A Competition I Have Participated In Essay

When I was a little boy/girl, I was interested in impromptu speech competition. I wondered their speaking skill and body movements. They were very smart in my eyes. When they were on the stage, they had no fear and they competed like an ideal student. So, I made my mind that, one day, I will be on that stage and show my welled-trained skill in front of many students. I will be an ideal student and I will persuade my juniors made their mind like I did. It is very difficult to participate in impromptu speech competition. Firstly, student who wants to participate must be welled-known his or her title. And then, he must find useful data and information for his title. And he must compose words how will he say in the competition. He, however, cannot compete only by speaking, he must make body movements to complete his competition. The most important point is that he must not be afraid of stage. People use to fear when they are in front of many people and they have to present something. So, I was preparing for all of that fact. One day, my class teacher made an announcement. It was that there would be an impromptu speech competition. Student who wanted to participate, warmed her. So, I gave her my name in a great pleasure. I had my titles of speech and I started to find useful information as much as I could. I was so nervous to compete. But I was so happy. I trained very hard with my topic. My friends helped me and I presented my topic in front of them and they made suggestions. When I thought I was perfect, I went to my class teacher and presented to her. And then, she made a grammatical wrong correction and made useful suggestion. The competition fell on and many students were crowed in the school compound. They were very interested in the competition and they predicted the winner. The competitors held a piece of paper and practiced with their topic. After a short time, the announcer announced that the competition started. After the headmistress said a few words, each of the competitors started to compete. The competition was very active. After one competitor had finished, the applause was very loud. All of the competitors were welled-trained and very smart. Their presentations were very interesting and everyone cannot help listening to it. At that time, my turn fell on and I went onto the stage. I drew lots and my title was â€Å" how will youth overcome the challenge of knowledge age†. It was my best preparation. When I was presenting my topic, everyone was quiet and listening. I was very graceful in my mind and my dream came true. Although I won the second prize, I was very pleased because it was my first competition and the first prize winner was smarter and more welled-trained than me. Through the passage of time, I participate in many kinds of competitions. But I shall never forget my first competition and I am proud of it.

Australian education trends Essay

It is often known that education forms the backbone of economic development and growth in any nation. The investment in pre-school, primary and secondary education as well as community college education ensures availability of human capital endowed with relevant skills and knowledge for enhanced productivity. This has proven to be a necessity for sustained economic development in any country in the world. Educated people are in no doubt different from the uneducated or less educated in a variety ways (Tiffen, & Gittins, 2004). At the outset, the difference is eminent in attitudes and behavior, in their well being and health status, income as well as values regarding morals, religion, politics and employment among others. By instilling these positive characteristics to individuals in the community, education has therefore transformed the world people live in from the old ignorance-ridden era to the technologically-advanced modern life (Tiffen, & Gittins, 2004). Australia has experienced a steady increase in education levels in the last century. The government has in the past centralized funding of education and imposed high taxes on high income earners in an attempt to finance education. Students are not spared either in this plan and have been included in the â€Å"user pays† principle where they reimburse for the education services received. However, this scheme has affected education in many countries and how the government plans to implement the principle together with high taxation is a matter of concern. In Australia, the Government provides public funding for non-government schools as well as substantial assistance to government academic institution. Funding of state government schools is the primary responsibility of States and territories (Laporte, & Ringold, 1997). These organs can also provide assistance to non-governmental institutions of learning. It is estimated that more than two thirds of the students in non-government academic institutions are affiliated to Catholic as a religion. Australian education system is a three tier model where children enroll in Kindergarten at the age of about five years, then graduate to primary followed by secondary levels from year one to twelfth year and finally tertiary education (Harrison, 2002). Education is mandatory for the children aged between five to about sixteen years but the federal government caters for the university education. This system has ensured a reduced school life expectancy thereby enhancing educational development in the country (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, 2008). This however draws a sharp contrast to the old system. Australian education system was highly stratified and that only infants and primary education were provided for the children. Additionally, Selection for high school education was very competitive, and favored the siblings of specific people who used to be prominent in the society (Henry, 1990). These individuals included industrialists, agriculturalists as well as businessmen among other professionals. Teaching profession was undermined since the government offered low wages to the teachers in addition to subjecting them to strict laws that restricted their personal as well as professional conduct. These factors reduced the productivity of the teaching staff thereby suppressing students’ performance in schools (Henry, 1990). The tremendous increase in level of education in Australia has been largely attributed to changes in a variety of factors including social and institutional framework as well as economic changes and student financing much else besides (Evans & Kelley, 2002). To start with, changes in educational levels have been associated with urbanization. The rural-urban migration brought about by the inadequacy of farmland as well as search for skilled jobs in the cities has enhanced the development of cities in Australia. This has therefore called for the provision of educational services in these highly populated regions hence increasing the educational levels. Evans & Kelley (2002) estimates the changes brought about by urbanization to about six percent over the last century. Economic growth on the other hand has been articulated with the steady increase in the educational levels in Australia. This country has witnessed a considerable economic growth in the recent past. Australian GDP for instance is currently valued at 1050 billion dollars which is slightly above 1.6 percent of the world economy (Laporte, & Ringold, 1997).   Australia has so far recorded steady economic growth and unlike other OECD nations it did not fall to the economic recession witnessed in the recent past (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2007). Moreover, the country has recorded a growth rate of about 3.6% annually for the last fifteen years. This has empowered the government hence its ability to fund education as well as other sectors (UNESCO/OECD World Education Indicators Program, 2005). It therefore implies that most of the Australians are able to access education compared to the past where parents used to dropout of school after compulsory education level. The current parents have therefore acquired high social status in addition to pursuing the available high skilled and well-paying professional jobs. The Australian children who hail from well educated families can now access proper education thereby increasing the levels of education in the country (Ruitenberg, 2010). Economic growth has therefore contributed to about twenty six percent education growths in Australia. This change has mainly improved education levels in both the primary education which is compulsory as well as secondary education which the educated and socially as well as economically-empowered parents can now afford (Evans & Kelley, 2002).The duo however admit that the aforementioned factors only contribute to a little percentage of the sources of educational transformation so far witnessed in Australia and that the real sources of change in education trend in this century are still unclear. Youth participation in education including vocational education and training has also improved in Australia. According to Sue et al (2009) a variety of factors have influenced this upsurge in the education trends in Australia. Factors such as how the young people’s families as well as community value education, the socioeconomic status of the general population, available education and training and the school curriculum, existing policies on education and youth employment, financial incentives and obstacles, economic structure in regard to industry and occupation have changed hence improvement of youth participation in education and vocational training in Australia (Kilpatrick, Sue,  Baynes, Chapman & Hazel An indexing term that provides specific identifying information in a category: geographic names, laws and legislation, or tests and testing., ()), 2009). Australia just like other developed States has recorded a steady decline in fertility rate which has brought about the ratio of two children per couple (Tiffen, & Gittins, 2004). It is always presumed that the higher the number of children in a family the reduced ability of the parents to provide quality education to an individual child. This is because the available resources such as finance, energy and time are shared among the many children thereby reducing the amount received by an individual child (Evans & Kelley, 2002). The reduced fertility rate in Australia has ensured reduced number of children in a family which the parents can afford to provide quality education for thus contributing to increased level of education in the country. These changes in education levels brought about by changes in family size are only noticeable in secondary schools and tertiary levels and not in primary level where the government funds education (Harrison, 2002). The government’s commitment to provide quality education has also influenced to a greater extent the steady growth in education levels so far witnessed in Australia. The Australian government has increased its spending on education of both males and females compared to the last century. There have been issues of gender inequality in education and females have been stereotyped as underperformers in the past (Evans & Kelley, 2002). It is note worthy that in all countries except New Zealand; there have been lower performance by females than their male counterparts especially in mathematics literacy (Marginson, 1993). This traditional stereotype is being overcome by the Australian government through equal provision of educational services to both the sexes. Philosophers such as Martin Roland have also contributed to this issue of gender equality and education of the girl child. Roland argues that the old tradition was a barrier to the equal distribution of resources to both the sexes in the society since it discriminated against the females and favored the males. She reiterates that gender issues should be embedded in the curriculum as well as in teaching and schooling activities to ensure that the product of such a system is an ideal educated person. John Dewey is another renowned philosopher whose contribution to education, politics as well as philosophy has been globally recognized. According to Dewey, education was the cornerstone to intellectual development and progress of the society. He stressed on the improvement of moral and social nature of schools as an attempt to fostering democracy and community prosperity (Paringer, 1990). Dewey asserts that provision of education service to a single child in the society empowers the child towards self- effectiveness which consequently provides a guarantee to a lovely, worthy and harmonious society. Democracy never used to prevail in the ancient society as a result of lack of knowledge by then. According to Dewey, the nature of things should be viewed from a perspective of change and growth and therefore the continuous transformation in education is inevitable (Dewey, 2007). Nel Noddings is an additional prominent philosopher whose argument revolves around the moral reasoning, beliefs and values in education. She states that the current education trends encourages moral development hence the need to adopt educational structures that incorporates ethics and the use of motherly interest to inform moral learning. She however blames politics that fulfills the interests of particular groups for threatening the establishment of strong ethical foundation of learning as well as teaching in the academic institution (Palmer, Bresler, & Cooper, 2001). Conclusion Education in Australia has undergone commendable changes since the first half of the last century. The Australian government as well as other stakeholders in the educational sector has contributed towards the social progress which is primarily dependent on the enhanced education standards in the country. Education has so far transformed from the old system characterized by repugnant traditions and values to the modern technologically- advanced era where education is the basic requirement for community sustainability. The progress in science and technology in the current era has created the knowledge and skills necessary for the developed industrial economy, while growth of education has provided workforce that is needed to utilize these new opportunities. Australia currently enjoys a socially-friendly environment with high paying professional jobs as well as improved living standards courtesy of development witnessed in the education sector. Reference List: Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (2008). Trends shaping education. OECD   Publishing. Dewey, J. (2007). Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education.   NuVision Publications, LLC.   Evans, M. & Kelley, J. (2002). Australian economy and society, 2001: education, work, an   welfare. Federation Press. Harrison, J. (2002). Excel senior high school: community and family studies. Pascal Press. Henry, M. (1990). Understanding schooling: an introductory sociology of Australian education.

New York: A Carefree Expression of Freedom

NEW YORK Descriptive essay New York City is the place that I want to visit, revisit, and visit again. Out there on the streets, I feel free. When coming from New Jersey to New York City on the New Jersey Transit tTrain, which is grimy but comfortable, it is an experience unlike I have ever felt before. Crossing under the Hudson River and coming into the crammedjam-packed full station is reminiscent of having some kind of travel machine bringing you from earth to space in a flash. When I visited I felt like anything isn’t impossible .Living in the turks and caicos islands is a fantastic privilege; living in New York City is something further even better. As you stagger up those stairs to the city streets and you capture that first breath of city air, you declare to yourself, this is Freedom!!!!! The buildings are so astonishingly tall and eye-catching. I think to myself, there are so many buildings here I find it hard to believe that man is capable of putting them up, but on th e other hand also knocking them down. The buildings look like they had plunged from God's hands and landed in one spot, where else but in New York City.As I make my way down the city street, I feel overwhelmed by people walking and talking in scores of different languages. People with looks that I have never seen before. , Ppeople that look somewhat bizarre to me. Everyone is different in their ownere way of style. Let me tell you something, this big place called â€Å"New York† is the capital of all the new fashions and old fads. What styles I might find either peculiar or eccentric usually becomes what I start to copy in later years when it becomes starts being the local fashion of my town.What I am trying to say is that New York is the inventor of all invertors. I perceive New York City as a carefree expression of freedom. Most of today's new clothing styles are adopted from New York. People are so full of life and encouragement. No one judges the way you present yourself in this unrestricted environment. People in New York feel comfortable dressing and acting anyway that they care to. Everything there are so upscale and amazing but one thing that caught my attention is that all athough all these things were said theres no place like home

Accounting and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Accounting and Finance - Essay Example The former does not give consideration to fixed costs while the latter adds alls the direct as well as indirect costs to ascertain the total cost of per unit of output. This means that Absorption costing does not make any differentiation between fixed and variable costs whereas Marginal costing accounts for only the variable expenses. Under this technique the costs are segregated into manufacturing, administrative and selling costs. Here all the manufacturing expenses-fixed as well as variable- are deducted from revenues to obtain gross margin and then the selling & administrative costs-fixed as well as variable- are subtracted from gross margin to obtain the net income. The fixed manufacturing overhead charges are allocated to the units on a per unit basis. This is obtained by dividing â€Å"Standard fixed manufacturing overhead† by â€Å"Normal Output†. If the production is higher or less than the standard output, necessary adjustments are done with respect to volume variances. In the case of â€Å"favorable volume variance† i.e. if the actual production exceeds normal capacity, the amount relating to over-absorption is subtracted from the cost of goods produced and sold. If the variance is â€Å"unfavorable†, the amount relating to under-absorption is added with the total cost of goods produced and sold (Lal & Srivastava, 2008, pp.628). Under this method a proportion of fixed costs are carried forward to the next accounting period as a constituent of closing inventory. This is criticized by the supporters of marginal costing on the ground that costs relating to an accounting period are transferred to the subsequent period. Marginal Costing differentiates between variable and fixed costs. The marginal cost refers to the variable cost of a product or it comprises direct material, direct expenses, direct labor and variable portion of the overheads. Marginal Costing is an accounting system under which the variable expenses are charged to the units and the fixed

How math is used in firefighting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How math is used in firefighting - Research Paper Example According to the website XP Math, there are at least 20 Math topics that fire fighters need to know. Some of these fall under the realms of Basic Math/Algebra, First Year Algebra (which includes the use of formula), Geometry and Computer (T.L. Hui). Algebra is used in fire fighting hydraulics specifically in calculating the flow rates and capacities (WikiAnswers.com). There are fire fighting terms such as total engine pressure and nozzle pressure. â€Å"Total Engine Pressure is the amount of pressure (psi) that the fire pump (on the truck) is sending through the hose line. The engineer calculates the total engine pressure to adjust for changes in elevation pressure so that the nozzle can receive the correct amount of water pressure (in psi)† (San Bernardino Professional Fire Fighters). There is also the concept of nozzle pressure. It stands for â€Å"the amount of pressure that the nozzle requires to deliver the proper amount of water to the fire† (San Bernardino Professional Fire Fighters). To calculate the accuracy of this, mathematicians have created the nozzle pressure formula, given as: Where n – nozzle pressure in psi, t – total engine pressure and h – change in elevation. This formula â€Å"can be used to find out what the nozzle pressure is for a given height with a specific total engine pressure† (San Bernardino Professional Fire Fighters). There are other applications of math in fire fighting. Math is being used in perimeter, fractions, ratios, percentage and area of burns. The perimeter of burn is â€Å"the distance around the fire or along the hand line† and it is â€Å"determined by adding the lengths of the various lines that enclose the black area of a fire† (SEM and Missoula Fire Science Lab). There are also hydraulic concepts regarding the use of water in wildland firefighting. â€Å"These include determining

Answer questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Answer questions - Assignment Example Furthermore, this might apply if the internal expertise is not conversant with the location of the target market (Fernie and Leigh 59). This would aim at increasing the reliability, an aspect that would increase the customers’ loyalty towards the products. The approach of developing a strategy, and then employ the specific suppliers to carry out well-defined portions of the strategy would be effective when the company knows the location of the target market, but does not have the necessary resources to carry out the supply work (Fernie and Leigh 45). On the other hand, the approach may work where the suppliers have the resources but has not specialized in information gathering. Therefore, they depend on the information given by the client. The approach to develop the strategy with third-party logistics provider would be effective when the company has little information about logistical issues but want to be part of the supply management. In addition, it may apply when the third-party logistical companies provide warehousing and transportation services. In addition, it may apply when the firm is involved in value addition. This is to ensure that its strategy does not distort the quality of the products. IBM needs both a private and a consortia based e-marketplace in order to be able to deal with B2B, B2C, and Online market. As a global business it’s hard to concentrate on all these logistical aspects. As a result, divulging to the two areas enables the business to reach the target market on time, while at the same time focusing on producing high quality products according to the tastes and preferences of the customers. On the other hand, the emergence of e-marketing brought a new opportunity to expand its market size. However, traditional market was still significant to the business. Therefore, the strategy has ensured that the company maintains its initial supply strategy while upholding changes brought by online platform. As a

Marketing Research Buyers and Their Budgets Article

Marketing Research Buyers and Their Budgets - Article Example Sullivan identified the following factors that research buyers take into account, to wit: (1) meeting buyers’ needs more; (2) commitment for partnership; and (3) incorporating the effects of the changes in the environment, like a recession, at present. The author’s views are most relevant for organization’s perusal specifically those taking into account the recent consumers’ preferences, attitudes, and values in response to environmental concerns. The recent financial turmoil that beset the global markets necessitated a review of various organizations’ strategies: marketing, operations, financial, human resources, among others. The relevance of scanning the environment is critical to adjust and adapt corporate strategies which would ensure the accomplishment of organizational goals. Organizations that invest in marketing research must recognize the benefits that they would derive from the suppliers of information as against any costs that would be incurred for employing their services. Thereby, the author’s inputs are relevant to review contemporary marketing strategies in the light of the financial crisis that affected global markets. Sullivan’s contentions are compatible with traditional marketing theories which stipulate the need to factor in recession and its potential aftermath. A period of deep shortages calls for strategic remarketing. Many consumer changes call for new marketing rethinking which would be made available through an effective marketing research effort. According to Kotler (1980, 708), â€Å"marketing is an evolving discipline that must develop new answers as new problems arise†. The recession and the preceding developments lead to changing consumer lifestyle, characterized by more sensible or austere consumption. Firms could re-assess their strategies to recognize a marketing opportunity to serve the needs of the growing segment of sensible consumers.

Mythological strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mythological strategy - Essay Example Stories of lovers, who are not able to consummate their love in this world because of hindrances like economic or racial differences, die and become flowers or other things finally finding the freedom to express their love to each other helps explain the hope one can have in the afterlife despite the difficulties experienced in this world. The reality that is difficult to understand and accept in such a tragic event which is observed in real life brings a reader to feelings of hopelessness especially when he is experiencing similar situations. However, the consummation of a love in another world gives hope and lets a person understand the meaning of such circumstances. In mythological strategies, archetypes offer help to the readers in understanding further what is commonly observed in real situations. If a story has a hero who conquers all difficulties and villains, one is also present in real life. As villains are common in stories, life is not lacking of them. Characters and event s one could always relate to in trying to figure out life, are parts and parcels of archetypal analysis which are commonly used in mythological strategies.

The History of Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The History of Advertising - Essay Example This discussion stresses that there are many reasons for this like, culture, wealth, availability of credit and of course product promotion. This paper looks at these habits on the basis of an important chapter in the history of advertising. The advertising industry was shaken up by a man called William Bernbach. His most notable achievements were the ads produced by his company for the German automaker Volkswagen, soon after their introduction in the US. The work here will study some of the features of the module and its relation to the advertisements of Bernbach for Volkswagen.   From this paper it is clear that William Bernbach and his colleague Ned Doyle and Maxwell Dane formed the advertising agency named Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) in 1949. This agency created the revolutionary ad campaigns for the 1950s and 1960s.The Volkswagen campaign was regarded as one of the best campaign because it increased the sales of the Volkswagen car. â€Å"This ad campaign established the Volkswagen brand as a marker for nonconformity.† Bernbach’s advertising strategy was to trey to keep customers rather than attracting the attention of those who were not interested in the product. Bernbach understood that an advertisement didn’t sell a product and he formulated innovative styles in printing the advertisements. Their idea was to give simplicity in print advertisements. These advertisements were entirely different from the familiar advertisements which gave importance to the American automobile’s powerful engines, and large size etc. The Volkswagen a dvertisements urged people to buy a car which they could drive cheaply.  

Modern Auditing Essay Example for Free

Modern Auditing Essay (Components of internal control) The chapter identified five components of internal control. Listed below are specific control policies and procedures prescribed by Suntron Company. 1. Management gives careful consideration to the requisite knowledge and skills personnel need at all levels of the organization. Control environment. Planning, executing, controlling, and monitoring and entity’s activity is what is used to develop an overall framework for an entity to meet its objectives. 2. General controls and application controls are established in the electronic data processing department. Control activities, IT should be independent and should not correct data submitted by user departments. 3. Management acts to reduce or eliminate incentives and temptations that might lead individuals to engage in dishonest or illegal acts. Control environment. Management leads by example, by demonstrating integrity and ethical behavior. 4. Management is alert to complaints received from customers about billing errors. Monitoring. Management may receive separate evaluations, such as from bank examiners. 5. Management gives special consideration to the risks that can arise from the use of information technology in the accounting system. Risk assessment. Management should consider the risk of fraud and the financial consequences that fraud presents. 6. Employees’ responsibilities are assigned so as to avoid any individual’s being in a position to both commit an error or irregularity and then conceal it. Control activiites. Inventory records should periodically be compared with inventory on hand. 7. IT management has designed controls to prevent unauthorized use of IT equipment, data files, and computer programs. Control activities. Controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that the recording, processing, and reporting of data by IT are properly performed for specific applications. 8. The processing of payroll includes a check on the total number of hours submitted. If more than 65 hours are reported in a weekly pay period, the transaction is printed on an exception report and put in a suspense file for additional review or additional authorization. Control activities. Computer routines that is in place to detect incomplete, incorrect, or unreasonable data. 9. Suntron’s internal audit staff periodically assesses the effectiveness of various ICS components. Monitoring. Reporting deficiencies to audit committee or full board of directors. 10. Policy manuals, accounting and financial reporting manuals, and a chart of accounts. Information and communication. Providing an understanding of individual roles and responsibilities in regards to internal control over financial reporting. have been developed and implemented. Required a. Identify the components of internal control to which each policy or procedure relates. b. For each item, identify one other policy or procedure for that internal control component that is not on the preceding list.

The Persuading Effects Of Media

The Persuading Effects Of Media The mass media in the Philippines, being the universal source of information, contributes a great influence on our thinking and behavior. This term paper will focus about the impact of media coverage on elections and how it persuades the electorates behavior. My purpose is to explore the effects of mass media on political power in the Philippines and to show how the media simultaneously disrupt and defends the status quo including the advantages and disadvantages during election campaigns. The first part of this paper will provide and support the ideas of how a fair election is measured in a democratic country. It will also focus on the medias substantial role on the voting behavior that will contribute towards a greater understanding of mass media in our country. The second part deals about the past situation of the media which concerns the different election frauds, corruption, and violence. I will also add an overview about the medias monopoly and commercialism. But among these, t he most favorable part is the emergence of the new media through the use of the introduced technology. I will also discuss how the different forms of media campaigning using various campaign strategies through TV ads, polls, debates and others can persuade the voters. Furthermore, this term paper will also argue about the effect of money on election results, whether it is an advantage or a disadvantage to the political candidate. Lastly, I hope to show that communication and persuasion works between the media and the public, that we and others can also influence the media. How to measure a fair election In a democratic country like the Philippines, where universal and equal suffrage is a must, the media plays a significant and substantial role for the development of the society. The media is responsible for ensuring free, fair and equal elections. To make a democratic form of government possible, essential conditions are required. For a country to be democratic, they must secure universal and equal suffrage. The political system must entail recognition of protection of civil liberties and rights. The freedom of speech from candidates and political parties must not be restricted. Enforceable laws must be implemented to prevent election fraud and vote tampering. It must be ensured that an electorates choice of party or candidate cannot be used against him or her by secret ballot voting. (socyberty.com, 2009) But in general term, it can be said that the people must be the highest form of society. The role of media before, during and after elections The fact that the media plays a great role in lives is well known, but its role as a political tool is also well rooted in the political systems. During times of elections, which are seen by many as the hallmarks of democratic political system, the media are expected to undertake very specific roles. It is a clichà ©, but media as the voice of the public, in the course especially of elections, must be able to inform, educate, enlighten and involve the electorate. Brandt, Hughes, and Rasmussen (2006), have discussed the major tools needed by the media in a fair report and coverage of the elections. They have to provide a platform and forum for controversial societal debates. The news media play the vital role in a democracy of providing the public information on which they can base their decisions on public issues. They have the duty to criticize undemocratic behavior of politicians, to educate the general public in respect of democracy, and to secure a fair and balanced coverage of elections. The watchdog function of the media is especially crucial during times of electoral campaigns and elections themselves. More importantly, the medias role is to scrutinize the candidates and parties and expose on the same issues and to give voters enough information to compare their positions. The media must report what the parties and candidates are saying, even if it does not reflect issues the people want to address (pp. 14-19). If the media coverage in the press and television is not free, fair and equal, the results may be prejudiced. Political discussions cannot be avoided in the print media, political stories are aired on television every day, commercial radio airs political news every hour, and paid political announcements are encountered in all media during campaigns. Candidates use of the media can have a strong impact upon those who make up their minds about candidates during the campaign. It is within human nature to believe what is told to us. We tend to believ e the media because research is done by them and they are a main source of information. The media remains important since they are the means by which people obtain current affairs both inside and outside of the Philippines however bias it may be. Overall, the media are always present with new stories on political activities. The new media The entrance of the modern era meant the advent of modern technology accessible to the public. For the first time in history, the Philippines embraced technology and transformed greatly the electoral system of the country during the May 2010 elections. The Philippine elections have frequently been marked by allegations of widespread cheating and other electoral malpractice. It was a subject to criticism since the security of the electoral process and its capacity to preserve the sanctity of the ballot and the will of the electorate was put to question. It has always been a manual process from voting to the canvassing of results with the local and national positions. Consequently, we have had hurdled so much because of the slow and tedious process. But due to the advanced technology available in the modern era, the Filipinos most awaited election was taken to another level. Generally, the automated election fulfilled the promise of speed but complaints and controversies remained (Meis burger, 2010). Many Filipinos until now were not sure whether the new process worked well enough to hold credible elections. Even automated election provided high security, there were still computer experts that bombarded the whole system or hacked the computers and manipulated the results. And I think that it is actually possible that cheaters came from the people who developed the system. Unfortunately and ironically, the press, despite of the intense focus on the new voting machines, failed to highlight critical problems during Election Day. But in my own opinion, the main problem we encountered during the May 2010 automated election was transparency. People were not able to see the actual process of counting the votes and several doubted if the results are really correct. Reporting on the first automated election also posed new challenges to the media. The press had to be alert to new kinds of problems as well as to keep the coverage on the day itself interesting. But it was obv ious from the first hours of coverage that the television networks were clearly prepared to resort to the magic of technology to keep audiences tuned in. The media is intensely influential in the present days systems of domination. Because the majority of the public does not in fact hear political speeches, witness activities, or observe actions of leaders, they depend on the media to exhibit the news in an accessible form. It becomes easy to comprehend how vital the media is, and what will be the effects of the news on the society whenever it is presented. Even a little change of news has the potentials to greatly influence public opinion (people.virginia.edu). Dirty Politics: Bias Media and Corrupt Candidates On the further side of the media, television has been with us for more than thirty years (Del Mundo, 1986, p. 10). By any standard, thirty years is long enough to develop a meaningful mass medium. Although in the past, the role of media is not as great as it is today. During an election, it was not surprising to see the media being harnessed to serve the politicians who held media power. Rocamora, for instance, concluded that Cheating is a well-developed art in Philippine elections. Local Politicians are adept at manipulating the process from beginning to end. (Rocamora, 1998, p. 23). So having no doubt, the media with its own weaknesses, would most likely practice bias electoral processes. Corruption in the media industry is a fact, and it is worst during elections. There is a general feeling about the political bias of the media that it is too negative. They place an importance on finding out what is wrong, but do not tell the complete picture about what is being done. There are in deed media networks that are owned by families who are biased in favor of certain candidates. We can see this prejudicial act most often when the media had begun to be very one-sided in terms of reporting the news. The media should be obligated to tell the truth and not manufacture or elaborate stories, even if it does not sound as good. It has and will continue to destroy the careers of some and make the careers of others. Even though most of the television news stations are owned by wealthy individuals, they should not be so biased. The media and the politicians only want us to see what a perfect world we live in, so they tend to hide the truth or work their way around it. But that is not always the case; sometimes desperate politicians are simply exaggerating when they condemn the alleged bias of the media. They tend to highlight the critical views reported by the media but they overlook the balanced presentation of facts in news reports. Another unjust intervention was experienc ed by the media during the Marcos era. Independence of the media has always been viewed with admiration everywhere in the world. But in 1972 to 1981, when martial law was declared during the regime of President Marcos, media monopoly started. Not just one agency was organized to do the job. Thus, the media suppression of the Marcos era restored the powerful and influential appetite of the public for news. But unfortunately, until now, the medias authority, security and freedom was not completely fulfilled (Del Mundo, 1986, pp. 77-89). Moreover, the recent Maguindanao massacre would be the worst example of election-related violence, wherein many members of the press and media was killed and abducted. Therefore, these malpractices and bad connotations simply imply the common term dirty politics which I think is not fair because politics must always be understood in a larger context. And talking about the status quo, generally it is the media that is bias and the politicians that are c orrupt. Defining a CAMPAIGN In the course especially of elections, we cannot exclude the fact of the emergence of inevitable frauds and intense violence. Every now and then, the media conclusively reports about the most compelling issues and irregularities related to elections, especially during the campaign period. A campaign is the period right before citizens make a real political choice. Campaign activity is more likely to register on voters minds as the Election Day draws near (Brady, Johnston Sides, 2004, p.2). According to Brandt, Hughes, and Rasmussen (2006): Most parties make their leader the centre of attention so voters who like the leader will vote for the partys candidates. So the partys election campaign is composed of speeches, party rallies and press conferences featuring the party leader. But the medias job is not just to repeat all the words spoken by the leaders. There should also be information in the news story about where the speech was given and how many people were there and what was the reaction of people in the streets, and what did political opponents say. Voters deserve to know so they can compare and decide for themselves. (Brandt, Hughes, and Rasmussen, 2006, p. 16). Ultimately, political ads and campaigns can affect who will win the election. As is true of other types of human relationships, first impressions can be very important as voters form their opinions about political candidates. Research on election decisions suggests that candidates use of the media can have a strong impact upon those who make up their minds about candidates during the campaign. They can affect what the voters know, whether they will vote, whom they will vote for and why they will vote for that person. In general, people already have their own ideas when they view television, read newspapers, or log on to websites. To a man, the campaign staffs of politicians agree that the three requisites for a successful campaign are: media, machinery and money. (Coronel, Chua, De Castro, 2004, p. 123) The media as a form of campaign strategy Television campaigns come from various forms. It can be a form of commercial, debates, speech, press conference, polls or interviews which are aired on local television news broadcasts, talk shows and even game shows. The television commercial, the most powerful form of advertising is the most interesting and most complex kind of political advertisement. It is the main way that modern campaigns communicate with voters. It can give you as the electorate an idea of how trustworthy candidates are, how they communicate or connect with the people, how they behave under stress, how they sell their program and what do they stand for. According to a study made by Coronel, Chua and De Castro (2004), The Arroyo and Lacson campaigns were most successful than the others in getting their spins across. This was because they had more sophisticated media strategies and handlers. They had a clearer idea of the message they wanted to project and made sure that this message was successfully conveyed th rough the media. (p. 21). Through TV ads, the audiences who are watching their favorite television programs will have a chance to meet the candidates and there is a possibility that they can recall them since they are shown in every commercial break. The advertiser will create another image of the candidate to make them appreciated and accepted by the target audience. The use of informal words, the inclusion of popular song and dance, the color, social issues, and the representation of peoples age, gender, profession and religion are very useful for the ads recall (Encabo, 2010, pp.11-12). In a survey conducted by Fonbuena. Rufo and Tabunda (2008), during the campaign period itself, respondents were asked to name political advertisements on television that they could recall. An ad was considered correctly recalled by a respondent if the respondent was able to identify the candidates in the advertisements that they recalled. Political ads are effective in converting voter awareness i nto actual votes for the candidates to the extent only that these ads incredibly project an image of the candidate as one who will effectively address the issues and concerns of the electorate. Studies show that commercials and debates aired right before Election Day have the most effect on undecided viewers (pp. 27-28). Voters who have already formed their opinions are hardly influenced by the media to the point of changing their minds. But as defined by House, Ludwig and Stratmann (2009), advertising need not to be truthful in deceptive campaigns. Both types of candidates engage in campaign advertising claiming that they are of high quality. Hence, they define advertising as deceptive when a low-quality candidate advertises that he is high-quality (p. 6). Opinion polls, on the other hand, are mostly used by political parties to discover what issues a representative sample of voters think is important. As defined by Lange (1999), voting intention polls indicate the popularity of political parties/candidates, show ratings, and suggest the outcome of elections. Parties will sometimes change their campaign promises because opinion polls reveal what will be more popular (pp. 49-50). People always say in polls, they do not like negative campaigns but voting records seem to indicate that they are affected or influenced by them. Opinion polls also influence voters because voters like to know what their neighbors are thinking and may decide to vote the same way. As such, poll results could increasingly frame the coverage of the election campaign. Exposure to polls may serve to increase a general interest in voting in the public, but there is little to demonstrate a change in voter intention, which is what we call bandwagon effect. Opinion poll s are only a brief sample of peoples opinions at the time they were asked. Polls cannot predict how opinions and votes will change if voters learn new information. Polls should not become the lead story everyday because they may influence voters to follow popular opinion rather than think for themselves. Lange (1999) observed that debates have advantages and disadvantages, but on balance seem positive. On the negative side, it has been argued that mandatory debates would circumscribe the candidates freedom to run campaigns as they wish that it is not always possible to have all party leaders participating and that debates tend to spotlight the party leaders too intensely. On the positive side, debates allow the candidates to face the public directly, they have been shown to heighten citizens interest in elections and their levels of information, they are a means of enabling the public to make a direct comparison of the candidates, and as such are a useful supplement to the normal news coverage (pp. 28-29). Aside from the old traditions of advertising, the innovative transformation of the society was considered as a milestone in the electoral system. I am not just talking about the May 2010 automated elections, but it is about how social media is changing the face of democracy through the use of different social networking sites in campaigning for a political party or candidate. Generally, traditional media and new media worked together for a more comprehensive coverage of the 2010 Philippine Elections. Rafter (2009) for example, stated that, the internet has assumed an increasingly important role in political communications and has provided new ways of communicating political messages with the public. Traditional concerns about television and radio political advertising are equally applicable to the Internet but there is no debate about regulating political content on the web (p.29). TV news stations also marked a milestone in media history when they reported election updates in real t ime using the new media. They even used the Facebook and Twitter to post news updates and reports about the election. Most of the Social Media websites which have had a major worldwide impact on Internet usage and thus perceived international impact, like YouTube, Flickr, Blogger, WordPress, Google, Wikipedia, Myspace, Facebook and Twitter (eGovernment-Symposium, 2009, p. 7). As predicted by some experts and scholars, it is probably only a matter of time before everyone will be able to vote over the Internet. Still, for those who create and air ads, the bottom line is the bottom line. The intended effect of political advertising or paid media is to win political battles by creating and delivering biased messages. Informing and engaging the public outside of ones supporters, when and if it occurs, is a by-product or secondary effect of the effort to win political battles. Does money wins elections? But the most intriguing factor that affects the decision of the electorate is the presence of money. Rocamora (1998), observe that for a candidate to win Philippine elections, they have to spend three times: once to get nominated, second to garner votes, third to get his votes counted, added to, and those of his opponents subtracted (p. 27). According to political scientist Ciyde Wilcox, money matters most when the candidates are least known to the voters, when they do not receive a lot of news coverage, and when paid advertising, which, of course, is expensive, can bring recognition and enhance images (Wayne, 1992, p.52). As I have said, the ads play a big role in the entire campaign. The earlier the ad is aired, the earlier the candidates rating goes up and the earlier the candidate can shift to conversion. Indeed, this means paying a longer period for advertisement slots. The cost of political campaign is rising and rising fast. The use of other modern technology has also increase d expenditures. One 30-second ad can cost a candidate from P34,000 to P243,000, depending on the station and the time slot. These costs are already slashed by 30 percent, the legally mandated discount for candidates (Fonbuena, Rufo, Tabunda, 2008, p. 61). But because of factors such as popularity and acceptability, campaign budgets may still vary from candidate to candidate. If a candidate is already popular, a lesser amount can be allocated for election paraphernalia. The amount a candidate spends will largely depend on the style of his/her political strategies. Literally speaking, before a sensible person joins a political fray, he/she should check his/her wallet first. Elections are indeed expensive affairs. Radio and television appearance, newspaper advertising, travel for the candidate, mailings of campaign materials, maintaining a network of campaign offices, taking polls, and raising money itself all cost a great deal of money. The notion that the side with more money has a better chance of winning is very common. Lack of budget for the campaign can be solved through public and private funding. The ability to raise money is not only a matter of wealth but also of being able to attract funds from others. Way before the campaign period, funds can already be raised. It is obviously important for a financially challenged candidate to seek and accept whatever material support they can find. Sponsored activities like a ball, a concert, a movie premier, T-shirt sales, and bazaars can be organized. But most campaign donations would not come in until a candidates showing becomes strong during the campaign period. Their contributions serve as insurance money, an investment they hope to draw from in the future. Another source, though largely unreported for obvious reasons, would be gambling and smuggling operations that seek the protection of the politicians. According to Co, Lao, Sayo and Tigno (2005), potential candidates who do not have the financial resources and backing to undertake a campaign have a little chance of winning (p.98). But apparently, I beg to disagree that financial outlays can guarantee victory in elections. Although the money spent might still serve as a good index to electoral strength, the candidates and parties with the most money did not always win. Money however is only one factor. And even when relatively honest people do win, they have to spend so much money to campaign that they invariably become corrupt in order to recover their expenses or to return the favor of financial backers. Wayne (1992) stated that, theoretically, campaign spending should have a greater impact on the nomination process than on the general election, and on the beginning of the process than at the end (p. 51). Whether or not money determines campaign victors, it exerts an enormous influence on elections. Heard (1960), notes that the ef fect of money in politics is probably more certain in determining who the candidates will be than in determining the outcome of the elections. Although the main goal of those who sponsor political advertising is to win elections, advertising can also in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence what citizens know about candidates and public policy and how engaged citizens are in their own governance. And, as discussed above, in in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uencing what voters know, ads can in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence whom voter choose (Goldenstein, Ridout, 2004, p. 211). The impact of media on the electoral system The overwhelming power of the mass media is something that we accept as fact. We are dependent on media for information. Media have become our connection to the real world. Indeed, there have been a lot of contributions media has made in politics, particularly during elections. The availability of media coverage during elections from the nomination period to the canvassing of votes, keeps the public informed of all the crucial events that occur during the elections. In the present times, it has gained a greater importance than how it was in the past. Filipinos much more now than ever in the past, rely on the mass media in deciding whom to vote and which issues are important. There is a hunger for information and citizens are much more attentive to media reports during elections than in other times. It has thus gained more influence over the voting behavior of the electorate and greater power in altering the opinions of the people. During campaigns, bad publicity can mean almost certa in death to a promising political career to a politician. No matter what good things a person has done in the past, if the media decides to publish the bad, their chances are blown. Population as a whole also recognizes the large role the media plays in their lives. They are well aware that the press plays the most dominant role in determining which issues and events are considered significant (Brandt, Hughes, Rasmussen, 2006, pp. 15-17). Conclusion The medias role in politics is even more significant. They help shape the political culture, and have the power to make a candidate appealing or repulsive. The media can also lead the general public to misunderstand the actions of one particular political group, and as a result, other political parties have to face a difficult political situation. Encabo (2010) concluded that politicians and advertisement producers believe that advertising allows candidates to reach even the uninterested and unmotivated citizens like those who are not paying attention in news reports, debates, and other campaign event (p.20). The media is primarily needed to fix itself to reporting on politics, not shaping it. The media should not have the bias of the nation, but should offer information to allow ideas to form liberally and independently. The nature of the impact of the media coverage is perhaps most dramatically evident in peoples awareness of the candidates and the consequences for how they vote. I n the coverage of elections, media fulfills different roles. This includes informing, enlightening, and educating the electorate, providing a platform and forum for controversial social debates, forming public opinion, and serving as a watchdog on the side of the citizens. Among these roles, the duty of informing the electorate is the primary and the other roles are only ancillary and fall under this primary role. The media has also the ability of affecting the behavior and decision making of the electorate. Many factors are to consider in determining the voting behavior of the electorate; and though there is no certainty on the extent that media affects the decision making process of the electorate, media is one of the few things that can count heavily on affecting and changing the opinions and decisions of the electorate. Apart from persuading the electorate, the media can also persuade the political candidates. The media influence the decision and actions of politicians and offic ials, change their priorities and can reduce their ability to control events. Another thing to consider in the influence of media in elections is the campaign financing that is required of candidates in order to afford the media resources necessary for advancing the campaign. The costs on campaign financing have escalated primarily due to the fact that it is expensive to employ media resources. However, though it is expensive, but because it is believed to be the most effective medium of campaigning, it is the least likely expense in campaign financing to be cut. The high costs of campaign financing pose problems for less affluent candidates. It is a disadvantage for the poor candidate who does not have the necessary resources necessary to run a campaign which will be able to employ media as one of its medium of advertisement. Because of this, the integrity of the electoral system of a democratic nation such as the Philippines becomes flawed. People, based on democratic theory, shou ld have equal opportunity to run for office regardless of economic status. But because of the high costs imposed by media on running a campaign, this is hardly true. There is therefore a need for the strict implementation of campaign finance laws during elections so as not to put an advantage on the wealthy and a disadvantage on the less affluent candidates. The media plays a crucial role in the realization of this goal. Through these insights, it is therefore true that media persuasion does not only work between the media and the public, but logically speaking, we and others can also influence the media. Both positively and negatively, the mass media contributes a great factor in affecting the decisions of the electorate because it exercises a powerful role in the electoral processes by informing and educating the public. Bibliography (books and e-books): Brady, H.E., Johnston, R., Sides, J. (2006). The Study of Political Campaigns. United States: The University of Michigan Press. Brandt, T., Hughes, T. Rasmussen F. (2006). Coaching Manual for Media Support during Elections. Denmark: International Media Support. Co, E.E.A., Lao, M.E.J., Sayo, M.A., Tigno, J.V. (2005). Philippine Democracy Assessment. Manila: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). Coronel, S.S., Chua, Y.T., De Castro I. (2004). 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