Thursday, January 30, 2020
Bsn vs Associate Degree in Nursing Essay Example for Free
Bsn vs Associate Degree in Nursing Essay Nursing is a knowledge based discipline, which focuses on the wholeness of human being. (Faucett, 1933. ) As per definition nurses are playing great role in modern medicine, either with an associate degree or as bachelor of nursing degree. Both, with the same licensure, the Registered Nurse. Nurse. The Associate dDegree nNurse(ADN) takes a shorter path of two years where the BSN takes longer one with 4 years of education to complete the degree. When we compare the data collected by various groups of nursing professionals, it is evident that the mortality rate, medication errors and patient outcomes are largely improved with high number of BSN onboard. The ADNAssociate degree nurse program was introduced to minimize the nursing shortage during post, second world warSecond World War. Even though The Goldmark report in 1923 recommended that the entry level of education for professional practice as a registered nurse should be a bachelorBachelor of Science in nursing (BSN), the new Associate degree nurse programs, gained much popularity among health care settings, and continuesprograms, gained much popularity among health care settings, and continue even today. Associate degree nursing programs are more to task oriented, where BSN program is based on theory and research. The needs of patients are changing on a daily basis, the need for higher education for nurses is in great demand.. Nurses are advocates of patient population, so be prepared to have the knowledge to help them, in preventive medicine, risk reduction, disease management, public health and over all provide a safe environment as per Nightingales theory of environment. When you compare work of an associate degree nurse with a BSN on a daily basis you could see the differences of approaches between associate degree nurse and a BSN. In this authorââ¬â¢s experience, an associate degree nurse is well oriented to practical side of nursing, which is well evidenced. When comes to a patient with MRSA infection of an amputated limp site, the Associate degree nurse, is quick to get the patient pain meds, help with positioning, dressing changes, and maintains a clean environment, maintains contact isolation and provided emotional support. Whereas the BSN is there to teach the patient and family about prevention of infection, promotion of healing by correct diet choices, increasing activity and maintain the previous activity level, and prevent progression of infection and further loss. Also coordinated the care with dietary, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social services and case management services etc, thus provided the patient a smooth transition to the new life as a right above knee amputee. The BSN did investigate about the support groups, prosthesis options, family dynamics, and so on. In this situation one could clearly see the different ways of an associate nurse in their scope of practice vsvs. BSN performed through evidence based nursing practices. The expectation to the future of nursing is that, nurse should be capable of maintaining a patientââ¬â¢s over all well being, mentally, physically, socially and emotionally. One could obtain those qualities through proper education and adapting multiple ways of thinking. The ability of clinical reasoning is very important. The clinical picture of patient is changing, always ask yourself, why, what and how. Why the clinical picture is changing, what are the causes, and how can we correct that. For this we have to understand the metaparadigm of nursing, explained by the founders of nursing. A nurse also should have the clinical imagination, scientific and creative reasoning. The new age of nursing is characterized by a synthesis of facts and ideas that generate principles and theories. (Rogers,1994) . One could only achieve that by advancing oneââ¬â¢s education to a higher level. Once you reach that level, the horizon is wide; you could further advance your studies to masters programs, nurse practitioner in various disciplines, go for doctorate programs etc. etc. In a study report from International Jjournal of nursingof Nursing sStudies, June 2009, headed by Dr. Kkoen Van den Heede found a major link between the number of BSN on cardiac care units and hospital mortality. Data analyzed from different countries including Canada, Belgium, Netherlands and USA. The result showed there were 4. 9 percentages fewer deaths per 1000 patients on intensive care units with higher number of nurses with BSN degree. Linda Aiken and her associates, in their Landmark study in 2003 showed a strong connection between the educational level of registered nurses and patient outcomes. Substantial survival advantage noted specially in surgical patient population. , Even as little as 10% increase in the BSN degree holders make a difference in patient death and failure to rescue by 5%. A highly educated nursing work force is essential to the future of nursing. In short, the medial world is changing, so as the patient. So it is imperative that, the nursing work force should change to meet the needs of future health care. So here the transition from associate degree nurse to BSN is much more appreciated and welcomed. Reference: -The reference page is a separate page. This is not APA format. Creating a more highly qualified nursing workforce (fact Sheet) Retrieved from http//www. aacn. nche. edu/media/factsheets/nursingwrkf. htm: Retrieved on 01/06/2012 from Creasia Friberge, The Bridge to Professional Practice, Conceptual foundations 5th edition.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
I dont know :: essays research papers
The Resurrection à à à à à As Conrad begins to drift off he begins to envision the awful day of his brothers death. It was just like he was there all over again everything was so real. The dream covered every aspect of the horrifying event, but this time the end was a new beginning. As Buck released himself from the boat and drew closer and closer to the forever darkness of death Conrad froze as he did before. Once Buck had left the known world the same thoughts that plague him Conrad in reality started a dangerous flow beginning to take over his body. Before the deadly disease of guilt and anger grew to strong they were no longer in the water. Conrad was all alone in a solid white room with one door made of glass. On the other side of the four-inch plate glass door stood Buck. He was there with Conrad once again, but he wasnââ¬â¢t there at the same time. As they both stood there trying to find a way back to each other a cloud of darkness crept over the two young boys until everything th at was once white became blackened, the hope of being together was covered with the fear of everything that is gloomy. Visually his brother was gone, but Conrad had lost the sense of sight while gaining the ability to heat his brother. Everything that had troubled him since his brotherââ¬â¢s death came to a discussion. ââ¬Å"Buck I am so sorry that I didnââ¬â¢t save you! I wish everyday that it could have been me instead of you.â⬠Conrad cried. In response Buck said sternly ââ¬Å"What happened to me is no where close to your fault. Blame for my death rest completely on my shoulders if you had tried to save me both of our lives could have been lost and that would be a catastrophe.â⬠As Conrad began to arise from his knee he questioned his brother ââ¬Å"What can I do for you?â⬠Buck began to answer ââ¬Å" Conrad I am already gone no matter how much you mourn my death I will still only be a memory and a spirit. But you alive in the physical form and the only th ing I have is the hope that you will live your life with enough happiness for the both of us. The only life I have left is watching you grow and your life so far has only been comprised of sadness.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Time and Health Nursing
nur/405 University of Phoenix Material History of Community Nursing Matrix Complete the matrix with the following concepts, and relate the concepts to two different periods of time in history and the present time: â⬠¢ Describe each period briefly. â⬠¢ Clarify the differences during each period with public health nursing and community health nursing. â⬠¢ Describe the key health issues. â⬠¢ Identify community health partnerships used during this period of time. â⬠¢ Describe how Watsonââ¬â¢s Theory of Human Transpersonal Caring is related. |Historical time |Nursing role in |Major health issues |Partnerships used |Watsonââ¬â¢s theory | | |period |community | | | | |Past period 1 |Florence Nightingale |Florence Nightingale |Infection with bacteria |Nightingale used rich and |Watsonââ¬â¢s theory of | | |in 1860 |developed nursing |such as E. oli, |upstanding people in the |caring was based on | | | |programs for students as|Pseudomonas, Staph, |community to hel p her with |caring for the | | | |well as a form of |blood borne diseases, |her goal of creating more |patients and | | | |nursing where nurses |and airborne disease |schools and promoting |environment. | | |took care of sick people|from caregivers not |public health nursing. |Nightingale and | | | |within the home. Her |using universal |Most people noticed the |Watsonââ¬â¢s vision was | | | |emphasis for this care |precautions with good |problem in the community |related in this way | | | |was on sanitation, |hand washing. and willing to help, such |because environment | | | |prevention of illnesses,|Sanitation and |as Rathbone Liverpool who |according to them | | | |and the actual education|cleanliness was another |helped create more schools |both is a part of | | | |of nurses caring for the|issue. Nightingale |to educate women in the |healing, and as | | | |sick. wanted to make sure |community about the |nurses we should pay | | | | |people were in a clean |importance of publi c health|attention to the | | | | |environment to promote |nursing and the need for |patient, families, | | | | |healing and sanitation |sanitation and promotion of|and the things around| | | | |was an important part of|wellness (Healthline, |them to promote | | | | |her program. |2008). |comfort and | | | | | | |relaxation which in | | | | | | |return helps them to | | | | | | |heal. |Past period 2 |Lillian Wald in the |Wald was known as the |The health issues were |When she began to extend |Watson and Wald were | | |late 1800s |pioneer of modern day |the same as far as |her work, it attracted the |similar because they | | | |public health nursing in|infection and |attention of philanthropist|both wanted to | | | |the United States |sanitation, nurses not |Jacob Schiff who then |promote education in | | | |(Healthline, 2008). She|practicing good hand |offered money and time |nurses to promote | | | |directed her focus of |washing, but Wald took |secretly because he was |health and wellbeing. | | | |nursing similar to |it a step further and |Jewish and this was the |Wald cared about the | | | |Nightingaleââ¬â¢s.She |focused on people lives |large population of people |community and the | | | |started out in New York |outside of health also. |she was caring for |expansion of peopleââ¬â¢s| | | |training nurses and they|She taught people how to|(Healthline 2008). With |horizons and she | | | |lived in the |sew and cook along with |his help, she was able to |wanted them to live | | | |neighborhoods they |other recreational |expand her employees and |and work to their | | | |worked in. She not only|activities and |provide the most efficient |fullest potential. | | |focused on the care of |involvement in the |care with the best nurses |Watson is the same in| | | |the patient but other |community and her |available at that time. |that she developed | | | |areas of life such as |biggest accomplishment |She was even able to write |her model to give us | | | |empl oyment and education|was the labor movement. |two books which she |a guide in caring for| | | |as well as sanitation |She even worked with the|received great recognition |people and all things| | | |and wellbeing. She also|NAACP during the Civil |for. and situations that | | | |formed organizations |Rightsââ¬â¢ movement for | |could affect their | | | |that focused on womenââ¬â¢s |African Americans | |lives. In doing | | | |rights and equality, and|(Healthline, 2008). Her| |this, nurses build | | | |formed schools and |main projects were | |trust and there is a | | | |programs for the |focused around patient | |better working | | | |mentally ill. |care, education, and | |relationship. | | | | |equality. | | |Current period |Twentieth Century- |The Visiting Nursing |Environmental health, |Governmental agencies and |Watsonââ¬â¢s caring | | |Visiting Nursing |Association, now known |social services needs, |American Red Cross as well |theory focused on | | |Association |as home health nursing |infection, immunizations|as healthcare departments |caring for patients | | | |has become a part of |and education are the |and clinics are the |and wellbeing. | | | |community nursing. |focus of home health and|partnerships that keep |Today, governmental | | | |Health departments and |health departments |these organizations going. |agencies and | | | |clinics have also been |today.Keeping up with |It is important to have |healthcare | | | |designed to help people |immunizations, well baby|these clinics for the |departments are very | | | |in their environment |treatments, and |younger generation who may |active in the | | | |versus them coming to |education about |not feel comfortable |promotion of wellness| | | |hospitals. This helps |STDs/AIDS and teenage |talking to their parents |and health, which is | | | |serve the poor by going |pregnancies are a main |about certain changes and |similar to Watson. | | | |to them to give good |focus of public health |aspects of life. Being a |Caring for people and| | | |care and also assess |nurses.This ensures |public health nurse, you |their environment was| | | |their situation to apply|that our community is |should remain positive and |the focus for Watson,| | | |any additional needs or |aware of resources and |open and very supportive |and we still hold | | | |assistance. |care available to them. |for teenagers and young |those same standards | | | | | |adults so they are able to |in our community | | | | | |understand possible dangers|today and will | | | | | |to them and others. continue to uphold | | | | | | |the values of life as| | | | | | |the people who fought| | | | | | |for us to have these | | | | | | |rights and | | | | | | |opportunities. |
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Saturday, December 28, 2019
The Decline of Privacy on the Internet Essay examples
The Decline of Privacy on the Internet Within national and international laws, privacy has had a long history. It is a value that is inevitably subjective, due largely to its varying importance among cultures.1 Nonetheless, there does exist three, more or less universal, aspects of privacy: freedom from intrusion, control of information about oneself, and freedom from surveillance,2 which have been pushed to the vanguard by the Internet. Economic theory endorses that the cost of acquiring information guides behavior. As a result, easily accessible databases increase the chance that people will search for information that they would not otherwise seek because the cost would have been too high. Because there is such a low cost forâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦To treat a person as a mere means is to use a person to advance oneââ¬â¢s own interest. But to treat a person as an end is to respect that personââ¬â¢s dignity by allowing each the freedom to choose for himself. A loss of privacy occurs when the degree of our se crecy, anonymity, or solitude decreases. However, there is an important distinction between the loss of privacy and the violation of privacy. That is, losses of privacy are not necessarily undesirable. Each situation must be assessed to determine whether the loss of privacy limits the functions of privacy.7 As long as the principle of respect for people is maintained, the collection of personal information can indeed be ethical. One way to collect personal information while still treating the person with proper respect is to obtain his informed consent, that is, detailing how the information will be used, who will have access to the information, and how long the information will be kept. Only with this information can a truly informed choice be made. When he does give his informed consent, it means that he has weighed all the costs and benefits and has concluded that the desirable functions of privacy (environment for maintaining relationships, freedom from physical access, and libe rty of actions) are still preserved.8 The rights standard supporter would enunciate respecting and developing usersââ¬â¢ capacity to choose freely for themselves. Therefore, obtaining informed consent respects theShow MoreRelatedCopelandR MKTG600 MidTerm Essay969 Words à |à 4 Pagesbrand value and integrity and begin to cultivate the two. . Question 2: Discuss the Product Life Cycle Concept and include the relative amounts of sales and profit during each stage. Products go through a cycle which phases goes from introduction to decline. This pattern is based on a lot of factors to include the current marketing situation which could greatly impact the product. The following stages are: Introduction: The introduction stage is the beginning of the cycle but the last stage of developmentRead MoreBrand Analysis : Brand Company1397 Words à |à 6 Pagesthey have a limited life. Second, they pass through different stages. Third, they rise and fall. Finally, they require different marketing strategies. In fact, the Product life cycle has four different stages: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. It doesnââ¬â¢t mean all products will reach all steps. A product may withdraw after the first stage, and one may stay longer in one stage. A. The introduction stage The introduction stage is the step of heavy promotional and advertising activities toRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of The Internet On Human Life761 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Internet on Human Life The Internet is a technology that has negative impacts on our daily lives. It has changed aspects of our life for the last 50 years, and it has demonstrated the considerable influence on peopleââ¬â¢s lives. Almost 3.2 billion people in the world use the internet. The Internet has gained acceptance across the globe, and it has also become a reason behind the critical changes in the modern society. Some of the changes are social isolation, health disorder, lack of privacy andRead MorePrivacy s Perception Of Privacy1161 Words à |à 5 Pagesmesses with peopleââ¬â¢s perceptions of their privacy. Naturally, when you are constantly being watched by someone or something, you perceive a loss of privacy. ââ¬Å"People are concerned about privacy; they are afraid that the digital systems they use on an everyday basis may bring unwanted effects into their lives.â⬠(Lahlou, 2008, p. 300) In his article, Lahlou presents an alternate way of viewing privacy that better SOMETHING HERE La hlou points out that ââ¬Å"Privacy was initially understood as ââ¬Ëthe right toRead MoreFacebook s Social Of And Economic Power Essay1661 Words à |à 7 Pagesdollars revenue from targeted advertising. This essay will explore ways in which Facebook has continued to entice users to share more and more data and how this data has been used as Facebookââ¬â¢s main way to gain revenue. As well as this issues such as privacy and the potential unsustainability of such profits will also be discussed and assessed throughout this essay. Facebookââ¬â¢s one major commodity ââ¬â data ââ¬â has been created and continues be created every second by users of the social media platform. Facebookââ¬â¢sRead MoreA Virtual Generation: Social Mediaà ´s Negative Impact on Our Generation820 Words à |à 4 Pagesproblem. What if these small actions are leading to a misconception of what society should be. In the end, are the risks severe enough for the problems to stop? What if social media is affecting our relationships with others, our grades, and our privacy? In many ways it is. Social media is negatively impacting our generation. ââ¬Å"We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.â⬠(Turkle, 1) The increase of socialRead MoreThe Cyber Defenses Of The United States887 Words à |à 4 Pagesstands to be seen that foreign powers will use their resources to gain any advantage over America whether it be hacking public organizations or private organizations therefore these organizations must stand together. Since the beginning of the internet, the government has been trying to keep its policies relevant with the evolving digital criminal world and in doing this has put in place policies that can be overly invasive. This method can have severe repercussions if it continues unchecked. Read MoreDisadvantages And Disadvantages Of Social Media1536 Words à |à 7 Pagespart of current Internet and used by more than a billion individuals worldwide. They provide opportunities to share ideas and interact with others, from old friends to strangers. In spite of the fact that social media has changed individualsââ¬â¢ lives with unnumbered benefits, many disadvantages, to users, are hidden under the superficial advantages, including decreasing health levels, declining communication skills, breaking interpersonal relationships and violating personal privacy. In order to preventRead MoreNet Neutrality, or the Separation Between Internet Service Providers 847 Words à |à 4 PagesScott Cleland fr om Net Competition said that net neutrality legislations ââ¬Å"mean less privacy for all Americans, as Net neutrality would require more government monitoring and surveillance of Internet trafficâ⬠(qtd. from ââ¬Å"Net Neutralityâ⬠). But what is he talking about anyway? Net neutrality, or the separation between internet service providers (ISPââ¬â¢s) and the content being retrieved through their networks, is an extremely hot topic nowadays. The ideals of net neutrality can be compared to the way youRead MoreIs Personal Privacy At Risk From Social Media?1624 Words à |à 7 PagesIs personal privacy at risk due to social media? Since the creation of the first social media site in the late 1990s, over 2 billion people around the world use social media every day. Over the past decade personal and professional life have gradually become overwhelmed with social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. What all these sites have in common is that they enable people to share, communicate, connect, and build careers while enjoying their social lives. In this world, people have
Friday, December 20, 2019
Influence Of Confucianism On Korean Traditions - 1369 Words
Socio-philosophical structures have strong effect on traditions: Case of influence of Confucianism on Korean traditions As history goes by the world structure, politics, and economy changes from decade to decade, however traditions, customs and culture of different countries remain almost untouched. Culture therefore is a highly important aspect to the society and individuals (Oatey, 2012). Culture of any society includes traditions, customs, rituals and events flourished by certain society. As a part of culture traditions in originated in ancient times and determined by public and private life of individuals. They implied teachings, moral and aesthetic norms, rules and skills of house dwelling and raising children methods. The stabilityâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦First of all it is necessary to figure out what Confucian philosophy is all about. Confucianism is philosophy that dates back to the VI century BC and carries an ethical and political character (McDevitt, 2007). It impli es the ideas related to the issues of morality, family and ways of effective governance. Confucian is widespread in China and countries that had a cultural exchange with China. So, along with the monuments of written Chinese came to Korea and Confucianism. According to Confucian teachings, one of the main components of society is the family, where individual learns the language, culture and religion (Yao, 2000). For centuries, men had greater power than women had. This patriarchal family regime remains same in many countries nowadays as well as in Korea (Sleziak, 2013). In ancient Korea, main unit of society was the ââ¬Å"clanâ⬠that consisted of couple of families having same parents and grandparents through male line. The preference thus was given to men. Families followed Confucian orders that youngsters should unconditionally obey to the elders. More than that, Confucian scholars argued that a person could learn important thing from family only. Only in the family person c ould gain such important qualities as love of the country and a sense of justice necessary for service to the state (Yao, 2000). However, this obey lessons did not relate to families only- they
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Analyse the Political Implications of Concentrated Media Ownership and Control free essay sample
The media is primarily used to disseminate information. It is a platform for communication between the people and those who hold authority. In todayââ¬â¢s world the media has an immense role in the functioning of society and has the ability to reach a mass audience through technologies such as print, Internet, television, film and radio. There has been increasing concern over the growing concentration of media ownership as well as how this increased media control influences and shapes democracy. Concentrated media ownership refers to the number of individuals or corporations who control an increasing share in the mass media market, which at present is very few. For example, eleven out of twelve major Australian Newspapers are owned by Rupert Murdochââ¬â¢s News Corporation or John Fairfax Holdings (Independent Australia, 2011). Society has seen media moguls, such as Rupert Murdoch, dominate cross-media ownership with companies in print, television, film etc. The media and politics are closely intertwined and with an increase in concentrated media ownership and control, issues such as political bias; the trivialisation and sensationalism of political issues in the pursuit of profits; and the decreasing amout of editorial diversity and expression, have become issues of concern for the consumers of this mass media. Street describes bias as ââ¬Å"the idea that the practices of journalists and editors result in articles and programmes that favour one view of the world over another, providing sustenance for one set of interests while undermining an alternativeâ⬠(Street, 2011). Bias is a large issue within all media, and authorities enforce a myriad of regulations and restrictions on media corporations to try and eliminate it. With an increase in media concentration, and the power that the media yields, eliminating political bias within the media has become an important issue. Since most of the media institutions are owned by corporations, such as Rupert Murdochââ¬â¢s News Corporation, the most common assumption is that the media as a whole may be influenced by its owners. For instance, there are times when the owners decision may affect the kind of information that media would disclose to the public. Wagner makes the point that ââ¬Å"the news media distribute much of the information we receive about the world around us. Thousands of politicians, policy researchers and opinion makers wish to transmit information to the public at large. The news media serve as intermediaries in this information market, selecting to transmit a fraction of the millions of potential messages to an audienceâ⬠(Wagner, 1997). For example, Rupert Murdochââ¬â¢s Fox News channel was been criticised for its right-tilted news coverage. Murdoch has always been seen to favour the conservative side of politics and the Fox News channel has been seen to show preference toward the Republican Government in America. Fox Founder and president Rodger Ailes was a republican political operative in Washington. He helped with The Nixon and Reagan campaigns as well as the elder Bushââ¬â¢s media strategy for his presidentiary campaign in 1988 (Ackerman, 2001). David Asman, The Fox News Channelââ¬â¢s daytime anchor was known for his association with the right- wing Wall Street Journal. Another anchor for Fox News, Tony Snow, was a conservative columnist and also the chief speechwriter for the first bush administration (Ackerman, 2001). The Fox News Channel also hosted employees and presenters such as Eric Breindel, John Moody and Bill Oââ¬â¢Reilly, all of whom were known for their conservative, right wing views (Ackerman, 2001). Rupert Murdock stated, ââ¬Å" I challenge anybody to show me an example of bias in Fox News Channel. (Ackerman, 2001) However, looking at the individuals that were in charge of disseminating the news at Fox, it is hard to believe that none of the political stories covered by Fox did not favour the more conservative side of American politics. Media conglomerates, such as News Corporation, have the ability to sway public opinion and with the increasing control they have access to, it is naive to think that they would not use this power to influence and sway public opinion to fit with their own agendas and ideologies. The size of the enormous media firms of today exceeds the size of the largest firms fifteen years ago by a factor of ten. (McChesney, 1999). With this increase in the size of the major media corporations also comes the increased pursuit of profits by these firms. Sometimes, this pursuit of profit can be to the detriment of information and in turn democracy. Corporations look for stories that will attract and entertain readers and viewers, sometimes neglecting stories that hold high information content and reflect political policies and agendas. McChesney refers to this need to aximise profits when he states ââ¬Å"With the tremendous pressure to attract audiences but to keep costs down and not take chances, the standard route of the media giants is to turn to the tried and true formulas of sex and violence, always attention gettersâ⬠(McChesney, 1999, p34). With the increased emphasis on profit maximisation and the commercialisation of news media, there is a risk that consumers of news media will cease to have access to information regarding smaller issues in society such as local political policy/s and other more localised issues. Because these issues are small and arenââ¬â¢t seen as revenue earners, or important issues, they may be sacrificed to make way for big stories and scandals. In other words, profit and revenue may become more important, in the eyes of media conglomerates, than information. The pure size of the media and its influence over information has huge impacts on democracy and politics. Meier (2011) sites Giddens in his work. Giddens talks about the trivializing of political issues and personas and states ââ¬Å" The media have a double relation to democracy. On the one hand the emergence of a global information society is a powerful democratising force. Yet, television, and the other media, tend to destroy the very public space of dialogue they open up, through relentless trivializing, and personalizing of political issues. Moreover, the growth of giant multinational media corporations means that unelected business tycoons can hold enormous powerâ⬠(p 298). In essence, Giddens is stating that while news media and media corporations may broadcast political issues and policies, these views are somewhat destroyed with the constant emphasis on the politicians themselves. Because of this a great deal of emphasis is taken away from the real political issues. An example of this is the constant criticism of Julia Gillard and her lifestyle. For example, she is an unmarried woman; her partner is a hairdresser. There is also constant evaluation of her hairstyle, wardrobe, her figure and her voice. Gillard is constantly known for stabbing Kevin Rudd in the back. She has also been portrayed as untrustworthy as well as a liar. Instead of the media evaluating and critiquing her policies and looking critically at her as a leader, we see the media sensationalising the above trivial issues instead of concentrating on what she is doing for the country politically. As Media concentration and control increases, diversity of expression decreases. In all healthy democracies, a wide range of assorted opinions are offered, and media offer a large variety of different positions, values and biases. No individual is obliged to accept any particular position or argument, but they are encouraged to have put their own views and criticisms forward. The core problem that comes with media concentration is that it diminishes ideological diversity within the media system. Studies have been conducted that show that although there may be more media outlets, there is not necessarily more information or diversity in media. ââ¬Å"Rather than the new platforms leading to a diversity of voices, voices are in fact being snuffed outâ⬠¦ An analysis of independent media showed that 96 per cent of stories simply came from recycling stories found in the mainstream press. However, The study also showed that the mainstream press was producing 73 percent less information than 10 years agoâ⬠(independent Australia, 2011). Curran states that ââ¬Å"they can use their financial power to drive new entrants out of the marketplace by launching expensive promotional campaigns, offering discounts to advertisers or buying up key creative personnelâ⬠(Curran, 2005) Because of the increased power of media corporations, they have the ability to eliminate their competition and therefore decrease the amount of diversity available to the consumer. Robert W. McChesney outlines in his book Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy that there are three factors that allow democracy to work at its best. The first is ââ¬Å" it helps when there are not significant disparities in economic wealth and property ownership across the societyâ⬠(1997, p5). The second requires there to be ââ¬Å" a sense of community and a notion that an individuals well- being is determined to no small extent by the communityââ¬â¢s well-beingâ⬠(1997, p5). Finally McChesney states ââ¬Å"democracy requires that there be an effective system of political communicationâ⬠(1997, p5). Media concentration and control works to the detriment of each of these factors. Firstly the multi billion dollar media corporations, do not represent economic equality within the society, in fact they help to make the gap between the working classes and authority increase. Media concentration disputes McChesneyââ¬â¢s second factor as media moguls and corporations have become increasingly focused on the pursuit of large profits and personal gain, and are not heavily influenced around societyââ¬â¢s wellbeing. Finally, an effective system of political communication should be based around diversity of news coverage and diversity of political issues, both locally and nationally, large and small. However, with the increasing size of corporations the diversity of expression has steadily decreased. Australia has one of the highest media concentrations in the free world. With the increasing control held by mass media conglomerates various political issues arise such as political bias; the trivialisation and sensationalism of political issues in the pursuit of profits; and the decreasing amount of editorial diversity and expression. The above issues threaten democracy and the media must be regulated and controlled before it threatens how the political system in Australia functions. Governments need to manage media moguls, such as Rupert Murdock before they gain too much power, and control, over political issues and coverage. The key to a democratic society is freedom of information, positive political debate and communication. These key functions of a democratic society are being threatened by concentrated mass media and the increasing control held by these corporations.
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