Essay On Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird - 815 Words

Where Did My Innocence Go? In the rural town of Maycomb, Alabama, Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and Father, Atticus. Scout teaches many lessons as well as defies stereotypes. Scout gives readers her perspective of things. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the growth and characterization of Scout to reveal to readers how innocence slowly falls away through Scout’s obliviousness about other people, Scout’s protection towards her family, and Scout’s curious ways. Although Scout starts off being insensible towards others, she begins to grow and unmask to readers that innocence slowly disappears from a child. Jem and Scout meet Dill, a soon to be best-friend, and Scout asks Dill about his father. â€Å"I asked Dill where his†¦show more content†¦My left impaired, I sailed in with my right, but not for long. Uncle Jack pinned my arms to my sides and said ‘Stand Still!’(Lee 96). Whenever anyone criticizes Atticus or calls him an impolite name, Scout becomes infuriated. By Scout fighting, the image of a polite, sweet, little girl is destroyed. By allowing Scout to physically retaliate, Lee reveals some characterization of Scout. As Scout grows and matures, she begins to stop fighting and use words and emotions to express herself. Readers can learn from Scout that using her fists is not the best way to settle disagreements, and people should work things out in a different way. Through Scout’s curiosity, readers are sho wn that innocence is lost as a child. After Christmas at Finch’s Landing, Uncle Jack goes home with Scout, Jem, and Atticus. Uncle Jack tries to tell Scout how wrong she was but, she did not get the chance to tell her side of the story at first.â€Å" ‘What did Francis call him?’ ‘A n----- -lover, I ain’t very sure what it means, but the way Francis said it -tell you one thing right now, Uncle Jack, I’ll be- I swear before God if I’ll sit there and let him say somethin’ about Atticus’ † (Lee 98). By Scout telling Uncle Jack how she felt about people calling Atticus names, Scout later learns what the name means. She has a very good relationship with her father and knows that she can ask Atticus anything and obtain an honorable answer. By Atticus answering all of Scout’s questions, some ofShow MoreRelatedTo Kill A Mockingbird Innocence Essay1418 Words   |  6 Pages In the novel, to kill a mockingbird, Harper Lee presents three very distinct types of innocence that are portrayed by different characters throughout the novel. A good part in this story’s brilliance is that Harper Lee has managed to use the innocence of a young girl to her advantage. She does this by telling the whole story from a child’s point-of-view. By having an innocent little girl make racial remarks and regard people of color in a way consistent with the community, Lee provides the readerRead MoreInnocence and Prejudice in to Kill a Mockingbird Essay957 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a beautiful story depicting a family living in the South of the 1930’s, and their struggle against the prejudice which was common to that time. The book centers on Atticus Finch, the father of the family as well as a lawyer, and his fight against prejudice. We see the story unfold through the innocent eyes of his young daughter, Scout, who is fr ee from prejudice and not yet jaded. By viewing events as Scout sees them, the author shows us how to overcome prejudicesRead MoreLoss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay721 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"No man knows the value of innocence and integrity but he who has lost them† In this quotation, The unknown writer explains that innocence has such great value and no man knows the importance of it except those who has lost them. In To Kill a Mockingbird, By Harper Lee, There are three different characters that are portrayed as Mockingbirds. In To Kill a Mockingbird, The Mockingbird represents Loss of innocence. Three characters that are Mockingbirds are Jem finch, Boo radley, and Tom Robinson. FirstRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Loosing Innocence Essay1456 Words   |  6 PagesPeople can get away with killing pigeons, cardinals, and blue jays, but it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. A mockingbird wouldn’t hurt anything; it’s only purpose is to sing songs for the everyday people. Jem and Scout had to restrain from shooting the mockingbirds due to their father’s warning. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is written from the view point of a little girl, Scout, in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Her father, Atticus, is assigned a court caseRead MoreThe Significance of the Title to Kill a Mockingbird Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesESSAY: Explain the significance of the title, To Kill a Mockingbird. The title To Kill a Mockingbird is very significant to the novel as it portrays many forms of mockingbirds throughout it. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are the true Mockingbirds of the story. They both are innocent from the accusations claimed upon them. When choosing the title of the novel, Harper Lee had to make sure it stood out but also was relevant to the storyRead MoreRacial Segregation And The United Arab Emirates1422 Words   |  6 Pagesthe UAE has created a dynamic entrepreneurial environment for international investors. The finan To Kill a Mockingbird, produced in 1962, is an exquisite film adored by many. This classic trial displayed drama and established a childhood innocence from the narration of an adult’s point-of-view, which captivates the viewers’ attention throughout the entire film. To Kill a Mockingbird uses dynamic historical references, narrative structure, and editing to contrast the problem of the racism andRead MoreLife Lessons In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay849 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird Essay In this essay I will explain how three children named Scout, Jem, and Dill absorb some life lessons throughout the story. In this story two major things taught these kids life lessons, one of them would be Boo Radley a man who had his life stolen by his father who was a radical Christian, and the second would be the false rape charge against a black man named Tom Robinson. Also poverty and racism played a part too in teaching lessons. One of the biggest life lessonsRead MoreCritical Lens: to Kill a Mockingbird873 Words   |  4 PagesSammie Clemmey February 2, 2012 Critical Lens Essay - TKAM English 9 – Friedman To Kill a Mockingbird Critical Lens Essay â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child†, is an African Proverb. In other words, it can take more than just a child’s nuclear family to make her grow into who she will be as an adult. This lens is true because even though parents and siblings have a major effect on a child, and how they turn out later on in life, society and a child’s surrounding are whatRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird Essay1076 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill A Mockingbird Essay In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird a major theme is the loss of innocence. Whether from emotional abuse, racial prejudice or learning, Boo, Tom, and Scout all lose their innocence in one sense or another. The prejudice that each character endures leads to their loss. Through the responses of Boo, Tom, and Scout, Harper Lee shows how each character responded differently to their loss of innocence. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird the character of Boo Radley is theRead MoreAdversity In To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis701 Words   |  3 Pages In the Coming of Age novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the idea presented that adversity plays a vital role in shaping an identity. The Essay will be talking about three characters that are affected by adversity, how you know what affected them and what is their character shape? priding it does not cause you to trust anyone in the novel because they might not be what they seem. In To Kill A Mockingbird there is one character that never really changes in the novel is Atticus. Atticus

Writing Is An Essential Part Of Life - 1452 Words

Writing, it seems, is an essential part of life in our culture. It is prevalent throughout every stage of our lives. First appearing when we learn the skill in primary school, the responsibilities attached to some form of writing will not cease to continue through our high school years, our college years, and inevitably into our lives as working full functioning adults. Writing essays, research papers, emails, reports and reviews, writing even persists for most past retirement, only to ever end at the grave, and the final signing of ones will. While writing is nearly guaranteed to be an essential part in all of our lives, this does not mean that all writing performed by everyone is the same. Ones choice of profession has a major impact on the content of their future writing, both in the field and while earning the necessary degrees for entry into those fields. While lawyers and traditional businessmen write more practical assessments, and business briefs, and those in more literary fields may have their time consumed by writing thick literary analyses of great works of literature, I have chosen a field of study with some rather different writing requirements from traditional writing. The main type of writing in in the field of computer science is the coding assignments given to students as practical lessons in coding different types of programs in different languages. Along with coding computer science majors also gain experience writing ReadMe files, along with moreShow MoreRelatedCultural Elements Of Art And Literature Essay767 Words   |  4 PagesImagine a life without writing, and without art; it’s pretty grim isn’t it? Without these essential cultural components, life would be a sad place to live in, because no other cultural aspect would survive. The most essential cultural element is Arts and Literature, because art and literature transcend the other cultural aspects. Without arts and literature, you couldn’t have the rest of the cultural elements. Culture manifested itself with the aid of art and literature, without the help of writing or artRead MoreCulture And Identity ( Rough Draft ) Essay894 Words   |  4 PagesImagine a life without writing, and without art; it’s pretty grim isn’t it? Without these essential cultural components, life would be a sad place to live in, because no other cultural aspect would survive. The most essential cultural elements are Art and Literature, because art and literature lead into the other cultural aspects. Without arts and literature, you couldn’t have the rest of the cultural elements. Culture manifested itself with the aid of art and literature, without the help of writing orRead More The Skill of Writing Essay677 Words   |  3 PagesThe Skill of Writing Writing and reading are two essential skills that we need to have in order to succeed in any field of study that we have chosen. Without these two we would not be here, wouldn’t be writing right now and would be considered the lowest class of our society. There are different aspects of writing that each of us may, or may not, excel at. Some of us are creative enough to write short stories or even novels on fiction while others, like me, are better at writing essays. To accomplishRead MoreMy Personal Writing : The Importance Of Writing848 Words   |  4 PagesAs the years continue to pass, writing gains more importance and becomes unavoidable in our daily lives. Whether the task is to create a groundbreaking law or to verify one’s personal identity, one must write it down in ink or type it out on a computer. For me, writing has settled down as an important aspect of my life. If I’m not typing down an email for my classes or composing another article for the news letter committee at my high school, I’m writing down the fictional stories that wander aroundRead MoreLooking For Richard A Film By Al Pacino1251 Words   |  6 PagesChintan Thakore Ms. Naegele English II Honors 12 September 2014 Looking for Richard A Film by Al Pacino: Viewer’s Guide and Lesson Plan Activity 1 Part A. Before viewing Al Pacino’s film Looking for Richard, take some time to measure your attitudes and those of your friends and family about Shakespeare. For your own answers, use Column A below. Enter number 1 if you strongly agree with the statement, 2 if you agree somewhat, 3 if you disagree somewhat, and 4 if you strongly disagree. Then askRead MoreLearning And Using Knowledge Of The Writing Essay826 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom a high school writing class to a college level writing class. I felt my writing was above average, but writing was never one of my strong suits. (but was not one of my strong suits.) I had no way of knowing if my writing competency could hold up to college academic standards. I took Expository Writing with Professor James Brady. Over the semester, multiple learning objectives were learned through my essays. These learning objectives were subject matter knowledge, writing process knowledge, rhetoricalRead MoreI Am A Structured Writer1040 Words   |  5 PagesAcademic writing has always been a struggle for me. I was not consciously aware of how often I used English in my everyday life. Excluding essays, the other material I’ve written would be texts, emails, notes, lists, social media posts, calendar entries, comments, assignments, answering questions, ideas, questions I have, and thoughts. I deplore things out of order and with no clear meaning to them, which is what I thought of English for a long time. After a plethora of writing assignments, I beganRead MoreThe Agony Of Rejection From Friends, Family, Schools, And Jobs948 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"By the time I was fourteen †¦ the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and kept on writing.† This quote from Stephan King really hit me. The famous, successful man that we all know for his works â€Å"Carrie† or ‘The Shining†, had once been rejected. It’s crazy to think that someone so successful had once been struggling. Maybe I choose this quote because that’s how I’m feeling right now and the quote gives me someRead MoreWhat It Take to Be a Scholarly Writier Essay examples935 Words   |  4 Pages Scholarly writing is no different from all other writing, except, be side it having a purpose and having an audience like any other writings, scholarly writing is evidence-based (Laureate Education, 2012). It is important, since the scholar-practitioner write for a specific audience, that his or her material be free of personal opinion, assumption, and bias. When writing a scholarly material, a scholar-practitioner has to be objective in tone, write clearly, concise, produce a mechanically correctRead MoreEducation Is The Most Important Valuable Idea For Children892 Words   |  4 PagesThese basics are the foundation for the students’ education, and are essential for anything to be built upon. Without the essential foundation being built and mastered by students in the early grade levels, it would be nearly impossible for them to be able to build further education and be successful without it. Most school’s curriculum is rooted in a group of basic concepts and ideas. â€Å"These essential subjects are reading, writing, math, and science,† as stated by Bagley. (Figures, 2006). The base

History Of The Somalia History Essay Free Essays

The strategic geopolitical history of Somaliland non merely indicates its importance to the early African lands but has continued to so to this present twenty-four hours. It ‘s positioned in the centre of the Horn of Africa with an country of 637,540 square kilometres and is ideally located at the intersection non merely to merchandise paths, but to the gateway of antediluvian and modernizing Africa. Somali history day of the months back to the Paleolithic Age and Cave picture dating back to 9000 old ages BC has been recorded. We will write a custom essay sample on History Of The Somalia History Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Its location with Djibouti to the North West, Kenya to the South, Gulf of Aden on the North, Indian Ocean to the E, and Ethiopia on the West has added to its significance. In malice of its strategic location it has, unlike other African states, no old history of conquering, and as such, provided ulterior European states an first-class chance to see other civilisations than their own- particularly those of African Kingdoms. Ancient Somalia is reported to hold had trading dealingss with many of the mercantile states during the in-between Ages, and as a effect positioned Africa as an of import continent in the ancient universe. Among others, cinnamon trade to Europe, particularly to the ancient universe of Rome and Greece was extremely valued. Most of the cinnamon was obtained from the East, particularly India. Furthermore since the Somali state consisted of several Sultanates, it remained cardinal to maritime and trading civilizations of that period. Known as the Kingdom of Punt in ancient times, it besides had close dealingss with other of import African lands particularly that of Egypt, Nubia and Ethiopia. As a effect, parts of Somali civilization and signifiers frequently resemble that of the pyramid-culture of Egypt and other near neighbours. Strongly influenced by the Arab civilization, this African society exhibits an extraordinary mixture of the two. Islam was brought to that portion of the universe around 825 A.D. Somalia ‘s position on the African continent was besides the consequence of its close relationship with the Ottoman and German Empires. With the rise of the Arab universe in the Middle East and its oil industry, Somalia continues to keep its importance within this industry. It besides remains influential in the Islamic universe, enabling Somali to go a member of the Arab League in 1974. This state has besides played an of import and outstanding function in the African Union which was formed really much in the tradition and design of the European Union. Education is extremely valued throughout Somalia although a higher instruction is still precedence. It has several universities with the University of Mogadishu considered to be one of the finest in the state but besides one of the best in Africa. Culturally, the Somalis are Muslims and as such traditional spiritual instruction is singularly of import so that it is taught at a quranic schools across the state. Muslim literature produced by the Somalis is besides good recognized in other parts of the Moslem universe and so is their music and vocals. Both the rural and urban societies are serviced through these spiritual schools. The development of Somali legal construction as a mixture of Roman Dutch jurisprudence and Sharia jurisprudence. Currently it exercises civil traditional knowledge, spiritual and traditional jurisprudence. Somalia consists of a figure of kin based independent provinces. Somali one time boasted of a healthy economic system within the formal and informal sector. Trade, commercialism, conveyance and international links all promised of progressive future.. All this indicated that Somali are quickly traveling towards a modernizing society. Most of the West ‘s transnational companies, for case the fabrication trade, multinationals and Bankss all have subdivisions in the chief metropoliss in Somalia Somalia has been rich in mineral resources and the recent discovery of significant oil militias has surged its position among the industrializing states whose demand for oil particularly in the thick of the Middle East crisis is holding a strong impact on its economic system. Somalia has the largest ground forces in Africa with 10,000 military personnels on the field. Somalia has near on to 2 million people and 85 % of them Somalis and the remainder belonging to others. Of these 34 % unrecorded in the metropoliss. Arabic is the official linguistic communication although English is spoken widely with some Italian. The Muslims belong to the Sunni religious order of Islam. Christianity is minority faith. When Imperialism swept over Africa for the last five or six centuries. It subjected the native people to ‘inferior position ‘ or 2nd category citizenship. Africans weary of the rough conditions the position brought on to them shortly began to foment. Clangs with Europeans became frequent, so much so the Imperialist states gathered at the Berlin Conference in 1913 where the Western states decided to carve out certain parts of Africa among themselves as ‘guardians ‘ . These imperial states, particularly the Portuguese, Britain, France, Germany and Italy were on the top of the list. One of the unintended effects of such an act was to witness the outgrowth of release groups, patriotism and people prosecuting in the ‘freedom and release battles ‘ across the continent. Muhammad Abdullah Hassan, a Dervish leader sent a clarion call across Africa to defy the British and end their rising influence. He was one of the early African leaders, to name for integrity and independency. Swept by the influences of decolonisation and release battles across Africa, Somalia provided unqualified support to the African National Congress of South Africa. Somalia in the interim besides had strong ties with Muslim states and with their Muslim establishments. Hassan, furthermore as a Dervish leader, with his long experience with the British and Italian schemes of warfare, organized and disciplined his Somali ground forces, both in their ability in land conflicts and fleet retreats utilizing the terrain, with the consequence he defeated a well-trained British ground forces. In 1920 nevertheless, with the debut of aeroplanes into the battlegrounds, the British were able to get the better of the Somali ground forces eventually. There after Somalia became a associated state of the British Empire. The Italians fared no better than the British in the beginning merely because the Somalis non merely had the advantage of the terrain, but the ‘brotherhood ‘ within the Somalis and their commitment to the Sultanate, provided their soldiers extra inducements during war against their enemy. They, nevertheless could non, in ulterior old ages, match the ground forcess of the Italians under the Fascist control in 1927. Benito Mussolini, the Italian Fascist leader in 1935 attacked Abyssinia ( Ethiopia ) in the tradition of and go oning the bequest of imperialism and colonisation, but this clip the League of Nations ( which subsequently became the United Nations ) condemned the invasion. Little was done thenceforth to halt the business. In around 1941 the British stationed in Kenya with the coaction certain kins of the Sultanate, accompanied by East, West, and North African military personnels under the bid of the British attacked the British held Somalia and Italian Ethiopia and defeated them. Britain ruled both parts and was subsequently granted associated state position, but the United Nation transferred the trust territory of Italian held Somalia, back to Italians. It was during the trusteeship period that the Somalis entered into the structural model of Western political and international policy devising. But in the procedure the Imperializing states were consuming the economic wealth of Somalia. At times the British collaborated with Ethiopia in keeping the hegemony over Somalia, all of which did non get away the assorted patriot motions which were emerging in assorted parts of the state. Djibouti ‘s ( Gallic Somaliland ) independency in 1958 showed Somalia the switching geopolitics taking topographic point in the country. But the referendum held in Djibouti nevertheless showed that the people had decided to ally themselves to France instead than Somalia. Somalia itself gained its independency in 1960, and formed the post- colonial province. Unfortunately for the state at this clip the legion groups each wanted a portion in the authorities? The hierarchy and power of the colonial system was now transferred to the new authorities. Rather than concentrate on the structural development of the state the authorities bureaucratism began to concentrate on personal power and wealth. Many of the new authorities functionaries were chosen from the South and the Northerners felt left out and regional inequalities became the norm. 18 Parties participated in the first station colonial national elections in 1964 amidst accusal of corruptness and fraud. The Somali Youth League, a Somali National Congress, and the Somali Democratic Union, united to organize a strong block within the authorities. And unstable Somalia began to emerge for the following several old ages. Abdullah Osman Daar became its first president. Power battle continued, and eventually in 1969 a military putsch installed General Said Barre as President. Barre ‘s authorities introduced several new societal plans particularly in instruction, but otherwise parliamentary democracy seemed to endure from internal discord. On October 15, 1969 President Abdirachii Ali Shermaarke was assassinated by a constabulary head. At the beginning, General Said Barres ‘s Supreme Revolutionary Council was welcomed by the multitudes of people. There was a belief amongst the population that Somalia would now hold a stable authorities. Barre promoted what he called ‘scientific socialism ‘ as an political orientation for his state. Notwithstanding his political rhetoric, Somalis shortly began to see expropriation and corruptness which was bulwark during the imperialist times. Internal corruptness and favouritism shortly characterized Barre ‘s authorities. Clan competitions and divide and regulation policies besides weakened the authorities. The concluding straw came when the military authorities sent military personnels to Ethiopia. The Soviet Union had been providing weaponries to both sides. The Ethiopians successfully repulsed the Somalia ground forces. By 1980 the Somali authorities was losing its credibleness and at the same clip an economic crisis, particularly with the diminution of trade and of the lowering of oil monetary values added to the despairing internal crisis. Somalis besides noticed under Barres authorities the National Security Courts were set up outside the legal system and straight under the control of the executive whose power came from the military. Any offense considered as a ‘threat ‘ to the national security as defined by the ‘state ‘ was considered a offense. Although this was eventually abolished, and Somalia are still governed by pre-1991 penal codification. Civil war broke out in 1991. Northern Somaliland declared independency and in January 1, 1991 President Ali Madhi Mohamed of the United Somali Congress who had joined the Manifesto Group was made interim President. The rival groups shortly united and refused to acknowledge Muhammad as their leader and president. Throughout the 90s Somalia experienced civil struggles and warfare ensuing in nutrient deficits, devastation of labour and general disruption within the economic system and public assistance. Some 330,000 civilians were at hazard of decease and famishment when Andrew Natsios, the caput of the US bureau for International Development ‘ said before Congress, ‘that Somalia was the greatest human-centered exigency in the universe ‘ . ‘For some clip international perceivers allowed Somalia to disintegrate and it was merely subsequently when the state collapsed into lawlessness did the United Nations send peacekeeping forces. United Nations peace forces were sent into Somalia through the United States. The Security Council set up their UN operation in Somalia ( UNOSOM ) but the UN forces came under onslaught. In 1983 the United Nations human-centered aid chiefly given to the South did non sufficiently alleviate the crisis. The UN aid ceased chiefly due to the casualties suffered to its forces. The EU besides sent assistance to the concept the port at the Berbera. European NGO ‘s besides sent to assistance and aid to several parts of Somaliland. Both the United States authorities under President Bush in the UN Security Council worked together with leaders in Somalia. The United Nations eventually managed to acquire the seniors and leaders at a conference at the Royal Palace in Addis Ababa. Unfortunately the peace dialogues failed and the Civil War continued. The Transitional parliament adopted the federal charter in 2004. In 2006 the southern portion of the state came under the influence of the Islamists who established an Islamic Court to work aboard civil governments. Several parts of the state have declared ‘ independency ‘ and are controlled by warlords. The transitional federal authorities with the aid of the UN reestablished its control over the district but this has remained fragile to this twenty-four hours. How to cite History Of The Somalia History Essay, Essay examples

Political Communication Essay Example For Students

Political Communication Essay Politics and the media have long been intimately involved with each other, with media strongly setting an agenda in which politics is very important. (Harris 1999,p.167) Our perceived reality of the real world is largely a product of the media. (Harris 1999,p.186) It is not known which influences more but there are definitely two sides to the story. Many studies have been done to decide but each comes out with different answers. Many say that the media has more of an impact on politics than does politics on the media. The two have always been natural adversaries. Skewering each other in print and in conversation, but generally enjoying each others company. (Forum) It is the role of the mass media to keep the general public informed and up to date with current news and events in their community, state, country, and around the world. In politics the media can either build or damage a political figure by changing the publics opinion. Many people depend heavily on television as their sou rce of information where they see or hear about political issues, events, and policies because television is the single most powerful medium of global communication and nightly newscasts are the most frequently watched source of information for the public. (Forum) The mass media is everywhere we turn, from television sets, to airwaves, to print, and even the Internet. In their role, are they actually giving us the right message or is it a rumor, which you often see in tabloids in which it is created just to sell? 75% of the public believes that the top priority of the media is to find and report important information on public issues. Approximately 18% say that it is to give readers and viewers what they ask for. Less than 6% say that it should be for profit. (Forum) The Forum Magazine (September 1994) also discussed a survey done by Kees, a former executive editor of The Fresno Bee, and Phillips former chief of staff of the Republican National Committee. The survey results found ma ny accusations were made about the media. They were more interested in sensationalism than issue, they were political insiders who cant report fairly, they didnt understand the real issues facing the country, they underestimate the publics taste, and they conspire to disgrace politicians. On the other hand the survey also accused the politicians of wrongful doings. It was stated that they waste taxpayers money on perks, listen to consultants and not the public, listen to the public only when running for office, gain support by promising jobs, and become corrupt. In this situation both have been affected. The media frames many issues, which are the central organizing idea for making sense of relevant events, and suggesting what is at issue. News and information has no basic value unless implanted in a meaningful context, which organizes and provides it with logic. It shapes the way the public understands the cause and the solutions to political problems. (London) The Media also sets the agenda. Many believe that this is against the democratic process. They determine what people believe to be important issues. When the media focuses on a problem, the publics opinions on that problem then become altered and this is also true for the president. The president reacts by responding to changes in attention to the media. The media has a strong influence on the policy agenda of public officials. The publics familiarity with political matters is closely related to the amount and extent of their attention to certain issues received in the mass media. (Edwards 1999, p.328) From this one can say that the media does in fact have the winning hand. They may not be successful us what to think, but they are successful in telling us what to think about. (London) Television coverage can affect many attitudes of the public on the importance of certain issues so it should be quite important to public officials to put those on their agenda. The president is also said to be the agenda setter. No other single actor can focus attention as clearly, or change the motivations of such a great number of others, as the president. (Edwards 1999, p.327) Yet others believe that it is the way in which his overall agenda is presented to the public and that is done by the media. There is still argument for both sides but leaning more towards the media. Presidential elections, campaigns, and policies have always been important in the media and to the public. The media creates a political world that is the basis of the publics knowledge and the later behavior, such as voting for the president or any public official. The themes and issues that are repeated in the media become important to viewers. Those that are highlighted become especially influential when it comes to choosing a candidate. The media affects evaluations of presidents. Presidential approval is strongly influenced by how the media portrays the candidate to the public. For example, during the Gulf War, George Bush received bad publicity based on his performance with the war even though his prior economic performance was exceptional. (Edwards 1999, p329) The values in which people used to evaluate him on were influenced by what the media had to say. Particular televised political advertising, televised candidate events. And news articles also affect the preferences and opinions of the voters. For example, Bob Dole in the 1996 election. His age arose early from the media. During the primary election, over 800 news stories dealt with Doles age. His medical examinations were brought to attention by the media. Televised networks covered a lot about his age during his 73rd birthday. This just goes to show that the media were wrong in conveying an appropriate understanding of the issues involved. The media did not fully understand the implications behind electing a senior citizen and if they did it was not brought to the publics attention, as it should have been. Age was not seen as affecting his behavior, analytic ability, concentration, and memory. (Abrams 1998,p.481) It is not truly known whether his age would have been a matter of consequence in the election, but the media certainly didnt help it out any. Campaign information affects voters issue preferences, candidate evaluations, and the likelihood of voting. Exposure, reception, and acceptance all play a role in this gathering of campaign information and in the voter perception. Exposure involves one physical proximity to a message. Reception involves actually getting or taking in a message. Lastly acceptance involves allowing the information contained within the message to influence ones preference, opinion, or attitude. (Shaw 1999,p.347) The more campaign ads seen and the amount of campaigning covered also has a greater effect on the voter turnout and the information gathered about the candidates and the issues. Campaigns are used to prime the voters perceptions of politics a nd their candidate preferences. To a considerable degree the art of politics in a democracy is the art of determining which issue dimensions are of major interest to the public or can be made salient in order to win public support. (London )Many times the media often bring up the worst in a public official or candidate as seen by that of Bob Dole. They cover low salient issues that are irrelevant to everyday life and also overplay or cover the issue too much. Another example is with the Texas Governor, George W. Bush. The main issue on the medias mind was the rumor of his past cocaine use. They should have been covering his views on Social Security, HealthCare Reform, Russia , and the Middle-east. Only 7% of the major three evening newscasts during August dealt with politics. Half of the stories were dealing with Bush and his use in his younger age and Clintons marriage. The media should be filling in to the publics knowledge the political issues at stake and who is likely to be the next president of the United States of America. (Kalb 1999, p.h2) Coverage of a political event or campaign also plays a significant role in the eye of the public and also to the candidate. Candidates who do well will receive more attention from the news mediaactive candidates will receive more coverage. The greater the activity by a candidate, the more likely the candidate will receive more coverage. (Haynes 1998,p.420) News coverage and their input to the publics information environmental environment in presidential campaigns are very critical in determining the outcome of the election. Elections are influenced by two factors. The first being the strength and political skills of the incumbent and the second being the interpretation of the incumbents performance by the mass media, particularly television. A study was taken during the 1996 presidential election race between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. Clinton regained positive news coverage by the major television newscasts by battl ing with Dole over Medicare and the United States budget. This event was covered live by the media and displayed to the public in an encouraging manner in favor of Bill Clinton which in turn strengthened Clintons political image in the eye of the voters. Many news stories came about depicting Clinton as the strong incumbent and it proved successful with an easy victory over Dole in the 1996 election. (Dover 1998,p.47) As seen here the mass media coverage does structure voters opinions about their political leaders. Many domestic and foreign policy issues are affected by the media in which are brought to the politicians. These domestic issues consist of education, healthcare, poverty, and crime. The foreign policy issues at hand are the Russian relations, terrorism, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Crime and terrorism has a high interest value among humans. Sensitive to contextual cues when they reason about national affairs. Their explanations of issues like terrorism or poverty are c ritically dependent upon the particular reference points furnished in media presentations. (Iyengar 1987,p.828) It is an important issue among the media because all people are concerned with there safety. It will be put on the agenda because there are strong incentives for the media and for the politicians, which are to gain mass appeal and to facing the public in elections. (Edwards 1999,p.341)There have also been an increasing number of women running for public office and gender has now become a common ground for the news media about certain voters, candidates, leaders, and issues. The question is whether or not the media advances or holds back womens participation in politics. Many news stories about politics tend to be presented in masculine terms, but there is good news, women receive about the same amount of news coverage as men in comparable positions. Over the years the number of women in the mass media has increased. There are many more women journalists, which has resulted in expanded coverage of womens issues and women as public officials. By publicizing and raising certain issues, this has helped women candidates gain credibility and support among voters. (Pippa 19-41)The Media Dependency Theory is very important to think about when it comes to political communication. The three main aspect of the theory are the Social system, Media system, and the Audience. The three lead up to and produce the last aspect which is the Effect or what the final product. The social system, which is the government, has goals that have to be met and they are publicity and support. There resources are public funds and legislation. The media system, which is television, newspaper, radio, etc., also has goals which are to make money through the public. Their resources consist of gathering information and dispersing it to the public. The audience is the public like you and me. Our goals are to acquire news, entertainment, and education. Our resources are money and notes. A ll of these are dependent upon one another through each of their goals and resources. They all affect one another, but some more than others. Each one needs the other in order to create the Effect. Due to our democratic government and free speech the media can basically due almost anything they want as long as it abides by the FCC. The FCC is the governments approach to regulate the media. They censor what is broadcasted on television and over the radio. Under the president and the senate, five commissioners are appointed to the job. How much that can be regulated is minimal. In Summary, the media has a huge and particular impact on society and politics. The media does a lot to set the policy agenda and influence how the public and those in political office understand it. Politicians not only use the media to influence us viewers, but are themselves influenced by it. The media affects our every day ways of thinking, our intentions, and our norms. What they see as important, we do al so. Therefore answering in my opinion, the news media sets the agenda for what is important. ReferencesAbrams, H. Brody, R. (1998). 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