Presidency and the Media essays

Presidency and the Media essays The Political government and the Mass Media are two huge manifestations of our nation of America. Over the years both have needed each other to be successful. In 1960 the potential of the, then small later to become known as powerful, media was seen in the Presidential Debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. This was the first time, nominees of two major parties met to debate during a general election. It was also the first huge televised event and so Congress suspended the equal time provision of the Federal Communications Act from 1934. What is remembered most, is the telegenic "image" of Kennedy versus the decidedly non-telegenic image of Nixon. Nixon didn't wear make-up, was recovering from the flu and had lost weight, and also suffered from a knee injury. He wore a gray suit, which provided little contrast with the background set. Kennedy wore a dark suit, wore make-up, and was coached on how to sit and what to do when he wasn't speaking or looking at Nixon. The major theme was the threat of global communism. One study conducted during the conclusion of the debates noted that those who heard the debate on the radio thought the contest to be a draw, while those who had watched the broadcast thought Kennedy to be the clear winner. During the next debate Nixon learned from the mistakes and adopted a more telegenic image by trying to emulate Kennedy and worn a dark suit and make-up, and also taking more of an aggressive stance. However it was too late, the characters had already been developed, and Nixon was decided not to be the medias favored. Kennedy was portrayed to be the young new way of America, with his welcoming presence, and strong patriotism, and pro-press image, whereas Nixon was developed to be the anti-press and public opinion, paranoid, unwelcoming former Vice President. This image was upheld by the medias coverage and/or non-coverage of major events during ...

Beware the yawn factor - Emphasis

Beware the yawn factor Beware the yawn factor Beware the yawn factor when selling your organisation in writing. Attention spans are short and lots of clichd customer-service terminology wont do you any favours. Take this example from the Olympus website: Under the umbrella of Olympus Europa we in the U.K give the best possible support to our customers by providing: A wide range of value added solutions to meet customer demands Flexible working approach to achieve time sensitive order requirements A Supply Chain working closely with both O.E. and the market place providing the vital link between sales and production, monitoring stock movement and demand v forecast ensuring optimum stock levels are maintained A 24 hour delivery service to all of our customers Customer service makes our company Olympus UK Ltd what it is today a very successful, caring organisation run by special people that make a positive difference. The UK Distribution Centre, based in West London, supports this concept wholeheartedly. Therefore an in-depth understanding of the UK market place has built up enabling us to act and react to our customers [sic] needs. Our role is supportive to OEDC (Olympus European Distribution Centre) enhancing performance to provide the best service whilst maintaining an acceptable level of cost. Communication is of paramount importance in establishing this understanding thereby developing an extremely healthy working relationship, providing a platform for success. Wordy bullets Using bullet points works well. They are easy to read and make text stand out. The problem here is that most are wordy and cumbersome. The first one talks about value added solutions. As opposed to what? A value diminished solution? Value added is meaningless corporate speak. It means nothing to the customer. The second one refers to time sensitive requirements. Surely 99 per cent of orders are time sensitive? How often do customers place an order without caring when they receive it? And the third one explains how the supply chain works. But customers wont care about the logistics of how Olympus maintains its stock levels. They just need to know that stock will be available when they need it. Also, the introductory sentence about the Olympus Europa umbrella is pointless here. As far as customers are concerned, there is only one Olympus. So, we could simplify this paragraph to read: At Olympus in the UK, we support our customers by: offering a wide range of solutions for your needs responding to your orders promptly maintaining optimum stock levels at all times guaranteeing a 24-hour delivery service. Cut the clichs Now look back at that second paragraph. It goes on a bit, doesnt it? Cutting back on the clichd and redundant phrases like support this concept wholeheartedly and is of paramount importance would simplify the message, making it easier to read and understand. There are a couple of other issues to address too. Special people is ambiguous, as is an acceptable cost. And enabling us to act and react to our customers needs is grammatically wrong. (It should be enabling us to act on and react to our customers needs.) This paragraph is basically trying to explain, using far too many words, that Olympus UK offers a speedy and efficient service to its customers at a reasonable price. Instead, it could say: Our customer service is at the heart of our success. Olympus UK is run by people who care and want to make a difference. Based at our UK Distribution Centre in west London, they have an in-depth understanding of the UK market. This enables us to respond to and anticipate our customers needs. We believe that good communication is vital to establishing good relationships with our customers. And our ultimate aim is to offer them a speedy and efficient service at a reasonable cost. Find out more about our courses in better writing