Citizen Journalism Essay -- Analysis, Joan Cornell

Joan Cornell notes that the Internet democratizes the journalism which was in the hand of the few people (2003). The Internet makes the public access to information; at the same time, it creates the public to be journalists, opening blogs to put something new around on the Internet. Many news websites like The Guardian, the Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC allows some personification. The journalism nowadays is facing challenges not only from media and technology convergence, but also from audience they serve (Bowman and Willis 2003). For example, in MSNBC’s my MSN part, one can post news by yourself. While the audience are participating in the process of journalism with the aid of the Internet, it cannot be neglected by mainstream media. The personification does not just mean service customised, but also more perspectives are evolved in the news event, as noted by Watts Wacker (2002). Many media sites online have been founded with different aims mentioned, but their appearance demonstrates that the age of we media comes. OhmyNews International (OMNI), originating from Korea, defines itself as international journalists (OhmyNews online site). OMNI is a bit different from OhmyNews, because it concentrates more on reporting citizen journalism, which is more like guidance for people to get a better understanding about citizen journalism. They treat themselves as a bridge between media and Internet, where the ordinary can participate in conversations about news and trust the source of news. Even though creating a platform for the ordinary to be provide news, they need to obey the rule of journalism: that is to state clear the source of news and make sure the credibility. Besides the ordinary, curators are recruited to post news about ... ...ernative to mainstream journalism, but can never replace it. With the emergence of citizen journalism, traditional journalism can develop in the environment of more competitors and watchdogs. It is undeniable that citizen journalism is rising as another forceful power in the media industry. With democratization of traditional media, interactivity and watchdog as its characteristics, citizen journalism treats itself as new journalists. Citizen journalism makes news making process transparency, namely available to all. Right now, no one can predict the position citizen journalism in the media industry in the future, but in this changing environment as online journalism is becoming essential, citizen journalism can play an alternative role for the public to access news. What is more important is that it drives the public to actively select news and judge the news.

Weimar Republic – Political, Social and Economic Issues

Political, economic and social issues in the Weimar Republic to 1929 Year 12 Modern History 2013 * Mrs Lynch Jenni Hamilton Due Date; 26th of March 2013 Word Count; 1,665 The collapsement of the Weimar Republic was due to many social, political and economical issues within. From its birth it faced numerous political problems, for which the causes were many and varied. These problems included political instability, deep divisions within society and economic crisis; problems were constantly appearing for the new government.The Weimar Republic never really had a stable political party, having a whole six different parties between 1924-1928 does not create stability. Many of these parties were also narrowly sectioned, with messed up priorities such as to look after the interests of class area of religion that they represented within the Weimar Republic, loyalty to democracy was of least importance. In 1929 the misery that had aided the efforts of Weimar’s enemies in the early 20s had been relieved by five years of economic growth and rising incomes.Germany had been admitted to the League of Nations and is once more an accepted member of the international community. The bitterness at Germany's defeat in the Great War and the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles had not been forgotten but most Germans appear to have come to terms with the new Republic and its leaders. Gustav Stresemann had decided to take on the job of leading a battle for a policy he felt was in his nation’s vital interest even though he was tired and ill and knew that the opposition would be stubborn. Stresemann was the major force in negotiating and guiding the Young Plan through a ‘plebiscite’.This plan although opposed by those on the right-wing won majority approval and further reduced Germany’s reparations payments. The Weimar Republic was a bold experiment. It was Germany's first democracy, a state in which elected representatives had real power. The new W eimar constitution attempted to blend the European parliamentary system with the American presidential system. In the pre- World War I period, only men twenty-five years of age and older had the right to vote, and their elected representatives had very little power. The Weimar constitution gave all men and women twenty years of age the right to vote.Women made up more than 52% of the potential electorate, and their support was vital to the new Republic. From a ballot, which often had thirty or more parties on it, Germans chose legislators who would make the policies that shaped their lives. Parties spanning a broad political spectrum from Communists on the far left to National Socialists (Nazis) on the far right competed in the Weimar elections. The Chancellor and the Cabinet needed to be approved by the Reichstag (legislature) and needed the Reichstag's continued support to stay in power.Although the constitution makers expected the Chancellor to be the head of government, they inc luded emergency provisions that would ultimately undermine the Republic. Gustav Stresemann was briefly Chancellor in 1923 and for six years foreign minister and close advisor to Chancellors. The constitution gave emergency powers to the directly elected President and made him the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. In times of crisis, these presidential powers would prove decisive.During the stable periods, Weimar Chancellors formed legislative majorities based on coalitions primarily of the Social Democrats, the Democratic Party, and the Catholic Center Party, all moderate parties that supported the Republic. As the economic situation deteriorated in 1930, and many disillusioned voters turned to extremist parties, the Republic's supporters could no longer command a majority. German democracy could no longer function as its creators had hoped. Ironically by 1932, Adolf Hitler, a dedicated enemy of the Weimar Republic, was the only political leader capable of commanding a legisla tive majority.On January 30, 1933, an aged President von Hindenburg reluctantly named Hitler Chancellor of the Republic. Using his legislative majority and the support of Hindenburg's emergency presidential powers, Hitler proceeded to destroy the Weimar Republic. Germany emerged from World War I with huge debts incurred to finance a costly war for almost five years. The treasury was empty, the currency was losing value, and Germany needed to pay its war debts and the huge reparations bill imposed on it by the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the war.The treaty also deprived Germany of territory, natural resources, and even ships, trains, and factory equipment. Germany’s population was undernourished and contained many widows, orphans, and disabled veterans living in poverty. The new German government struggled to deal with these crises, which had produced a serious hyperinflation. By 1924, after years of crisis management and attempts at tax and finance reform, th e economy was stabilised with the help of foreign, particularly American, loans. This relative â€Å"golden age† was reflected in the strong support for moderate pro-Weimar political parties in the 1928 elections.However, economic disaster struck with the onset of the world depression in 1929. The American stock market crash and bank failures led to a recall of American loans to Germany. This development added to Germany's economic hardship. Mass unemployment and suffering followed. Many Germans became increasingly disillusioned with the Weimar Republic and began to turn toward radical anti-democratic parties whose representatives promised to relieve their economic hardships. The government no longer had sufficient resources to support the German economy, but continued to print paper money.This caused rapid inflation, which Germany used as an excuse for not being able to pay its second instalment towards the reparations. The French government, however, decided to force German y to pay. It did this by sending French and Belgian troops to the industrial heartland of Germany, the Ruhr to collect reparations still owing to them, but the German Chancellor called for â€Å"passive resistance† by the workers of the Ruhr; a refusal to co-operate with the troops. This, however, led to the collapse of the German economy, as the government was forced to print more paper money in order to pay the striking workers in the Ruhr.This caused hyperinflation as Germany was not producing anything; its industrial heartland had been destroyed and yet the number of notes in its economy was increasing. The German currency soon became worthless and prices were constantly rising (For example, an American dollar in July 1914 was worth about 4 marks, whilst in November 1923, its equivalent in marks was 4,000,000,000,000 marks). This struggle is then proved by Gustav Stresemann in the following source; â€Å"We in Germany in recent years have lived on borrowed money, if a cr isis ever hits us and the American withdraw their short-term credits then we would be bankrupt †¦ e are not only militarily disarmed, we are also financially disarmed† The social effects of this hyperinflation were disastrous, particularly for the German middle classes who had lost all their savings and pensions as a result. Then, in September 1923, Gustav Stresemann called for the end of passive resistance in order to begin the restoration of the German economy. This led to great political humiliation however, as it showed that Germany had been forced to do what the French wanted.This led to the Munich Putsch, which was an attempt by the Nazi Party leader, Adolf Hitler to overthrow the government; Hitler was determined to show the German people that not all Germans were going to accept what the French had forced the German government to do. Bavarian police broke up the revolt however and Hitler was arrested. In Saxony, there was another revolt against the republic, but t his was a communist revolt and a communist government was set up, but Stresemann ordered this government to resign or else it would face military action.Therefore, the Ruhr Crisis led to economic collapse, political humiliation, dissatisfaction within society, further opposition to the Weimar Republic and finally, it’s devastating effects caused people to start looking towards extreme solutions. The Weimar Republic, in spite of all its problems, did survive the crisis that had befallen it between 1919 and 1923; even though it had inspired violent political opposition from right and left wing groups, it had faced a devastating economic situation creating a high level of discontent within society, and had brought about serious political humiliation upon itself, it had still managed to survive.All these problems contributed to the political difficulties which Weimar faced during its first few years; a general hatred amongst Germans of the new system and constant opposition towar ds it. The political issue of the Treaty of Versailles was probably the most important individual cause of Weimar's crisis however. It had been the Treaty of Versailles that caused nationalist opposition to Weimar and theGerman nation to step down to a second class power, losing much of its territory, having extreme military restrictions imposed on it, and it had been the treaty of Versailles that had brought about reparations, leading Germany into an extremely difficult economic situation causing further social tensions, and it had been this treaty that had inspired communist opposition by bringing about the need to get Germany back to work, causing the majority socialists (SPD) to cooperate with the old order.It can be argued that this treaty was responsible for most of the hatred of the German people towards Weimar between 1919 and 1923, but on the other hand, Germany would not have been able to negotiate peace had they not signed the treaty. Germany managed to survive this crisi s of economic collapse, political humiliation and dissatisfaction within society. Bibliography; Secondary Sources – * Republic to Reich, A history of Germany 1918-1939 Third Edition: K J Mason; Published 2007 * http://www. ohndclare. net/weimar5_affleck. htm Primary Source – * Republic to Reich, A history of Germany 1918-1939 Third Edition: K J Mason; Published 2007 Gustav Stresemann – page 43 â€Å"We in Germany in recent years have lived on borrowed money, if a crisis ever hits us and the American withdraw their short-term credits then we would be bankrupt †¦ we are not only militarily disarmed, we are also financially disarmed†

Analysis Of Homer s The Iliad - 899 Words

Homer s poem The Iliad is a prime example of your protagonist and antagonist going against each other, With one main character Achilles fueled by his all consuming wrath and need for vengeance, and the other main character Hektor fueled by his obligation and desire to guard his city and protect his family. Homer s Iliad has been open to several different interpretations and different versions have circulated even in Greek art. The Harvard Collection has a vase in it that tells a similar but very different version of Achilles tale. On this vase painting we see Achilles reclining in his char eating, laying below where he eats lies Hektor s corpse. His corpse is placed beneath Achilles as if he is a rug, in the left of the painting (as if catching Achilles by surprise is Hektor s old father Priam who appears to be begging at Achilles knees, and to the right of the painting is Achilles battle amour. The scene depicted by the painter shows how Achilles anger has become his obsession, you can almost see a crazed look painted for Achilles expression. In the painting the author is very detailed oriented as can be seen with Hektors corpse. Details are painted onto Hektors body to show that his ankles had been bound and scratches and marks on the body are to indicate the body had been tossed around. The artist focuses completely on Achilles anger or obsession in contrast to Homers version of the poem which spends more time building to the climax of the story, and developing itsShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Homer s The I liad Essay1231 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Iliad is a tale of war and aggression (Puchner 183). Written in the 8th century, it remains relevant to society today. The basis of the Iliad, warfare, brings with it portrayals of death, grief, and the real problem with humankind: we are not peaceful beings. In a war-ridden world, these topics remain pertinent to society. These terrors of war showcased in the Iliad generate an anti-war message. With this said, Homer creates a timeless lesson against war with his work. While the Iliad has beenRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad997 Words   |  4 Pagesare set up in a way such that the audience must believe at least one party loves another. How they act on behalf of this love is perhaps a testimony to the strength of their love and heroic status. Taking this structure at face value, in Homer’s The Iliad, Hector shows the most modern form of heroism in Book Six. He chooses to fight rather than see his loved wife fall to the Achaeans, while others throughout the story view their women as prizes and choose to fight- or not- based on very different values;Read MoreAnalysis Of The Homer s The Iliad Essay1010 Words   |  5 PagesPoor leadership is devastating in The Iliad.. Homer recognizes this, making a particular effort to demonstrate what traits constitute effective leadership. 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Homer focused on the commonRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad887 Words   |  4 PagesIn Homer’s the Iliad there are two types of culture which are shame and honor. The Greeks rank great significance on personal honor. Why is tha t? The reason being is that to them honor means the ability to fight and be triumphant on the battle field. There are many ways honor is obtained to the Greeks, another way to prove your honor is to reveal athletic abilities. Meanwhile, the shame culture has a different concept to the Greeks. Shame meant to have good morals towards others and it is a moreRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad866 Words   |  4 PagesIn Homer’s The Iliad, women can often be overshadowed by the strong male warriors that dominate the epic poem. However, many women in The Iliad are central to the plot; without these women the poem would have a drastically different story. 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His purpose in The Iliad is to demonstrate, through tact and strategic ability, that strength and brawn isn’t all that compose a hero. Odysseus, the great tactician, isn’t known as the brawn, but the brain of the Achaian army. When compared with Menelaos, â€Å"Menelaos was bigger by his broad shoulders, but Odysseus was the more lordly† (III, 210). Here, Homer is intentionally lessening Odysseus’ physical prowess to uphold hisRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad Essay1692 Words   |  7 PagesA major theme seen in Homer’s The Iliad is one of war and the politics that play a role in it. A key part of politics is the interactions that take place between people when determining policies and courses of action. The focus of this paper will be on the interactions between the Greek leaders and the army in the opening of book 2. There will be a section where I will analyze these interactions and provide evidence showing what degree I believe the Greek leaders care about their army. The way thatRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad993 Words   |  4 Pages In Homer’s The Iliad, we learn that the mother and father relationships within the family is very important, but we don’t want to overlook the brothers. For instance, in the Greek and Trojan families, it was one way to bring everyone together. The brotherhood of Agamemnon and Menelaus, and Hector and Paris illustrates their devotion. Book Six of The Iliad comprehends several illustrations of how honor strengthens the bond between both brother’s Agamemnon and Menelaus and Hector and Paris. Glory