquiries remain? What would I make following clip? What surprised me? Who and what helped?Weekly log for RIT faculty and acquisition resultsBelow is a tabular array of my hebdomadal log that I have learnt during my faculty Lecture. The subjects that interested me are outlined in the tabular array below under â€Å" Important subjects † . The acquisition results are besides mentioned in the 3rd column. Lectureture and Date Important subjects Learning Results 1st Lecture ( day of the month 28.05.2010 ) 1.1How to pull off clip? Schedule an effectual survey program 2nd Lecture ( day of the month 03.06.2010 ) 1.2 How to make work with a squad? What is peer appraisal? Work efficaciously as a portion of squad. Critically appraise the quality of a assortment of given beginning. 3rd Lecture ( Date 10.06.2010 ) 1.3 What is academic research? What is benefit in research? We define clear research aims. 4th Lecture ( Date 17.06.2010 ) 1.4 What is beginning of literature reappraisal? Critically measure the quality of assortment of given literature beginning. fifth Lecture ( Date 24.06.2010 ) 1.5 Conducting the hunt? And What is literature reappraisal? Critically measure the research of literature study. 6th Lecture ( Date 07.07.2010 ) 1.6 What is Research position? What is Socio proficient attack? Argue the instance for a socio proficient attack to analyzing Information System. 7th Lecture ( Date 14.07.2010 ) 1.7 What is unfastened system? I learn about work centred analysis and soft system methodological analysis. 8th Lecture ( Date 21.07.2010 ) 1.8 What is supply concatenation direction? What is client relationship direction? Demonstrate an ability to choose a suited subject for probe appreciates its relationship. 9th Lecture ( Date 28.07.2010 ) 1.9 10 Lecture ( Date 05.08.2010 )1.1 How to pull off clip?In first Lecture I learnt about managing clip and it is really of import in our every twenty-four hours life. There are 24 hours in a twenty-four hours 7 yearss in a Lecture so all this clip how I manage this is called managing clip. Pull offing clip has three phases: ( REFERENCE ) Decide what you want to make Analyse what you are making Bettering the manner you do things Covering with the unexpected As an single I can make up one's mind how I best usage of my clip. From the reasech I have gathered I have devised my ain scheme to pull off clip below: A ) Fix a calendar/ Prepare a Lecture schedule/ Prepare a day-to-day organiser. B ) C ).1.2 How to make squad works? And what is team appraisal?In 2nd talk I learnt about the squad work which is really indispensable for our every twenty-four hours life. Team work: A squad is a group of persons working together to accomplish a common end. From the predating it follows tat squad work is a procedure where by a little figure of people normally 3-10 with complementary accomplishments become committed to a common intent and a range understanding on an specific marks. The all squad members ever maintaining in touch with the identify and unity of Numberss, ( Serrat, 2009 ) . I besides learnt about Peer appraisal. An advanced signifier of appraisal what pupils are involved in the appraisal of other pupils. I besides learnt rules of giving feedback. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt/v5_issue2/sowm/figure4.jpgFigure 1. There is a chart shown holla which indicates the relationship of the of import qualities of the meaningful appraisal. ( Mui So, 2004 ) .1.3 What is research? How to make a research? and benifit of research? In 3rd Lecture I learnt that about research.Research: Includes any assemblage of informations, information facts for the promotion of cognition is called research. Mention? The Oxford Encyclopaedic Dictionary define research: The systematic probe into the survey of stuffs, beginnings etc in order to set up facts and new decisions. The Higher Education Funding Council For England defined research as original probe under taken in order standing. Three cardinal footings in this definition are deserving exploring- Original Addition cognition From the above definition I think research benefit is – Learning a subject in deepness Ability to work and Think independently In this Lecture I besides learnt research cogency, Research procedure and Research theoretical account besides.1.4 What is the beginning of litateture reappraisal?In 4th Lecture I learnt about literature reappraisal and seeking the literature Literature Reappraisal: This is relevant of description of the literature to a peculiar field in a subject. It gives an overview of what has been said, who the key written are, what are the prevalent theories and hypotheses. Ib nexus. There are two beginnings of litareture which are primary and secondary ( mention ) Primary beginning of litareture are: Reports Thesiss Electronic mails -Conference studies -Some Government Publication -Unpublished manuscript beginnings Secondary literature beginning are -Newspapers -textbooks -Journals -Internet -Some authorities Publication. So from all this beginnings I can happen our literature reappraisal. Aktar, M ( 2010 )1.5 Conducting the hunt? And what is literature reappraisalIn the fifth Lecture I learnt about carry oning hunt and this means†¦ †¦ Conducting the hunt: Restrict the extent of our hunt harmonizing the clip available. In carry oning the hunt I learnt about the cyberspace hunt engines are ( RIT talk? ? ? ) : -Google -Alta view -Ask Jeeves -A11 4 one meta hunt engines -Serious ( medical information ) -BUBL nexus I besides learnt about the pull offing the litaterure Reappraisal: Citation Relevance tree: It is a method for visually mapping the connexion betIen commendation. In each paper or article published by an writer. They will mention other paper and articles written by other writer or themselves and those paper will likewise cite others. As the connexion construct the authoritative nbrancing tree form is formed. I cab build commendation trees by utilizing a commendation index which is identifies how many times a peculiar articles has been cited and by whom. ( From Ib nexus ) From that Lectureture I besides learnt elements of good reappraisal and besides what is composing reappraisal when I write a literature reappraisal I need to care full about some points so our composing literature should be right. So I need to larn about this.6.1 What is Research position? What is Socio proficient attack?6th Lecture: Research Perspectives is really of import subject for research information engineering in 6th Lecture I learnt about research position. Research position: Approachs to and concluding behind, information systems reach become evident when vieId from five positions by moushowitz ( 1981 ) -Technism -Elitism -progress individuality -Pluralism -Radical unfavorable judgment ( From Lectureture notes ) I besides learnt about the Socio Techional Approach Socio proficient attack: -A combination of proficient system constituents and societal system constituents. -Provide counsel on what a better system is and how to accomplish it. -Socio proficient attack works betIen people and engineering. So the socio proficient attack is at that place for able to supply counsel on what a better system is and how to accomplish it. Aktar M ( 2010 )7.1 What is unfastened system? I learn about work centred analysis and soft system methodological analysisseventh Lecture: This Lecture I learnt about the Open system, what is the value of concatenation, what is concern procedure, Work centred analysis Soft Systems Methodology. Open system: An unfastened system is an province of a system in which it continuously interacts with its environment. Open systems contrast with closed systems, a system that is isolated from its environing environment. ( Lectureture notes )1.8 What is supply concatenation direction? What is client relationship direction?In lecture eight I learnt about average client relation direction and supply concatenation direction..Supply concatenation direction: SCM is an Lecture etronic option to the traditional paper concatenation supplying companies with a smarter faster more efficient manner to acquire the right client at the right clip. Example: Dell Company Customer relationship direction: CRM is the conservative and Lecturetive probe of prehistoric and historic remains includes Torahs and patterns deigned to protect present and past civilization resources. Example: Sainsbury, Tesco.ContemplationIn RIT faculty we learn tonss of subjects which related our I will besides advert the Learning Outcomes and explicate how my acquisition relates to this. I will reflection on my old apprehension and current and explicate what I am able to make better now? What new rules have I understood? What new competencies have I acquired? What inquiries remain? What would I make following clip? What surprised me? Who and what helped? Decision: Already the above treatment It is clear that, from this faculty I learn tonss of of import subjects which subjects helps us now and it will besides assist us in our future life. In research Information Technology faculty I have covered alot of subjects which Ire new and which will back up me throughout my surveies. From this faculty I learn how to do a log book and after completing every Lectureture I write our log book so all Lectureture sum-up I have in our log book so easy this log book help us in our assignment and this is besides a grounds this helps in our future life. In our Research Information Technology faculty category our Lectureture learn us about all land regulations for illustration in category clip do n't speak each other, do non eat nutrient or drinks in a category room, exchange our nomadic phone so from this category I all are know about the land regulations and now I all maintain this regulations and this is really of import for a pupil. From this facult y I besides learn how to make group work and what is peer appraisal so This can assist me in my future life when I join for a work so I all plants successfully with my co-workers.

The Feminist Movement The First Great Provider For The...

The feminist movement has been influenced by many factors; but most importantly by innate dispositions, dealings, money, and the gender of both males and females. To understand how the movement evolved one might want to start at the blameless beginnings of earlier male and female relationships. As a suggestion, this quote surmises a past perspective: â€Å"Granted then, that the first great provider for the human species was God the Father, surely the second great provider for the human species was Mother, the gatherer, planter, and general factum. Boulding (1976), citing Lee and de Vores tells us that in hunting and gathering societies, males contributed about 1/5 of the food for clan members, and females the other 4/5† (# 1; Bernard).†¦show more content†¦Purely, living on the fringes of society an unaware of its day to day expense; neither their own status and/or ways to improve. On the other hand, are their opposites; for instance, the wealthy and hardworking reli gious families; both of whom are in some way indebted to society. This last attitude brings this paper to its start with feminist spokeswoman Mary Wollstonecraft and her well-known book about equality in education. â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman† (1792), â€Å"was written by British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and is one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy. In it, Wollstonecraft responds to those educational and political theorists of the 18th century who did not believe women should have an education. She argues that women ought to have an education commensurate with their position in society, claiming that women are essential to the nation because they educate its children and because they could be â€Å"companions† to their husbands, rather than mere wives. Instead of viewing women as ornaments to society or property to be traded in marriage, Wollstonecraft maintains that they are human beings deserving of the same fundamental rights as menâ⠂¬ (# 2; genius). This philosophy was mostly resigned to the wealthy and (parochial) catholic educators who by 1870 had worked to make public education available to all children. In the period in-between another important awareness formulated â€Å"The Cult of