War and The Role of Photography and the Media Essay

War and The Role of Photography and the Media - Essay Example The Spanish Civil War offered one of the most enduring images of all, caught by the camera of the legendary Robert Capa - a Republican soldier at the instant of death, the moment of truth, the bitterest truth of all. And now we see again how potent a picture can be. Not long ago it seemed certain that the lasting image of war in Iraq would be Saddam's toppled statue. Instead, for millions, it is now a grinning 21-year-old girl holding a dog lead attached to the neck of a naked, cowering Iraqi. That the mass media grew in importance during the twentieth century cannot be doubted. The late Victorian period witnessed an enormous expansion of the press, stimulated by improved technology and by the mid-century removal of the so-called 'taxes on knowledge', the stamp and paper duties which had raised the price of newspapers. By 1901 there were 21 major daily newspapers being produced in London. Although this number was to fall in the next few decades, as a result of closures and mergers, the press would remain a power in the land, courted and feared by politicians of all parties. After the First World War new media came to rival the press in their capacity to reach a mass audience. The cinema came into its own in the inter-war period, providing newsreel images which enabled the public at large to gain its first visual appreciation of the country's political leaders. The establishment in the 1920 of the BBC made possible the supply of radio, followed later by television, directly to voters' homes. From 1955, with the emergence of independent television, the BBC's monopoly of broadcasting was challenged by the rise of commercial channels. The appearance of satellite and cable television from the late 1980s further extended the variety of media available to the public. The role of the media in politics remains an area of intense debate. Although the press and broadcasting have rarely, if ever, been direct causes of political change, arguably they have done more than merely reflect their environment. The historians James

Nucor Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nucor Corporation - Essay Example To begin with, there is competition for the inputs that are required in the production of steel. The industry core input is from recycling of scrap metal. The many firms in the industry thus compete for these metals used in production. There is also competition for market share between the players. Market share determines the level and volume of sales that a firm makes and therefore influence e the profits to a firm (Porter, 1998). The foreign suppliers further tighten competition for market share in the steel industry. Firms in this industry as well are faced by the threat of entry by new firms as this may influence negatively on the performance of the already existing firms. Michael Porter five forces model can be applied to explain the competitive forces in this market. According to porter, the five factors that influence the performance of firms are the threat of entry of new firms, threat of substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers, and t he rivalry among firms (Porter, 1998). These five forces will affect operations and determine the policies to be adopted by firms to ensure that the competitive edge against competitors is attained. In this market for instance, there is high bargaining power of customers. ... The fight for market share is a zero sum game where if one firm increases its market share then the others will lose their share. In the US industry, there is threat of entry of very new firms or formation of partnership, alliances, or mergers that will make the competition stiffer. Nucor Corporation has therefore increased its acquisition of new firms and reduced the bureaucracy to ensure flexibility and better performance. The industry is thus highly competitive. The bargaining power of suppliers also exists in the industry because of the many firms in the industry. In this industry, firms have to look for scrap metals that are molted and used in producing steel products. The companies must therefore offer good prices for input for them to have continued supply of raw materials and reliable suppliers. The third force is the threat of substitute products. Substitute products have similar uses and satisfy the same need, therefore becoming important for competition. Industries that ar e characterized by the existence of closer substitutes are highly competitive and must ensure quality production and good pricing. Continuous restructuring and strategies are also important for the success of the firms. Presence of substitute products in the steel industry, together with the imports from china, turkey and other foreign countries have made competition stiff in this industry (Thompson, 2010). The four forces together with the rivalry among firms are the component of the five forces model. The rivalry among firms is determined by the ease of exit, branding, product identity, product difference and switching cost. The low cost of switching and the ease of exit makes the steel industry in US