Read the following and discuss in your opinion if the media controls opinions?

No less than 75 words

How does the media influence public opinion?

Josh Kessler

In my opinion, the media in the United States is in a very decrepit state.  As Jon Stewart points out nightly on the Daily Show, the bias presented by various networks is appalling.  News has become less about informing people about facts, and more about telling people what their opinions should be.  People tune in to the network that matches their already established political ideology, preventing them from seeing the world from more than one viewpoint, and making them less perceptive to the viewpoints of others.  Although I obviously hold opinions of my own, I think that it is incredibly important for people to be capable of actually challenging what they believe, and to enter every argument with the knowledge that their opinion might actually be swayed.  If people are so stubborn in their beliefs, arguments will devolve into pointless shouting matches that only serve to make both sides hate each other more.  Unfortunately, this sentiment is provoked by our media, who often insult their counterparts on opposing networks, rather than attempt to intelligently refute their arguments.

The power of the media to influence public opinion, and even to provoke an entire movement, was demonstrated recently by the emergence and popularization of the Tea Party.  One network aggressively promoted this movement, encouraging viewers to get involved in the movement (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. by providing attendance and organization information such as protest dates, locations, and website URLs.  The network’s website disseminated various information about the movement, and popular figures for the channel urged viewers to join them at Tea-Party events.  This network was also rather one-sided in its support of the movement, blatantly attacking one political party with statements like, “in the case of the current crisis the blame appears to have been assigned almost totally to Obama, at least by the thousands of U.S. taxpayers attending near-spontaneous ‘tea parties’ in protest of the Democrats agenda of more taxes, increased spending, higher deficits and a surge of borrowing to pay for it all” (Peter Roff).

The bias in the media is certainly not one-sided.  One television network was analyzed (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. in the week leading to the election, and was found to have literally provided no positive coverage of the Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

I think that the bias in the media is the root of one of the deepest political issues that we have in this country, as it prevents civil discourse between individuals of separate ideologies, inhibiting compromise and progress.

  

This semester has been filled with many opportunities for adjusting and learning in several areas: new classroom design, instructional formats, writing criteria, feedback application, assignment integrity, revision and editing techniques, strategies for completing various writing assignments, including taking quizzes, time management, attention to tasks, soliciting assistance, etc. ( You can come up with additional areas that you think applies to your growth in ENG 1301.)

For your Final Exam, reflect on your behaviors that caused you to be successful in the areas that apply to your overall development while in ENG 1301. Also, reflect on your behaviors that made way for challenges in these areas. Once you have thought about your own behaviors write a FULL 3-page essay that answers the following question:

What personal responsibility will I take for applying what I adjusted to and learned about myself as a student and as an essay writer that I believe will increase my opportunities for success in ENG 1302?

This Final Exam should meet the following criteria:

1. Clearly answer the exam prompt. The essay should focus entirely on you and your own behaviors. (30 points)

2. Should include at least 2 areas in which you showed collegiate personal responsibility. Each area should contain descriptions of your behavior and examples of those behaviors. In other words, you should describe the area that you are writing about and tell an anecdote about why you performed well in this area. (30 points)

3. Should include at least 1 area in which you could take more personal responsibility to improve as a collegiate. In other words, describe the area and tell an anecdote about what you did not do to perform well in this area and what you think you need do to improve. (15 points)

4. Your essay should be rhetorically appealing. So use those appeals that you learned in class, particularly pathos, ethos, and logos. (15 points) 

5. Your exam should have a heading and a title, be error-free, 12 point, Times New Roman or Courier, Double-spaced, and a minimum of 3 FULL pages. (10 points)

Grading Scale:

90-100 A

80-89 B

70-79 C

60-69 D

>59 F

 

This week’s assignment should include (a) summary of the case, and (b) a case outline

A. Summary of the Case

In one or two paragraphs, provide a general overview of the case that serves as a snapshot of what the case is about and how it ended up in your state high court. A summary is using your words to write a brief history of the case. Do not give your opinion or your interpretation but stick to the facts only.

B: Case Outline

Your court case outline should include:

1. Title: Name of the case
2. Facts of the case: Provide key facts involving the case.
3. History of the case: What legal action was taken based on what your state laws say about this case?
4. Legal questions: What were the legal issues the court had to decide?
5. Decision or holdings: Did the court decide for the plaintiff or the defendant? Explain the reason behind the decision?
6. Verdict and opinion (judgement): What were the concurring and dissenting opinions? How many judges decided for the defendant and how many justices decided against the defendant? What was the final verdict from the judge or the jury, if it was a jury trial?

Summary: What was the resulting impact of the ruling? How did the citizens of your state benefit from it? Make sure to not give our opinion but stick to the facts only. This summary just gives a brief rundown of the case and conclusion only, just the

Writing Requirements (APA format)

• The length of your outline will vary. Usually an outline is anywhere from 1-3 pages long. Make sure to write full sentences to explain your case. It is a concise list to be used as a reference for you during the presentation.
  Using the outline, you will be describing the court case in your presentation and the scenario around the court case. The use of Wikipedia as a primary source of information is to be avoided – it is not a reliable source of information.
  Search for an example of a case outline in the Internet. Without going into much detail at this state, each of the items listed above has a subject sentence with 3-6 bullet points that can help you expand on the topic.

  For Week 8, you will be creating a narrated PowerPoint, or a video as approved by your instructor, from this week’s outline.
  This assignment is worth 200 points.

• 1-inch margins
• Double spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Title page
• References page (minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if cited)

 

Choose to view one of the movies in this Unit, either The Garden (in English and some Spanish with English subtitles) or Holding Ground Part 1 and Holding Ground Part 2. Summarize what social justice issues were seen that impacted the physiological, political, social, psychological and spiritual human behaviors on the macro (societal, community) and mezzo (family and community) person and environment dimensions of the story in your chosen video.

What role could you play as a social worker in creating and supporting the social movement pictured in your chosen video. How would you go about facilitating and specifically intervene using Hutchison’s “Political Process Perspective?” What mobilizing elements could be brought into action to forward the social reform movement that you are professionally supporting connected to your chosen video? What recommended guidelines would you apply as a professional social worker to facilitate engagement, assessment, intervention and evaluation to forward your movement from the video? Be specific.

Integrate in-text cited content from the text and from one additional supplemental reading.

 Hutchison -Ch. 14 pp. 427 – 456

Article: Yu, K. (2012). Formal organizations and identity groups in social movements. Human Relations (New York), 65(6), 753-776. (FHSU Library)

Article: Clayton, D. M. (2018). Black Lives Matter and the Civil Rights Movement: A Comparative Analysis of Two Social Movements in the United States. Journal of Black Studies, 49(5), 448-480. (FHSU Library)

Article:Valocchi, S. (2017). Capitalisms and Gay Identities: Towards a Capitalist Theory of Social Movements. Social Problems (Berkeley, Calif.), 64(2), 315-331. (FHSU Library)

  

EACH FEEDBACK PAPER IS 100 WORD MIN.

FEEDBACK PAPER #1 

NELSON

If I were to purchase one of the paintings, I would consider buying Edward Manet’s, a bar at the Folies-Bergere 1881-1882 painting (Martin & Jacobus, 2018). I find the painting more creative and communicative, more so when it can clearly show how the lady bar attendant can multitask in serving so many customers in the bar and, at the same time, calmly attend to a male customer seen only through the mirror. The painting shows resilience and hard work at the workplace, virtues that make consider buying the picture. The painting is as well very attractive and bright enough to be observed from far.

According to chapter 4 concerning the elements of a good painting, I consider color and shape as the elements of my personal preference. As rightly noted by Amato et al. (2019), a good painting should well-distinguished colors properly toned not only to serve its attractive purpose but also to keep the message ring in the viewer’s minds for as long as possible. Different colors are outstandingly distinguished in the painting to show the different objects in the painter’s mind. The colors are used to pass the message to the minds of the viewers. The shape of the painting is also a standard one because a painting portrait of 37.75 by 51.25 inches is not too big, neither is it too small. It is standard enough to allow the painter to express himself to the viewers.

Public sculptures have a great voice in public memory (Martin & Jacobus, 2018). The public sculpture that I have interacted with and has had a lasting effect on my memory is the Les Voyageurs sculpture in Marseilles, France. Any time I see anything to do with France, I think of the sculpture, for it reminds me of the serenity of the place, somewhere I would not think twice when allowed to visit again.

References

Amato, S. R., Burnstock, A., Cross, M., Janssens, K., Rosi, F., Cartechini, L., … & Dik, J. (2019). Interpreting technical evidence from spectral imaging of paintings by Édouard Manet in the Courtauld Gallery. XRay Spectrometry, 48(4), 282-292.

Martin, F. D., & Jacobus, L. (2018). Humanities through the Arts. McGraw-Hill Education.

FEEDBACK PAPER #2

Angela

If I were going to purchase any of the paintings mentioned in our Chapter 4 section this week, I would probably buy the Flaming June. At first glance, it is a girl sleeping but when you look at the painting, so much more is within this painting. When I look at the picture, it calms me. It makes me feel relaxed and peaceful. Looking into the sea and seeing her sleeping, I am reminded of my peaceful moments spent at the ocean. I believe part of the reason that when I look at this painting and feel this way is because of the line element present in the picture. As we learned, horizontal lines like the one in this painting “tends to stress stability” (Martin & Jacobus, 2019, p.70). Thus, when I look at this painting and see the positioning of the sleeping June, it makes me feel calm. The curves of her body, with its open lines and her hair flowing with the same movement, give a “softer more flowing” (Martin & Jacobus, 2019, p.70) look to June. The texture of her dress with the shading makes it look like it is genuinely flowing on her body and gives it a feeling of realness and dimensions all over her body (Martin & Jacobus, 2019).

My favorite sculpture that immediately comes to mind  is the Iowa Jima Memorial. I come from a family of Marines. My grandfather was a Marine during World War II. He was not one of the six who raised the flag on top of Mount Suribachi but a Marine in WWII just the same.  The man I married was a former Marine, and my youngest daughter’s boyfriend is also a Marine, so to say I am partial to this branch is an understatement.

This sculpture reminds me of the brave men and women that have given their lives and continue to sacrifice so much of themselves for me, a stranger, every single day. I have seen this image depicted many times in pictures and miniature versions of the original. I finally got to see a smaller version of the original in South Carolina on Parris Island during my daughters’ boyfriends’ Marine Corp graduation. It was amazing to see this in person. This display that sets close to the Parade deck at Parris Island was also sculpted by Felix Weihs de Weldon, the artist of the original version and, larger version in Arlington, Virginia. Even though this version is smaller in scale, the feeling when I get when viewing it is quite large. The one in South Carolina is “one of three one-third sized models “of the original and was dedicated to Parris Island in 1952 (The Associated Press, 2016). I feel pride when I look at this sculpture, along with more gratitude than I can put into words in this paper. I think of the freedoms we are granted and the fact that my grandfather was involved in this very battle to show what we as American’s were willing to do to ensure our freedom. I feel so many emotions when I see this sculpture. It is tough to put into words exactly what they are, but I guess that is indeed what art is meant to do. Leave us speechless.

References

Martin, F. D., & Jacobus, L. A. (2019). The humanities through the arts (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

The Associated Press (Ed.). (2016). Iwo Jima monument at Parris Island refurbished.

    militarytimes.com. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2016/03/16/

    iwo-jima-monument-at-parris-island-refurbished/

FEEDBACK PAPER #3

Beth

In today’s world, many crises are going on with law enforcement. As media and social media allow us to receive news faster, it does not necessarily mean that they are giving all the facts. The media’s reflection on law enforcement is resulting in more people resisting arrest, physical assaults on police, and many targeting police officers to murder them (Marrow, 2019). De-policing is causing violent crime rates to continuously rise. When the media portrays all police as bad and does not give the full account of the situation that has taken place, it creates a disdain for police officers whether they are good or bad.   

Less than 1% of police officers use unnecessary force toward individuals that are unwarranted, however, the one percent is still a sad situation, but many also forget that the police are only human, and error will often occur (Marrow, 2019). The media and especially social media, often depict officers as being corrupt more than they show the larger percent of good officers doing their jobs right, therefore, they put good officers at risk. The deceiving that comes from social media has proven to increase criminal behavior and allow a lack of personal responsibility on behalf of the suspect.   

According to Crandall, Parnell, and Spillan (2014), in order to have an effective crisis management system in place, you must understand the sources of the crisis events, the strategies to identify the crisis, and then plan for them. I would suggest that law enforcement agencies not communicate with the media until the full investigation of what happened has taken place. Of course, currently, with devices that record at our fingertips, it is a hard situation to control. In fact, the only reasonable response they can have is to be forthcoming once the investigation is over and the facts come out. All in all, if there is a bad cop on your force, you should not look the other way. Looking the other way not only causes damage to the public and its people but to other officers and police personnel that are doing their jobs right.   

References  

Crandall, W., Parnell, J. A., & Spillan, J. E. (2014). Crisis management in the new strategy landscape (2nd ed.). SAGE. 

Marrow, S. (2019). Social & News Media’s Effects on Law Enforcement. ISSN: 2692-5389; Volume 1 – Issue 4, DOI: 10.33552/AJGH.2019.01.000516.  

FEEDBACK PAPER #4

Lakeshi

Law Enforcement departments face numerous and diverse crisis issues when performing their diverse roles. These crises are instrumental and, in my opinion, offer an opportunity to change and adapt. According to Crandall, Parnell, & Spillan (2014), crisis poses a lingering impact on the overall industry over a long period. This creates the need to adopt effective crisis response strategies to counter these effects. Law enforcement agencies are currently facing numerous major crisis issues. One issue relates to police use of excessive force against the minority population, particularly the African American population. In the past decade, numerous cases have been experienced where officers have resulted in excessive force against minority populations. Ray (2020) notes that in 2020, following the killing of George Floyd, law enforcement departments throughout the country faced demonstrations over the four officers’ actions. 

In addition, numerous other cases have come into the limelight over the continued poor dealing of the police against African American populations. The implications of this crisis result in lingering consequences and greatly affected the relationship between minority populations and the police. Ray (2020) notes that numerous human rights organizations have rebuked these actions resulting in popular slogans such as “Black Lives Matters.”

Tackling the poor relationship between the police departments and the minority population is not easy and requires cooperation among the involved parties. The recommendation I would make is for the community leaders to train law enforcement officers on alternative ways for conducting arrests. On the other hand, it is also important to hold discussions with the community on ways to decelerate conflict with the police. 

References

Crandall, W., Parnell, J. A., & Spillan, J. E. (2014). Crisis management in the new strategy landscape (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Ray, R. (2020, November 11). How can we enhance police accountability in the United States? Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/how-can-we-enhance-police-accountability-in-the-united-states/

FEEDBACK PAPER #5

Christophe

Do Bail Bondsmen Help or Hurt the Pretrial Process?

Worrall and Moore (2014) report that because there is a presumption of innocence in the U.S. constitution, citizens have a right to reasonable bail when charged with a crime. The exception to this is if the person is accused of a capital crime. Lahiri (2010) reports that in reaction to increases in serious crime, some states are now attempting to pass a constitutional amendment that would prohibit bail not just for those accused of a capital crime but to all crimes where the defendant could receive a life sentence if the judge believes they could be violent. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is strongly opposed to these initiatives saying that, while everyone has a valid interest in maintaining public safety, this should not come at the price of losing our fundamental civil rights. I can’t entirely agree with the ACLU and believe that judges should have the right to deny bail to those violent offenders who are potentially facing a life sentence. Just like the ACLU, I believe protecting our fundamental civil rights is critical. Still, a significant part of preserving those rights means that citizens must be protected from violence to the extent possible.

Bondsmen have the capacity to both help and hurt the pretrial process. Some individuals who do not have the assets to make bail can go to the bondsman and have them guarantee the bond for them. There is, of course, a fee for the service that is not refundable even if the person is later found innocent. The downside to the bail process, says Montopoli (2013), is that the system is unfair to the poor. This is because the poor cannot post bail. After all, they cannot pay the bail or, in many cases, cannot even pay the bail bondmen 10% to 15% of the bail amount to get the bondsman to cover it. Thus, Montopoli (2013) says the destitute suspect must remain behind bars until the trial date even if the charge is minor such as jumping a subway turnstile.

The problem is not a minor one. A study of non-felony offenders in New York who had bail set at $1,000 or less found 87% of the group could neither post their bail nor engage a bail bondsman. On average, these non-felony offenders stayed incarcerated for an average of 15.7 days. In some cases, the suspect remained in jail awaiting trial longer than the penalty they could expect if found guilty of the crime. The means that the poor are more likely to plea bargain the case, admit guilt, and have a criminal record. A reaction to this is that four states, Oregon, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Illinois, have eliminated commercial bail bonds. The American Bar Association and the National Conference of Chief Justices have also called for abolishing the for-profit bail system (Montopoli, 2013).

References

Lahiri, R. (2010, Jun. 17). Why bail matters. American Civil Liberties Union. https://aclu-wa.org/blog/why-bail-matters

Montopoli, B. (2013, Feb. 8). Is the U.S. bond system unfair? CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-the-us-bail-system-unfair/

Williams, K. N. (2017). Public, safety, risk. Social Justice, 44(1), 36–61. https://search-ebscohost-com.bethelu.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=126568809&site=ehost-live

Worrall, J. L., & Moore, J. L. (2014). Criminal law and procedure. Pearson.

FEEDBACK PAPER #6

Brandon

The Bond Agent System

According to our textbook, judges oftentimes will set bail according to the nature of the criminal offense in question, and the judge may not consider the defendant’s ability to pay the bond (Worralll & Moore, 2013). The nature of the crime is the biggest factor when considering whether a defendant should be allowed bail. Crimes that may be punished by the death will not admit a defendant’s bail (Worralll & Moore, 2013). The crimes that will not allow a defendant to bail include murder, rape, and manslaughter. In my opinion, domestic violence should be added as a non-bondable offense. The reason for this is that domestic violence is a heinous crime. Pretrial research and lawsuits over excessive bail claims are two issues concerning the call to bail reform in America (Schnacke, 2018). Bail bondsmen are a big component of the bail process. Bail bondsmen help to fill the void of the defendants that may not be able to afford the price of the bail, as opposed to wealthier criminal offenders. Bail bondsmen collect a fee from the criminally accused, a percentage of the bail, and will post a bond for the defendant to be released (Worralll & Moore, 2013). Bail bondsmen act as a financial institution and have been criticized for numerous reasons, but in reality, they act as a business. According to our textbook, a flaw of the bail bonds agent system is the amount of power the bondsmen have in regard to deciding which defendant will be released from jail, and who will stay (Worralll & Moore, 2013). The bond agent system may have some inherent flaws but is essential to give less fortunate defendants the same right as their more fortunate counterparts.

References

Schnacke, T. R. (2018). A Brief History of Bail. Judges Journal, 57(3), 4+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A564465835/AONE?u=tel_a_bethelc&sid=AONE&xid=4c428b6a

Worralll J. L., & Moore J. L. (2013). Criminal Law and Procedure (Subscription). [Savant Learning Systems]. Retrieved from https://savantlearningsystems.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133458480/