Role of Social Networking Sites Towards Social Change Essay Example for Free

Role of Social Networking Sites Towards Social Change Essay Social Networking Sites (SNS) is a group of Web sites that provide people with the opportunity to create an online profile and to share that profile with others (Barnes, 2006). The top ranked SNS in India are Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Orkut, Google plus, etc. Besides electronic media, print media, Mobile phones and e-mails, SNS occupy a large space in every individual. When the first social networking site (classmate.com) was created in 1995, it just acted as a mere friend finder which helps the user to find their old friends and build relationship. Later looking at the huge success of networking sites hundreds of sites were created all around the world. Orkut was one of the famous SNS in India. When the traditional media is subjected to certain restrictions and pre-censorship in certain countries, the new media offers complete freedom of expression. When the mainstream media questions central or state’s functioning against people it is subjected to restrictions. Though a very few media provide unbiased news, most of the Mainstream media are owned by corporate companies whose priorities are celebrity issues, cricket, inaugurals of showrooms, commercialized entertainment, sensationalized talk shows and so on. SNS allow individuals to share their views and opinions. Apart from restrictions and censorship, individuals can share photographs, videos and links related to the social issues which can add volume to their views and also as a justification. Individual SNS users act as an opinion maker through networking sites. People those who follow them or in their friends circle comment their views on the posts. As it is networked the status update is shared by friends and friends of friends too. A medium is considered as an Alternative medium only when it notices the unnoticed, hears the unheard screams, expresses the feelings of marginalized groups, questions the authorities and challenge the biased mainstream media. No doubt social networking sites does all. It also serves as a source for the mainstream media. It helps to form communities, organize people together, changes the government. Social networking Sites Social Networking Sites (SNS) is a group of Web sites that provide people with the opportunity to create an online profile and to share that profile with others (Barnes, 2006). The top ranked SNS in India are Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Orkut, Google plus, etc. Besides electronic media, print media, Mobile phones and e-mails, SNS occupy a large space in every individual. The reason behind is most of the colleges, universities and work places are bonded with internet. Social Networking succeeds in a big way because it directly interconnects individuals and provides opportunity for us to design our own space. They help individuals to connect with their friends, family and even with strangers. These sites act as a platform to express our views. It also helps us to built and form communities of similar tastes. â€Å"Social networking tools give senior leaders the power to communicate instantly and with great regularity and consistency with globally diverse teams† (Elaine Varelas, 2010) When the first social networking site (classmate.com) was created in 1995, it just acted as a mere friend finder which helps the user to find their old friends and build relationship. Later looking at the huge success of networking sites hundreds of sites were created all around the world. Orkut was one of the famous SNS in India. After 2006 the concept of Facebook became a great success followed by twitter and recent Google plus. These sites can be used as public blogging, resource sharing, reflecting one’s views on any social issue. These sites pave a way for freedom of speech and expression. They can share what happened around them, with their views; find followers and likes for their updates. Freedom of Expression According to the Constitution of India Article 19 refers to freedom of speech and expression. With no other law or article for media, article 19(1)(a) says that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression, which means the right to express one’s feelings and expressions freely by writing, painting, printing, spoken words or any other mode. Also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. According to UDHR Article 19 says that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. When the traditional media is subjected to certain restrictions and pre-censorship in certain countries, the new media offers complete freedom of expression. When the mainstream media questions central or state’s functioning against people it is subjected to restrictions. Though a very few media provides unbiased news, most of the Mainstream media are owned by corporate companies whose priorities are celebrity issues, cricket, inaugurals of showrooms, commercialized entertainment, sensationalized talk shows and so on. They hardly cover the common man’s sufferings and even if covered poor facts make the issue seem worthless. Thus by ignoring the human rights violations at different levels a common man suffers, media is moving far away from people centered issues. Many people who are with sources but doesn’t get a right platform to express themselves because of gatekeeping process. Most of the human rights violating issues are also neglected in many mainstream medi a. So there is an urge for an alternative medium which brings out all the social issues around the world. Networking sites – a platform to share For many years, technology research overlooked the role of the user as a significant variable in studying technology and media. Influenced by early mass communication theories, such as the hypodermic needle model, media users were studied as an undifferentiated mass audience. This theory suggests that mass media can shoot messages at an audience and can have a universal, homogeneous effect on them. (Wimmer, R. D. Dominick, J. R. (1994). SNS allow individuals to share their views and opinions. Apart from restrictions and censorship, individuals can share photographs, videos and links related to the social issues which can add volume to their views and also as a justification. Through networking sites people can be organized, form groups, communities etc. Networking sites offer various options and settings which can be a good one for discussions and opinion forming. Recent trends in Social Networking Sites towards Social Change This century’s most popular revolution began at Egypt on January 25 which brought out the importance of social networking sites and the power of Tweets. It is strongly believed that the fall of Hosni Mubarak was because of Twitter and Facebook. â€Å"†¦.the Egyptian revolution took off more quickly, spread to more people, became more universal, and scared the heck out of a dictator more effectively because of social media. Social media didnt cause the revolution, but it was essential to its success† (Josh Bernoff) Libya also became liberated from Muammar Gaddafi, the de-facto ruler of Libya. Social networking sites bought an end to Gaddafi’s freedom, socialism and unity†. Srilankan Tamil genocide on 2009, millions of people was killed in Srilankan war. Thousands were sent to refugee camp. The Srilankan media cleverly censored the war killings in their media and several other international reporters were sent back to their countries from Srilanka. But, news, photos and videos from war fields were uploaded via blogs and networking sites by fellow refugees, victims of war. They spoke about the cruelty of genocide. This brought world nations’ attention to take action against Sri Lankan president at international court for genocide and war crimes. The Jammu and Kashmir state government banned Short Message Service (SMS) service in Jammu and Kashmir realizing that it was the medium through which people were communicating and spreading information across. But Facebook and other social networking sites have largely nullified the government’s plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"Kashmir Unrest†, a community page created by a student user, has around 600 members. The user has made passionate appeals on the page to take the campaign against rights abuses to international level† (Adil Akhzer). The photos of the atrocities, clashes between the protesters and army personnel, video recording of the cold blooded murders received worldwide coverage. According to Khurram Parvez, coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, â€Å"They (government) are monitoring whosoever writes what, with traditional Kashmiri media dominated by the official Indian viewpoint and public meetings and protests banned, young people in the disputed Himalayan region have turned to social media to â€Å"make their voices heard in the world and to share information†. Social networking sites †¢ enable individuals to share them with friends †¢ enable people to see how many others share their perspective. †¢ enable people to coordinate activity and get the word out about protests, social issues. †¢ enable people to comment their views on their friend’s posts and retweet it. SNS as opinion makers With the help of SNS an individual can become an opinion maker. People those who follow them or in their friends circle comment their views on the posts. As it is networked the status update is shared by friends and friends of friends too. With the help of SNS so many issues such as Lokpal bill, Mullai periyar dam gained national attention. The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the citizens ombudsman bill, is a proposed independent anti-corruption law in India. Anna Hazares fast was successful in mobilizing the support of thousands of people in the virtual world of social media. Hazare had over 500,000 mentions through status updates and comments across top social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter in the country. Social Networking Sites have become one of the status symbol among youth film promotion is a successful marketing strategy. One can create a discussion forum on the internet as opposed to other forms of marketing where the information is open to only being seen and consumed. The interactivity factor on the internet leads to exponential popularity for a film(Nabeel Abbas). Filmmakers create fan pages on websites like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, by building special official websites as well as by tying up with networking sites like Zapak and Ibibo, which offer various customized applications and games related to a movie. Social networking sites – promoting human rights issues When there was a very strict gatekeeping in media on certain issues, the mainstream media have to edit or eliminate issues from the news room. So those issues were kept on eliminated for decades and decades. Media also prioritized their TRP’s and crossed out many of the issues. These filters increased whenever the society faces a problem, the people discussed what media says, but they are never given a chance to reflect their views as Mainstream media acted as a one way medium. There was a very less feedback from the receiver side and it was hardly reflected. Social networking sites and blogs act as a platform for the citizens to express their grievance and criticisms either in public or within their friends’ circles. As the network sites enables the user to choose their circles through which their updates, photos or videos can also be shared by their friends. Conclusion A medium is considered as an Alternative medium only when it notices the unnoticed, hears the unheard screams, expresses the feelings of marginalized groups, questions the authorities and challenge the biased mainstream media. No doubt social networking sites does all. It also serves as a source for the mainstream media. It helps to form communities, organize people together, changes the government. People must be aware of the power of social networking sites. As the coin has both sides SNS are also unenthusiastic in some cases. The posts, tweets etc are an individual’s opinion about some issue. All those updates can’t be taken as a valid proof. They reflect the particular individual’s opinion on some issues. People must have media literacy and real sense for proper utilization. According to Comscore, a marketing company, India is the world’s seventh largest social network site visitor in 2010. It has been growing as a giant alternative medium due to the accessibility of new medium. SNS can’t be compared with Mass Media, but when the (SNS) mediated group communication grabs the attention of the mainstream media it becomes a powerful social medium. Non- professional writers and common people also show much interest on sharing their views on social issues especially on human rights issues. Apart from writers, journalists and intellectuals, women especially house wives use networking sites. They share themselves, find similar survivors. SNS can also be used as a medium which rejuvenates people. â€Å"People feel that the internet is the only democratic medium available,† (Khurram Parvez).

Arabs in the Media: Victim or Villain? Essay example -- Argumentative

Arabs in the Media: Victim or Villain?   Ã‚  Ã‚   For decades, the media portrayal of the Arab culture and Islam has contributed to a skewed public opinion in America. Looking closely at the news coverage concerning the Middle East and the United States, there is an inherent media bias against Arabs and Muslims as foreign threats to domestic security. Stephen Franklin argues that "Islamic nations are often portrayed in news reports as uniformly intolerant and anti-democratic" (Franklin 17). Unfortunately, such coverage has contributed to the public and government misconceptions of all Arabs and Muslims as terrorists. According to Fawaz Gerges, "terrorism has emerged as one of the most important political issues in the United States...[linking] it to Islamic militancy..." (Gerges 79). Moreover, the media's skewed depiction of the Arabs and Muslims has perpetuated countless stereotypes that undoubtedly affect the American opinion. These stereotypes and misconceptions of the Arabs and Muslims clearly indicate a media bias provoked by ignorance and ethnocentricity. The elite media's role in the portrayal of the Arab culture and Islam following the Oklahoma City bombing has had adetrimental effect on America's public opinion, investigation proceedings, and government action.    Once word of the Oklahoma City bombing reached the Associated Press and major American publications, journalists were quick to point the finger of guilt at Muslim fundamentalism. The Western perspective of the Middle East is a dark one. The Muslims are looked at as ruthless and barbaric people, inclined to kill and destroy. Steven Emerson, a so-called expert featured on CBS Evening News, "suggested that there [must] be some inherent cultural trait behind... ...people.virginia.edu/~sy5u/Bias.html    Works Cited Bazzi, Mohamad. "The Arab Menace", The Progressive. Vol 59, n8. August 1995. P40. Franklin, Stephen. "Covering the World of Muslims", Columbia Journalism Review. Vol 33, Iss 5. Jan 1995. p17 Gerges, Fawaz A. "Islam and Muslims in the Mind of America: Influences on the Making of US Policy", Journal of Palestine Studies. Vol XXVI, no2. Winter 1997, p68-77. Hernandez, Debra Gersh. "Religious Stereotyping By The Media", Editor & Publisher. Vol 117, Iss 36. 3 Sept 1994. p16-17. Lacayo, Richard. "How Safe is Safe?". Time. 1 May 1995. p68-72. Rosewicz, Barbara. "Terrorism Hits Home: US Building Bombed; Dead Include Children". The Wall Street Journal. 20 April 1995. A1, A6 . Thomas, Pierre and Ann Devroy. "Clinton Condemns 'Evil Cowards' for Blast". The Washington Post. 20 April 1995. A1, A24.

Narrative Voice in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Read the passage from Pride and Prejudice (volume 1, chapter XVII) carefully several times. Then, in an continuous essay of no more than 1,000 words, analyse the passage, discussing ways in which the narrative voice and dialogue are used. Throughout the passage, Jane Austen uses a variety of different narrative and dialogue techniques. The reader hears from three different people, an omniscient narrator, Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Bennet. Through these characters the technique of â€Å"showing† is used, which involved direct speech and â€Å"telling† where the narrator describes what is happening, what the characters are saying and how they are feeling. The â€Å"showing† technique allows the reader to see what the characters are saying to each other, so in this passage, the reader ‘sees’ the conversation between Elizabeth and Jane. â€Å"Telling† involves the use of free indirect speech and focalization, giving the reader a detailed view of the character and â€Å"telling† the reader what the character is thinking and feeling. The passage opens with the omniscient narrator introducing a discussion between Jane and Elizabeth regarding Mr. Wickham’s dealings with Mr. Darcy. Austen uses the â€Å"telling technique† to introduce this passage to give clarity to the reader as to what the discussion is about, Austen opens with â€Å"Elizabeth related to Jane the next day, what had passed between Mr. Wickham and herself†. Elizabeth has decided to share her conversation with her sister Jane the following day, which means that Elizabeth has firstly had time to digest what Wickham has told her and secondly the narrator is telling us that she is close to her sister, because she is sharing this important information with her. The narrator uses free indirect speech which allows the reader to trust Elizabeth’s account of Wickham to be true, even though the reader does not know what has been spoken between the sisters. The narrator uses Jane for focalization. Through the â€Å"telling† technique the reader is allowed to see Jane’s reaction to Elizabeth’s encounter with Wickham, Austen writes â€Å"Jane listened with astonishment and concern†. Jane is â€Å"astonished† because the reader knows she thinks so highly of Bingley and she does not believe he would be connected with Mr. Darcy if the statement was true, â€Å"she knew not how to believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of Mr. Bingley’s regard†. Jane is concerned as she is hoping for a marriage with Mr. Bingley and does not want anything to ruin her plans, the narrator informs, â€Å"it was not in her nature to question the veracity of a young man†. Jane’s character is not one which would look for bad qualities in a person and through this form of free indirect speech; Austen is able to create a tone and expression which Jane’s character would use. Jane concludes that s he wishes to keep an open mind and believes there is another explanation for what has passed stating â€Å"It is in short impossible for us to conjecture the causes or circumstances which may have alienated them†. The next part of the passage shows direct speech between Jane and Elizabeth, and the â€Å"showing† technique is used to state their difference of opinions. Jane feels there is no one to blame other than misunderstanding on both parties. Elizabeth however, uses a mocking tone in her response to Jane exclaiming â€Å"and now, my dear Jane, what have you got to say on behalf of the interested people who have probably been concerned in the business?† Elizabeth is trying to convince her sister that her point of view is the correct one, and also by referring to Jane as â€Å"my dear Jane† although she is mocking her, there is fondness and closeness for her sister and it highlights Jane’s character of seeing the good in all people and a little naivety on Jane’s character. Throughout the dialogue between Jane and Elizabeth the narrator is â€Å"showing† the reader how Elizabeth is trying to convince her sister that Wickham is being honest in his account of his dealings with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth gets the reader to instinctively believe what Wickham has told her, without question or doubt. The reader trusts what Elizabeth is saying and the likability of the character also emphasises this. Elizabeth past accounts of events have been very shrewd if a little ironic, however the reader may guess that Elizabeth may be wrong in her prejudice towards Mr. Darcy. Although Elizabeth uses facts and names to convince Jane, Jane is still doesn’t believe the situation to be true, Jane proclaims â€Å"It’s difficult indeed†. Again the reader sees Jane’s personality as someone who does not look at anyone in a bad way through this direct speech. The narrator uses â€Å"showing† in Elizabeth’s reply of â€Å"I beg your par don – one knows exactly what to think†, meaning that Elizabeth is still convinced Wickham is being truthful and she feels very strongly about this and almost convincing herself Darcy has most defiantly done wrong. Jane’s character is used to focalize again, allowing the reader to see how she reacts to Elizabeth. The narrator then uses free indirect speech to show the reader how Jane is thinking and worrying about Mr. Bingley and how could be viewed publicly – â€Å"Jane could think with certainty on only one point, – that Mr. Bingley, if he had been imposed on, would have much to suffer†. The passage closes with the arrival of the Bingley’s, going from narrative voice to authorial comment, Austen writes â€Å"the arrival of the very persons of whom they had been speaking†. The Bingley’s give their invitation to Netherfield ball and the narrative voice changes to indirect speech reporting what the characters say. The reader learns of how the Bingley sisters treat Jane and her family through the narrative voice and showing the fondness they have for Jane, â€Å"The two ladies were delighted to see their dear friend again† however the reader sees the rest of the family are treated differently stating â€Å"To the rest of they paid little attention; avoiding Mrs. Bennet as much as possible, saying not much to Elizabeth, and nothing at all to the others†. The techniques of showing and telling which Austen uses this allows the reader to see how convinced Elizabeth is with Wickham’s story of Darcy and how she pre judges him on the basis of someone else’s story, linking to the major theme and title of the book. Wickham is now shown as a good character an Darcy as a bad character. Through the sympathy the reader has with Elizabeth the reader is able to believe Elizabeth’s judgment on both Wickham and Darcy’s character.

Writing a Letter of Recommendation - 6680 Words

Writing a Letter of Recommendation Addendum to Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty second edition Burroughs Wellcome Fund Howard Hughes Medical Institute Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty, second edition  © 2006 by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Burroughs Wellcome Fund All rights reserved. â€Å"Writing a Letter of Recommendation†: Electronic addendum published 2009 Writer: Laura Bonetta, Ph.D. Production: Martine Bernard Design Permission to use, copy, and distribute this publication or excerpts is granted provided that (1) the copyright notice above appears in all reproductions; (2) use is for†¦show more content†¦Reasons to Turn Someone Down You should write a letter of recommendation only if you can honestly write a supportive letter for someone for a given position. After all, a letter of recommendation is supposed to be a tool for helping people obtain what they are after. If you don’t know the candidate well enough to write a good letter, let the person know. He or she will probably ask someone else. If you do know the candidate well but have some reservations, let the person know about your concerns, and leave it up to him or her to decide whether you should still write the letter. PREPARATION Read Some Sample Letters If you have never written a letter of recommendation before, read a stack of reference letters to see what works and what doesn’t. Most faculty have access to graduate student applications and the letters submitted. Junior faculty can also ask their more experienced colleagues to share â€Å"sample† letters they have written or have received from applicants (blocking out names and other personal information). The resource section of this chapter provides links to sample letters. Collect Information Once you know what a letter of recommendation looks like, make sure you find out as much as possible about the candidate for whom you are writing. One of the worst things you can do is to write a letter that is too generic. Ask for the following information: T i p : When reading a sampleShow MoreRelatedSample of Recommendation Letter1210 Words   |  5 Pages===Sample Letter of Recommendation===   To Whom It May Concern:   As the Dean of Stonewell College, I have had the pleasure of knowing Hannah Smith for the last four years. She has been a tremendous student and an asset to our school. I would like to take this opportunity to recommend Hannah for your graduate program.   I feel confident that she will continue to succeed in her studies. Hannah is a dedicated student and thus far her grades have been exemplary. In class, she has proven to beRead MorePaper On Social Media857 Words   |  4 Pagesstudents to network and learn about residency positions across the country. 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