Publicistic Style free essay sample

The publicist style of language became discernible as a separate style In the middle of the 18th century. It also falls into three varieties, each having its own distinctive features. Unlike other styles, the publicist style has a spoken variety, namely, the oratorical subtle. The development of radio and television has brought into being another new spoken variety, namely, the radio and TV commentary. The other two subtitles are the essay (moral, philosophical, literary) and Journalistic articles (political, social, economic) In newspapers, Journals and magazines.Book reviews In Journals, newspapers and magazines and also pamphlets are generally included among essays. The general aim of publicist style, which makes it stand out as a separate style, is to exert a constant and deep influence on public opinion, to convince the reader or the listener that the interpretation given by the writer or the speaker is the only correct one and to cause him to accept the point of view expressed In the speech, essay or article not merely through logical argumentation but through emotional appeal as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Publicistic Style or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This brain-washing function Is most effective n oratory, for here the most powerful instrument of persuasion, the human voice, is brought into play. Due to its characteristic combination of logical argumentation and emotional appeal, publicist style has features in common with the style of scientific prose, on the one hand, and that of emotive prose, on the other. Its coherent and logical syntactical structure, with an expanded system of connectives and its careful paragraphing, makes It similar to scientific prose.Its emotional appeal Is generally achieved by the use of words with emotive meaning. The use of Imagery and other titlists devices as in emotive prose: but the stylistic devices used in publicist style are not fresh, or genuine. The individual element essential to the belles-letters style is, as a rule, little in evidence here. This is in keeping with the general character of the style. The manner of presenting ideas, however, brings this style closer to that of belles-letters, In this case to emotive prose, as it Is to a certain extent Individual.Naturally, of course, essays and speeches have greater individuality than newspaper or magazine articles where the Individual element Is generally toned down and emitted by the requirements of the style. 287 Further, publicist style is characterized by brevity of expression. In some varieties of this style it becomes a leading feature, an important linguistic means. In essays brevity sometimes becomes epigrammatic. 1. ORATORY AND SPEECHES The oratorical style of language is the oral subdivision of the publicist style. It has already been pointed out that persuasion is the most obvious purpose of oratory. Oratorical speech, writes A.Potency, seeks not only to secure the understanding and. Digesting of the Idea, but also serves simultaneously as a spring setting off a remits a combination of the syntactical, lexical and phonetic peculiarities of both the written and spoken varieties of language. In its leading features, however, oratorical style belongs to the written variety of language, though it is modified by the oral form of the utterance and the use of gestures. Certain typical features of the spoken variety of speech present in this style are: direct address to the audience (ladies and gentlemen, honorable member(s), the use of the 2nd person pronoun you, etc. , sometimes contractions (Ill, wont, havent, isnt and others) and the use of aliquot words. This style is evident in speeches on political and social problems of the day, in orations and addresses on solemn occasions, as public weddings, funerals and Jubilees, in sermons and debates and also in the speeches of counsel and Judges in courts of law. Political speeches fall into two categories: parliamentary debates, and speeches, at rallies, congresses, meetings and election campaigns.Sermons deal mostly with religious subjects, ethics and morality; sometimes nowadays they take up social and political problems as well. Orations on solemn public occasions are typical pessimism of this style and not a few of their word sequences and phrases are ready-made phrases or cliches. The sphere of application of oratory is confined to an appeal to an audience and therefore crucial issues in such spheres as science, art, literature, or business relations are not touched upon except perhaps by allu sion. If such problems are dealt with in oratorical style the effect is humorous. The following extract from Posthumous Papers of the Picking Club by Charles Dickens is a parody of an oration. -? But I trust, Sir, said Poet, that I have never abused the enormous power I wield. I trust, Sir, that I have never pointed the noble instrument which is placed in my hands, against the sacred bosom of private life, of the tender breast of individual reputation;-? I trust, Sir, that I have devoted my energies to-?to endeavourers-?humble they may be, humble I know they are-?to instill those principles 1 nowhere A.A. Pop. Cit. , p. 4. 288 -? Here the editor of the Denotations Gazette appearing to ramble, Mr.. Picking came to his relief, and said-?Certainly. -? The stylistic devices employed in oratorical style- are determined by the conditions of communication. If the desire of the beaker is to rouse the audience and to keep it in suspense, he will use various traditional stylistic devices. But undue prominence given to the form may lead to an exaggerated use of these devices, to embellishment. Tradition is very powerful in oratorical style and the 16th century rhetorical principles laid down by Thomas Wilson in his Rate of Rhetoric are sometimes still used in modern oratory, though, on the whole, modern oratory tends to lower its key more and more, confining itself to a quiet business-like exposition of ideas. Stylistic devices are closely interwoven and mutually complementary thus building up an intricate tatter. For example, antithesis is framed by parallel constructions, which, in their turn, are accompanied by repetition, while climax can be formed by repetitions of different kinds.As the audience rely only on memory, the speaker often resorts to speech. Repetition is also resorted to in order to convince the audience, to add weight to the speakers opinion. The following extract from the speech of the American Confederate general, A. P. Hill, on the ending of the Civil War in the U. S. A. Is an example of anaphoric repetition: It is high time this people had recovered from he passions of war. It is high time that counsel were taken from statesmen, not demagogues It is high time the people of the North and the South understood each other and adopted means to inspire confidence in each other Further, Indianapolis is used: The South will not secede again. That was her great folly-folly against her own interest, not wrong against you. A mere repetition of the same idea and in the same linguistic form may bore the audience and destroy the speaker-audience contact, therefore synonymic phrase repetition is used instead, thus filling up the speech with details and embellishing it, as in this excerpt from a speech on Robert Burns: For Burns exalted our race, he hallowed Scotland and the Scottish tongue.Before his time we had for a long period been scarcely recognized; we had been falling out of the recollection of the world. From the time of the Union of the Crowns, and still more from the legislative union, Scotland had lapsed into obscurity. Except for an occasional riot or a Jacobin rising, her existence was almost forgotten. Here synonymic phras e repetition (been scarcely recognized, falling out of the recollection f the world, had lapsed into obscurity, her existence was almost forgotten) is coupled with climax. 89 Repetition can be regarded as the most typical stylistic device of English oratorical style. Almost any piece of oratory will have parallel constructions, antithesis, suspense, climax, rhetorical questions and questions-in-the-narrative. It will be no exaggeration to say that almost all the typical syntactical stylistic devices can be found in English oratory. Questions are most frequent because they promote closer contact with the audience. The change of intonation breaks the monotony of the intonation pattern and revives the attention of the listeners.The desire of the speaker to convince and to rouse his audience results in the use of simile and metaphor, but these are generally traditional ones, as fresh and genuine stylistic devices may divert the attention of the listeners away from the main point of the speech. Besides, unexpected and original images are more difficult to grasp and the process takes time. If a genuine metaphor is used by an orator, it is usually a sustained one, as a series of related images is easier to grasp and facilitates the conception of facts identified one with another.Allusions in oratorical style depend on the content of the speech and the level of the audience. Special obligatory forms open up and end an oration, e. G. My Lords; Mr.. President; Mr. . Chairman; Your Worship; Ladies and Gentlemen, etc. At the end of his speech the speaker usually thanks the audience for their attention by saying: Thank you or Thank you very much. Expressions of direct address may be repeated in the course of the speech and can be expressed differently: dear friends, my friends, Mark you! , Mind!Here is a sample of the speech made by a member of the House of Commons in Parliament in April 956 when the problem of air pollution was discussed. It is an ordinary speech the audience. There has been a tremendous change in the Ministers attitude since the Bill was first brought to the House. When we embarked upon the Committee stage we were begging for bread and he gave us a stone. Now, seemingly, when we are coming to the end of the feast he is putting many sweets in front of us. The Minister hopes that we shall accept this proposal without too critical an examination.While welcoming the Ministers proposals about the Clean Air Council up to a point, here should be no interference with the councils accountability to Parliament because the chairman of the council will be the Minister. When the hon.. Member for Exterminated (Mr.. Onboard) introduced a Private Bill, the Minister consulted at great length with interested bodies, and particularly with local authorities. It is within my knowledge that during those consultations suggestions were made to him by people who had practical experience.. Those suggestions have not been accepted and woven into the Bill.I do not want the Clean Air Council to become a kind of onscreen behind which the Minister makes a report to his own liking and which may contain views at variance with those of members of the council. 290 It is essential, if the council is to be effective, that it includes people who are interested and who have the knowledge and who have undertaken the scientific- research involved. It must be remembered that they will have a great deal more knowledge of the subject than will the chairman of the council. They will, therefore, have a totally different point of view about what is happening in the country than will the Minister.We should provide that we have the uncompromising opinions of the members of the council, including those members appointed to it because of their knowledge of the problems of various localities. Another point with which I want to deal was touched upon by the hon.. Member for Exterminated. During the Committee stage we debated at great length the topic of research into noxious fumes, especially sulfuric oxides. We especially pleaded that the Clean Air Council should have co-ordination powers so that it could co-ordinate the activities of bodies conducting research into problems of oxides and noxious fumes. Indeed, we thought that the Ministers opinion upon that subject was the same as ours. As the Bill is now drafted, certain powers are given to local authorities to contribute towards the cost of investigation and research into the pollution of the air. We know that scientific and technical institutes and the fuel technology sections of some universities are conducting research into the problem of sulfuric pollution; yet we do not see any power given to the Clean Air Council to deal with the problem of sulfuric oxides, even though sulfuric pollution is one of the worst forms of air pollution.Will the Minister give us an assurance that he will specially direct the attention of the Clean Air Council to its duties in co-ordination research into the problem of sulfuric oxides? Will he at the same time look again at the problem of Parliamentary accountability to make it possible for the council to give an annual report to the House, irrespective of the opinions of the Minister? The ornamen tal elements in this speech are reduced to the minimum. It is a matter-of-fact speech where no high- flown words or elaborate stylistic devices are to be found.It will be of considerable interest to compare this speech to Borons Maiden Speech in the House of Lords in style. Byron used his eloquence against the Bill providing capital punishment for the destruction of machines. His purpose was to prevent the passage of the Bill, to get an impartial examination of the facts. Borons speech is rich in oratorical devices. All these devices are motivated, they are organically connected with the utterance: the form by no means dominates the content.In contradistinction, an examination of the following speech will show that it is practically devoid of meaning. The speaker is merely seeking an effect. 91 Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is indeed a great and undeserved privilege to address such an audience as I see before me. At no previous time in the history of human civilization have greater problems confronted and challenged the ingenuity of mans intellect than now. Let us look around us. What do we see on the horizon?What forces are at work? Whither are we drifting? Under what mist of clouds does the future stand obscured? My friends, casting aside the raiment of all human speech, the crucial test for the solution of all these intricate problems to which I have Just alluded is the sheer and reoccur application of those immutable laws which down the corridor of Time have always guided the hand of man, groping, as it were, for some faint beacon light for his hopes and aspirations.Without these great vital principles we are but puppets responding to whim and fancy, failing entirely to grasp the hidden meaning of it all. We must re-address ourselves to these questions which press for answer and solution. The issues cannot be avoided. There they stand. It is upon you, and you, and yet even upon me, that the yoke of responsibility falls. What, then, is our duty? Shall e continue to drift? No! With all the emphasis of my being I hurl back the message No! Drifting must stop.We must press onward and upward toward the ultimate goal to which all must aspire. But I cannot conclude my remarks, dear friends, without touching briefly upon a subject which I know is steeped in your very consciousness. I refer to that spirit which gleams from the eyes of a new-born babe, that animates the toiling masses, that sways all the hosts of humanity past and present. Without this energize principle all commerce, trade and industry are hushed and will perish room this earth as surely as the crimson sunset follows the golden sunshine. Mark you, I do not seek to unduly alarm or distress the mothers, fathers, sons and daughters gathered before me in this vast assemblage, but I would indeed be recreant too high resolve which I made as a youth if I did not at this time and in this place, and with the full realizing sense of responsibility which I assume, publicly declare and affirm my dedication and my consecration to the eternal principles and receipts of simple, ordinary, commonplace Justice. 1 The proper evaluation of this speech should be: Words, words, words. The whole speech is made to hide the fact that the speaker has no thought.Questions remain unanswered, climaxes are not motivated. What is the subject that cannot be left untouched? This is really a masterpiece of eloquent emptiness and verbosity. 1 The example is borrowed from Altair, R. D. Preface to Critical Reading. Holt, N. Y. , 1956, up. Vile-?veal. 292 As a separate form of English literature the essay dates from the close of the 16th century. The name appears to have become common on the publication of Montages Essays, a literary form created by this French writer. The essay is a dietary composition of moderate length on philosophical, social, aesthetic or literary subjects.It never goes deep into the subject, but merely touches upon the surface. Personality in the treatment of theme and naturalness of expression are two of the most obvious characteristics of the essay. An essay is rather a series of personal and witty comments than a finished argument or a conclusive examination of any matter. This literary genre has definite linguistic traits which shape it as a variety of publicist style. Here is a part of an essay by Ben Johnson which illustrates this style n its most typical and original form as it was at the end of the 16th century: Language most shows a man; speak, that I may see thee.It springs out of the most retired and inmost parts of us, and is the image of the parent of it, the mind. No glass renders a mans form or likeness so true, as his speech. Nay, it is likened to a man; and as we consider feature and composition in a man, so words in language; in the greatness, aptness, sound, structure, and harmony of it. Some men are tall and big, so some language is high and great. Then the words are chosen, the sound ample, he composition full, the absolution plenteous, and poured out, all grace, sinewy and strong.Some are little and dwarfs; so of speech, it is humble and low; the words are poor and flat; the members are periods thin and weak, without knitting or number. The middle are of Just stature. There the language is plain and pleasing: even without stopping, round without swelling; all well turned, composed, eloquent, and accurate. The vicious language is vast and gaping; swelling and irregular; when it contends, high, full of rock, mountain and pointlessness; as it affects to be low it is abject and creeps, full of bogs and holes. The essay was very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 17th century essays were written on topics connected with morals and ethics, while those of the 18th century focused attention on political and philosophical problems. The 18th century was the great age of essay writing. It was then the principal literary form, and discoursed on the important subjects of the day, often criticizing the shortcomings of the political and social system in England. Encyclopedia Britannica states that the essay became a dominant force in English literature of the 18th century.The following statement of an 18th century essayist is of some interest as it describes the character of the essay: We writers of essays or (as they are termed) periodical papers. .. This statement shows that periodical papers at that time contained only essays. In the 19th century the essay as a literary term gradually changed into what we now call the Journalistic article or feature article which 293 covers all kinds of subjects from politics, philosophy or aesthetics to travel, sport and fashions. Feature articles are generally published in newspapers, especially weeklies and Sunday editions.They are often written by one and the same writer or Journalist, who has cultivated his own individual style. The most characteristic language writers a degree of pessimistically, 2) the use of the first person singular, which justifies a personal approach to the problems treated, 3) a rather expanded use of connectives, which facilitate the process of grasping the correlation of ideas, 4) the abundant use of emotive words, 5) the use of similes and sustained metaphors as one of the media for the cognitive process. It is in the interrelation of these constituents that the real secret of the essay subtle consists. Some essays, depending on the writers individuality, are written in a highly emotional manner resembling the style of emotive prose, others resemble scientific prose, and the terms review, memoir or treatise are more applicable to certain more exhaustive studies. 1 The essay on moral and philosophical topics in modern times has not been so popular, perhaps because a deeper scientific analysis and interpretation of facts is required.The essay in our days is often biographical; persons, facts and events are taken from life. These essays differ from those of previous centuries -? their scapulars is simpler and so is their logical structure and argumentation. But they still retain all the leading features of the publicist style. In comparison with oratorical style, the essay aims at a more lasting, hence, at a slower effect. Epigrams, paradoxes and aphorisms are comparatively rare in oratory, as they require the concentrated attention of the listener.In the essay they are commoner, for the reader has opportunity to make a careful and detailed study both of the content of the utterance and its form. The close resemblance in structure between the essay and he oration has more than once been emphasized by linguists. The main difference between them is very well summarized by H. Robbins and R. Oliver in their work Developing ideas into Essays and Speeches. . .. An essay is distinguished from a speech primarily . By the fact that the essay seeks a lasting, the speech an immediate effect.Words of emotive meaning, for example, are few, if any, in popular scientific articles. Their exposition is more consistent and the system of connectives more expanded than, say, in a satirical article. The language of political magazine articles differs little from that of newspaper articles as described in the chapter on Newspaper Style (see low). But such elements of publicist style as rare and bookish words, neologisms (which sometimes require explanation in the text), traditional, word-combinations and parenthesis are more frequent here than in newspaper articles.In an article dealing with what were forthcoming presidential elections in the USA, which it is impossible to quote here because of its length, we find such bookish and highbrows words as ambivalent, exhilarated, appalled, etc. Its argumentation and emotional appeal is achieved by emphatic constructions of different kinds: how dim the outlook or victory was, Stevenson is anything but an irresponsible man, it could well have been, though. He is at once exhilarated and appalled, Humorous effect is produced by the use of words and phrases which normally are out of the range of this sort of article: melancholy, graciously, extending his best wishes, and by periphrases. Literary reviews stand closer to essays both by their content and by their linguistic form. More abs tract words of logical meaning are used in them, they often resort to emotional language and less frequently to traditional set expressions. Publicistic Style free essay sample The publicistic style of language became discernible as a separate style in the middle of the 18th century. It also falls into three varieties, each having its own distinctive features. Unlike other styles, the publicistic style has a spoken variety, namely, the oratorical substyle. The development of radio and television has brought into being another new spoken variety, namely, the radio and TV Ã' Ã ¾mmentary. The other two substyles are the essay (moral, philosophical, literary) and journalistic articles (political, social, economic) in newspapers, journals and magazines. Book reviews in journals, newspapers and magazines and also pamphlets are generally included among essays. The general aim of publicistic style, which makes it stand out as a separate style, is to exert a constant and deep influence on public opinion, to convince the reader or the listener that the interpretation given by the writer or the speaker is the only correct one and to cause him to accept the point of view expressed in the speech, essay or article not merely through logical argumentation but through emotional appeal as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Publicistic Style or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This brain-washing function is most effective in oratory, for here the most powerful instrument of persuasion, the human voice, is brought into play. Due to its characteristic combination of logical argumentation and emotional appeal, publicistic style has features in common with the style of scientific prose, on the one hand, and that of emotive prose, on the other. Its coherent and logical syntactical structure, with an expanded system of connectives and its careful paragraphing, makes it similar to scientific prose. Its emotional appeal is generally achieved by the use of words with emotive meaning, the use of imagery and other stylistic devices as in emotive prose; but the stylistic devices used in publicistic style are not fresh, or genuine. The individual element essential to the belles-lettres style is, as a rule, little in evidence here. This is in keeping with the general character of the style. The manner of presenting ideas, however, brings this style closer to that of belles-lettres, in this case to emotive prose, as it is to a certain extent individual. Naturally, of course, essays and speeches have greater individuality than newspaper or magazine articles where the individual element is generally toned down and limited by the requirements of the style. 287 Further, publicistic style is characterized by brevity of expression. In some varieties of this style it becomes a leading feature, an important linguistic means. In essays brevity sometimes becomes epigrammatic. 1. ORATORY AND SPEECHES The oratorical style of language is the oral subdivision of the publicistic style. It has already been pointed out that persuasion is the most obvious purpose of oratory. Oratorical speech, writes A. Potebnya, seeks not only to secure the understanding and. digesting of the idea, but also serves simultaneously as a spring setting off a mood (which is the aim) that may lead to action. 1 Direct contact with the listeners permits a combination of the syntactical, lexical and phonetic peculiarities of both the written and spoken varieties of language . In its leading features, however, oratorical style belongs to the written variety of language, though it is modified by the oral form of the utterance and the use of gestures. Certain typical features of the spoken variety of speech present in this style are: direct address to the audience (ladies and gentlemen, honourable member(s), the use of the 2nd person pronoun you, etc. ), sometimes contractions (Ill, wont, havent, isnt and others) and the use of colloquial words. This style is evident in speeches on political and social problems of the day, in orations and addresses on solemn occasions, as public weddings, funerals and jubilees, in sermons and debates and also in the speeches of counsel and judges in courts of law. Political speeches fall into two categories: parliamentary debates, and speeches, at rallies, congresses, meetings and election campaigns. Sermons deal mostly with religious subjects, ethics and morality; sometimes nowadays they take up social and political problems as well. Orations on solemn public occasions are typical specimens of this style and not a few of their word sequences and phrases are ready-made phrases or cliches. The sphere of application of oratory is confined to an appeal to an audience and therefore crucial issues in such spheres as science, art, literature, or business relations are not touched upon except perhaps by allusion. If such problems are dealt with in oratorical style the effect is humorous. The following extract from Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club by Charles Dickens is a parody of an oration. — But I trust, Sir, said Pott, that I have never abused the enormous power I wield. I trust, Sir, that I have never pointed the noble instrument which is placed in my hands, against the sacred bosom of private life, of the tender breast of individual reputation;— I trust, Sir, that I have devoted my energies to—to endeavours—humble they may be, humble I know they are—to instil those principles of—which—are—. ________ 1 — Here the editor of the Eatonswill Gazette appearing to ramble, Mr. Pickwick came to his relief, and said—Certainly. — The stylistic devices employed in oratorical style- are determined by the conditions of communication. If the desire of the speaker is to rouse the audience and to keep it in suspense, he will use various traditional stylistic devices. But undue prominence given to the form may lead to an exaggerated use of these devices, to embellishment. Tradition is very powerful in oratorical style and the 16th century rhetorical principles laid down by Thomas Wilson in his Arte of Rhetorique are sometimes still used in modern oratory, though, on the whole, modern oratory tends to lower its key more and more, confining itself to a quiet business-like exposition of ideas. Stylistic devices are closely interwoven and mutually complementary thus building up an intricate pattern. For example, antithesis is framed by parallel constructions, which, in their turn, are accompaniÐ µd by rÐ µpetition, while climax can be formed by repetitions of different kinds. As the audience rely only on memory, the speaker often resorts to repetitions to enable his listeners to follow him and retain the main points of his speech. Repetition is also resorted to in order to convince the audience, to add weight to the speakers opinion. The following extract from the speech of the American Confederate general, A. P. Hill, on the ending of the Civil War in the U. S. A. is an example of anaphoric repetition: It is high time this people had recovered from the passions of war. It is high time that counsel were taken from statesmen, not demagogues It is high time the people of the North and the South understood each other and adopted means to inspire confidence in each other Further, anadiplosis is used: The South will not secede again. That was her great folly-folly against her own interest, not wrong against you. A mere repetition of the same idea and in the same linguistic form may bore the audience and destroy the speaker-audience contact, therefore synonymic phrase repetition is used instead, thus filling up the speech with details and embellishing it, as in this excerpt from a speech on Robert Burns: For Burns exalted our race, he hallowed Scotland and the Scottish tongue. Before his time we had for a long period been scarcely recognized; we had been falling out of the recollection of the world. From the time of the Union of the Crowns, and still more from the legislative union, Scotland had lapsed into obscurity. Except for an occasional riot or a Jacobite rising, her existence was almost forgotten. Here synonymic phrase repetition (been scarcely recognized, falling out of the recollection of the world, had lapsed into obscurity, her existence was almost forgotten) is coupled with climax. 289 Repetition can be regarded as the most typical stylistic device of English oratorical style. Almost any piece of oratory will have parallel constructions, antithesis, suspense, climax, rhetorical questions and questions-in-the-narrative. It will be no exaggeration to say that almost all the typical syntactical stylistic devices can be found in English oratory. Questions are most frequent because they promote closer contact with the audience. The change of intonation breaks the monotony of the intonation pattern and revives the attention of the listeners. The desire of the speaker to convince and to rouse his audience results in the use of simile and metaphor, but these are generally traditional ones, as fresh and genuine stylistic devices may divert the attention of the listeners away from the main point of the speech. Besides, unexpected and original images are more difficult to grasp and the process takes time. If a genuine metaphor is used by an orator, it is usually a sustained one, as a series of related images is easier to grasp and facilitates the conception of facts identified one with another. Allusions in oratorical style depend on the content of the speech and the level of the audience. Special obligatory forms open up and end an oration, e. g. My Lords; Mr. President; Mr. Chairman; Your Worship; Ladies and Gentlemen, etc. At the end of his speech the speaker usually thanks the audience for their attention by saying: Thank you or Thank you very much. Expressions of direct address may be repeated in the course of the speech and can be expressed differently: dear friends, my friends, Mark you! , Mind! Here is a sample of the speech made by a member of the House of Commons in Parliament in April 1956 when the problem of air pollution was discussed. It is an ordinary speech almost devoid of any signs of elevation so typical when the orator tries to convince the audience. There has been a tremendous change in the Ministers attitude since the Bill was first brought to the House. When we embarked upon the Committee stage we were begging for bread and he gave us a stone. Now, seemingly, when we are coming to the end of the feast he is putting many sweets in front of us. The Minister hopes that we shall accept this proposal without too critical an examination. While welcoming the Ministers proposals about the C lean Air Council up to a point, there should be no interference with the council’s accountability to Parliament because the chairman of the council will be the Minister. When the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) introduced a Private Bill, the Minister consulted at great length with interested bodies, and particularly with local authorities. It is within my knowledge that during those consultations suggestions were made to him by people who had practical experience. . Those suggestions have not been accepted and woven into the Bill. I do not want the Clean Air Council to become a kind of smokescreen behind which the Minister makes a report to his own liking and which may contain views at variance with those of members of the council. 290 It is essential, if the council is to be effective, that it includes people who are interested and who have the knowledge and who have undertaken the scientific-research involved. It must be remembered that they will have a great deal more knowledge of the subject than will the chairman of the council. They will, therefore, have a totally different point of view about what is happening in the country than will the Minister. We should provide that we have the uncompromising opinions of the members of the council, including those members appointed to it because of their knowledge of the roblems of various localities. Another point with which I want to deal was touched upon by the hon. Member for Kidderminster. During the Committee stage we debated at great length the topic of research into noxious fumes, especially sulphuric oxides. We especially pleaded that the Clean Air Council should have co-ordinating powers so that it could co-ordinate the activities of bodies conducting research into problems of oxides and noxious fumes. Indeed, we thought that the Ministers opinion upon that subject was the same as ours. As the Bill is now drafted, certain powers are given to local authorities to contribute towards the cost of investigation and research into the pollution of the air. We know that scientific and technical institutes and the fuel technology sections of some universities are conducting research into the problem of sulphuric pollution; yet we do not see any power given to the Clean Air Council to deal with the problem of sulphuric oxides, even though sulphuric pollution is one of the worst forms of air pollution. Will the Minister give us an assurance that he will specially direct the attention of the Clean Air Council to its duties in co-ordinating research into the problem of sulphuric oxides? Will he at the same time look again at the problem of Parliamentary accountability to make it possible for the council to give an annual report to the House, irrespective of the opinions of the Minister? The ornamental elements in this speech are reduced to the minimum. It is a matter-of-fact speech where no high-flown words or elaborate stylistic devices are to be found. It will be of considerable interest to compare this speech to Byrons Maiden Speech in the House of Lords in defence of the Luddites, which can be regarded as a perfect specimen of oratorical style. Byron used his eloquence against the Bill providing capital punishment for the destruction of machines. His purpose was to prevent the passage of the Bill, to get an impartial examination of the facts. Byrons speech is rich in oratorical devices. All these devices are motivated, they are organically connected with the utterance: the form by no means dominates the content. In contradistinction, an examination of the following speech will show that it is practically devoid of meaning. The speaker is merely seeking an effect. 291 Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is indeed a great and undeserved privilege to address such an audience as I see before me. At no previous time in the history of human civilization have greater problems confronted and challenged the ingenuity of mans intellect than now. Let us look around us. What do we see on the horizon? What forces are at work? Whither are we drifting? Under what mist of clouds does the future stand obscured? My friends, casting aside the raiment of all human speech, the crucial test for the solution of all these intricate problems to which I have just alluded is the sheer and forceful application of those immutable laws which down the corridor of Time have always guided the hand of man, groping, as it were, for some faint beacon light for his hopes and aspirations. Without these great vital principles we are but puppets responding to whim and fancy, failing entirely to grasp the hidden meaning of it all. We must re-address ourselves to these questions which press for answer and solution. The issues cannot be avoided. There they stand. It is upon you, and you, and yet even upon me, that the yoke of responsibility falls. What, then, is our duty? Shall we continue to drift? No! With all the emphasis of my being I hurl back the message No! Drifting must stop. We must press onward and upward toward the ultimate goal to which all must aspire. But I cannot conclude my remarks, dear friends, without touching briefly upon a subject which I know is steeped in your very consciousness. I refer to that spirit which gleams from the eyes of a new-born babe, that animates the toiling masses, that sways all the hosts of humanity past and present. Without this energizing principle all commerce, trade and industry are hushed and will perish from this earth as surely as the crimson sunset follows the golden sunshine. Mark you, I do not seek to unduly alarm or distress the mothers, fathers, sons and daughters gathered before me in this vast assemblage, but I would indeed be recreant to a high resolve which I made as a youth if I did not at this time and in this place, and with the full realizing sense of responsibility which I assume, publicly declare and affirm my dedication and my consecration to the eternal principles and receipts of simple, ordinary, commonplace justice. 1 The proper evaluation of this speech should be. The name appears to have become common on the publication of Montaignes Essays, a literary form created by this French writer. The essay is a literary composition of moderate length on philosophical, social, aesthetic or literary subjects. It never goes deep into the subject, but merely touches upon the surface. Personality in the treatment of theme and naturalness of expression are two of the most obvious characteristics of the essay. An essay is rather a series of personal and witty comments than a finished argument or a conclusive examination of any matter. This literary genre has definite linguistic traits which shape it as a variety of publicistic style. Here is a part of an essay by Ben Jonson which illustrates this style in its most typical and original form as it was at the end of the 16th century: Language most shows a man; speak, that I may see thee. It springs out of the most retired and inmost parts of us, and is the image of the parent of it, the mind. No glass renders a mans form or likeness so true, as his speech. Nay, it is likened to a man; and as we consider feature and composition in a man, so words in language; in the greatness, aptness, sound, structure, and harmony of it. Some men are tall and big, so some language is high and great. Then the words are chosen, the sound ample, the composition full, the absolution plenteous, and poured out, all grace, sinewy and strong. Some are little and dwarfs; so of speech, it is humble and low; the words are poor and flat; the members are periods thin and weak, without knitting or number. The middle are of just stature. There the language is plain and pleasing: even without stopping, round without swelling; all well turned, composed, eloquent, and accurate. The vicious language is vast and gaping; swelling and irregular; when it contends, high, full of rock, mountain and pointedness; as it affects to be low it is abject and creeps, full of bogs and holes. The essay was very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 17th century essays were written on topics connected with morals and ethics, while those of the 18th century focussed attention on political and philosophical problems. The 18th century was the great age of essay writing. It was then the principal literary form, and discoursed on the important subjects of the day, often criticizing the shortcomings of the political and social system in England. Encyclopedia Britannica states that the essay became a dominant force in English literature of the 18th century. The following statement of an 18th century essayist is of some interest as it describes the character of the essay: We writers of essays or (as they are termed) periodical papers This statement shows that periodical papers at that time contained only essays. In the 19th century the essay as a literary term gradually changed into what we now call the journalistic article or feature article which 293 covers all kinds of subjects from politics, philosophy or aesthetics to travel, sport and fashions. Feature articles are generally published in newspapers, especially weeklies and Sunday editions. They are often written by one and the same writer or journalist, who has cultivated his own individual style. The most characteristic language features of the essay, however, remain 1) brevity of expression, reaching in good writers a degree of epigrammaticalness, 2) the use of the first person singular, which justifies a personal approach to the problems treated, 3) a rather expanded use of connectives, which facilitate the process of grasping the correlation of ideas, 4) the abundant use of emotive words, 5) the use of similes and sustained metaphors as one of the media for the cognitive process. It is in the interrelation of these constituents that the real secret of the essay substyle consists. Some essays, depending on the writers individuality, are written in a highly emotional manner resembling the style of emotive prose, others resemble scientific prose, and the terms review, memÐ ¾ir or treatise are more applicable to certain more exhaustive studies. 1 The essay on moral and philosophical topics in modern times has not been so popular, perhaps because a deeper scientific analysis and interpretation of facts is required. The essay in our days is often biographical; persons, facts and events are taken from life. These essays differ from those of previous enturies — their vocabulary is simpler and so is their logical structure and argumentation. But they still retain all the leading features of the publicistic style. In comparison with oratorical style, the essay aims at a more lasting, hence, at a slower effect. Epigrams, paradoxes and aphorisms are comparatively rare in oratory, as they require the concentrated attention of the listener. In the essay they are co mmoner, for the reader has opportunity to make a careful and detailed study both of the content of the utterance and its form.

The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting

The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting Introduction Over the past few decades, media audiences have experienced fragmentation in many countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia partly because of increase in media choices. Audience fragmentation and media polarization are common in today’s generation dominated by technology and the new media.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Audience fragmentation is caused by media proliferation, which makes the broadcast opportunities more diverse posing a challenge to media providers and advertisers. The media proliferation means that the media content, once a preserve of specific outlets such as public broadcasters, is now available in all platforms, which results to a more participatory and fragmented audience. While this may be good for democratic development, it presents major challe nges that affect mainstream media financially (Benkler 32). Society and audiences in many countries are changing in line with the developments in media technology, the new media, and the internet. In Australia, the audience is increasingly becoming fragmented particularly with regard to television viewing. In 2009, about 84% of all Australian households were audience of free-t-air TV, which, however, was shared with three other major stations (FreeTV 12). Audience fragmentation in Australia has arisen due to increase in the number of commercial channels. By the end of 2010, the number of free-to-air channels grew sharply with the licensing of six additional government-sponsored and commercial television channels further contributing to audience fragmentation (FreeTV 9). Public broadcasters have responded quite positively to the changing media environment. Radio stations, television networks and other content providers have rapidly shifted their services to involve the internet. At t he same time, public broadcasting has adopted more personalized services and products to meet the diverse needs of the consumer in a fragmented society (Murdock 54). Despite the stiff competition occasioned by media proliferation, public broadcasting is best suited in delivering and receiving content that informs, entertains, and educates a fragmented society through the new media and the internet in line with its original mission and therefore public broadcasting is still necessary even in the face of audience fragmentation and proliferation of media outlets.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Principles of Public Broadcasting The commercial broadcasters often offer programs that propagate their commercial interests. In contrast, public broadcasters’ mission is to offer a balanced programming that focuses on public and governance affairs while being politica lly neutral and non-commercial (Tomaselli 31). However, with the recent advancements in technology and the emergence of the new media, which has led to audience fragmentation, public broadcasters appear to compromise their initial mission. Among the principles of public broadcasting is its quest to be universally accessible and have a universal appeal (Tomaselli 34). By integrating technology like digital Audio broadcasting (DAB) into public broadcasting, public broadcasters have been able to increase their reach in most countries. In Australia, DAB digital radio is broadcasted in five major metropolitan areas with the community radio sector shifting to digital broadcasting to increase accessibility (Free TV 12). Public service broadcasting should be available to everyone regardless of his or her geographical location. In Australia, a digital community radio was launched on May 2011, to offer a broad range of digital content and increase accessibility of public broadcasting (CBAA). Unlike commercial broadcasting, which is governed by commercial and advertising interests, public service broadcasting plays a crucial role in dissemination of unbiased information to the public. It offers a forum for public debate on issues affecting the people, which enable people to make informed choices. In this way, public service broadcasting allows people to express their opinions on contentious issues and in the process fosters cohesion in the society. Public broadcasting also empowers citizens owing to its programs that cover governance and political issues (Tomaselli 39). This phenomenon enhances the quality of life of individuals and social groups can participate in issues affecting their economic and social lives. Public broadcasting, therefore, offers actual and unbiased information, which promotes free opinion formation as compared to other commercial broadcasters and this trend makes public broadcasting necessary in the society even in the wake of audience fragmentati on and media proliferation. Public service broadcasting also takes into account the interests of the minority within the society with an intention of promoting social cohesion. The central issue, however, is whether public broadcasting can be detached from government interests given its source of funding.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Public broadcasters are expected to exercise independence from political interference or commercial interests. However, absolute independence is often difficult in practice. In addition, the public broadcasters need to emphasize on quality programming instead of multi-channeling, which is common in commercial broadcasting to support the programs. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) increased the number of channels, which has affected the quality of its programming and stretc hed its resources (Frangopoulos Para. 2). Public Broadcasting and the New Digital technologies The technological developments have made it easier for both the media providers and the users to move across the media platforms. Digital technologies have led to the new media commonly referred to as â€Å"social media†, which also has contributed to audience fragmentation. These include social networks like Face book, video sharing media such as You Tube and search engines such as Google and iTunes (Webster 371). The social media, unlike the traditional media, aim at increasing their popularity and in the process attract more audience. To achieve popularity, many of the social media compete for audience by offering attractive user-friendly options to attract the attention of the users. Unfortunately, the attention of the public is limited and scarce. The focus of the new media is to catch the attention of the audience as the prerequisite for attaining their social and economic obj ectives (Davenport and Beck 65) and this has led to the proliferation of the social media further contributing to audience fragmentation. However, integration of public broadcasting and social media allows the public to debate on national issues more effectively. The media users also contribute to audience fragmentation as they usually choose the media products they prefer. The user preferences are reflective of their attitudes, their needs, or tastes. The audience can opt to remain loyal to a particular genre provided by a given media or sample a diverse range of media genres. Users preferring a particular genre especially with regard to news lead to a highly focused audience known as â€Å"gated communities† or â€Å"enclaves†, which lead to audience fragmentation (Iyengar and Hahn 112). The users are expected to understand the media environment in which they operate.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the proliferation of the media outlets especially the digital media makes perfect understanding of the digital marketplace almost impossible. In addition, the diversity of the media products makes informed user choice difficult. Users cannot even be sure of which brand would provide the desired gratification and therefore have to sample different media outlets. Public broadcasting offers better means through which the public perceives and addresses public affairs through digital technology and the new media forms, partly because public broadcasting, owing to its focus on public affairs, enjoys a higher level of public trust than the commercial broadcasting. In addition, public broadcasting focuses on universal accessibility and therefore, the new technologies offer a platform to increase its reach in line with its mission. Forms of Media Fragmentation The proliferation of media outlets like channels and websites or media products as music or movies play a significant role i n audience fragmentation termed media-centric fragmentation. Under media-centric fragmentation, the media providers are arranged from the most popular to the least popular using data derived from monthly visitors or total sales reached in a month conducted by independent providers (Anderson 54). In media-centric fragmentation, the audiences are spread across many media outlets. In Australia, rationalization of the audience is high and continues to increase because of restrictions that prevent multi-channeling. By 2009, free-to-air TV (FTA) had an estimated audience of 84%, which it shared with three other commercial TV stations (FreeTV 16). In 2011, three national TV channels, three more channels that are commercial and Pay TV have entered the market. However, government restrictions prevent multi-channeling involving FTA broadcasting (FreeTV 13). This has contributed to audience fragmentation as users and advertisers migrate to other media including the new media. Despite the conti nued fragmentation of the audience, public broadcasting remains a reliable means of promoting social cohesion while promoting diversity of culture. The public broadcasting works is even more useful in a fragmented society as the individual needs of social groups and community public service broadcasters address minorities more effectively. Fragmentation at micro-level involves the distribution of each individual’s use of media across many providers. People become specialized in their patterns of media use by becoming concentrating on a certain class of media products or media outlets that deliver the desired services. In addition, under the micro-level fragmentation, the characteristics of the audience e.g. age or gender is common. The audience relies on subsets of the available media, at a micro-level, on a daily basis to obtain relevant information in the complex media environment. The public broadcasters through its range of educative and informative programs can attract a ll different segments of audience as they discuss political, economic, and social issues affecting their lives. Another form of audience fragmentation relies on a macro-level way of perceiving audiences based on the media they use. This approach can identify the audience for a particular media outlet and by doing so; it is easier to determine how the public attention is spread across the media environment. The macro-level fragmentation can evaluate channel loyalty and audience flows within the media environment (Napoli 67). According to Webster, analysis of the media environment which indicates that users do not spend a lot of time in gated communities but rather sample a variety of media products to satisfy their needs (378). The Future of Audience Fragmentation In spite of audience fragmentation caused by interactions between media providers and users, public broadcasting remains an important source of media products. According to Webster, most media users do not spend much time i n niches or gated communities nor does typical users consume particular media products only, rather most of them range widely across the media outlets as they search desired media products (381). The audiences may appear highly fragmented but they do not stay long within the niches or gated communities. Majority of the users have rather varied media repertoires, which are specialized subsets of media that provide desired media products at particular times. This implies that the micro-level and macro-level fragmentation have no much impact on the consumption patterns of the audience. In fact, the public prefers to associate and debate public affairs. The public broadcasting offers an ideal platform for citizens to be informed on national issues and contributes to national development. Moreover, despite relying on different media repertoires, users can still get the same products and the traditional media remains a preferred source of quality media content. The popularity of the media providers is fundamental to the future distribution of audiences across the media environment. Anderson beliefs that the many media offerings or choices offered would contribute to audience fragmentation in the future (181). Frank and Cook, on the other hand expect that high concentration of the audiences will continue to be experienced in the digital media as compared to other forms of media (56). Moreover, in the digital media, because of differential quality of the digital media products, there will be less audience fragmentation. Due to the diversity of the digital media products and the social nature of the digital media, it is likely that the digital media will become more popular than the traditional media. Audience fragmentation is not likely to be high in digital media as the quality of media products is not normally uniform. Assuming the prices are fairly the same, the audience choices would gravitate towards the digital media that offers high quality choices. As Caves no tes, most content providers and the users alike tend to prefer high quality media products if they can afford them (33). Digital media provides a platform for providers and the users to access high quality services on demand, which effectively reduces the available choices and concentrates the audiences around the best media options thus reducing audience fragmentation. The social nature of the digital media consumption makes digital media more desirable. Through social media networks like Facebook, You Tube, and Twitter among others, few programs, or sports events contribute to live audience debates on various topics, which the public broadcasting service can use to propagate its mission. The social networks also allow simultaneous media use especially alongside television viewing. Twitter and Facebook allow conversations on a virtual space, which concentrates the audience on these networks as they discuss topics they find noteworthy. Since the digital media products are more diver se, the users rely on recommendation systems that guide their consumption. While the media recommendation systems may vary across the media environment, they are mostly directed at promoting the popular media products or media outlets relying on the information on what other have chosen (Webster 389). Nevertheless, the digital products, the media outlets, or their content only varies slightly. The major concern about audience fragmentation is its economic impact on advertising as companies find it difficult to reach the intended market due to audience fragmentation. Contrary to these concerns, fragmentation, and the large number of media channels actually allows practitioners to reach a large number of audiences and can even provide access to additional audience. In order to maximize reach, advertising should be carried out across multiple media channels (Ephron 19). A study conducted by Newstead to establish the strategies of maximizing reach to the Australian market, found out tha t, extending the media coverage coupled by distribution over a wide range of media during advertising increases reach efficiency of between 2-46% (Newstead 76). Despite the proliferation of media outlets, the media outlets offer more or less similar content, which makes public broadcasting even more reliable as a source of information. Conclusion It is evident that the proliferation of commercial media outlets has influenced public broadcasting in many ways. However, public broadcasting in many countries remains the appropriate means of promoting public interaction. Due to competition from commercial broadcasters, public broadcasting has adopted different broadcasting methods involving introduction of diverse programs tailored for specific social groups, more interactive programs that make use of the new media, and introduction of appealing media content. In addition, public broadcasting has made use of digital technologies to promote accessibility in line with its mandate. All this has translated to public broadcasting playing an important role particularly with regard to promoting social cohesion. In conclusion, public broadcasting is still necessary even in the wake of recent proliferation of media outlets and audience fragmentation. Anderson, Craig. Free: The future of a radical price. New York: Hyperion, 2009. Benkler, Yunus. The wealth of networks: How social production transforms  Markets and Freedom. New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 2006. Caves, Richard. Switching channels: Organization and change in TV broadcasting.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005. Community Broadcasting of Australia (CBAA). â€Å"Sidney Community Radio Digital Launch†. 2011. 3/6/2011. Web. Davenport, Tim, and Beck, Julie. The attention economy: Understanding the new  Currency of business. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2001. Ephron, Eric. â€Å"More Weeks, Less Weight: The Shelf-Space Model of Advertising.†Ã‚  Journal of Advertisin g Research 23.1 (1995): 18-23. Frangopoulos, Angie. ABCs purpose lost in 24-hr transmission, 2010. Web. Frank, Rodger, and Cook, Peter. The winner-take-all society: Why the few at the  Top get so much more than the rest of us. New York: Penguin, 1995. FreeTV. Industry Report: 2009 Year in Review. FreeTV Australia. 2010:9-16. Iyengar, Steve, and Hahn, Kim. â€Å"Red media, blue media: Evidence of ideological Selectivity in media use.† Journal of Communication 59.1 (2009):110-115. Murdock, Grace. Citizens, consumers, and public culture. London: Routledge, 1992: Napoli, Peter. Audience evolution: New technologies and the transformation of media  Audiences. New York: Columbia University Press, 2011. Newstead, Kim. Best-practice media scheduling a practical application. Adelaide: University of South Australia. 2010. Tomaselli, Robin. â€Å"Public Service Broadcasting in the Age of Information Capitalism.†Ã‚  Communicare 8.2 (1989): 27-41. Webster, Gordon. â€Å"Beneath the veneer of fragmentation: Television audience Polarization in a multichannel world.† Journal of Communication 55.2 (2005): 366-389.

The consequences of advertisement on young people Essay

The consequences of advertisement on young people - Essay Example Targeting of children as consumers of advertisements is ignoring the fact that they are not cognitively as developed as adults and thus, will not relate to the advertisements as adults do. There is sufficient evidence suggesting that the pre-adulthood brain is not fully developed, which translates into a situation where children cannot be trusted to make decisions and judgments in similar capacities as adults (Snead, 2007). In this case, the influence of advertising on young people is significantly different from that of adults. Whereas an adult can be trusted not to undergo behavior change based on an advertisement, the same cannot be said of children. Examples in which the heightened influence of advertisement on children is visible are discernible. First, advertising alcohol to young people has been shown to bear a number of negative consequences. These include a significant link between exposure to alcohol advertising and onset of drinking among previously non-drinking young people; increased levels of alcohol consumption among youth drinkers; and lastly, evidence of a dose-relationship among young drinkers (Anderson, 2009). The relationship between advertising and snacking also exemplifies the effects of advertising on young people. Harris, Bergh and Brownell (2009), argue that the prevalence of advertising of calorie-dense and low nutrient meals is significantly linked to obesity. Conditioned reflexes alongside the concept of manipulation of human behavior are at work in this case. Young people are more susceptible to these two and thus will most likely snack on available foods when they watch such advertisements. Another aspect from which advertisements bears capacity to influence youth behavior more than adult’s is in the way advertisements are designed. Massey (2006) argues that vigor, immaturity and impetuousness characterize youth; traits which advertisers are well

Marketing Plan for a Brand in Trouble Assignment

Marketing Plan for a Brand in Trouble - Assignment Example FW Woolworth's UK subsidiary (Woolworths Ltd.) and B&Q were bought two years later by Paternoster, who are now known as Kingfisher PLC and are still B&Q's parent company. Since being bought out by Kingfisher, employees of B&Q have enjoyed a 20% discount on all products. Mid 1990's saw B&Q open a new format of store known as the B&Q Depot. This was a forerunner of a new class of store known as the B&Q Warehouse. Beckton, Enfield and Romford were amongst the first of the new Warehouse class stores to open (United Kingdom: Case Study: B&Q Direct, 2003). In the late 1990s, B&Q became active in the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. It co-operated in 1995 with parent company Kingfisher PLC to open its first overseas subsidiary in Taiwan, and in 1996 the first overseas large home improvement center in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. In 1998, it acquired NOMI, Poland's leading chain of DIY stores. Later that year, B&Q merged with France's Castorama. In 1999 B&Q opened a store in Shanghai, China and acquired the British hardware mail-order company, Screwfix. By the year 2000, B&Q had fifty of its larger Warehouse stores. This had doubled by 2003. B&Q's Direct's online transactional website, www.DIY.com, was launched in January 2001. By March 2003, it had become one of the largest stores in B&Q and its continued rapid growth will soon make it the biggest store in the group. The site sells a range of 14,000 products and is already the number one store for many heavy and bulky items and many other smaller product ranges (United Kingdom: Case Study: B&Q Direct, 2003). As well as generating considerable revenues of its own, DIY.com is part of a wider, multi-channel retail strategy that includes call centres and catalogues. All channels feed each other. For instance, 10% of those that shop in-store have researched their purchases online. A critical component in the overall success of DIY.com and the B&Q Direct call centres is their ability to process credit and debit cards efficiently and to restrict the level of card fraud. In September 2002, B&Q Direct appointed DataCash, a leading UK-based provider of outsourced payment processing and fraud prevention solutions, to handle the credit and debit card processing for both DIY.com and all its call centres (U.K. Retail Sales Plunge Most in at Least 10 Years: Update3, 2006). Before DataCash was appointed, B&Q had used a software solution provided by a US-based company to handle its card processing. B&Q had two key issues with this solution, one technical and one business, which led them to look for a new supplier (United Kingdom: Case Study: B&Q Direct, 2003). Based on the discussion, "MarketVVizard's Market Thoughts" (2005), European economies U.K. retail sales plunge most in 10 Years. Shares of companies including Plc and Kingfisher Plc declined in London after the British Retail Consortium said sales in stores open at least a year dropped 4.7 percent from a year ago, the biggest decline since comparable figures began in 1995. Domestic demand is clearly slowing a lot quicker than was anticipated even a month ago,'' said Peter Dixon, an economist at Commerzbank AG in London. After an unprecedented run of strength it's time for consumers to stop, regroup, and think about getting their finances back in order.'' British factory production

Comparing movie Genres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing movie Genres - Essay Example Revolts against slavery in interior parts of Africa and Asia have been focused more in action movies. Action movies use racism as a theme in scenarios involving revenge against the wrong doers or as an act of dominance towards the discriminated people. An instance where a good guy who is usually white investigates the stealing of robbery and jewels associated with black people also depict racism in action movies. These movies always portray them as the criminals. Movies which show a villain extensively using drugs, explosives, and alcohol are more often a person who is African American. In movies showing war between two countries, racism is the theme as one nation destroys the other minor/poor country. In horror movies, stories are more fictional and imaginary. Even in these imaginary stories, racism has been highlighted with the evil/ man-eater not being a white. These haunted stories like usually revolve around a group of people who are trapped in a forest to a witch/ man-eater (us ually the non-white), eventually killing it. The movie ‘Friday the 13th’ depicts how the black guy and the Asian guy are mocked at. In one of the instances, the black guy expresses his sexual desires, but is only allowed to look at the rich girls around (Champion, 2009). The effect of racism on the larger audience through action movies has a positive effect. Action movies address racism with its heart touching and eye opening scenes more so with the events which have occurred in the past. The revolts against racism which have occurred in the history are presented in movies have a motivational message attached with it. The audience realizes how inhuman racism is and gets the feel good factor about their revolutionary heroes. In contrast to horror movies, action movies give a meaningful message to the audience. The genres of Action and Horror address sex through most of the movies. In horror movies, it is more used to show how sex can make the best slip. In the movie â₠¬ËœA Nightmare on Elm Street’, there is a scene where a girl is taking a bath, in which the bath becomes a deep pool of water (â€Å"A Nightmare on Elm Street†, 2011). These scenes though do not send a strong message, but are extremely important to show how the character blends into the story. Intense horror movies show sex between the good guy and the evil who is disguised as an attractive women and the evil later killing the guy. These instances address on how even the most vigil person can fall to attractive women. In ‘Scream’, a teenage girl shows another teen girl a photograph on her cell phone of a man's bare abdomen and chest, and the girl says that he's really hot (â€Å"Scream4†, 2011). These scenes go hand in hand with the horror movies to oscillate the emotions of the audience and to keep the thrill going. Action movies address the theme of sex more cleverly. The main idea of including such scenes in action movies is to deceive the gangst er or the lead in the movie and getting critical information from him. The movie ‘Bad Company’ shows how the protagonist of the movie is tempted to cheat on his girlfriend (â€Å"Bad Company†, 2011). An action movie addresses the theme of sex with attractive ladies making out with criminals or the hero in bars or at lodges. In some movies, these scenes are repeated. It shows that the goons in the movie wish to be surrounded by attractive and seductive women most of the times.

Five Functions of Management: Advantages and Disadvantages

Five Functions of Management: Advantages and Disadvantages Henri Fayol is widely acknowledged as the earliest pioneer and advocate of the task of management Parker and Ritson, 2005 His management theories were first proposed in the early 1900s. Despite many criticisms, Fayols theories still form the basis of management practices and teachings in the 21st century. Taking some articles for reference, this essay will mainly analyse the advantages and disadvantages of Fayols concept of five functions of management in modern enterprises by some examples. There are about three main parts in this essay beginning with the introduction. And in the main body of this article, based on some academic researches, there are about seven parts discussing the advantages and disadvantages of Fayols concept of five functions of management. A conclusion will be made at last. There is no doubt that Fayol is best known for a three-fold contribution to management theory. Among his contributions, the concept of five functions of management is worth discussing all the time. Fayol identified five key functions of management and these functions of managerial activity are: forecasting and planning, organizing, coordination, command and control. According to Fayol, forecasting involves analyzing the future and drawing a plan of action (Pugh ad Hichson, 2007). And as for organizing, Fayol believed that an organizations structure was important, as it can facilitate the optimum conduct of its business activities (Pugh and Hichson, 2007). According to Pugh and Hichson (2007), in his original writing, Fayol used the term command to illustrate a managers responsibility to lead and direct employees towards the achievement of organizational goals and strategies. About the function of coordination, Fayol made a suggestion that managers should bind together, unify and harm onize all the organizations activities and efforts. In contemporary management practice, this can be explained into that the managers should be responsible for making sure that all the organizational business activities are coordinated to make the employees can unify together within one department or among different departments. The last not the least function of management is control. Fayol recognized the importance of control within an organization and support that it ensures everything occurs in conformity with established rules and expressed command. In the article of Fayol-standing the test of time, McLean (2011) firstly introduced the contents of the five functions of management and stated that in contemporary society, there are some advantages of these functions to development of the enterprises. First, McLean (2011) stated that with the development of globalized knowledge economy, the abilities of forecasting and planning can gain success in the competition. Second, organizing can ask the managers to carry out an appropriate infrastructure, which will optimize the organizations system, resources, procedures, processes and services and enable knowledge to be disseminated to those who need it, when they need it. Third, McLean (2011) also stated that control is one of the most important responsibilities of a manager and under the control of the managers. Under control of the managers, the policies and strategies can be implemented according to plan and within budget, set timescales and allocated resources. Fourth, under the func tion of command, the managers can develop a thorough knowledge of their employees, which can generate a positive psychological contract that engages employees with their jobs and the organization. Whats more, Fayols managerial functions are frequently cited as the inspiration for the contemporary practice of dividing managerial activity (and management textbooks) into the functions of planning, leading, organizing and controlling (Davidson and Griffin, 2000; Lewis, Goodmand and Fandt ,1995). As for the organizing, Fayol believed that an organizations structure was important, as it facilitated the optimum conduct of its business. Whether there are advantages of this concept or not remains an open question, In the article of Fayol-standing the test of time, Miss Jacqueline McLean stated that in contemporary society, organizing can ask the managers to carry out an appropriate infrastructure, which will optimise the organizations system, resources, procedures, processes and services and enable knowledge to be disseminated to those who need it, when they need it. Meanwhile, organizing also can integrate all kinds of resources of the companies, including human resources, financial and material resources. So there are some advantages about the concept. And this concept is also influencing the structure of the companies and most of organizations pay more attention to the building of the organizational structure. The KFCà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’one of the most famous and important fast food chain restaurants, is always paying its attention to the building of the structure all the time. In 2004, with the AIV spreading quickly in Asia, most of the KFC consumers quitted the line of waiting for KFC, never eating chicken. Especially in Vietnam, the most AIV-hit country, KFC business was confronted with a crisis. But KFC then changed its organizational structure, replacing the Fried Chicken with Fried Fish. So, finally it regained a big success. Under the guidance of Fayols concept about the organizing, many organizations know about the importance of the structure and pay attention to building their organizational chart and thus gain success. In fact, the building of the organizational structure should fit the development of the organization. As the saying goes, preparedness ensures success and unpreparedness spells failure. So does the development of one organization. According to Fayol, forecasting involves analysis of the future and drawing up a plan of action. About this Fayols concept, some authors viewed that there are some advantages. In the article of Fayol-standing the test of time, McLean (2011) stated that with the development of globalized knowledge economy, the abilities of forecasting and planning can gain success in the competition. In the article of The foundation of Henri Fayols administrative theory, Mr. Wren, Mr. Bedeeian and Mr. Breeze stated that the most important of the means which one must use to ensure business success was planning. To create a business, the founders need capital manpower and time and should have outlets for the products or service. To forecast these needs and providing for them is the main responsible of the managers. So Fayols concept about planning has its own advantages. And i t also improves the development of the companies in contemporary times. Due to the loss of electronic mail, Morgan Stanley paid out more than billions of dollars. But this event is just one tip of the iceberg of the suffering a great number of cost which is caused by the inappropriate information management. Confronted with this problem, British Airway made plan and forecasting and declared its commercial goal: to automate more and more function and try their best to develop customers self-help service system , such as electronic ticket, and even that customers can printed their tickets in their own home. This strategy made British Airway protocol the development lifeline of the companies designedly. Although there are lots of advantages of Fayols concept of the five functions of management, there are some disadvantages of them. As for the forecasting and planning, if a business made a good planning, it will get a great success. If not, there will be a big failure, just as the saying goes Changes always go beyond plans. As McLean (2011) stated in the article of Fayol-standing the test of time that the globalised knowledge economy and the presence of ubiquitous change and competition make forecasting, planning and strategising key managerial activities, forecasting and planning are at the same time the main cause of an organization failure. HP, a big technological products supplier of the world, is always encouraging its employees to go forward to their goals, which are planned by the organization. According to HP official Website, in 2010à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’in accordance with its plan, HP purchased Palm company with the Web-based Operating System to get itself to a higher level. But as a result, the new product with the WebOS could not compete with ipad and was not popular with the consumers. In 2011, HP declared to cease the research of WebOS. So to purchase Palm with a whole $1.2 Billion is really not a wise choice. Many other organizations in the world are also always following the rules of forecasting and planning concept in Fayols management theory, but only a good plan is far from enough in contemporary competitive context. The other disadvantage comes from the function of command and control in Fayols theory. According to Wren, Bedeian and Breeze (2002), the command made by the higher authority and which, be it direct or through successive levels in the organization, should reach all parts of the organization, and the responses should return in the reverse sense, either directly or through the levels, to the central authority. Thus an organization can operate smoothly. But there are also counterviews, who consider that the excessive command and control will harm personal satisfaction and their self-respect. In the article of Fayols 14 principles of management then and now: a framework for managing todays organizations, Rodrigues stated that if the managers can separate their managerial work from the actual work clearly, they can have energy to focus on the target of the development of their own enterprises and deal with the public relations outside the companies. In the article Henri Fayol as strategie s: a nineteenth century corporate turnaround, Wren stated that due to the hierarchy, the managers can conduct the enterprise toward its objective. The branches of Nokia in China adhere to the principle of the former, the strict command and control. Under this circumstance, the managers cannot handle the managerial work since they have to help employees to deal with lots of trivial problems. After discussion, they changed the operation strategies and set up the system of hierarchical transmission of orders, in which the employees in the lower class should report their work to his/her own managers. Whats more, as McLean (2011) stated, although Fayol had a great contribution to management theory, he has been accused of the romanticism of management and presented an almost unrealizable approach to management theorisation. He gave a clear definition to each of the functions of his management theory and some principles to carry out them, but in concrete circumstances, some of them can not be realized. As Pryor and Taneja (2010) stated that in practically Mintzberg vehemently disagreed when he went on to say that if you observe managers at work you will find what they do is quite different. According to Lamond, Fayol gave us management as we would like it to be and Mintzberg gave us management as it is (Pryor and Taneja, 2010). Therefore, today many managers favour the important role of practice and experience. They think that practice and experience are the only way to get a management qualification. In conclusion, Henri Fayol, as a founding father of what has become known as the administration school of management, made some contributions to the management theories. This essay mainly aimed to discuss some statement about Henri Fayols contributions to management today and criticism of any of his contributions under the topic of Discussion on Advantages and Disadvantages of Fayols Concept of Five Functions of Management in Modern Enterprises and then to learn about the influence of Fayols management theories to the management practices and teachings in the 21st century. It focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of forecasting and planning, the disadvantages of excessive command and control and the impracticability of the theory in the main body by taking some articles for reference. All in all, Fayols theories are valuable and relevant for organizational leaders on the one hand and debatable on the other hand.

Fear of the Water Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

It was three weeks before my third birthday. The razor sharp air seemed to laugh at my winter coat, gloves, and hat. My Mother was pushing me along in a stroller at Carson Park. Walking briskly along the pond trail to keep warm, hiding that she did not want to be there. She knew that I loved to come look at the pond in the winter, and she braved the weather because of my birthday. I looked up with my curious eyes, trying to figure out why it was that the ducks left in the winter, why the water looked hard, and how people walked on the water like in the Bible. My Mother and I braved the weather for a whole day on the pond, and as the evening came, we decided to make our way home. She thought it would be nice if we took the long way out of the park and cross the bridge, and I couldn’t be more grateful, water mesmerized me. As we crossed the bridge, my world came to a halt. A group of crows feeding on a dead carcass scattered over my head. A man was standing on the oth er side of the bridge, with a shiny piece of metal in his hand. I didn’t understand, but my Mom knew that we were in danger, she knew what he held was a knife. â€Å"LubDUB.† My heart screamed out. I knew something was wrong now. The man yelled and screamed word that I had never heard. My Mother secured herself as a barrier between the man and me. His black eyes met my confused scared eyes. â€Å"Don’t hurt my mommy!† I screamed. There was no reaction, no movement. The only sound was the crows cawing below. Then the man said, â€Å"How would you like to take a swim,† in a quaint, barely audible voice. For a split second there was no movement, and then the man lunged at my Mother, and with the knife at her neck tipped me into the pond. I felt as if ... ...need air quite yet. There would be plenty of breathing after this Slam! My competitor and I seemed to slam our hands into the wall simultaneously. I didn’t know who won. I looked at the score board. Looked at the scoreboard and it read, â€Å"Lane:3 Swimmer:Meier,usa TIME:44.9 Place:1.† Victory. That was the first race of the rest of my life. In my junior year, my third year of high school, I was defeated by the member of the Greenwich Black Crows, but I still received third place in the state. Exactly three years after my second place performance earned me a spot on a collegiate swim team, it was me on the podium at trials. My victory wasn’t over my competitors, but the water, the water that beat me so many times before, it came down to a 43 second race in the Olympic trials and the three elements, one hydrogen, two oxygen, that I battled for so long.

Case Study on RELE-Rouen: Language Immersion in Normandy Essay

Executive Summary Maxime is the co-founder of RELE-Rouen, a franchise language school under RELE at Rouen, France. The business took a downturn during the economic crisis from 2009 to 2011 and it has been losing money for three consecutive years. The franchise contract with RELE is due for renewal in two month. At this time, Maxime is presented with three options: 1. Renew franchise contract with RELE 2. Switch to OILT programs 3. Sell the building to EFEL This report first explored the constrains that Maxime faces in this decision making process. And then the three options are analyzed and compared in details by using a set of criteria, including financial return, franchise models comparison, and other business strategy related considerations, i.e. customers, company, distribution channels and market outlook. The people perspective in this decision making process is also being examined. Based on the findings, RELE-Roune will face another year of loss if RELE does not allow Maxime and Beatrice to run their weekend programs anymore in 2012. OILT is only more profitable if they can sell at a much higher quantity than they do now. And the 1.5m offer from EFEL is much below the valuation of the building and their business. Therefore, it is vitally important that Maxime first determine RELE’s willingness to grant Roune more freedom in program offering in the future. If RELE refuses to, Maxime and Beatrice has to choose between OILT and selling at a loss to EFEL. Maxime and Beatrice should also look for an OILT franchisee that is in a similar geographical location, i.e. a rural area in close proximity to a metropolitan city, to understand their marketing strategy and the new company identity in order to estimate their required initial investment and future business potential if they are to switch to  OILT. Constraint RELE’s centrally controlled sales activities and program offerings are largely the reason why Maxime and Beatrice can do very little to revive their business in times of crisis. It will continue to be a constrain in their future with RELE. Maxime and Beatrice’s financial situation can also restrict their decision-making. The current asset RELE-Rouen held as of 31 December 2011 is just enough to cover its current liability. Any new investment can create a considerably cash flow problem for the company. Maxime has already guaranteed a loan of â‚ ¬800,000 personally. It can be difficult for them to source for new loan or cash investment given the uncertainty of their business future. The building, which Maxime and Beatrice used to run RELE-Rouen, is jointly owned by the five siblings. It is a family heritage. Any decision made related to the use of this building will have to be in all siblings’ best interest. Criteria The three options are being evaluated based on the following criteria: Economics, Business Strategy and People. Economics This section details the financial analysis of the three options1. For RELE, three business scenarios are constructed and evaluated. An estimate of financial returns from OILT, assuming the same level of sales, is also calculated and compared with RELE’s. Lastly, an estimate for the valuation of the building and business provides an insight to EFEL’s offer. Option 1 – Renew franchise contract with RELE Scenario 1: RELE-Rouen offers only weekday programs. It is deduced from the case that Fabienne, the CEO, chose not to object to RELE-Rouen’s new weekend program because of the understanding that time was difficult. When the economy starts to recover, Fabienne may not allow this program to be offered anymore. It is estimated that RELE-Rouen will face a loss of close to â‚ ¬82,000. Scenario 2: RELE-Rouen continues its current offerings. Based on their own estimation, RELE-Rouen will have a profit of close to â‚ ¬30,000. Scenario 3: RELE-Rouen is allowed to offer both four-weekend and English program. This is the best-case scenario for RELE-Rouen. It is not clear why  RELE rejected Maxime and Beatrice’s proposal to offer English program in 2011. One of the possible reasons can be that RELE wanted to avoid new investment in selling to a new segment during crisis while their main focus was to maintain profitability of their own center. It is reasonable to assume that Maxime and Beatrice have a stronger bargaining power now given the fact that they have been approached by OILT and the economy will recover more in 2012. It is estimated that RELE-Rouen will take a profit of close to â‚ ¬91,000. From the calculation, it is clear to see that the profitability of RELE-Rouen is directly affected by the types of programs they can offer. If RELE put a stop to their weekend program, they will have another year of loss. Option 2 – Switch to OILT programs It is assumed that they will be offering both French and English classes during weekday and weekend with OILT. But without a clear understanding of the new targeted market, it is difficult to estimate a sales number. In this calculation, instead of looking at the profit based on an assumed number of sales, the profitability of the OILT programs is evaluated using the same level of sales as proposed in Scenario 3 with RELE. The comparison of the profitability can reveal the different franchise fee structure and its impact on profitability. It is also expected that certain amount of initial investments is required when switching to OILT. But at this stage, there is not sufficient information yet. The calculation simply assumed a similar cost structure as RELE, and did not include any additional investment. Based on the calculation, they will face a loss of close to â‚ ¬36,000. Compare this calculation with Scenario 3 at RELE, it can be concluded that by selling the same amount of classes, the RELE model is more profitable. Another calculation is done to prove the hypotheses that the OILT model is more profitable selling by quantity. By increasing the number of classes sold by 10% (which is still within their current capacity, therefore the same fixed cost applied), the profit almost doubled. Option 3 – Sell the building to EFEL The valuation of the building and the valuation of the business is, in total, around â‚ ¬2.6m. Details of the calculation can be found in Exhibit 3. Based on the calculation for the three options, it can be concluded that the â‚ ¬1.5m offered by EFEL is definitely not an attractive offer. Even if Maxime and Beatrice do not want to continue with their business, they should negotiate another deal with EFEL. Business Strategy Franchise model Since RELE’s only customer base is executive and it is assumed that the weekday programs are mainly sponsored by corporate, maintaining long-term corporate relationships would be RELE’s primary marketing focus. It also gives RELE reasons to centrally control their marketing effort because it is costly both in terms of time and money to build and maintain relationships with corporations and any mishandling of this relationship can adversely affect RELE’s image. The advantage of a centrally controlled sales operation reduces the franchisee’s cost in business development. The disadvantage is, RELE may not have the local knowledge to develop marketing strategy specific to the franchisees’ region and during economy downturn, franchisees have little to no freedom to recoup demand on their own. OILT on the other hand, is targeting at the mass individual consumers. It hardly controls any aspects of its franchisees’ operations. It also means that franchisees will have to decide every aspect of their growth strategy themselves. Customer As discussed earlier, RELE program is for executives while OILT program is for all adults, especially international tourists. A company’s customer base determines the identify of a company. If Maxime and Beatrice want to take up the OILT program, they may have to offer different type of food, different methods of teaching, different ways to promote their programs, different incentives to attract repeat customers and may be even different styles of decorations in the building. Company Maxime is a CEO of their family business apart from running RELE-Rouen with Beatrice. Even though they have been offering the RELE programs for 9 years now but because of the franchise policy, they have only been engaged in academic, administrative and hospitality related operations. Also due to the single type of customers, i.e. executives, they may not have the knowledge and skills in managing mass market. The professors working at RELE-Rouen  have an average age of 52. They may not adapt to new teaching methods of using multimedia very quickly. Competition Currently RELE-Rouen is enjoying a relatively low competition in the region. But OILT and EFEL are targeting at the same type of customers and both of them are interested in entering the region. If Maxime and Beatrice are to take up franchisee from OILT, EFEL is a competitor. Channels According to the financial estimate for the OILT model, it was concluded that in order to make a better profit, they have to sell a better quantity than they have now. Beatrice has little experience in sales and OILT franchise model requires an international sales coverage. OILT offers 10,000 international agents. Choosing the right agents and exploring alternative sales channel would directly determine the success of their business with OILT. Paco Valls, the OILT franchisee in Barcelona may not be a good reference to forecast Rouen’s business potential because of their different geographical location. In Barcelona, Paco Valls has direct access to both a large pool of tourists and the local residents, which Rouen does not provide. Market outlook As the economy starts to recover, Maxime and Beatrice should start to see a pick up in demand both in corporate spending and tourism. The potential of growth of the market also makes EFEL’s 1.5mn look less attractive. If Maxime and Beatrice is to switch to OILT, it is a good time to make the investment as well so that their new business will be up and running when the demand is back in full swing. People Maxime is 62 years old and will retire in 3 years. He may not want to engage in a new adventure and would prefer a stable income from a stable business. Beatrice’s only source of income is from their language school. And further losses can adversely affect her financial security. Their other siblings and the three teachers who have been working with them for close to a decade will also be affected if they decided to sell the school and the building. Synthesis After examining the three options Maxime has, it can be concluded that they will face another year of loss if RELE does not allow them to run their weekend program anymore. OILT is only more profitable if they can sell at a much higher quantity than they have now. And the 1.5m offer from EFEL is much below the valuation of the building and their business. Action Plan In view of the various potential and risks in their current business and their future alternatives, Maxime have to get an understanding with RELE if they can continue with their weekend programs in 2012 as soon as he can and if possible, he should make sure the contract reflects this provision. Maxime should also start negotiating with RELE on allowing them to offer English courses. At the same time, Maxime and Beatrice should also start doing market research in order to better understand the potential demand for OILT model in Rouen, such as the amount of tourists in the region, they can also look for OILT franchisees that are in similar geographical locations and learn from their experience and also help them estimate their financial future with OILT.