Comparative Essay: Iphone vs. Samsung Phone

Comparative essay: IPhone vs. Samsung phone Technique: Point by Point In the 21st century, the smart phone has already become an indispensable instrument in human life. Human beings rely on smart phones in recording everything in their daily life. There are different smart phone manufactures all around the world such as Samsung, Apple, Nokia, Motorola and so on. Among the smart phone manufacture, the Apple and Samsung smart phone manufacturer are the leader in the smart phone world. Thus, the products from these two manufacturers are famous among the users, such as the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.Therefore, when we decide to buy a smart phone on either Apple iPhone 5 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, we should consider several aspects of the smart phone such as the design of the phone, the camera aspect, the life of battery can stand, call quality and the interface and function of the smart phone. First, we touch about the fabulous design of both the phones. The latest d ebuted iPhone 5 has created an entirely new design that thinner and lighter than the iPhones before. It is just 7. 6 millimeters amazing thin and weighs 112g that made out of glass and aluminum.Moreover, its 4 inches screen is palm-friendly and easily to operate with just one hand. It is not only comfortable you can say about the phone when a crystalline diamond is used to cut the chambers which give the beveled edge wonderful sheen, it makes you gorgeous even when you hold it. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is much bigger than iPhone5 that is 5. 5 inches screen, 9. 4mm thin and 180g weight. It offers perfect and fantastic viewing experience just like cinema like-viewing. As for one-handed operation, it is not impossible.It provides ways to scooch the on-screen keyboard or the dialer which iPhone5 cannot be beat. Besides, it has a non-unibody chassis that allow us to easily swap SIM cards, batteries or expand storage via a microSD slot. Since the design of the phones is in comparable which means they have their own unique design, we would like to compare other features on both of the phones. By comparing the camera of iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note II, the iPhone 5 mostly takes care of everything on its own. The iPhone 5 has a fast HDR mode and a new option for panoramic photos, which up to 28 megapixels.The picture quality of iPhone 5 has high levels of details and good colour representation, without excessive noise. The iPhone 5 can manage scenes with high dynamic range better, and it also sports more constrast in its pictures, making them more visually appealing. The 1080 videos of iPhone 5 and the Note II exhibit the same great amount of detail and crisp focus as the still scenes, with 30fps inside and outdoors. The iPhone 5 footage comes with higher contrast, and looks less washed out under bright sunlight.For the Note II, it offers most major options like face/smile recognition, Panorama, HDR, low light mode and many others. It also has an abu ndance of scene and focus modes, as well as number of colour effects. The picture and video gallery on Note II split the screen with folders on the left for faster navigation and has richer editing capabilities built into it. The music players on both devices also offer tune categorizations and minimalistic interface. Note II offers more functions via sound modes and equalizer. Note II also has an FM radio.Both handsets also have excellent quality of loudspeakers, but the iPhone 5 unit sounds a tad fuller and clearer. The interface and functionality of these two phones run different operating system, which the Apple iPhone always run on iOS system, and now the iOS is updated to the version iOS 6 while Galaxy Note II runs the latest version of android system that is Android 4. 1 Jelly Bean. Android also offers plenty of customisation on the home screen and users can utilize widgets, custom launchers, custom keyboards and more.Android also doesn’t have to rely on iTunes for con tent synchronising and transfer and the iPhone 5 has the traditional grid of icons and everything else is pretty much neatly tucked away under settings. In terms of customisation, picking a wallpaper and ringtones can be used. Moreover, the processors and memory inside these two phones are different too. Apple using manually designed with 1. 3 GHz dual-core A6 processor with its own core architecture, while the Galaxy Note II is equipped with a quad-core at 1. 6GHz.The Note II can do multitasks efficient than iPhone 5. Besides that, the performance of the two phones also is depended on the user how to function it. Furthermore, the iPhone 5 has 1 GB of RAM, while the Galaxy Note II has 2 GB of the thing, and both have the basic versions starting with 16 GB of internal memory, going up to 32 GB or 64 GB variants. The Note II, however, sports a microSD slot for cheaper storage expansion. In overall, the interface and functionality of Samsung Galaxy Note II is better than Apple iPhone 5 . In contrast on the attery task, the Note II has the largest screen ever placed in a phone, and also the battery match with a 3,100 mAh unit tucked in neatly into its large body. It is rated for 35 hours talk time in 2G mode and 16 hours of talk time in 3G mode, and furthermore more than a month of standby (up to 890hours). However, the iPhone 5 has a 1,440 mAh battery, and is rated for 8 hours of talk time in 2G and 3G mode. Both handsets will deliver more than 10 hours of browsing or video watching on a charge, which are excellent results.On the other hand, the similarity of these two smart phones is discovered by smart users. There is an aspect that quite alike, which, aspect on calls quality. In the aspect call quality, both iPhone 5 and Note II carrying remarkable call quality, with loud and clear voices in the earpiece, even clean sound relay to the other end. The noise-cancelling do a very good job of weeding out the background noisy, with the iPhone 5 sporting a tad better sound capture probably thanks to the tri-mic setup it has going on. In a nut shell, the two phones functioning well in call quality.In conclusion, both Apple and Samsung products, Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 have their own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, it falls upon the user to compare the similarities and differences between Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 such as the design of the phone, the camera aspect, the life of battery can stand, call quality and the interface and function of the smart phone before buying the smart phone. Moreover, it’s also depending on the need of the user on the aspect. A- Group members: See Li Min Tan Sheue Ley Tan Siok Ying Chan Yi Qi Pei Leng

The Comparison Between Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theory

The Comparison between Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theory There are very distinct differences between Psychodynamic and Humanistic Counselling but both ultimately offer the help and guidance to discover why we act the way we do and why we make certain choices in our lives. Throughout this essay, I will endeavour to explain those major differences and you will see that despite these completely different methods of therapy, depending on what the problem maybe, they can both work very effectively in their own way. Carl Rogers, born in 1902, was the originator of the Person Centred Approach or Humanistic Theory.His work was influenced by his experience of being a client and a counsellor (Casemore, 2006) and he believed a trusting relationship was essential in helping the client to grow and develop in order that they could cope with difficulties in a more effective manner and to function more effectively. There is a strong emphasis of the need for counsellors to think of their clients as people rather than impersonal bodies. Characteristics important for effectiveness in the counsellor/client relationship are congruence, where the counsellor must be genuinely themselves, a complete and whole person.Empathic, which is the ability to understand and appreciate the clients perspective. To ‘live’ in their world and accept who they are unconditionally and unconditional positive regard which involves accepting the client completely and in a non-judgemental way. Rogers believed that all humans have a natural desire for personal growth and potential so that they can take responsibility for their own actions and the way they live their lives. This view is called the Actualising Tendency. He believed that everybody had an inner need to wholeness.The self-concept is also important in Person Centred Counselling. This relates to the individuals perception or the way in which they see themselves based on life experiences and attitudes from those important people arou nd them when they were young. Abraham Maslow is another theorist whose contribution to the Person Centred Approach is very significant. He proposed a hierarchy of needs which he believed were responsible for human motivation and drive. They are as follows: Physiological Needs – These are biological needs.They consist of needs for oxygen, food, and water. They are the strongest needs because if a person were deprived of all needs, the physiological ones would come first in the person's search for satisfaction. Safety Needs – When all physiological needs are satisfied and are no longer controlling thoughts and behaviors, the needs for security can become active. Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness – When the needs for safety and for physiological well-being are satisfied, the next class of needs for love, affection and belongingness can emerge.Needs for Esteem – When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can become domi nant. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person gets from others. Needs for Self-Actualization – When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, then and only then are the needs for self-actualization activated. Maslow describes self-actualization as a person's need to be and do that which the person was â€Å"born to do. † According to Maslow it is possible for people to work towards self-actualisation by practising behaviours which encourage the development of confidence and openness.These include; trying new experiences and to challenge oneself, to assume responsibility, strive to be honest and to develop a capacity to trust onself, Both Maslow and Rogers had very similar views. Maslow believed that the most basic drive was to become the person that one is capable of becoming and Rogers believed that the basic drive was to become the person that one truly is. Gestalt Therapy is a psychotherapy, based on the experiential ideal of â€Å"here and now†, and relationships with others and the world, and was co-founded by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls and Paul Goodman in the 1940s-1950s (Wikipidia 2004).Perls did not belive in a single particular theory. He thought you should always just go with the flow and work with what you have and what is happening in the now. He placed great importance on the client becoming self aware and thus developed the Gestalt theory. This therapy focuses more on process (what is happening) than content (what is being discussed). The emphasis is on what is being done, thought and felt at the moment rather than on what was, might be, could be, or should be.Perls believed in minipulating the client, bringing them out of their comfort zone and challenging them. To own what you say and do and to be aware of unconscious actions/words. In the 1950's Eric Berne began to develop his theories of Transactional Analysis. He said that verbal communication, particularly face to face, is at the centre of hum an social relationships and psychoanalysis. His starting-point was that when two people encounter each other, one of them will speak to the other. This he called the Transaction Stimulus.The reaction from the other person he called the Transaction Response. The person sending the Stimulus is called the Agent. The person who responds is called the Respondent. Transactional Analysis became the method of examining the transaction wherein: ‘I do something to you, and you do something back'. Berne also said that each person is made up of three alter ego states: Parent – This is our ingrained voice of authority, absorbed conditioning, learning and attitudes from when we were young. Child – Our internal reaction and feelings to external events form the ‘Child'.This is the seeing, hearing, feeling, and emotional body of data within each of us. When anger or despair dominates reason, the Child is in control. Adult – Our ‘Adult' is our ability to think a nd determine action for ourselves, based on received data. The adult in us begins to form at around ten months old, and is the means by which we keep our Parent and Child under control. If we are to change our Parent or Child we must do so through our adult. Transactional Analysis is effectively a language within a language; a language of true meaning, feeling and motive.It can help you in every situation, firstly through being able to understand more clearly what is going on, and secondly, by virtue of this knowledge, we give ourselves choices of what ego states to adopt, which signals to send, and where to send them. This enables us to make the most of all our communications and therefore create, develop and maintain better relationships (Businessballs. com) Looking at the Psychodynamic side, Freud took the view that human beings are never free from their behaviours, thoughts and feelings.That we are governed by past events and reinact them in our present. Sigmund Freud is the fat her of the Psychodynamic Theory. This focuses on the unconscious aspects of personality. According to Freud the human mind is like an iceberg. It is mostly hidden in the unconscious. He believed that the conscious level of the mind was similar to the tip of the iceberg which could be seen, but the unconscious was mysterious and was hidden. The unconscious also consists of aspects of personality of which a person is unaware. The conscious on the other hand is that which is within our awareness.The preconscious consists of that which is not in immediate awareness but is easily accessible (Himmat Rana 1997) Freud believed the personality is made up of three parts. They are: Id – the oldest part and present from birth and necessary for survival. The Ego – realistic awareness of self and of the world. Has evolved through contact with the external world and is determined by the individuals own experiences. Acts as mediator between the id and the superego and the Superego â⠂¬â€œ parental and social influences. Moral judgement and conscience.Main function is to curb he demands of the id. When anxiety occurs, the mind first responds by an increase in problem-solving thinking, seeking rational ways of escaping the situation. If this is not fruitful, a range of defence mechanisms may be triggered. In Freud's language, these are tactics which the Ego develops to help deal with the Id and the Super Ego. Freud's Defence Mechanisms include:  ·Denial: claiming/believing that what is true to be actually false.  ·Displacement: redirecting emotions to a substitute target. Intellectualization: taking an objective viewpoint.  ·Projection: attributing uncomfortable feelings to others.  ·Rationalization: creating false but credible justifications.  ·Reaction Formation: overacting in the opposite way to the fear.  ·Regression: going back to acting as a child.  ·Repression: pushing uncomfortable thoughts into the subconscious.  ·Sublimation: redirecting ‘wrong' urges into socially acceptable actions. Carl Jung was an associate of Freud who disagreed on a number of issues and finally broke away from Freud with his own ideas.He developed Analytical Psychology and it consists of the following; The collective unconscious – This is the deepest part of the psyche which contains all experiences that are inherited. The Personal Unconscious – This is material that was once conscious but has become forgotton or suppressed. Jung referred to the universal ideas and images of the collective unconscious as archetypes. These are original forms which all human beings in all societies recognise. Archetypes can also appear in shared emotional experience and these unconscious ideas and patterns of thought are likely to surface during momentous events such as birth and death.This shared psychological experience was regarded by Jung as evidence of a collective unconscious. There are four major archetypes of the collective unconscio us: The word â€Å"persona† means a mask and refers to the outward appearance which people use in everyday life. The word â€Å"anima† refers to the unconscious female quality in the male and the word â€Å"animus† refers to the unconscious male quality in the female. The shadow is the inferior being within us which is primitive and animal. It is also the personal unconscious is similar to Freuds concept of the id.The term â€Å"self† describes a state of complete integration of all the separate elements of personality (Hough 1994) Alfred Adler broke away from Freuds school and set up his own called individual psychology. He believed that personality developed through sibling order and placed emphasis on the social development of man. He viewed people as mostly conscious rather than unconscious. For Adler, it was useless to focus on drives and impulses without giving attention to how the person creatively directs the drives. Adler believed that inferiorit y feelings are the source of all human striving.All individual progress, growth and development result from the attempt to compensate for one's inferiorities. Feeling unattractive, or don't belong somewhere. Not strong enough or smart enough. So everyone is trying to overcome something that is hampering them from becoming what they want to become. The meaning of superiority is like self-realization. The striving for perfections is innate in the sense that it is a part of life. Throughout a person's life, Adler believed, he or she is motivated by the need to overcome the sense of inferiority and strive for ever higher levels of development.Everything Adler says ties into the lifestyle. For Adler, meanings are not determined by situation, but we are self-determined by the meaning we attribute to a situation. Melanie Klein had a significant impact on child psychology and contemporary psychoanalysis. She was a leading innovator in theorizing object relations theory. According to Klein, the infant's world was threatened from the beginning by intolerable anxieties, whose source she believed to be the infant's own death instinct.These â€Å"persecutory† anxieties, which were felt in the infant's own bodily needs as well as from the external frustrations to those needs, were overwhelming to the infant, and in order to combat them the infant resorted to defenses whose aim was to isolate her from them. Through these primitive defenses—projection, denial, splitting, withdrawal, and â€Å"omnipotent control† of these objects—the infant put threatening, â€Å"bad† objects, outside herself and into the external world; simultaneously, she preserved the â€Å"good† objects, both within herself and externally, by splitting them off from their malevolent counterparts.Perhaps the most fundamental of these processes were projection and introjection, which described the infant's first, primitive attempts to differentiate himself from the w orld, inside from outside, self from other, based on the prototype of oral incorporation (and spitting out) and the infant's relation to his first, nurturing/frustrating object, the mother's breast. In Bowlby's approach, the child is considered to have a need for a secure relationship with adult caregivers, without which normal social and emotional development will not occur.However, different relationship experiences can lead to different developmental outcomes. A number of attachment styles in infants with distinct characteristics have been identified known as secure attachment, avoidant attachment, anxious attachment and disorganized attachment. These can be measured in both infants and adults Attachment is an affectional tie that one person forms between him/herself and another specific one (usually the parent) — a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time.Attachment theory states that attachment is a developmental process based on the evolved adaptive t endency for young children to maintain proximity to a familiar person, called the attachment figure. Four different attachment styles have been identified in children: secure, anxious-ambivalent, anxious-avoidant, and disorganized. Secure Attachment – The child protests the mother's departure and quiets promptly on the mother's return, accepting comfort from her and returning to exploration.Avoidant Attachment – The child shows little to no signs of distress at the mother's departure, a willingness to explore the toys, and little to no visible response to the mother's return. Ambivalent Attachment – The child shows sadness on the mother's departure, ability to be picked up by the stranger and even ‘warm' to the stranger, and on the mother's return, some ambivalence, signs of anger, reluctance to ‘warm' to her and return to play. Disorganized Attachment – The child presents stereotypes upon the mother's return after separation, such as freezing for several seconds or rocking.This appears to indicate the child's lack of coherent coping strategy. Children who are classified as disorganized are also given a classification as secure, ambivalent or avoidant based on their overall reunion behavior. â€Å"The main differences between the two therapies are that the Psychodynamic Theory centres on the past experiences of the client. By using dream interpretation, free association and others, it concentrates on looking at childhood experiences and normal or abnormal development. Humanistic is based on the clients interpretation of what is happening in the here and now.It allows the client to express himself without having to look in the past†. (Wiki. answers. com) Rogers believed that the counselling relationship was based on mutuality, in which both the client and the counsellor are of equal importance whereas in Psychodynamic Counselling the Counsellor is regarded as the expert. Bibliography Person Centred Counselling by R oger Casemore, 2006, Sage Publications A Practical Approach to Counselling by Margaret Hough, 1994, Pittman Publishing Sigmund Freud by Himmat Rana 1997 www. Wikipedia/Fritz_Perls Businessballs. com

British newspapers Essay Example for Free

British newspapers Essay On Friday 25th October 2002, all British newspapers reported on the outcome of the trial of Alastair Irvine, the son of the Lord Chancellor, Derry Irvine. Alastair Irvine, 25 was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to six stalking, vandalism and gun charges arsing from his pursuit of a 19-year-old woman. By comparing the coverage of this story in four national newspapers, we can reach conclusions about their general approach, their choice of content, range of presentation and many aspects of life. It is important to choose a wide spread of newspapers so that all different viewpoints on the story are represented. The newspapers I have chosen are: The Daily Mail, The Daily Star, The Independent, The Guardian and The Times. Both The Daily Mail and The Daily Star are tabloids whilst the rest are all broadsheets. The newspaper that donates the most coverage to the story was The Daily Mail. The first thing you notice with the Mail article is the amount of space devoted to it. The single article takes up a whole page, save a small rather ironic advert entitled ‘Autumn Delights’. The actual column space is a huge fifty-five and a half centimetres, three times more than most of the other papers. Another main feature of the article is the very large picture of Alastair Irvine, which takes up much of the central part of the page. It is a very selectively taken photo, which portrays Alastair Irvine as being mentally insane. The other picture on the page is one of Lord Irvine, Alastair’s father. This is again a photograph chosen specifically to influence the reader. The picture is slanted so that Lord Irvine’s eyes are staring directly into his son’s. In addition, Lord Irvine has a very amused expression set on his face, giving the reader the impression that he is pleased to see his son go to prison. Also, Lord Irvine is dressed in his judge’s gown and some irony that a judge’s son be put in prison. One important thing to note is the Mail’s own view on politics. It is commonly known that The Daily Mail is opposed to New Labour and Mail’s own relationship with the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor, being a member of the Labour cabinet is likely to be given bad press. However, he has also had a dispute with the Daily Mail’s sister paper, The Mail on Sunday. Lord Irvine criticised The Mail on Sunday after it printed a story about his son’s drug addiction, amongst other things criticizing Lord Irvine’s views on the legalization of cannabis; Lord Irvine took the matter to the press complaints commission. It is obvious that the paper and the Lord Chancellor do not have a very good relationship and why the Daily Mail is taking such a strong opinion on this one particular article. Another thing to note is the power with which the Daily Mail uses the headline. The headline draws immediately to the fact that the writers and most probably the readers are more interested in Lord Irvine rather than Alastair. The headline also uses very emotive words, used to influence the readers’ views. Amongst many other words used in the article, ‘terrorising’ and ‘young lovers’ are used in the headline. The idea that he has terrorised young lovers is a very strong and horrific thought and very strong language. This is used to make us feel that he Alastair Irvine is evil, reinforced by the striking photograph of Alastair Irvine. The strap-line also contains emotive words. Alastair Irvine is described as a ‘drug addict’ and his actions ‘shamed his family’. The idea of Alastair shaming his family is supported by the smile of his father, Lord Irvine. It is also important to concentrate on the actual text used in the article. Usually in a newspaper the first paragraph should briefly summarize the story, however, the Daily Mail article concentrates on the fact that Alastair Irvine is Lord Irvine’s son and that he terrorised ‘young lovers’. The use of more words that are emotive and the focusing on the fact that he is the Chancellor’s son shows quite clearly how the Mail feel about this particular article. The second paragraph also shows the Mail’s own views on the story: ‘Alastair Irvine, 25, pleaded guilty in return for a lenient sentence. ‘ The idea that the sentence given was lenient implies that the paper thought he deserved more and that the crime he committed was very serious compared to the punishment given. There are many examples throughout the Mail article of emotive words and personal feeling. The whole of the next paragraph is used as an example of the writer influencing the readers by the quality of language. All emotive words in this paragraph have been specifically placed here for this reason. The stating of the fact that ‘he could have faced up to 18 years in jail. ‘ Shows again that the Mail think Alastair deserved more than his ‘lenient’ sentence. The Mail also states that Alastair ‘showed no emotion as he was led away’. This again influences us into believing that Alastair was not repentant at all. However, many of us would believe that someone who has just pleaded guilty to a crime may feel repentant and somebody who is likely to face six months in jail would feel emotional. The Daily Mail article continues with words such as ‘obsessed’ and ‘hassle being used throughout the rest of the article. It is clear that the purpose of this article is not, as it should be, to provide news, but to deter from the facts and promote Alastair Irvine and therefore Lord Irvine as a bad person. It is important to study other aspects of the article. The page number this article is on does not reflect the true amount of importance that the Mail intended to place upon it, it being on a mere page seven. Granted other newspapers have had the article on earlier pages but the sheer size and effort put into the article reflect how much the Mail cares about this specific article. The language used in the article is not as simple as it could be however, it is not very complicated and this probably appeals to the readers of the Daily Mail. Overall, it is clear to see how this article has been written in a certain way to influence the reader and to not report the news but to change to news to serve its own purpose needed. This is a classic example of the media affecting the news in a specific way for a specific purpose. The next paper to be studied is The Daily Star. The Daily Star is too a tabloid newspaper. The Daily star article although not as large as the Mail version is still as biased and emotive. The first thing to notice is the Daily Star is the only newspaper present that does not include the words ‘Lord Irvine’ or anything referring to the Lord in the headline. However, the Daily Star headline is much more vague and strong: ‘Stalker son is jailed’ At first glance, this may give us the impression that a son of a stalker has been imprisoned rather than a stalking son has been jailed. The picture shows Alastair looking remarkably depressed with the situation unlike the Daily Mail article. However, the caption under picture bares a likeness to the Mail’s. The word ‘caged’ is used whilst in the Mail article the word ‘Manacled’ was used, both of these words are strong and give the impression that Alastair Irvine is some sort of trapped animal. The first paragraph, now, does describe who Alastair Irvine is. The words Lord Chancellor naturally arrive. The emotive word used in this paragraph is the use of the word ‘love rival’. This gives us the impression of some sort of battle occurring between Alastair and his ‘love rival’. This again is quite an unnecessary word which is used to bring sympathy to the ‘stalked’ ‘love rival’. The language used in the Star article is a lot simpler, than the language used in the Daily Mail, this again appeals to the readers of The Daily Star, who are not expected to have a vast vocabulary. The only cross heading used in the article is a very striking one, ‘Threats’ this gives the reader an impression of the article before they have actually read it and prepares the reader for the severity of the article. However, the content of the article is generally quite good, most of the information quite relevant, save ‘Lord Irvine, a senior member of Government and a close friend of Toney Blair. The article is dotted with the odd emotive word however, nowhere as near as many as the Mail. The column length of the article in the Star is a mere fifteen centimetres, which is far below the average of all the other articles. Overall, apart from the misleading headline, the occasional unnecessary paragraph and the simple use of language The Daily Star provides an informative yet easily understood version of the story. The next paper is not a tabloid but a broadsheet, meant to report the news rather that influence the readers. The Independent does just that. The simple headline gives all the relevant knowledge needed. It tells us why the story is important, mentioning Lord Irvine, how long Alastair has been imprisoned for, and for what reason. The actual font size of the headline is very small compared to the previously discussed articles. The first paragraph is very informative. It tells us of the nature of his plea and of his crime. The giving of his age, followed by the ‘nine-teen year old girl’ may be regarded as a ploy to influence the reader, however, I do not regard it as so. The Independent’s article is the most informative and goes into more detail that reported by any other newspaper. There are very few emotive words included however; the occasional one does turn up. The Independent also reports that the sentence received by Irvine was much lower than he deserved however it does not say it as bluntly as both the Mail and the Star. The Independent talks about his drug problem in detail. It mentions the fact that he actually travelled to California to undergo rehabilitation for his crack-cocaine addiction. It also goes into more detail than the other articles about the nature of his attacks and his threats. The independent talks about the psychological state that Alastair was in and also talks about the importance of this story politically, all with great measures taken to be unbiased and fact providing. The page number of the article shows the relative importance of the article, I personally feel it is a bit too high also the column length of the article at twenty-nine centimetres seams reasonable. The language used in the article is frivolous in places but overall, not too much more complicated that the Star article. This article has one sole purpose alone and that is to report the news and to provide as much information that is possible and relevant. Overall, out of the all the articles The Independent has the most informative article. It is impartial and provides a good insight into the news story. The final newspaper to be discussed is the Guardian. The first thing noticed of the article is the sheer size. It is only a little smaller than the Daily Mail. Noticeable too, however, is the very large picture of a handcuffed Alastair Irvine looking very depressed. The huge headline is simple and similar to the other broadsheets, referring to Lord Irvine and the crime committed. The strap-line however, is less impartial and divulges more into the thoughts of Lord Irvine who wished not to comment. We also note the photograph of Lord Irvine who is looking rather gleeful and again dressed in his judge’s gown. The caption also tells us that the Chancellor is happy that the case has been resolved, implying somewhat that he is happy to see his son go to prison. The actual content of The Guardian’s article is quite impressive also, it divulges into past confrontations between Lord Irvine and The Sunday Mail, and also in Alastair’s drug problem. It mentions the charges and also a speech from the lawyer of Alastair Irvine who states the gratefulness of Alastair on getting off so lightly and the fact that he could not be guaranteed a win by his own lawyer. The article also mentions some politics and shows the gratefulness of the deputy district attorney at the lack of interference by Lord Irvine. This article again has no purpose but to inform the reader of the story with as much impartiality as possible. The story is only on page eight which is quite far back but the grand size of it makes up for its importance. The article is well structured with points interlinking from one to the other and the material covered is excellent with a wide range of points included that were not in other articles. The language is of a reasonable complexity and this also reflects the audience, which it is targeted at. Overall, the article is excellent apart from the few emotive words present, the strap-line’s severity and the unnecessary size of the picture. In this essay, the void between tabloids and broadsheets has clearly been identified. From the extreme tabloid, which provides little useful information but much opinion of The Daily Mail to the extremes of broadsheet with a huge picture and lots of valuable information of The Guardian the progressive change of the articles has been highlighted. By personal favourite article is the Independent’s, being not only informative but also not excessive. Its size is enough for a quick but in-depth guide to the article and does not detract from it with the suggestion of being a difficult read. However, each article has its own niche market, and I, cannot speak for the variety of people who belong to the readers of any of the newspapers. That is someway creates a sense of impartiality, however, being me alone it is all I can offer. In summate, if a variety of people from different cultures were to write this essay the result may be different, not in quality but in content. British newspapers. (2017, Aug 02).

ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA - Essay Example There are different theories established by many philosophers about termination of pregnancy and there are different laws about terminating a pregnancy. In some countries terminating a pregnancy is illegal while in other countries it is legal (Warren, 828). There are mainly two types of beliefs about abortion and some people believe that abortion should be prohibited on moral grounds as it is like killing a person while others believe that abortion should not be prohibited as it has nothing to do with morality and it is necessary for society, sometimes, to avoid unwanted situation (Warren, 832). Those who advocate for prohibiting abortion believe that abortion is killing a fetus before birth which is an act of murder on both human and moral grounds. They are of the opinion that the abortion can only be allowed in exceptional cases like when the life of mother is at stake or the pregnancy is a result of rape or forced sex or any similar situation. Those who believe that abortion shoul d not be prohibited in case argue that besides danger to mother’s life and pregnancy as a result of rape or forced sex there are many more reasons which influence the decision of abortion. Sometimes women conceive due to failure of contraceptive measures and they are either not ready or not capable of bringing up a child and birth of a child can be a burden on them. On other occasions the woman who has conceived can be poor, disabled, under-age or unmarried and is not able to bring up a child. In those circumstances, if she is prohibited for abortion it becomes a burden for her whole life. They also reason it as it should be the discretion of the woman to decide about her life and the baby. The fetus cannot be considered as a person as it does not have any characteristics of personhood such as sentience, emotion, reasoning, communication capability, self awareness and morality. Similarly, they cannot be considered as a human being as they don’t have any characteristics of a human (Warren, 833). Moreover, the galloping population of the world can also be controlled to some extent by legalizing abortion because in the countries where abortion is not legalized people have to bear the burden of unwanted children which become a burden on humanity in many cases. Therefore, abortion must be legalized all across the world to reduce not only the burden on women but also on humanity. Abortions can be controlled and late abortions should be avoided unless it is not very essential and danger to life of the mother. An Argument that Abortion is Wrong - Don Marquis Abortion is term which people neither wish to think nor discuss about it, but it does not undermine the importance of the fact. By not thinking or discussing the horrible reality of abortion cannot be avoided. There is a mixed response about this overwhelming reality and some people think that abortion is a ground reality and essential for human society while others think that abortion is a violent a ct of killing an unborn baby and this act is neither human nor moral. Those who oppose abortion describe it and act of dismembering or tearing apart or vacuuming out a baby from its mother without any anesthesia. They further describe it as a crueler act when it is a partial birth or near-term abortion, when the baby is pulled out by plunging with a sharp object or vacuuming it completely. Though this is a horrible subject to think about it is necessary to discuss about it (Marquis, 839). Those who support abortion reason out that it is necessary for women who conceived without making a choice for it due to rape or failure of contraceptives and are not able to take care of the baby for

Exodus Venture Capital Ltd Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exodus Venture Capital Ltd - Assignment Example References 9 Exodus Venture Capital Ltd: Investment Decision Introduction Every business that comes into existence has some objective. While for non-profit organizations, these might be service to humanity and meeting basic needs of communities, for commercial enterprises it is most certainly the profit motive that is the focus of attention for the owners and management. We see that both Brindley Ltd. and Haines Ltd. are in the same industry sector of building materials. It thus makes sense to compare results of those companies that are in the same industry sector and therefore are faced with the same opportunities and threats from the external environment. Meanwhile the internal structure and organization of a particular firm would signify its strengths and weaknesses. Industry averages as computed by financial dailies like the Financial Times and rating agencies such as Dunn & Bradstreet, Standard and Poor and Value Line can also serve as a good baseline by which to compare and con trast the results of a particular firm (Weston et al, 2006, 73). The Importance of Financial Ratios In the absence of further information, financial ratios are a good way of determining the financial health and viability of a business enterprise. In other words, they give us a picture of the status of the business at a certain point in time. It has been agreed by the business and financial community that certain types of ratios are important to different stakeholders the world over. Thus we have different types of ratios as well such as liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, investment ratios etc. Debtors, creditors or investors, all these parties are interested in whether the business enterprise in question will be able to repay them their outstanding or give suitable returns on the capital invested in the business. Ratio analysis not only gives us a good idea of this possibility but also a comparative picture of how the firm is doing in comparison to others in the same industry s ector (Meigs & Meigs, 1993, 793). Thus popular websites such as Yahoo Finance not only have details of stock prices, fluctuations and ratios but also a comparison with industry averages. Such comparisons help us reflect not only on company performance but policy as well. For example the company might have too lenient a credit policy which might create stuck up loans and liquidity problems. It may find it difficult to attract additional funds from the public via share issue if it has a poor record of dividend declaration and payment. Types of Financial Ratios The most common types of financial ratios are as follows: 1. Short Term Solvency/ Liquidity Ratios 2. Long Term Solvency/ Debt Equity Ratios 3. Profitability Ratios 4. Asset Utilization Ratios 5. Investment Ratios (Rao, 1992, 112) Evaluation of Brindley Ltd. & Haines Ltd. Using Financial Ratio Analysis Short Term Solvency/ Liquidity Ratios 1. Current Ratio= Total Current Assets / Total Current Liabilities For Brindley Ltd. : ? 9 10,000 / 520,000 = 1.75: 1 For Haines Ltd. : ? 1050,000 / 600,000 = 1.75: 1 Incidentally, both companies have the same liquidity ratio so it seems both are equally preferred from the viewpoint of ratio analysis. 2. Quick/ Acid Test Ratio= Total Current Assets – Inventories – Trade Rec./ Total Current Liabilities For Brindley Ltd. : ? 60,000 / 520,000 = : 0.115: 1 For Haines Ltd. : ? 50,000 / 600,000 = 0.083: 1 Here we can see that Brindley Ltd. is in a slightly better position than Haines Ltd. However both firms would be unable to settle their

Modern Age Europe 1348-1789 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Modern Age Europe 1348-1789 - Essay Example For a long time Europe was under the power of monarchs and popes creating a great controversy between the church and the state as to who should hold absolute power. The period between 1350 and 1550 in Europe was also characterized by increased trade among nations, conquest and colonization of states such as Africa and Asia. It was also a period when slave trade was thriving due to labor requirements in plantations, mines, and at homes of the noble citizens. The discovery of the Americas by Columbus also played a great part in the changes that took place thereafter. The aim of this paper is to discuss the political, religious, social and cultural changes that took place in Europe between 1350 and 1550. The paper will thus be divided into four sections. First it will discuss the political changes. Secondly, the religious changes. Thirdly, the social changes will be discussed and lastly, the cultural changes. Political Changes There are various political changes that occurred in Europe from 1350 to 1550. These were necessitated by the various events that occurred during this time such as the bubonic plague, the hundred years war and the rise of national sentiment, the late medieval church the great schism, the renaissance, the reformation age, and the religious wars. ... The noble landowners were the most powerful people but the plague deprived them of their power since it rendered agricultural products undesirable and wages were high thus loss of revenues which was the source of power. The church also lost some political power as it depended on land for revenue. On the other hand, the political power of the artisans increased as their items of trade such as jewelry was on high demand. Due to loss of revenue from agricultural produce the government had no option than to apply restrictive legislations and impose taxes on peasants so as to get revenue. As a result there were increased peasant uprisings which were detrimental to the growth of the economy. Another political change in Europe was the increasing nationalism especially in France as a result of the 100 years of war in Europe. The war took place between May 1337 and October 1453 with the defeat of England by France. Before the war, there was a lot of disunity in France which the Estate General took advantage of to usurp the power of the royals. However, efforts by Joan of Arc to unite the country led to nationalistic feelings in France and desire to have a national identity. This led to a political shift whereby France adopted a centralized form of government as opposed to feudal monarchy. Nationalism also led France to dishonor the Treaty of Troyes which had led to disinheritance of the French king by the English king. France was thus able to elect its own king and gain political power. Another crucial outcome of the war was the end of King Edward’s vassalage to the king of France thus acquiring sovereignty over English territories in France although by the end of the war, England had control of only one French territory

Motivations For Attendance At Notting Hill Festival Literature review

Motivations For Attendance At Notting Hill Festival - Literature review Example The Notting Hill carnival has been taking place on the last weekend of August each year since 1965. The carnival has become a major London and national event with over a million people attending each year. The carnival began as a way to address hate crime as well as race riots that took place in 1958. Since then, the carnival continues to be an anti-hate crime event endorsing racial harmony and the celebration of differences. The event not only brings together the black community but also tourists and Londoners alike in the biggest street festival in Europe. This study will seek to understand the fundamental magnitudes of motivations for attending the famous Notting Hill Carnival. The study will also try to discover why visitors’ numbers have decreased over the last six years of the Notting Hill Carnival. Finally, the study will analyse whether overcrowding and disruptive behavior has an effect on visitation. This research is important because it will bring awareness and critical understanding for the reason behind tourists or individuals attending the famous ‘hallmark event’; Notting Hill Carnival. Hallmark events is said to be an event that occurs in a town, city or region each year, on a specific date or around a specific time. For instance, Notting Hill Carnival occurs every year on the August bank holiday Sunday and Monday. Richie (1984, p. 2) defines hallmark events as: Major one-time or recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourism destinat ion in the short term and/or long term. Such events rely for their success on uniqueness, status, or timely significance to create interest and attract attention. Notting Hill is a prime example of a well-known Hallmark event, which is why the study focuses on the key motivational factors for tourists attending the yearly event as well as importance of continuous attendance at the event. 1.2 Why Recent research has focused on visitor motivation and they experience they seek within music festival (Pegg & Patterson, 2010, p. 86). Consequently, not many studies have

Leadership, coaching and mentoring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership, coaching and mentoring - Essay Example onsibility from the perspectives of UK based a retiree with a major income stream from BP shares and a 25-year-old environmental conservation postgraduate university student as discussed below (Boxell and Crooks 2010, p.4). The management of the company have a fiduciary responsibility for the wealth of the shareholders (Weiss 2009, p.8). The shareholders expect the BP company managers as the UK based a retiree. The management is supposed to uphold and protect the image of the business. The oil spillage at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico destroyed the reputation of the business. Scientist of various risks that their drilling activities could bring about had warned BP Company management. Despite these reports, the company took no notice and continued to dig well 5,000 feet in the sea taking no precaution to prevent the possible impact on the ecosystem should the incident as the oil spillage occurs. The management of BP Company is morally responsible for maintaining good public relation. The management authorized its technical team to sink drills that lead to an explosion at the Deep-water Horizon rig. The explosions lead to the death of 11 men. This destroyed the public relationship and lead to a legal battle. The UK based retiree expects the company to uphold good public relationship which will translate into a wider market and, therefore, high profitability. The company is responsible for cultivating trust in the public. The company had also falsified tanks inspections at Los Angeles-area refinery with 80% of the tanks failing to meet the set requirements on leakage. BP falsified other reports on the condition of the company’s pipes and tanks. This destroys the image of the business in the eyes of the public (Boxell and Crooks 2010, p.10). It is the moral accountability of management to instil trust and honesty between them and the employees in order to maximize the wealth of the shareholders. Trust and honesty would help BP to retain its talented

Female Dishonor in The Death of Woman Wang Essay

Female Dishonor in The Death of Woman Wang - Essay Example Woman Wang is an ill-fated personage who symbolizes the pervasive silence or constrained muffling of women. Spence unearths the judicial system in the Qing dynasty and demonstrates the odds which were against women. Woman Wang does not speak much and one observes that her husband and illicit lover are the ones who hold primary discourse. Because of the shameful circumstances surrounding her ignominious death, the law dictates that no one has the right to touch her. Only another old village woman can do a post-mortem examination to probe the cause of death. Woman Wang, as a result, attained an ‘untouchable’ and outcast position.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Throughout much of Chinese history, mortal-moral women have been held in highest esteem†¦the one central characteristic of their appeal was that they served as moral exemplars†¦ role models and as ideal cultural archetypes† (Peterson) Chinese historic annals applaud chaste women. On the other hand, the dishonored women w ould fade into oblivion, names forgotten or expunged from records. The survival of the mini-narratives through Spence’s account signifies that even the women with alleged marred reputations still deserved a place in history and their tales mentioned.   Illegitimate legal practices riddled the Chinese justice system, ensuring that women would be voiceless or unable to prosecute their abusers. Women were labeled as natural fornicators; therefore, cases of rape go unpunished. The prejudiced system comprised of Emperor, magistrates, diplomats, literati, and husbands. Also as a result of gross inequalities, men have unrestrained freedom to leave their wives and forsake their children to pursue another lover (Jurich 12). The dishonor of women is a reflection of the cheap worth put on their lives by society. In one scenario, Woman T’sai’s husband runs through her estate after marriage in dissipated living. He then plans to sell his wife as prostitute to continue drinking and gambling. This brief outline demonstrates a practice which was not only common, but also accepted (Hughes 16). Prostitution is one of the lowest ranks to which a woman in the moral-conscious society in China could sink. Ironically this ‘industry’ which exploited women thrived. The subject of prostitution is therefore a hypocritical contradiction, which allowed men unlimited latitude for sexual relations and imposing restraints on the woman. Spence unfolds a story of another notorious death of a woman – pushed by her forlornness to suicide. Nan San Fu agrees to marry a woman named Tou. Here, the reader observes the carefree, wayfaring man, the desertion of dishonored women by fiancà © and family, socioeconomic and emotional depression, a last petition and suicide.

Victor Joseph Essay Example for Free

Victor Joseph Essay Not everybody can conclude or can judge what the real characteristic of a person is unless you get to know him better. We can never blame ourselves from keeping our eyes blind on the things that we don’t want to see, but in the end, what we need is a little touch of acceptance and moving on with our life without living in the past, can somehow set us free. As the main character of Smoke Signals, at first, I see Victor Joseph as a young man, who is full of grievance with his father. All his life, all he knows is that his father is alcoholic, abusive and he left him and his mother without returning. One famous line is this â€Å"Thomas you dont even know my father. Did you know that my father was the one that set your parents house on fire? Did you know that my father beat my mother? Did you know that my father beat me too†?. Victor’s language is vulgar as he utters, â€Å"You gotta look mean or people wont respect you† (Alexie, 1998) he seems to be a full grown man with full of hatred. One flashback scene in the story gave me a different view about Victor’s Father. It was when Victor’s father died. The climax begins to reveal when Victor decided to go to a trip to get the remains of Arnold. When Thomas Builds-the-Fire a young man from an Indian reservation met Victor Joseph and told him that his father has saved his life, it turns out to be a different kind of story. It’s such a twist about the characteristic of Victor’s father, Arnold, that puts Victor in great denial. Thomas and Arnold spent good times together as he always remembers him as a thoughtful person who always gives him a nice breakfast and will never forget how he saved his life. As the story ends, Victor lived his life without the guidance of his father and left him bad memories that he will never forget. Hence, we should learn to forgive and give chance to others because in every mistake, there is a corresponding will to make something good behind it. Alexie, S. 1998 Smoke Signals: A Screenplay. Hyperion, 179 pages

The Media In India Media Essay

The Media In India Media Essay Looking at the history of news coverage of the war and internal crisis situation, it is quite evident that the news from the area of operation has always interested the mankind. Media these days has now assumed a status which it had seldom enjoyed earlier. Starting as an institutionalized approach to generate awareness and inform masses, media has become an instrument to govern our lives. A close scrutiny and study of Mahabharata would expose to us the nuances of battle that went on between the two adversaries and till date it remains a great testimony to what the quality of battlefield reporting analyses was during the epic period in India. If we were to identify a war correspondent in correspondingly modern India, possibly William Howard Russells name could be the first one to be cited as he reported upon the first war of independence in India in 1857.The coverage of the war and internal crisis in present day scenario has taken an interesting turn with the near real time to live co verage of the events showing pictures from the crisis zone instantly. Media has been playing a vital link to the rest of India on the ongoing insurgency/militancy in Kashmir and North East. Media coverage took an upward surge almost nearing a deluge during the Kargil conflict. Twenty four into seven channels began churning the battlefield in a hunt for not only the latest stories but a series of stories eclipsing the previous one thereby arousing public interest and forming opinions. Never had there been so much support to the war effort in the recent history as was evident during the Kargil conflict. Why did it happen the way it did-did media play a role in it? Do we expect the media to be as supportive during future operations as it was during Kargil? Would the part of media that is controlled and financed by people from outside the country continue to play the ball the way it did during the Kargil conflict? Today, the images of war, for that matter peace, can decisively draw the contours of a nations public opinion even before the authorities can confirm or repudiate the authenticity. Therefore, it is all the more essential to critically analyse the role media can pl ay and how best can it be optimized without compromising any of its essential elements. Press council of India 1. Press Council is a mechanism for the pres to regulate itself. The raison detre of this unique institution is rooted in the concept that in a democratic society the press needs at once to be free and reasonable. If the press is to function effectively as the watchdog of public interest, it must have a secure freedom of expression, unfettered and unhindered by any authority, organised body or individuals. But, this claim to press freedom has legitimacy only if it is exercised with due sense of responsibility. The press must therefore scrupulously adhere to accepted norms of journalistic ethics and maintain high standard of professional conduct. Where the norms are breached and freedom is defiled by unprofessional conduct, a way must exist to check and control it. But, control by government or official authorities may prove destructive of this freedom. Therefore, the best way is to let peers of the profession, assisted by a few discerning layman to regulate it through a properly stru ctured representative impartial machinery. Hence, the Press Council. 2. The Press Council of India was first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the recommendations of the First Press Commission with the objective of preserving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of press in India. The present Council functions under the Press Council Act 1978. It adjudicates the complaints against and by the press for violation of ethics and for violation of the freedom of the press respectively. The Press Council is headed by a chairman, who has by convention, been a retired judge of Supreme Court of India. The council consists of 28 other members of whom 20 represent the press and are nominated by the press organisation/news agencies recognised and notified by the Council as all India bodies of categories such as editors, working journalists and owners and managers of newspaper, five members are nominated from the two houses of the Parliament and represent cultural, literary and legal fields as nominees of Sahitya Academ y, University Grant Commission and Bar Council of India. The members serve on the Council for a term of three years. The Council was last reconstituted on May 22, 2001. The Press Council of India has the following function:- To help the newspaper to maintain their independence. (ii) Medium of Media Role of Media 2. Role of media is that of mediation between the government and the people of the nation. Due to its responsibilities, media is the fourth pillar of the democratic India. After 63 years of achieving independence and quest towards becoming number one power of the world by 2020 through economic growth, the role of media is somewhat uncertain and putting a question mark on the Indian journalism. Before moving ahead we need to ask ourselves and think as to is Indian media playing the role for what it has been known that is the fourth pillar of the state? If not then what role media should play? The obvious answer to this question is that the media should be fair, reliable, impartial, accurate analysis/reporting and work in an integrated manner towards the overall benefit of the people of the nation. As far as news is concerned, media should analyse the news in a very rigid manner, how it has happened and what is the very existence of the news to go to the root cause of the problem inste ad of being biased to any facts and figures available of hand or floated by anybody. But the fact remains very often rather going deep into any problem, journalists are blindly accepting the news as truth which is being formulated and carefully manipulated by the evil elements and disseminate the same publicly. Well, the entire community of journalist s cannot be placed under suspicious category for the inappropriate reporting or misdeeds of few journalists. 3. Medias basic role is to inform, influence, entertain and help develop economy of state which involves news evaluation, analysis and assessment and finally dissemination. Newspapers have a dual role; it is a quasi public institution and a free enterprise and same holds good for the electronic media also. However when the media overlooks its responsibility to the people of a nation and lays more emphasis on being free enterprise that is the problem starts. Another problem is what news is worthy and what is not, and most important is what news need not be published or broadcasted is decided by whom? The journalist is neither to be considered as a detective nor a historian but as mediator in conveying its readers all about the event. Major General Winant Sidle of the US Army says, The appropriate media role in relation to the government has been summarised aptly as being neither a lap dog nor an attack dog but, rather, a watch dog. Apart from acquisition, interpretation and disseminat ion of news, role of media can be summarised as; to create public opinion and attitudes, act as watch-dog for citizens in terms of human rights issues and abuses by institution of power, inform public with events that are balanced and finally maintain national morale by responsible news coverage. The Constitution of India and Press Freedom 4. The Constitution of India, specifically in the chapter on Fundamental Rights, surprisingly, does not mention freedom of press. Later on, Dr. Ambedkar however had mentioned that being part of the guarantees of Freedom of Speech and Expression in Article 19 (1) (a) of the constitution it was not necessary to stipulate the freedom of press separately. Freedom of expression as mentioned in the Constitution implies all forms of opinions, thoughts, ideas and conviction and thus covers most of what is needed for the freedom of press. Censorship is no way covered in any provisions of the Indian constitutions. However during an emergency under the Indian Constitution, Fundamental Rights including Freedom of Expression and Speech stands suspended. The Article 19 (2) of the Constitution of India states that the freedom of the press can be restricted for reasons of sovereignty and integrity of India, preserving democracy and the security of the state, besides some other contingencies. 5. Freedom of the media in actual facts is tempered by hard ground realities such as power and influence of the ownership on editorial policies, commercial orientation of the media, government control over key resources such as newsprint, communications and advertisements. Very often media misuses the freedom given to it and it is evident from a number of issues. Media these days are more engaged in dramatization of an event or news rather than reflecting the informative part. More often, unnecessarily intruding into private lives/personal matters of the people and especially focussing on the distress victims and their families. Media has been in highlight for being involved in corrupt practices and favouring the publishers, political parties, business houses, religious institutions to name a few. Biased publishing, journalist and editor block some news while highlighting others for the reasons of there own. There have been instances where media play up regional emotions leading to s trong appeal and wide spread commotion. During reportage of war or any operations related to internal crisis situation, many a times media has show immaturity and is irresponsible in its reporting by sensationalizing and escalating the conflict. Police, politician and corporate can still be considered for double standards, but how can we expect the same standards from our journalist community. When one pillar collapses, the whole building is likely to fall down. Media being the fourth pillar need to be strong enough in breaking the ice and put forward news and make the truth distinct from ambiguous or falsehood which will entail death of social evil and the people of the nation and the state itself will live in peace. This is the responsibility than needs to be understood and taken up by the Indian journalism. Now, how they are going to shape, direct and lead the new generation of India towards to a peaceful nation as a whole is matter of time and the self awakening. Media ethics 6. Media both print and more so the electronic media plays an important catalyst in shaping the public opinions, sentiments and dogmas by promulgating accurate and desirable information and knowledge. Due to the vast intrusion of television news in public life, it has the power and can create an enduring impact on society, culture and security of a region. These days media is generally facing a qualitative crisis pertaining to the news disseminated by it and it seems as the news channels in India have their respective doctrine charted out presenting anything as news which leads to an departure from the ethical issues of journalism. They have metamorphosed themselves towards packaging of information and have adopted a policy of corporate culture wherein their basic motto has transformed from disseminating information to earning television rating points. With numerous news channels being beamed to our houses the thirst for the actual news by the public is not met due to lack of content , quality and authenticity which have deteriorated over a period of time. Electronic media in India has been irresponsible in presenting news and sensitizing crucial events without understanding and realising the impact and implications on the people and security of the nation. Investigative journalism is the in thing now where in the channels has become a self proclaimed investigating agency which to some extent is instrumental in bringing out the truth but slowly the channels are being used as a means of personal vendetta or gains by insiders as well as outsiders. 7. Media used to be known as the voice of common people and a medium to grab knowledge of the world. Media had over a period of time had built some ethics which was appreciated but with the rapid development, mushrooming of news agencies and requirement of growth it is loosing its credibility. Print media compared to electronic media was known for its accuracy and its ethics and with passage of time everything has become part of marketing and news turned into commodity. The so called free media talks the language of the agencies they are benefited from. The ethics which is being talked about is what should be written or shown and what shouldnt be. The overall aim should to add to society, nation building for a better tomorrow. Contrary to this, media coverage includes matters which are of no use to the citizen but surely for their own mileage. News is supposed to connect the world and not a soap opera in which media ethics, duties and purpose is lost. Reach of mass media 8. It is important for a country like ours to know the capabilities of available mass media facilities, readership, listener ship and viewer ship habits of the people to gauge the reach of media. But do we know when it comes to the reach of various mass media individually and in combination among the diverse population in the country. There many question which arises like how many in the country are exposed to or read newspaper, view television, listen to radio, surf internet, etc? Which one of the available media and how frequently? How many and who all read more than one newspaper, which one and where in India? During what period of the day and how frequently do the people watch TV and listen to radio? What is the duplication/overlap of programmes between different media and many more intricate questions like such will determine the influence the media will create in the people of a nation and gauge its reach. 9. In the year 2006, National Readership was carried out in India which is considered the largest survey of its kind in the world, with samples from 2,84,373 house interviews to measure the media penetration and exposure in both urban and rural India and obviously the readership of publications. According to the survey, today average urban adult is spending 44 minutes per day reading magazines and dailies. Readership of dailies continue to grow as compared to the previous year however there is a decline in magazine readership both in urban and rural India. Satellite television has grown in leaps and bound and has a considerable reach: TV now reaches 112 million Indian homes. Internet has also spread predominantly with a reach now exceeding 12 millions. Resurgence of radio cannot be ignored as its reach has increased to 27% of the population tuning in to any radio station in the average week, almost equaling the number of readers. This boom in media reach and penetration will play a v ital role towards national perception and national security as such. Media Ownership and control in India 10. In February 1995 in a landmark judgement, Supreme Court of India ruled that the airwaves are public property and no longer under government control. In 1996 a Broadcasting bill was formulated and an autonomous Broadcasting Authority was vested with regulatory powers. The ministry of information and broadcasting in June 1998 allowed private Indian satellite channels to uplink from India. With the media being liberalised entry of foreign media was eminent, now the question which comes to mind is; do foreign media impact the policy decisions, a tool of cultural imperialism, western business and foreign policy interest in turn hampering national security. The positive side may be in favours of foreign media on the ground of plurality, competition and readers right to know. Their influence will mould the perception of the population as they wield through their agenda. 11. It is very interesting to know as to who controls the various media entity in India and obviously it will stem out from the ownership. A very popular news channel NDTV, is funded by gospels of charity in Spain which supports communism. CEO of this company is Prannoy Roy who is related to Prakash karat, the General Secretary of communist party of India. CNN-IBN is funded by Southern Baptist Church with its branches all over the world with its HQ in US. Times Group which includes Times of India, Mid-Day, Nav Bharat Times, Stardust, Femina, Times Now (TV news channel) and many more is owned by Benet and Coleman. Star TV is managed by an Australian, who is supported by St. Peters Pontifical Church, Melbourne. Birla Group owned Hindustan Times have changed hands which is presently owned by Shobhana Bharatiya and working in collaboration with the Times Group. English daily, The Hindu started over 125 years has been taken over by Josua Society, Berne, Switzerland. The Indian express in which ACTS Christian Ministries have a major stake. There are many other regional news print who are privately owned by Indians which have more reach and impact in the rural, semi-urban and to some extent urban population. Regional TV network like Enadu is controlled by Ramoji Rao who has connection in the film industry. 12. The ownership explains the control of media in India by external agencies be it foreigner or Indian. The news will be biased by their owners and the product that filters down to the common man will distort. The result is obvious; we are going to be fed with tailor made news by the companies who are holding the strings. Media responsibility 13. Freedom of press might have potential unintended effect while engaged in the internal crisis situation especially when considering modern media as a force multiplier. Many a times the media is in an awkward position when it is covering terrorist events. Medias role to protect the societys right to know comes in direct conflict with the states (military, law enforcement and investigating agencies) mission is to protect and serve, and maintain order when covering internal crisis situations. The precarious balancing act that the press faces while covering terrorist incidents is like having censorship on one side of the weigh scale and freedom on the other side. During internal crisis situations, press needs to be always vigilant about balancing their freedom relating protecting the peoples right to know against their responsibility to play a constructive role. The more the freedom and accuracy goes into reporting, the more the coverage favours the terrorists and vice versa. Issues f acing the governments and media outlets before, during and after a terrorist incident need to be closely examined by both the agencies towards dissemination of information which will strike a balance. The terrorist and governments agendas tend to dramatically oppose, while the media position is often judgment call. Media is a force multiplier stuck in between complete censorship and total freedom of the press. It is important that the media continues to play a constructive role during times of local and national crisis but it is also critical that the media be allowed to continue to provide a counterbalance.

How to teach :: Employment, Education, Staffing

Tenure is a topic that has produced much heated discussion in recent years. Some argue that tenure is an outmoded conce and, if institutions are going to remain competitive, they need to be able to have more flexibility to hire and fire faculty as student needs change. Others argue that tenure is vital to the protection of academic freedom and that without tenure we will return to the days when faculty were dismissed for teaching unpopular opinions. Several state legislatures have mandated post-tenure review for faculty, i.e. Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas. New campuses have been created in Florida and California that do not have faculty tenure. In addition, to the arguments about tenure, institutions have not been filling tenure-track positions as faculty retire or resign to take another position. Instead we are seeing an increase in the numbers of faculty hired on limited term contracts of five years or less and an increase in the numbers of part-time temporary faculty hired. Tenure is a topic that has produced much heated discussion in recent years. Some argue that tenure is an outmoded conce and, if institutions are going to remain competitive, they need to be able to have more flexibility to hire and fire faculty as student needs change. Others argue that tenure is vital to the protection of academic freedom and that without tenure we will return to the days when faculty were dismissed for teaching unpopular opinions. Several state legislatures have mandated post-tenure review for faculty, i.e. Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas. New campuses have been created in Florida and California that do not have faculty tenure.

The Clinton Health Plan :: Research Term Papers Essays

The Clinton Health Plan The health care situation in the United States is in dire need of a change. The United States spends more money on health care per individual than any other nation in the world (14%of its GNP in 1991), and that amount is quickly rising. Virtually everyone, from doctors to politicians, recognize the unwieldy situation of health care in America, and realize that something must be done. In order to attempt to correct the failures of the current health care situation, one must understand the problems that led to the deterioration of the health care system. Perhaps the main problem with health care today is that there are 37 million Americans without insurance, and another 20 million are underinsured Another large problem with the way health care is presently organized is - as Clinton helpfully points out - waste. Some common examples are: Paperwork: There are thousands of insurance companies in the US, and each one has many forms for doctors and patients to fill out. So much so, that doctors spend more time improving their handwriting than healing people. Greed and Profiteering: Some drug companies make over 10,000% profit on the drugs they manufacture. In 1991, the median income of doctors was $139,000 for general practitioners and $512,000 for specialists. Unneeded Surgery and Tests: Possibly 15 to 35% of certain types of operations and tests are unneeded. Malpractice Suits and "Defensive" Medicine: Doctors pay high premiums on malpractice insurance which causes them to charge more. The reason that these premiums are so high is because currently there are practically no limits to an amount that can be sued for pain and damages. Defensive medicine - procedures done to protect doctors from being sued - is costing this country greatly. Recognizing that waste is one of the greatest causes of the high prices in health care, Clinton has introduced a plan to revise the health care system by eliminating waste, and making sure that every single American can be covered by a health plan. Clinton's plan is based on three premises. First, that there is enough waste in the current health care system to cover the costs of his new plan. Second, that his plan will create competition within the insurance industry. Last, that his plan can put a cap on insurance prices. The core of Clinton's plan is to set up regional health alliances,

Auto Competition :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Auto Competition Intro When an auto manufacturer needs to cut costs it will sometimes look for help from another manufacturer. This process results in a merging between companies in order to benefit one another. Companies may merge to be cost efficient or even to gain entry into another market segment. Either way, manufacturers try to gain instant results by merging. Auto manufacturers compete with each other to give consumers the state of the art safety systems that they demand. Parents are becoming more concerned about their family's safety with the lifesaving abilities of airbags. Consumers are looking at airbags as a very important option when making a vehicle purchasing decision. Not only must the automobile come equipped with one, but consumers also want a way to disengage the passenger side of the system if needed for children and infants. Description of Industry In the 1960's, automotive safety began with a man by the name of Ralph Nader. In November of 1965 Nader wrote Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile. The target of this book was General Motors' Corvair Nader claimed the rear suspension was faulty and made it possible to skid violently and roll over (Bollier). After Nader made the public aware of safety concerns, automotive manufacturers started putting items such as power disk brakes as standard equipment on new automobiles. GM started impact testing and designed side beam guards in the late 1960's (General Motors website). Nader's continued crusading into the 1970's made GM realize that it had to be proactive in the safety movement. The result of the movement was designing an airbag in 1973. Volvo had already introduced the airbag in 1972 on its 240/260 series (Volvo History). Companies, realizing that Nader was not going to be disappearing anytime, soon decided to look for suppliers that were safety conscious. Automotive manufacturers began buying safety glass, which reduced injuries from large glass shards in accidents. The introduction of the steel belted tires reduced the amount of tire blowouts, which can lead to rollovers. In the 1980's the public started to listen and jump onto Nader's bandwagon. The public was demanding automobiles equipped with life saving safety features. GM introduced the rear lap/shoulder belt in 1986 as standard equipment. Also in 1986 Volvo introduced a detachable seat for children up to the age of four.

Relating Philosophy to Pedagogy Essay

Within any early childhood education (ECE) setting the pedagogy of the educators will have great impact on the programmes and philosophies which the children within that setting will be influenced by. Teachers have a responsibility to build and maintain authentic, open, reciprocal relationships with children, families and the community (Gailer, 2010). This is not only an integral part of the early childhood curriculum Te Whariki which has relationships as one of its four foundation principles (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1996) but also part of the teaching standards and ethics. As a teacher I relish in the chance to build relationships with many different children, all unique in their culture, strengths, ideas and way of being. The importance I place on relationships sits well with both Vygotsky’s and Bronfenbrenner’s sociocultural theories. Vygotsky emphasised the importance of the people surrounding a child, seeing them crucial for supporting and enhancing the child’s development. Bronfenbrenner extended this into a model of contextual factors, using ideas about five kinds of contexts surrounding the individual child including their micro- and meso-systems where the interactions of their day-to-day realities occur (Drewery & Bird, 2004). These theories have been vital in the development of New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, and so my understandings of these and with my personal philosophy I hope to have the skills to be able to build respectful reciprocal relationships with all learners. Building these relationships however is not as easy as people outside of the profession often assume. Appendix 2 shows Suzie Gailer’s (2010) article on being professional, the article discusses how professional integrity of practice is reliant on teachers having a particular set of values, respect, authenticity, empowerment and transparency. The image of the child is culturally constructed and linked to our time and place in history, the image I have as a teacher today of children is very different to that of which I was viewed as a child. My image of the child has altered as I have gained both practical and theoretical teaching experience. In my first practicums I did not necessarily know what to expect about building initial relationships with children but as I have gained knowledge I now know that children can be trusted to build these relationships in timeframes which are right for them. Te Whariki (MoE, 1996) presents the image of children as competent learners and communicators and I now uphold this image in my teaching practice and as a parent (Appendices 3, 4 & 5), along with the values of respect which I have articulated through the following of Magda Gerber’s work. From my own relatively limited practical experience and theoretical knowledge I can relate to the notion of Edwards & Nuttall (2005) where â€Å"the pedagogy, or ‘the act of teaching’, is not only mediated by educators’ understandings about the children, learning, and the curriculum; their understandings about the social settings in which they work, their personal experiences beyond the workplace and their engagement with the centre’s wider community all have a role in determining the educator’s actions† (p. 36). My own underlying beliefs, values and philosophies all impact on my teaching style and, although often unconsciously, on the way I relate to individuals. Commitment to reflective practice, the personal philosophy I have articulated and the desire for professional development will aid me in holding true to a pedagogy which is responsive in time as well as to individuals. This pedagogy with its identified aspects of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation is influenced by my values and experiences and I attempt to explain and reflect upon these in this essay. The main assessment process I use is ‘Learning Stories’, an approach developed by Dr. Margaret Carr. Learning stories show a snapshot of a learning experience which has been shared with the child or children involved and are a record of the interests and strengths of the child. Research shows that learning is more effective when it is derived from interests, encouraging motivation and the sense of confidence that comes from working within one’s own strengths. The learning story framework is based on the belief that developing good learning dispositions is the most important skill in early childhood and this fits well with my values of respect and having the Te Whariki image of the child, a confident, competent learner and communicator. The foundations of learning stories are the dispositions found in Te Whariki and in my own learning stories these are highlighted, showing fellow educators, parents and whanau how I work to support children’s learning in all aspects of the programme and curriculum (Appendices 4, 6 & 7). Upholding this image of children in practice is however met with challenges. Woodrow (1999) describes how there are resulting constructions of childhood based on how individuals experienced childhood, on cultural artefacts and on professional knowledge, Ellen Pifer (2000) also describes these conflicting images in her book Demon or Doll (Appendix 8) which has truly opened my mind to ways of seeing individuals. Other teaching professionals may hold different images of children such as the child as innocent or as an embryo adult and this will impact on the way they act around and towards children. Having a commitment towards reflective practice and regularly evaluating my personal pedagogy will allow me to deal with these challenges, giving me the skills to explain my viewpoint and understand that of others so that the best possible outcome is achieved. To undertake such assessment it is important to build a relationship with the children and these reciprocal relationships are another key part of my philosophy. This value has changed with my experience and theoretical knowledge, in my initial practicum I was unsure about how to go about building relationships that are both respectful and reciprocal (Appendices 9 & 10) but my confidence in this has, and will continue, to grow (Appendix 11). I believe that building a reciprocal relationship means sharing aspects of my life with children and not expecting them to reveal themselves without the favour being returned. I have a huge passion towards animals and I have shared this with the children on my last two practicums by taking along my guinea pigs (Appendix 12). The children feel aspects of empowerment and trust as I allow them to be intimately involved with a very important part of my personal life. Building such relationships prior to undertaking assessment highlights the spiral nature of teaching and the aspects of pedagogies. Taking the guinea pigs to the centre required planning and careful implementation, including discussion with staff and families to ensure cultural needs were met. Some cultures do not agree with the keeping of animals as pets and in order to uphold the respectful image of the child and relationships with the family and community I needed to accept and respect this belief. The centre policies and legislation also play a role in planning and implementation, health and hygiene regulations needed to be considered for this activity and for others many different policies will come into play. For further assessment and planning the involvement of colleagues and whanau in the learning stories and other documentation would play a vital role in the continuation of the interest but unfortunately the short nature of the practicum did not allow for this. Cultural needs and matches weight heavily in the planning and implementation stages of my pedagogy. This is linked to all the values in my philosophy; relationships, respect and equity. These values mean that I believe in focussing on skills and talents rather than on deficiencies to create learning environments, for example respecting that crying is a valid attempt at communication and can be a qualified learning experience (Appendix 11). Nyland (2004) describes how the participation rights and contexts of infants’ knowledge can be overlooked in childcare settings. On-line discussions with fellow students regarding this reading give support to the idea that disrespectful environments adversely affect the identity and participation of children. What happens in an environment when an identity is missing altogether and children are faced with images of white middle class able bodied members of society? What message is that giving to these children and their families? You don’t belong? You are not a real member of our society? We don’t value you? The environments we plan for the children speak volumes about how we view society and the people we respect and value (Ellis, R. , Fuamatu, P. Perry Smith, A. M. Moodle; September 2011). During planning I therefore need to think ahead about resources which reflect the cultures within the setting and the community. This can be achieved through communication with other educators in the setting, parents, and other members of the community such as kaumatua or the local priest. Planning for social occasions is also important to me as I feel they link the ECE setting with the wider community and social values. This includes events such as Mother’s and Father’s day (Appendix 13) as well as cultural occasions such as the Lantern Festival, Diwali and Pasifika events. Although during such planning I am mindful of the goals and learning outcomes which Te Whariki and the teaching standards present I also constantly remind myself of the holistic nature in which the learning will occur. Lawrence (2004) describes the shift in thinking and programme planning in ECE settings over the past two decades, from keeping children busy to planning cycles and then Te Whariki. Lawrence clarifies that although the word planning is still used; it is not in the traditional sense of the word but rather can be seen as â€Å"reflectively responding to children’s thinking (p. 16). † An example in her rticle shows how the learning experience of children can be very different to that pre-planned or expected by the teacher (Appendix 14). A challenge presents itself where teachers have been trained and had experience in times where different planning programmes were utilised, disagreeing views and beliefs can lead to conflict within teaching teams and a dedicat ion to reflective practice is required by all parties if favourable outcomes are to be reached. This reflective practice is a vital part of the evaluation process of my pedagogy. What worked? What didn’t work? Where do I go from here? Schon (2002) described how the entire process of reflection-in-action, where our knowing is in our action, is central to the skill practitioners have in dealing with situations of uncertainty, instability and uniqueness as well as valuing conflict. Holding true to a value where children are respected as individuals and valued for their own unique set of skills, uncertain and unique situations are inevitable in the day-to-day practice of an ECE setting. With the set of reflective skills I now possess I hope to be able to turn these situations of uncertainty into ones of learning, for both myself and children involved. With continuing professional development and an ever increasing amount of practical experience I feel I am in good stead to continue my career as an early childhood educator and support the children within my influence to grow up in line with the aspirations of Te Whariki, â€Å"competent and confident learners and communicators †¦ a valued contribution to society†.

Impact of Stock Split on Stock Return

Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 THE IMPACT OF STOCK SPLIT ANNOUNCEMENTS ON STOCK PRICE: A TEST OF MARKET EFFICIENCY Garcia de Andoain, Carlos Longwood University carlos. [email  protected] longwood. edu Bacon, Frank W. Longwood University 2O1 High Street Farmville, VA 23909 [email  protected] edu Phone: 434-395-2131 Fax: 434-395-2203 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to test whether the investor can make an above normal return by relying on public information impounded in a stock split announcement. Using risk adjusted event study methodology, this study tests â€Å"how† and â€Å"when† public announcements of forward and reverse stock splits affect stock price. Stock split announcement samples include 38 two for one, 39 three for two, and 10 reverse splits. A total of 36,714 observations for the announcement samples and the corresponding S&P 500 stock index were analyzed using standard risk adjusted event study methodology. Results suggest that the firms’ public stock split announcements did not affect stock price on the announcement day. Rather, for the two for one and three for two forward split samples, stock price exhibited a significant positive reaction up to 27 days prior to the announcement. For the reverse split sample, stock price exhibited a significant negative reaction up to 30 days prior to the announcement. Results support the semi- strong form efficient market hypothesis since stock prices adjust so fast to public information that no investor can earn an above normal return by trading on the announcement day. Investors greet forward stock split announcement with a positive sign, whereas they view reverse splits as bad news. Management may be using stock splits to adjust stock price to a more marketable range, downward with forward and upward for reverse splits. Evidence here suggests signs of insider trading activity up to twenty-seven days prior to the announcement of the stock split. INTRODUCTION Stock split announcements have always been very common phenomena among firms and continue to be one of the least understood topics in finance. A stock split announcement increases the number of shares of a company while decreasing the price per share. The two for one split is most common, for example a company with 500 shares at $10 per share will issue 500 additional shares bringing the total to 1000 shares theoretically dropping the stock price to $5 per share. A stock split usually takes place after an increase in the price of the stock, and it carries a positive stock price reaction. (Asquith) This phenomenon has not yet been fully understood, regardless the numerous studies in the field. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 BACKGROUND Barker (1956) presented one of the most popular theories to explain stock split behavior. Barker findings failed to consider the split action itself. Barker’s study concluded that price changes occurred because of the increase in cash dividends and not from the split action. (Johnson). According to the â€Å"signaling hypothesis†, managers use stock split announcements to convey positive information about the firm (Ikenberry, Rankine, Strice). Investors see a stock split announcement as a positive thing, whereas a reverse split does not convey favorable information. Fama (1969) suggests that the stock market is â€Å"efficient†, meaning that stock prices adjust very fast to new information. The theory of market efficiency is concerned with whether prices reflect all the public available information or not (Fama 1970). Efficiency implies that it is impossible for the investor to earn an above normal return from public information. PURPOSE The purpose of this event study is to test market efficiency theory by analyzing the impact of three samples of stock split announcements on the firm’s stock price. Stock split announcement samples include 38 two for one, 39 three for two, and 10 reverse splits. Specifically, how fast does the market price of the firms’ stock react to the samples of regular and reverse stock split announcements examined? The study tests whether the investor can make an above normal return by relying on public information imbedded in a stock split announcement, as well as if stock price is affected by a stock split announcement. This study investigates if acting on public information is enough to have an unusual return, or if there must be an illegal action such as inside trading to be able to â€Å"outperform† the stock market. Which form efficiency is the market? Research shows that the market is semi-strong form efficient. An above normal return can only be gained from inside information, and not when acting in public information. LITERATURE REVIEW Fama defined market efficiency in terms of how quick the stock market reacts to the information and suggested three kinds of market efficiency: Weak form, semi-strong and strong form efficiency. If market is weak for efficient, then stock price reacts so fast to all past information that no investor can earn an above normal return (higher than the market or the return on the S&P 500 index). This study shows how investors will not earn a high return from acting on public information (stock split announcement), while investors having access to inside information will make an abnormal return. A second kind of market efficiency is semi-strong. It states that stock price reacts so fast to all public information that no investor can earn an above normal return (higher than the market or the return on the S&P 500 index) by acting on this type of information. (Fama 1970). Splits usually result in high market valuations, but study done by Fama (1970), Dodd, Patell and Wolfson, found that there is no evidence of abnormal return after the release of public information. They concluded that the market assimilates and takes into consideration public information very fast, within 5 to 15 minutes after the disclosure (Malkiel). This supports the idea that an investor acting on public information will not earn an above normal return. When this happens the market is said to be semi-strong form efficient. If the market is strong form efficient, then stock price reacts so fast to all information (both public and private), that no investor can earn an above normal return (higher than the market or the return on the S&P 500 index) by acting on this kind of information. Studies made by Friend, Brown concluded that profit can only be gained by having access to private or inside information, which is illegal. Fama ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 presents evidence supporting that efficiency is not met in the strong form and that the semi-strong form is more accurate. This study agrees that stock split announcement are affected in a company stock price according to the semi strong form efficiency which states that stock prices reacts so fast to all public information that no investor can earn an above normal return after the announcement is made. An example would be information concerning a merger. If an investor would buy shares on the announcement day of the merger, the semi strong market efficiency believes that the investor would never be able to earn an above normal return, because adjustments had already been done in the stock price. The market has already been adjusted, so therefore the only way to outperform the market in this case would be by using inside information. METHODOLOGY: This study includes samples of companies that announced a two for one, three for two or reverse stock split announcement. These companies trade their stock in either the NYSE or NASDAQ. The Data for this study was collected from http://finance. yahoo. com/. The announcement date (Day 0) is the day that the stock splits are announced. Every stock return from the companies and from the S&P 500 index was also collected. The Event Study proceeds as following: 1. Historical prices for both the firms and the S&P 500 were collected from day -180 to day +30, being the event period -30 to +30 and Day 0 the announcement day. 2. Holding Period Return was calculated for all the companies as well as for the S&P 500 on the event period days (-180 to +30). HPR was obtained from the following formula: Current Daily Return = (current day close price – previous day close price) / prev. Day close price 3. A regression analysis was performed, being the current firm return the dependent variable and the S&P return the independent variable. The data that was used was the one belonging to the pre-event period (from day -181 to -30). The alpha and the beta were obtained from the regressions. 4. The expected return for each firm as well as for the S&P 500 was calculated: Expected Return = (Alpha + Beta) x S&P actual return 5. Excess Return was obtained from the difference between Actual and Expected Return. Excess Return = Actual Return – Expected Return 6. Average Excess Return (for the Event period) was calculated as: Average Excess Return (AER) = Total Excess Return / n (number of firms in the sample) 7. Cumulative Average Excess Return for the event period (Day -30 to Day +30) was calculated by adding the AER for each day in the event period. 8. A correlation test was done with AER and CAER. The graphs represent AER and CAER plotted against Time. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 Table 1 describes 38 companies that split their stock on a two for one basis between December 1, 2006 and May 14, 2007, along with their respective alphas and betas. TABLE 1: TICKER AFAM ACLI COMPANY NAME Almost Family Inc. American Commercial Lines Inc Selective Insurance Group Inc. ZOLL Medical Corp Trimble Navigation Ltd. Albemarle Corp Guess? Inc. Cooper Industries Ltd Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc GameStop Corp Sealed Air Corp. Carlisle Companies Inc CarMax Inc. Harsco Corp. Amphenol Corp Cabot Oil & Gas Corp Nike Inc Cummins Inc Greif Inc DATE ANNOUNCED Dec 11 Feb 06 TRADED INDEX NASDAQ NASDAQ ALPHA 0. 01665915 -0. 000394377 BETA 0. 08530878 2. 602491516 SIGI ZOLL TRMB ALB GES CBE JEC GME SEE CSL KMX HSC APH COG NKE CMI GEF Jan 30 Jan 25 Jan 25 Feb 07 Feb 14 Feb 14 Jan 26 Feb 12 Feb 16 Feb 08 Feb 22 Jan 23 Jan 17 Feb 26 Feb 15 Mar 08 Feb 26 NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE -0. 000319706 0. 004077614 -0. 000187534 0. 0022 37728 0. 001589658 0. 000761731 0. 001074342 0. 000477979 0. 00085897 -0. 001167829 0. 003087277 -0. 001056001 0. 000467862 0. 000826123 0. 001079523 -0. 000720045 0. 02203648 1. 38328513 1. 207411999 1. 321541131 1. 327988752 2. 246784079 1. 308635864 1. 946533548 1. 721660362 1. 172042857 1. 346601558 1. 240366727 1. 658082593 1. 86971211 1. 568927816 0. 553921446 1. 980439113 1. 880200397 ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS VLGEA AZZ ATR TSO GEO TSBK VSEC MRO GIL NRG CROX AGN PMFG MIDD SJR PVA GILD PBR STR Village Super Market Inc AZZ incorporated AptarGroup Inc Tesoro Corporation Geo Group Inc Timberland Bancorp Inc. VSE Corp Marathon Oil Corp. Gildan Activewear NRG Energy Inc. Crocs, Inc Allergan Inc PMFG Inc Middleby Corp Shaw Comm CL Penn Virginia CP Gilead Sciences Petroleo Brasileiro Questar CP Mar 21 Apr 09 Apr 18 May 01 May 01 Apr 25 May 01 Apr 25 May 03 May 02 May 03 May 02 May 04 May 04 May 10 May 08 May 08 May 11 May 14 NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NYSE Volume 16 Number 1 0. 00054113 0. 002118906 0. 00174286 0. 00160687 0. 002825174 0. 000615586 0. 001278324 0. 000144992 0. 003089016 0. 00241574 0. 00282982 -0. 000453038 0. 002024817 0. 02028334 0. 001186211 -0. 00050926 . 000009116 -0. 00064373 -. 000142796 1. 351096108 0. 681656728 0. 033542167 0. 973844695 1. 578867077 0. 107464578 2. 457597999 0. 986395517 0. 000111517 0. 316285515 1. 783171812 0. 952984111 0. 039990601 1. 964415725 0. 938731083 1. 1695925 1. 517629839 1. 817825121 . 706466451 Table 2 describes 39 companies that split their stock on a three for two bases between August 23, 2006 and May 15, 2007, along w ith their respective alphas and betas. TABLE 2: ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS TICKER NGA EPIQ BAM WMS VIVO IEX ATLS VSEA BWS WCN RSG JCTCF MDCI PFBC CMCSA SWS BKE VOL SSI FMD CRVL GBCI AFG SPAR COMPANY NAME North AM Gav Epiq Systems Inc Brookfield Asset MGT V M S Industries Inc Meridian Bioscience IDEX Cop Atlas America Inc Varian Semicond Brown shoe corp Waste connections Republic SVCS Jewett Cameron Inc Medical Action IND Preferred Bank LA Comcast Cp A SWS Group Inc Buckle Inc Volt Info Science Inc Stage Stores Inc First Marblehead Corp Corvel CP Glacier Bancorp American Financial Group Spartan Motors Inc DATE ANNOUNCED May 15 May 10 May 02 May 07 April 19 April 04 April 27 April 24 March 08 Feb 12 Feb 01 March 13 Jan 09 Jan 25 Feb 01 Nov 30 Dec 12 Dec 20 Jan 09 Nov 10 Nov 13 Nov 29 Nov 15 Nov 02 TRADED INDEX NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ Volume 16 Number 1 ALPHA -0. 001032797 0. 001183339 0. 000859066 0. 002219704 0. 0011736 22 0. 000243421 0. 000488161 0. 001788461 0. 000592124 -0. 000187979 -0. 000441765 0. 000124622 0. 001559912 0. 000301413 0. 001381697 0. 000530857 -. 000641295 0. 001338437 0. 000540995 0. 004563185 0. 003763906 0. 000329484 0. 000736169 0. 003450361 BETA 1. 997738247 1. 038735222 1. 251257403 1. 094503791 1. 550013068 1. 509306631 0. 38871871 2. 207840195 2. 599167684 0. 92152423 0. 761431985 -0. 512126102 1. 004029551 0. 867741293 0. 927831638 2. 477624454 1. 602298009 2. 358292804 1. 756904894 0. 830932855 2. 113368174 1. 743070573 0. 936337426 0. 519840545 ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS SBIB AEO CTBK IRM PERY EAT AME WGNB ACAP UBSH EML MCBI CASS CCFH Sterlin Bancshares American Eagle Outfitters Inc Trico Bankshares Iron Mountain Inc Perry Ellis International Brinker International Inc Ametek Inc WGNB Corp American Physicians Cap Union Bankshares Corp Eastern Co Metrocorp Bancshares Cass Information Systems CCF Holding Co Oct 31 Nov 14 Nov 08 Dec 07 Nov 21 Nov 02 Oct 25 Sep 18 Sep 26 Sep 07 Sep 28 Aug 04 Jul 24 Aug 23 NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ AMEX NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ Volume 16 Number 1 0. 001127642 0. 003616084 0. 001058586 -0. 0000284 0. 002794647 -0. 000020642 0. 00005895 0. 00024115 0. 000317657 -0. 00058103 0. 000419721 0. 000941528 0. 003356848 0. 002118726 1. 165421403 1. 593723526 1. 432917191 0. 627633001 0. 919648907 0. 886164833 1. 31003146 -0. 00226624 0. 066171033 1. 663620313 0. 22686963 0. 121493122 0. 113211419 -0. 08732041 Table 3 describes 10 samples of companies that split their stock on a reverse basis between August 27, 2003 and September 15, 2008, along with their respective alphas and betas. TABLE 3: TICKER OPWV ERIC IWOV SIG COMPANY NAME Openwage Systems LM Ericcson Telephone Co Interwoven Inc Signet Jewelers LTD DATE ANNOUNCED Oct 09 Oct 18 Aug 27 Sept 11 TRADED INDEX NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE ALPHA 0. 00680888 -0. 006696905 0. 001398048 -0. 000938713 BETA 2. 51286756 1. 949328188 1. 469236928 0. 891488791 ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS BFLY REV CNXT IACI TMTA ERIC Bluefly Inc Revlon Inc Conexant Systems Inc. IAC/ InterActiveCorp Transmeta Corporation LM Ericcson Telephone Co April 3 Sep 15 June 2 June 09 Aug 15 April 09 NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ Volume 16 Number 1 -0. 00449535 0. 000925943 -0. 004900502 -0. 001442165 -0. 002052045 -0. 004006643 0. 070525685 0. 902722337 1. 73193906 0. 982384488 1. 265168622 -0. 16807384 To test for semi-strong market efficiency the following null and alternative hypotheses are used for the three stock split samples: H10: The risk adjusted return of the stock price of the sample of firms announcing stock splits is not significantly affected by this type of information on the announcement date. H11: The risk adjusted return of the stock price of the sample of firms announcing stock splits is significantly positively affected by this type of information on the announcement date. H20: The risk adjusted return of the stock price of the sample of firms announcing stock splits is not significantly affected by this type of information around the announcement date as defined by the event period. H21: The risk adjusted return of the stock price of the sample of firms announcing stock splits is significantly positively or negatively affected around the announcement date as defined by the event period. QUANTITATIVETESTS AND RESULTS: Did the market react to the announcements of regular two for one, the regular three for two, and the reverse stock splits? Was the information surrounding the event significant? A’priori, one would expect there to be a significant difference in the Actual Average Daily Returns (Day -30 to Day +30) and the Expected Average Daily Returns (Day -30 to Day +30) if the information surrounding the event impounds new, significant information on the market price of the firms' stock. If a significant risk adjusted difference is observed, then we support our hypothesis that this type of information did in fact significantly either increase or decrease stock price. To statistically test for a difference in the Actual Daily Average Returns and the Expected Daily Average Returns over the event period day -30 to day +30, we conducted a paired sample t-test for the three samples and found a significant difference at the 5% level between actual average daily returns and the risk adjusted expected average daily returns. Average Excess Return (AER) graphs are shown below. Results here support the alternate hypothesis H21: The risk adjusted return of the stock price of the sample of firms announcing stock splits is significantly affected around the announcement date as defined by the event period. This finding supports the significance of the information around the event since the market’s reaction was observed. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 Is it possible to isolate and observe the samples’ daily response to the announcement from day -30 to day +30? If so, at what level of efficiency did the market respond to the information and what are the implications for market efficiency? Another purpose of this analysis was to test the efficiency of the market in reacting to the three samples of stock split announcements. Specifically, do we observe weak, semi-strong, or strong form market efficiency as defined by Fama, 1970, in the efficient market hypothesis? The key in the analysis is to determine if the AER and CAER are significantly different from zero or that there is a visible graphical or statistical relationship between time and either AER or CAER. T-tests of AER and CAER both tested different from zero at the 5% level of significance. Likewise, observation of the following CAER Charts (graphs of CAER from day –30 to day +30 for each sample) confirm the significant positive reaction of the risk adjusted returns for the two forward split samples up to 27 pre-announcement and a significant negative reaction for the reverse split sample up to 30 days prior to the stock split announcement. Two for one stock split announcements: ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 Three for two split announcement: ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 Reverse split announcement: ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 There are three forms of market efficiency as defined by Fama, which are strong, semi-strong and weak form efficiency. Observation of the CAER graphs against time for two for one and three for two stock split announcements shows a positive reaction twenty seven days prior to the announcement date. Reverse splits are normally done in order make the stock more appealing for investors with an unusual low market price. (Lawson) Also, reverse splits might be used in order to reduce the number of shareholders of the company. As an example if a 1-10 reverse stock split is made effective, the investor will have ten times less shares than before, but at ten times the price. In the reverse split case, the CAER graph suggests that return falls from day -30 until day -15, while then increasing until day 10. After day 10 the stock starts to level off. CAER graphs for two for one and three for two stock splits show how excess return rises up to 27 days prior to the announcement day. From Day 0 until Day 30 stock returns start to level off. This evidence supports Hypothesis H10, which states that stock price is not affected by this type of information on the announcement date. The stock return has already been adjusted before the stock split announcement is made. The investor cannot outperform the market by using public information. The price has already been affected by the announcement of two for one and three for two stock split announcement. After the announcement day, from days 6 to 16 the return goes up, which is caused by investors that react favorably to the announcement by buying more shares. After this small increase, stock price decreases and levels off. The CAER graphs support the idea that the market is semi- strong form efficient. For the samples analyzed, public information does not affect stock price on the announcement day. Reaction is observed up to 27 days prior to the announcement date which suggests that to be able to â€Å"outperform† the market you must be aware of inside information. CONCLUSION: The purpose of this study was to test whether the investor can make an above normal return by relying on public information impounded in a stock split announcement. Using risk adjusted event study methodology, this study tests â€Å"how† and â€Å"when† public announcements of forward and reverse stock splits affect stock price. Stock split announcement samples include 38 two for one, 39 three for two, and ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS Volume 16 Number 1 10 reverse splits. A total of 36,714 observations for the announcement samples and the corresponding S 500 stock index were analyzed using standard risk adjusted event study methodology. Results suggest that the firms’ public stock split announcements did not affect stock price on the announcement day. Rather, for the two for one and three for two forward split samples, stock price exhibited a significant positive reaction up to 27 days prior to the announcement. For the reverse split sample, stock price exhibited a significant negative reaction up to 30 days prior to the announcement. Results support the semi- strong form efficient market hypothesis since stock prices adjust so fast to public information that no investor can earn an above normal return by trading on the announcement day. Investors greet forward stock split announcement with a positive sign, whereas they view reverse splits as bad news. Management may be using stock splits to adjust stock price to a more marketable range, downward with forward and upward for reverse splits. Evidence here suggests signs of insider trading activity up to twenty-seven days prior to the announcement of the stock split. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas February 2009 Proceedings of ASBBS REFERENCES: Volume 16 Number 1 Asquith, Paul, Paul Healy, and Krishna Palepu. â€Å"Earnings and Stock Splits. † The Accounting Review 64 (1989): 387-403. Barker, C. 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