HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

HISTORY - Essay Example He was crowned King of Anshan after the death of his father in 559 BC. He soon started on a series of great achievements that marked his 29-year reign as the greatest in Persian history (Wikipedia.org, 2007). Cyrus’ first great achievement was the conquest of the Median Empire ruled by his maternal grandfather Astyages. Being a vassal kingdom of the Median Empire, Anshan was subject to its feudal lordship policies. Cyrus decided to rebel against Median control. In an armed struggle that lasted 5 years {554 BC to 549 BC}, he finally managed to defeat the Median armies and capture Ecbatana, which marked the end of the Median Empire. Cyrus then united it with Anshan to create the Achaemenid Empire Cyrus’ second great achievement occurred 3 years later when he conquered the Lydian Empire. In 547 BC, Croesus, ruler of the Lydian Empire attacked Pteria, a city of the Achaemenid Empire. Croesus besieged the city, captured its inhabitants and forced them to serve as slaves. Cyrus gathered a large army and marched against the Lydian forces. Many fierce battles were fought, most notably the Battle of Pteria and the Battle of Thymbra. In the latter, acting on the advice of one of his military commanders named Harpagus, Cyrus used a new military plan – he ordered his soldiers to follow behind camels as they marched to fight. The plan was to create panic among the horses rode by the Lydian cavalry who were not used to the smell of camels. The plan worked and the Lydian army was totally defeated, marking Cyrus’ conquest of the Lydian Empire in 546 BC (Wikipedia.org, 2007). Cyrus’ third great achievement was the conquest of Asia Minor 4 years later. It began when Cyrus ordered his military commander named Mazares to pursue a Lydian called Pactyas who had earlier tried to create a rebellion in Sardis {capital of the Lydian Empire} against Cyrus’ rule. Pactyas fled to Ionia where he

2 responses paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2 responses paper - Case Study Example Acceptance of the technology is a way in which the democracy is being overlooked, further dismissing it as unnecessary and inconveniencing. I do not concur with the article. Obviously, the issue is a contest between privacy and security. In resolving the issue, I think it is important for one to question what matters between the two. Here, the answer is simple; breaching the right to privacy is not as serious as disregarding security. For one obvious reason, whereas breaching privacy may only inconvenience people, overlooking the pertinence of security would not only cause inconveniences, but also lose of lives, in the case of terrorist bombing. Clearly, it is a contest that touches on the right to life, as well. In my view, a lot of people have lost lives as a result of terrorism. The memories of September 11 attacks are still fresh and speak loudly. Besides, It cannot be disputed that airport security remains one of the issues of serious concern for most airports in the world since it also touches on safety. As such, airport security comprises of various methods and techniques that are aimed at protecting aircrafts, a s well as airports from criminal activities. This way, security protects the travelers, the airport employees and the freight. Airport security is aimed at curbing criminal activities that pertain to hijacking, destruction of aircrafts and airports, and assault on employee and passenger. The Rutherford commentary covers the case of Brandon Raub, who was taken by FBI agents and forcibly detained in the psychiatric ward. The reason give is that Brandon posted song lyrics, as well as personal political views, on his Facebook page. According to the Commentary, the issue elicited a public outcry, demanding for his release. However, the court would still disregard the fact that the interpretations of the content on Facebook would be interpreted out of the context. Consequently,

The Pharmaceutical Industry: UK Market

The Pharmaceutical Industry: UK Market The pharmaceutical industry is characterised as highly complex. The discoveries and the continued developments of medicines are result of human knowledge and advanced technologies. The industry consists of enormous size companies with complex processes and technologies. Typically, this kind of companies have many organisational and management structures. Also, the discovery, development and management distribution systems are extremely costly procedures. The industry directly employs approximately 73,000 in the UK and generates an additional 250,000 jobs in related industries (Department of Business Innovation, 2010). The industry has had a consistent trade surplus for the past twenty years, exporting more pharmaceutical products than it imports (ABPI, 2010). The Great Britain is the third major exporter of pharmaceuticals in the world. This high export volume insulates the industry from economic fluctuations in the UK market. According to statistics, the publicly funded National Health System in the UK is likely to considerably reduce the funding in subsequent years since the countrys finances appear to be significantly affected by recession. The financial year 2008/2009, the budget of the NHS increased by 5,5%. Yet, experts indicated that the budget of the NHS is like to rise by only 1% in 2009/2010. This increase, combined with inflation is probably equivalent to freezing or decreasing of funding (Q Finance, 2010). The main implication is that the pharmaceutical industry can be affected by macroeconomic problems. GlaxoSmithKline is a British pharmaceutical, biological and healthcare company and the second largest research-based in the world with an estimated 5,5% of the market worldwide and 8,3% of the UK market. Its sales for 2009 were  £28,3 billion and its operating profit  £8,4 billion. It specialises in both medicines and vaccines and covers all the therapeutic areas. But, it is the leader in four main areas: anti-infectives, gastro-intestinal, respiratory and central nervous system. Also, the firm is known for developing vaccines and treatments for cancer (GSKs Annual Report, 2009). Moreover, it employs 99,000 people in over 100 countries with more than 17,000 only in the UK. (Website- GSK in the UK, 2010) On the other hand, AstraZeneca has four main tactics that form the basis of its competitive strategy. The first one is the strength the pipeline of new products. This could be achieved through the continuous improvement of RD. The second is the growth of the business via continued focus on driving commercial excellence. For example, the initiatives of this priority refer to build on leadership positions in existing markets or expand their presence in emerging markets. The third is the reshape of the business. The idea here is the necessity of creating a new and flexible organisation with financial strength in order to be adapted by a changing business environment. The last is the promotion of a responsible and accountable culture. It is important for an organisation to be recognised by integrity with which it conducts its business. (AstraZenecas Annual Report, 2009) This company is one of the worlds leading pharmaceuticals with various innovative medicines. Its sales were USD$ 32,8 billion and its operating profit USD$ 13,6 billion in 2009 (AstraZenecas Annual Report, 2009). The firm focuses its operations in six healthcare areas which are: cardiovascular, cancer, infections, gastrointestinal, neurology, respiratory, and inflammation. Also, it employs around 11,600 people at 17 principal RD centres in 8 different countries and it has generally, 20 manufacturing sites in 16 countries. (Website: Key facts, 2010) Recently, AstraZeneca announced a supply partnership with Indias Torrent Pharmaceuticals in an attempt to enhance its presence in emerging markets and confront patent losses in blockbuster medicines. It is the first connection with a generic medicine-maker. According to the agreement, Torrent will supply AstraZeneca with 18 generic drugs which it will brand and market them in nine different countries (Business News; Drug Discovery Development, 2010). In contrast, Novartis has five strategic initiatives that form its long term sustainable development. The business strengthens its portfolio by evaluating internal and external opportunities in order to remain competitive and improve its position in the market. Also, it intensifies its innovation by developing new products according to peoples needs. The expansion in high-growth markets is another priority of Novartis as well as the improvement of organisational effectiveness. Productivity is a perpetual process and purpose of the firm is to deliver the best possible quality even faster. The final priority refers to performance-oriented culture. Novartis is a company that wants to create value for both patients and customers. (Novartis Annual Report, 2009) This firm is a global leader in innovative and generics medicines as well as in vaccines and consumer health goods. Its net sales were USD$ 44,3 billion and its operating profit USD$ 1,1 billion in 2009 (Annual Report, 2009). Also, Novartis in the UK is one of the largest subsidiaries in the world and employs over 3,500 people on nine sites. The main activities of British Novartis are the manufacturing, the packaging, the customer service and the marketing of products used locally and globally. (Novartis website, 2010) In January 2010, Novartis announced its immediate plan to gain full ownership of the Alcon Inc., a company that specialises in eye care, via completion deal with Nestle S.A. to attain its 77% majority stake of Alcon. After that, a proposal of direct merger of Alcon into Novartis is made by stakeholders (Novartis Annual Report, 2009) 4.1.2. Threat of New Entrants The entry barriers into the pharmaceutical sector are particularly high. Pharmaceutical industry faces many challenges that prevent newcomers to enter in this market. The production costs associated with years of RD are very high and government regulations are strict. According to the report of House of Commons Health Committee (2005), RD investments in the UK are worth 3,3 billion of pounds annually. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies need on average twelve years and more than  £500 million investment to bring a new medicine in the market. The threat of new entrants is particularly low because of the large economies of scale and the high capital requirements that the industry demands. Also, entrants face many risks associated with capabilities that established companies have developed many years ago. Those capabilities related to their experience, their good relationship with the third parties and the invention of new patents. Moreover, other barriers to entry could be the differentiation of products and the difficulty in access to distribution channels. Once a company differentiates its products, it becomes immediately unique and creates brand name. The brand identity of major pharmaceutical firms is strongly associated with customers loyalty and preferences in brand name medicines. However, new entrants can not easily create a brand name from one moment to another. Furthermore, the established companies face strict regulations concerning the developing and delivering of their pharmaceutical products. The process of manufacturing a new drug, as we mentioned before, is lengthy and costly and firms invest a great deal of money in RD. New medicines need approval by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). Another regulation refers to drugs patents that are protected by the firms and generally last about 10 to 15 years. All of the above factors are very discouraging for new entrants. 4.1.3. Threat of Substitutes Generally, the basic substitutes that pharmaceutical industry faces are the generic medicines. Generics are copies of previously patented medicines and do not differ from brand names. Many consumers prefer them because they are cheaper than the originals. But, unfortunately, generics are not always available as substitutes due to the protection of companies patents. Pharmaceutical companies face substitutes for their products when their patents have expired. In this case, the threat for substitutes is medium because of the lower price that generic drugs provide. This happens due to the fact that the companies that produce generics did not have to pay the initial cost of RD. In contrast, companies have the monopoly of their medicines when their patents are still active. This means that the threat of substitutes is weak and the large pharmaceutical firms have the absolute control in the market and are powerful. Additionally, other substitutes that pharmaceutical industry in the UK faces are the natural remedies such as herbs and other traditional products as a part of healthiness programmes of private firms (Thinking made easy, 2010). Reports from NHS encourage the people to use these kinds of products which are alternative products in place of branded and generic drugs. Also, there are specific policies that protect the public from those alternative drugs which established by The House of Lords (Department of Health, 2001). Overall, the threat of substitutes is fairly weak. 4.1.4. Bargaining Power of Buyers The pharmaceutical industry consists of many buyers such as patients, doctors, hospitals, drug stores and pharmacists. It is known that buyers can affect businesses by seeking lower prices, high quality and better service. Actually, the main buyers in the UK are the government and the people who obtain prescriptions from medical professionals. Most of the consumers in Britain purchase pharmaceutical products more frequently in small quantities. Most of the established pharmaceutical firms have branded medicines in the market, so buyers can choose among a variety of products according to their personal needs and preferences. Additionally, the bargaining power of buyers is not powerful because the switching costs from one product to another are high. Also, buyers in the UK can choose between branded or generic medicines. However, most consumers prefer to buy generic drugs because are cheaper. Pricing plays important role to customers and hospitals along with pharmacies are pressing firms to reduce their prices. The bargaining power of hospitals and drug stores is very high as they purchase large quantities. Many companies do not lower their drug prices and hospitals try to find other firms which are in position to do it. The main reason that pharmaceutical companies pose medicines patents is because they want to set the prices and monopolise the market. For many years the medicines were and still be a great necessity to people. Great Britain and most of European countries work with drug prescriptions in hospitals. Consumers prefer to supply their medicines from hospitals because the cost is lower if they have health insurance. Furthermore, nowadays consumers are fully-informed about the launches of new medicines from the Internet. This gives some kind of power to buyers although not very significant since they do not have full access to important information. Overall the bargaining power of buyers is quite low because they agree and buy pharmaceutical products, even when firms set high prices. Therefore, the companies have the advantage. 4.1.5. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Pharmaceutical companies have a wide range of suppliers who are essential. They usually provide raw materials, components, intermediates products and other supplies. One category of suppliers is those who provide raw materials that are necessary for firms production process. For instance, the process of drugs packaging includes materials such as foils that cover the tablets of capsules, the bottles that enclose the syrups (Typepad, 2008). In this case the bargaining power of suppliers is very low, although corporations are the major buyers of these inputs. This happens because they are exclusively dependent on the industry to continue to exist. Another category of suppliers are those who provide other important substances such as colours that used into syrups, sweeteners as well as fruit flavours, inputs that are especially used in childrens medicines. Those manufacturers can provide some kind of threat but in the pharmaceutical industry their bargaining power is weak. Their negotiation power is low and they do not charge unreasonable high prices in their products because most of the companies in the UK have their own manufacturing plants. Also, the switching costs of suppliers and the firms are relatively high, since it is not so simple for companies to change providers even when they warned to keep back further supply. In this aspect, the bargaining power of suppliers is high. Generally, suppliers power is weak and therefore the pharmaceutical companies have the strength to ask for lower prices and arrange better deals. 4.2 HOW THE FIVE FORCES AFFECT THE INDUSTRYS PROFITABILITY The Five Forces model of Porter has generally, a significant influence on the profitability of the industry. In this industry, all the factors except rivalry do not affect considerably the efficiency of the British pharmaceutical companies. In every industry, the suppliers are a significant ingredient and can seriously affect the firms marketplace. However, their power is weak since they affect everyone and cannot be thought as a significant force. Therefore, the profitability of pharmaceutical companies does not affected by suppliers. On the other hand, buyers are powerful when they push firms to lower prices, but their power is really weak when pharmaceutical companies are protected by drug patents. This is the point where firms monopolise the market. Threat of substitutes is related to buyers power since consumers can choose between branded and generic medicines. In this point the profitability of pharmaceutical companies might be affected because of the lower prices of generic pharmaceutical products. But, firms with patents on their new inputs cannot be affected by generics medicines. Also, complementary remedies cannot considerably affect firms profits since patients prefer the products of big pharmaceuticals. The threat of alternatives inputs is quite low and obviously cannot affect businesses profits. The barriers to newcomers are very high and it is difficult for them to enter to such competitive market. Therefore, they cannot negatively influence the profitability of firms. To conclude, the intensity of rivalry of British pharmaceutical industry is very dynamic and can strongly influence the profitability of its companies. It is important for all businesses to be aware of those five forces in order to gain competitive advantage and be profitable. 5. HOW THE REMOTE ENVIRONMENT AND THE COMPETITIVE ARENA HAS AN EFFECT ON THE PLAYERS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY In this paper, PEST analysis considered the macro-environment of British pharmaceutical industry and showed all those external factors that limit the operations of an industry. The main limitations that should be highlighted are the pricing regulation, advertising code of practice, EU directives concerning approval of new pharmaceutical products, labelling requirements and clinical trials. Also, investments in RD and technological innovation are necessary in this industry but very costly. Patents expire and new medicines should come into the market. Lastly, the demographic changes force the industry to produce more pharmaceutical products. All the above factors obligate the pharmaceutical companies in the industry to formulate specific strategy. On the other hand, Porters Five Forces analysis considered the microenvironment of the industry and relies on the internal environment factors that governing the function of a company. These features may change depending on the organisational structure and business strategy. This model takes into account the relationships that are formulated between the company and other third parties such as consumers, suppliers and competitors and in which way it manages those relationships. The competition among pharmaceutical companies is fierce and has strongly impact on the profitability of the industry. Concerning the other features of Porters model, they do not influence the competitors since their effect is considerably low. Therefore, there is not any consequence on the profitability of the industry. 5. CONCLUSION To conclude, the pharmaceutical industry in Great Britain is large, profitable and highly competitive. The continued production and development of new pharmaceutical products is a source of funding of medical research. The industrys products include many salutary medicines that contribute substantially to the national health as well as to the economy of the country. Additionally, the commercial success of the industry is huge with businesses achieving every year even higher sales. Most of the companies that operate in the UK have long history and great expertise as well as experience in production of pharmaceuticals. All of them have a strong sense of responsibility and their main purpose remains the continuous improvement of human life. In recent times companies face serious challenges such as patents expiries, legal regulations and increased demands from healthcare providers are likely to persist in the future and may be more pronounced. This is the main reasons that lead firms to create an environment that could distribute more development with less danger and an improved financial performance (GSKs Annual report, 2009). GSK, Novartis and AstraZeneca have established long term strategies to maintain their corporate sustainability. Nowadays, firms face extremely high costs of RD while the product life cycle is greatly reducing. Moreover, important issues such as product approval, pricing and promotion are always a cornerstone for further arrangements and regulations. These usually are factors that adversely affect companies and consequently, limit their operations. One of the industrys future plans involves further regulations. Additional plans and thoughts include greater analysis of costs and benefits of medicines used by the NHS. However, this venture is difficult to be achieved because the demand for pharmaceutical products is large and growing. Also, the ageing population in Britain leads to even greater increase in the number of prescription drugs, a trend that will continue to exist in the future. Therefore, it is expected that the most important therapeutic areas will be those associated with age such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. According to Royal College of Physicians (2009), the prevalence of Alzheimers disease will affect 1 million people in the UK by 2025 compared to 700000 today. This is the reason that the demand for more effective therapies may increase in those areas. The same pattern is followed by diabetes disease which is expected to increase from 3 million today to 4-5 million in next years. Moreover, expert expects that the economic demand for cancer care in the UK will increase by 200% which is an extremely high percentage (Sikora K, 2008). Furthermore, reports from Prescribing Analysis and Cost (PACT) in the UK reveal significant future changes in general practice prescribing. According to their data, the volume of prescriptions rose by 6% in 2007 compared to the previous years growth of 4,5% (NHS, 2008). Also, costs of prescription rose by 2,1% in 2007 compared to the previous year, which accounts for  £8 bn. Generally, the pharmaceutical industry has still untapped potentialities and of course, exciting challenges and opportunities will continue to exist. The market in the UK will continue to be driven by demand for better treatments for devastating diseases affecting its population. This will be beneficial for British pharmaceutical firms. Also, their primary objective now is to expand and develop their operations into promising emerging markets such as China and India. It should be noted that the emerging markets demand higher standards of healthcare because the life and health expectations are very low compared to the developed countries. Therefore, by expanding their activities in these markets, the corporations will be able to offer their products increasing their production and sales. 7. APPENDICES CRITICAL EVALUATION OF METHODS PEST analysis is a good strategic technique to analyse the external environment of an industry. However, it does not consider at all the internal factors that might affect the environment of an industry. In my opinion it could be more effective tool in accordance with other relative tools such as SWOT analysis and McKinseys 7S model (strategy, structure, systems, style, staff and stakeholders). Both of those techniques take into account internal and external factors. Therefore, the combination of those could provide a more complete and analytical picture of the industrys strategic environment. Kotler (1998) supports that PEST analysis is a useful strategic technique for understanding market growth or decline, industrys position as well as potential and direction for operations. Also, the use of PEST analysis can be efficient for business plans, product developments and research reports. Also, PEST ensures that the performance of a firm is positively related to strong changing forces that are influencing the business environment (Porter, 1985) The Five Forces analysis is a necessary ingredient of a successful strategy and it is usually used as a complementary help of other techniques such as PEST or SWOT. Additionally, in my point of view, this technique is strong and useful but it is difficult to concentrate all those factors around a main implication and predict properly the industrys profitability. Particularly, Porters Five Forces model combines the structure of an industry to the competitive intensity within it and to the profitability that it realises. While every industry is unique, competition and profitability are the main components that can influence the structure of that industry. (Grant, 2008).The most important point that firms should consider within an industry is the dynamics of their industries in order to compete efficiently in the market. According to Porter (1980) the competitive environment of an industry is created by the interaction of five different forces that act within it.

Home Rule :: Essays Papers

Home Rule The Potato Famine, religious discrimination, and land issues caused tension in the Irish community. Home Rule, a measure of an independent government for Ireland, was the inevitable solution. It took more than two centuries for Ireland to gain its independence over Great Britain. With the Act of 1800, the British abolished Ireland’s Dublin Parliament. As a result, Irish members were forced to take their seats in Westminster (Walsh 1). This left the Irish with no government representation within the country. The Irish had a desire to control domestic affairs without any British involvement. Replaced by English traditions and emigration, the nationalist movement increased opportunity for change. By the mid 1880’s, Irish nationalism rose to great heights and Irish independence was at the forefront of politics (20). Charles Parnell became the leader of the revived Irish movement. He was named head of both the Irish Parliamentary Party and the National Land League. Parnell gained support from members of the Fenian movement, as well as newly elected British Prime Minister, William Gladstone. Gladstone was highly aware of the Irish predicament stating "My mission is to pacify Ireland" (21). His attempt at pacification started with the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland. In 1885, he introduced the First Home Rule Bill. Between the years of 1886 and 1921 there were four Home Rule bills submitted to Parliament. The Home Rule Bills provided a dual-bodied legislature strictly for local matters and Irish representation at Westminster to vote on Irish taxation. According to Taylor "It threatened to frustrate those (British) completely in that it provided for a sepa rate Irish parliament and an end to Irish representation in Westminster" (Taylor 772). This led way to views of republicans and revolutionaries after each bill was defeated. Home Rule had a huge effect on Irish society and Irish politics to which Ireland is shaped today. The Gaelic Revival was an attempt to re-introduce old Gaelic traditions to the Irish people. The Irish were fed up with British influence. The restoration of their culture would provide themselves with a national identity. As stated in Ireland’s Independence, "The period saw the emergence of a separate series of organizations – literary, sporting, political" (Walsh 18). The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), founded by Michael Cusak, promoted national games, such as hurling, football, and handball (Walsh 18).

Feature Writing Essay

The term â€Å"feature article† is quite general and can include many different forms, such as profile features, news features, expose’s, and many others. Feature journalism can also have numerous purposes, for example to inform, to educate, or to simply entertain. While ‘feature article’ is certainly a broad term, features do come with their own set of defining characteristics which make them different to a news article. Feature articles are distinguished from regular news reports because they give the reader more than a ‘facts-only’ account of an issue; they explore themes and concepts more deeply than a ‘hard’ news article. While feature articles usually have elements of news worthiness (for example, a profile of a politician in the lead up to an election), they are often timeless to some degree, because the underlying themes of features are usually universal. Although not always the case, feature articles are usually longer than news articles. Structurally, this gives the author more freedom. Unlike news articles, features do not adhere to the ‘inverted pyramid’ structure – an effective feature will often show the gradual development of the author’s ideas in a way that is described in the Week 1 lecture (McHugh, 2013) as a â€Å"slow burn†. No matter the purpose of a feature article, they always aim to give the reader more than ‘just the news’. Because features don’t rely on pure newsworthiness to engage their audience, they must have good writing, solid research and relatable themes. Features are often more colourfully written than news articles, and the writer has the opportunity to display creativity and flair. However, this does not mean that clear writing is less important in features than in any other form of journalism. As stated in the Week 1 lecture (McHugh 2013), features â€Å"aren’t an excuse for literary pyrotechnics†. The basics of good journalism (and good writing in general) all apply to feature writing. While opinion pieces can qualify as feature articles, features in general are certainly not a mere outlet for the writer to express their opinions, or to speculate on an issue – factual information and research are the foundations of all forms of journalism, including feature articles. However, features do give room for the writer to discuss context and provide commentary on an issue. The Aerobic Art of Interviews Interviews undertaken by the author are a major part of all feature articles. This is most prominent in profile features, which use interviews as the basis of the article, although interviews can be used for a range of different purposes across all types of features. For example, an author might quote an expert in a field and quote or paraphrase their words to add credibility to an informative piece, or quote members of the public to gauge popular opinions on an issue. An interview is not merely a conversation, but rather a structured, focused dialogue (McHugh 2013). However, often interviews are conducted in a conversational or colloquial manner – this way, the interviewee (and journalist) will be more relaxed, leading to more interesting and honest responses. The demeanour of the journalist conducting the interview influences the subject’s responses to some extent. Along the same lines, the subject will also be more relaxed and less distracted if the interview takes place in a quiet, comfortable place. In preparing for an interview, it is important to research the subject and prepare a thoughtful and relevant set of questions. These types of questions are more likely to elicit responses useful for a feature. This doesn’t mean that journalists need to stick to a predetermined set of questions – there are situations during which they are required to be flexible and willing to take the interview in directions which they may not have prepared for. The journalists role is to ask questions that will provoke interesting, detailed responses (like a moving anecdote or an entertaining quote). For this reason, closed questions (those which encourage a short or single word answer) should be avoided in favour of open ended questions. If the interviewee is not a high profile person, it will be difficult to research information about them – an interview is often the journalist’s only chance to get to know their subject. In this case, the only way to acquire general knowledge about the subject’s background is to include some questions about their everyday life, for example, what they do for a living or where they grew up. Even if these questions don’t directly relate to the premise of the article, this factual information needs to be established. Asking these non-threatening questions first is also a good way of avoiding more personal questions until trust has been built. It is usually necessary to cast judgements aside and remain neutral during an interview. If the subject feels that they are being judged, it may foster a sense of uneasiness or animosity between the journalist and subject, leading to the subject becoming more guarded with their responses, or less cooperative with the journalists needs in general. On the other hand, a judgement free, â€Å"safe† environment during the interview can lead to the subject being more open and honest with their responses. To remain neutral, interview questions must be carefully worded. For example, when interviewing an author, a journalist would be more wise to say â€Å"Why do you think people were critical of your last novel?† rather than â€Å"Why does everybody hate your novel?† Remaining interested and curious during an interview is more than just a matter of courtesy. If a subject feels they are not being listened to, or that their time is not appreciated, they will become uninterested themselves, and probably answer questions minimally. As can be seen in an audio grab from the Week 2 lecture (Bill Moyes), an inquisitive attitude leads to the subject feeling more comfortable with speaking colourfully and in detail. In this case, the genuine curiosity displayed by the interviewer towards the subject, lead to a detailed anecdote and many character revealing quotes. The journalist conducting the interview should be personable and aim to create some kind of chemistry between him/herself and the subject, and empathise with them. As a journalist, you are not only observing the subject, but being observed yourself. Your demeanour during an interview does influence the responses of the subject. For example, an aggressive demeanour can lead the subject to respond in a guarded way. In saying this, it would be foolish to avoid asking the ‘hard’ questions for fear of offending the subject. The journalist’s role is to report things in the public interest, and often potentially controversial or personal aspects of an article are the most interesting. Ethical Considerations for Journalists While there are many ‘black & white’ laws in place to protect journalists from prosecution, the ethical considerations of journalism are often less clear. In their pursuit of a story, journalists must tip-toe a very indistinct line between ethical and unethical practices. The Week 8 lecture (McHugh, 2013) contains some ethical guidelines for journalists. Most importantly, journalists should aim to be fair and impartial, and to strive to report events as truthfully and accurately as possible. Journalists should also be sensitive to those in distress or grieving, and respect requests for privacy. They should also disclose the fact that they are a journalist so that people know there words and actions may be reported in the press. Many borderline unethical journalistic practices are still widely used in the media. An example of this is a journalist publishing quotes by citizens in an attempt to gauge the opinions of the public on the current government. If the journalist only publishes quotes by people who were critical of the government, and ignores those who were supportive of it, the article is imbalanced while still remaining truthful in a technical sense. Similarly, the use of loaded words with overtly negative or positive connotations to describe somebody may be truthful while still attempting to influence the audience by appealing to their emotions. Despite the grey areas that exist in the ethics of journalism, there are some practices that are universally agreed upon as unethical. One such practice is the intervention of journalists in such a way as to misrepresent or falsify an event. For example, journalists reporting on conflicts in Northern Ireland paid children to throw rocks at British Troops, the footage of which was then shown on the evening news. A journalist intervening in such a way is unethical not only because it is disingenuous, but also because it potentially places the vulnerable civilians in danger of violence or prosecution. Journalists must be aware that their articles have a potentially negative effect on the lives of the people involved in an issue (McHugh, 2013). An article such as this is ethical if the negative effect on a person is justifiable. For example, an expose on a politician taking bribes may destroy said politicians career, but the publishing the article is ethical because journalists have a duty to inform the public of matters that influence them. On the other hand, an article about a politician’s sexual preference would usually be considered unethical to publish, as it merely exposes the person’s private life and could needlessly damage their career. The main point I have taken away from the Week 8 & 9 lectures is that ethics in journalism is not a black & white issue, and ethical dilemmas are common. There are ways journalists can deal with ethical dilemmas – they can ask colleagues (especially those with more experience), consult the MEAA code (and the codes of their employers) and, perhaps most importantly, act in accordance with their own moral compass. Profile Features A profile feature is a type of feature article that focuses biographically on an individual. They can be about anyone – celebrities, athletes, businessman, politicians, or even ordinary people (provided there is something compelling about them or their story). Profiles are often based around an in-depth interview with the subject. The questions asked during the interview depend on the focus of the interview. When preparing for and conducting an interview, the main aim of the journalist is to elicit detailed responses from the subject which would be beneficial to the article. The key characteristics of a profile article are observations of the subject, anecdotes, direct quotes and descriptive scenes. All of these components give the reader an indication of the subject’s character. In a profile article, the writer usually refers to observations about the subject that they made when meeting or interviewing him. These could be about the subject’s appearance, mannerisms, or the way they interact with people. For example, in the Good Weekend profile on Bob Katter referenced in the Week 6 lecture, the author notes Katter’s cowboy hat and suede boots, as well as the fact that he knows the names of the waiters at the cafà © where the interview took place. All of these observations assist the reader in forming an impression of Katter. Also common in profile articles are anecdotes. Anecdotes are short, interesting accounts of real incidents. In a profile article, an anecdote may be a childhood story about the subject, or an amusing account of their first day on the job. They are often amusing or entertaining – to again refer to the Good Weekend article from Week 6, the author talks about Katter getting in fights at school because his mother would make him wear shoes and socks. Factual information about the subject can be established during preliminary research or during interv iews. These facts are woven into the article to provide context about the person and there life. The Katter profile goes into some detail about his rural upbringing – while these facts aren’t substantial enough to carry the whole article, the do give the reader some indication of where his values come from and how he became who he is. When writing a profile, the journalist must maintain an open mind, remaining aware of the fact all humans are infinitely complex. It is therefore necessary to keep an open mind and avoid unfair stereotypes. The writer should be aware of when to include a direct quote from the subject, and when to rephrase their main point. A good quote will usually stick out for any of a number of reasons; perhaps it’s funny, or particularly eloquent, or revealing of the subject’s character. In cases such as these, it is more appropriate to quote the subject directly. However there is no point including less interesting quotes in an article – if the writer feels he can say the same thing more effectively, he/she should paraphrase the quote. In addition to the main subject of the profile, a journalist usually conducts interviews with several other sources to add depth to the article. These secondary sources could be a friend, colleague or family member of the main subject, but they don’t have to be – if they can add valuable insight into the subject’s life or work, then they can be considered appropriate or relevant to include as a secondary source. For example, a secondary source for a profile of a classical musician might be an expert on classical music, or their high school music teacher. One common trap profile writers fall into include overtly writing about themselves or their own opinions on an issue during an article. As stated in the Week 5 lecture (McHugh 2013), â€Å"you are just the conduit to your subject†. Another practice to be avoided is the overuse of clichà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s such as â€Å"a hushed silence† – most readers have encountered these phrases so many times that they have lost all meaning and potency. Structurally, profile features give the writer a great deal of freedom. However, there are some techniques and conventions that are employed in most profiles. The most effective openings for a profile interview are usually one of the following – an anecdotal lead, a descriptive scene, a good quote from the subject or a suspenseful lead. The paragraphs in the body of the article include transitions and tee-ups to make them flow in a logical way. Profiles usually end in a reflective tone, in a cyclical way (tying up loose ends or referencing something that was foreshadowed earlier in the text), or with a quote from the subject. References McHugh, S 2013, Introduction to Features, Lecture notes distributed in JOUR202 at the University of Wollongong on 5 March 2013 McHugh, S 2013, Interviews and Research Pt 1, Lecture notes distributed in JOUR202 at the University of Wollongong on 12 March 2013 McHugh, S 2013, P is for Profile, Lecture notes distributed in JOUR202 at the University of Wollongong on 19 March 2013 McHugh, S 2013, Interviews and Research Pt 2, Lecture notes dist ributed in JOUR202 at the University of Wollongong on 26 March 2013 McHugh, S 2013, Structure & Style, Lecture notes distributed in JOUR202 at the University of Wollongong on 2 April 2013 McHugh, S 2013, Observation: description and detail, Lecture notes distributed in JOUR202 at the University of Wollongong on 9 April 2013 McHugh, S 2013, Ethics, Lecture notes distributed in JOUR202 at the University of Wollongong on 16 April 2013 McHugh, S 2013, I Know What I like: reviewing the arts, Lecture notes distributed in JOUR202 at the University of Woll ongong on 30 April 2013

One More Thing

â€Å"One More Thing†: it is your choice The short story, One More Thing, is written by, American writer, Raymond Carver. Raymond Carver was born may 25, 1938, and he died august 2, 1988. He started his career back in 1958. His first break through was with the book, Carnations. One More Thing, has three characters, Rae, Maxine and L. D. The short story is about L. D. , who gets kicked out of his home. L. D. is married to Maxine, and together they have a child, Rae, who is a 15 year old girl. L. D. ’s selfish behaviour illustrates how much it can cost you, if you do not think about the people that you really love.L. D. is a aggressive and selfish person, which you can see through his actions. He throws the jar through the window: he picked up the jar and pitched it through the kitchen window. Also the way he talks is aggressive: â€Å"All right, I’m going right now,† he said. â€Å"It suits me to a tee. You’re nuts here, anyway. This is a nuthouse. There’s another life out there. Believe me, this is no picnic, this nuthouse†. It is not written in the text, but it seems to be a problem for L. D. and his family, that he drinks to much: L. D. ’s wife, Maxine, told him to get the night she came home from work and found L.D. drunk again and being abusive to Rae. L. D. is also a bit confused. L. D. says many times, I’m going, or when Maxine tells him to leave, he just says, ok. He says it like he does not care, like he is not against, that it is fine. How ever, when he is done packing his stuff, and also a bit of Maxines (tooth paste, soap etc. ), he comes back into the living room. Then he is hesitating, because he does not know what to say only, this is it. This is good-bye. I don’t know what to say, except I guess I’ll never see you again. You too. Raymond Carver has a special writing style.He does not tell his reader what has happened before. He only tells the reader, the most important d etails. It is also called the minimalistic writer. He does not write much, but what he writes, is the most important. It is up to the reader to improvise, and think about what had happened. He gives his reader some responsibility, and some freedom, to use his or hers fantasy. He begins this short story real straight. There is no intro to the story, it just starts, L. D. ’s Wife, Maxine, told him to get out†¦ instead of for example, L. D. is a man. He is 35 years old. L. D. s married to Maxine. Normally the author would have a little intro, both for the story, but also an intro for the different characters in the story. The end of this short story, one more thing, is also different from a lot of other short stories. In this short story Raymond Carver stops the story as he has started it, real straight. Most of the times, the author gives the reader a closed ending of a story, by tell the reader where, in this case, L. D. would have gone. How ever, in this short story, Ray mond Carver let his reader decide, or make his reader fantasies of what could happen next.Raymond Carvers, one more thing, is also in a easy, understandable language. Raymond Carver does not make use of too long sentences. Most of the time he makes short directly sentences, which is easy for the reader to understand. A theme to this short story could be, that you live your life through the people around you. L. D. is really confident at the beginning of the short story. In the beginning he is quick with answers to Rae, but later on, in the short story, Rae says to him: â€Å"just remember. † Rae said. â€Å"It’s in your head. † â€Å"I’m going, that’s all I can say,† L.D. said. â€Å"Anyplace†. As L. D. sees that he is actually has been thrown out of the house, and it was not just a normal fight, and he is loosing them who means something to him, he looses his confident. You need to show the important people in your life some love. Yo u need to think of them too, and not just your self. If you stop care for them, you will lose them at some point. The text reminds you of, the fact that, people around makes you, and that, you live through them. How would you be if you did not have someone that you really loved?