Mass Media and Its Responsibilities

The extent of reach which Mass Media commands in this digital age is truly amazing and serves as an eye opener; both in terms of viewership and the ability to influence a person’s thinking. But why do I get the feeling that Mass Media is misusing this power, misleading people, creating unnecessary hype to increase circulation numbers? With absolute power comes great responsibility. Mass Media has acquired absolute power, but lacks in the responsibility department.

Let me explain, using an example, why I have this grouse against Mass Media.

By “Mass Media” I am referring to the most common form of news outlet, the newspaper, which includes both print and online versions. Recently the G8 summit in Japan had concluded, with pledges on the food and oil crises and climate change among other things.

As usual, the summit received its usual share of media coverage. But a few publications such as The Daily Mail and The Washington Times had a completely different take on the proceedings. Food crisis was one of the major issues that was addressed at the summit. But these two publications took it upon themselves to bring it to public notice that the leaders and the dignitaries gorged upon an 18-course banquet which they had apparently found hard to swallow.

The headline from The Daily Mail screamed “Summit that's Hard to Swallow – World Leaders Enjoy 18-Course Banquet as They Discuss How to Solve Global Food Crisis.” The article carried pictures of the leaders enjoying the extravagant banquet, the menu and a picture of a malnourished group of people as a contrast. The article, written by James Chapman lambasts the G8 summit members for treating themselves to a lavish banquet while urging the world to stop wasting food and combat rising prices and a global shortage of provisions. The sarcasm was pretty obvious as you will be able to perceive from the following quotes from the article:

“The world leaders sat down to an 18-course gastronomic extravaganza at a G8 summit in Japan, which is focusing on the food crisis.”

“G8 leaders discussing the world food crisis in Japan raise their glasses ahead of an 18-course dinner.”

Dominic Nutt, of the charity Save the Children is quoted saying, “It is deeply hypocritical that they should be lavishing course after course on world leaders when there is a food crisis and millions cannot afford a decent meal. If the G8 wants to betray the hopes of a generation of children, it is going the right way about it. The food crisis is an emergency and the G8 must treat it as that.”

Here are some excerpts from The Washington Times article:

“Lentil soup and a crust of bread as the first, second and third course at a recent G8 summit in Japan might at least have conveyed the impression the leaders of the world's principal industrialized nations were focused on a fast-unfolding food shortage engulfing the entire planet.”

“Instead, the convivial summiteers feasted on a six-course lunch at a five-star lakeside hotel on the island of Hokkaido, followed that evening by an eight-course heartburning dinner, from Kyoto beef shabu-shabu, to dicey fatty tuna, to clams floating in Shiso, to broiled prawns in Tosazu, to salt-grilled rockfish, to milk-fed baby lamb to G8 ‘Fantasy Desert,’ all washed down by wine and champagne vintages from all over the world. To then make global food security a top priority was a tad Pecksniffian.”

“Year in and year out, the G8 meet in a bucolic setting pleasing on the eyes that tends to act as a soporific on the part of the brain that allows summiteers to anticipate global crises.”

“In Japan last month, the Eight Big Ones agreed to reconvene in 2009 on the Mediterranean island La Maddalena, nestled in the Straits of Bonifacio between Corsica and Northern Sardinia, one of the last untouched beautiful spots in the world. But they could save their taxpayers a bundle by canceling their reservations now and videoconferencing instead – twice a year.”

My grouse is – why focus on trivial issues such as the food that was consumed and the location of the G8 summit? Why not focus on the critical issues such as food and oil crisis, climate change and so on? With the reach that these publications have, they can put it to good use by spreading awareness on these issues. But instead, they chose to focus on the menu and the food which the leaders consumed, and gripe about the exotic locations in which the G8 summit would be held in future.

What did they expect? The world leaders would assemble in a dingy hall and hammer out a solution to the crises that are afflicting the world, munching on plain bread. C’mon. It’s a three day summit where the Head’s of Nation’s assemble. Is Japan to blame for treating them to a “royal banquet?” I believe Japan just upheld its tradition by showcasing its culture and generosity by playing a perfect host to the G8 Summit.

Am I wrong in saying that these publications could have done better? Is my grouse unjustified? Am I biased? Are my views shortsighted?

Sources: The Washington Times, The Daily Mail

By Rakesh Reddy R.

The days that changed my life…

It was like any other day when I woke up and looked at the watch. I knew that from then on my life was going to be different and tedious too. My memories flooded back to those days when I used to lazily lie down on my bed happy with the fact that my exams were over and I had a huge break to relax my lazy bones and live life the way I wanted. But MBA had taken its toll on me and was to shape my life till the end. I enrolled myself into one of the companies named EmPower Research Knowledge Services (P) Ltd.; I smirked at the fact that I, who did not have any power, was expected to empower it and vice versa. I got dressed in my best formal clothes – the myriad of advices poured in from professors, parents and many renowned individuals (all the characters I had come across while reading books of tycoons and the success mantras to be a professional) had convinced me that the first impression would be the last impression. I was not thinking of days, but yes of two months of gruelling effort that I would have to put into a project that would be scrutinised; to me it looked like a litmus test that I had to pass. From then on it was serious countdown and showtime.

On the D-day, I went and reported at the right time. I was welcomed in a way that no book had taught me, no tycoons had defined much about, nothing that my close ones had revealed to me – “The power of smile”. It felt so nice and I struck up a conversation with the Senior HR Manager of the organisation. She inquired about my arrival and also gave me a warm handshake and again a warm smile saying “Welcome, you’re officially on board madam”. I smiled. This was indeed something that made me feel more comfortable. From then on there was no turning back as I met another bubbly character, the HR Executive of Empower who made me feel at home. She took me all around the office and helped me whenever I was in need, in spite of her work load. I was not treated as an intern, but as another employee who was there to make a career of her own. I was always treated with sincerity and courtesy. The employees were addressed by their first names and given the due respect that any individual deserved. I forgot the last time I participated in a Rangoli competition. It was great fun and there was never a point of time when I was treated differently. The result was that I worked more passionately and enjoyed what I did. I never felt that I was working, but felt that I was conducting a certain study and at the same time enhancing my knowledge. Each day after I went home from work I felt more rejuvenated and would eagerly wait for the next day so that I could feel better doing something different from what I had done before. Because it was not just work, it was like meeting my friends and learning something new from them each day. It was a wonderful experience when I personally met all the Directors of each department. My mind set changed totally when I discovered what professionalism meant to them – being simple in their gestures and high in their thinking. What made the difference was their outlook and attachment towards each employee of the organisation.

It has been an eye opener for me – understanding the fact that work life is something that has different perspectives. It changed the way I saw things and also made me understand the importance of seeing life from a different angle. It was a dress rehearsal for my actual work life. It made me understand what I should be expecting from the work area and how I should enhance my skills in order to reach my goals. I enjoyed what I did and was positive throughout. I certainly think I was blessed for getting the chance to work for such an organisation which gave me a feel of the real-life work culture in such a way that it made me smile.

By Sanghamitra Dhar

Is Poverty an Excuse to Rape Our Environment?

The G8 summit concluded on an emphatic note, declaring that a breakthrough agreement on climate change had been reached, wherein the members had agreed to cut at least 50 per cent of their current carbon emissions by 2050 and also committed to the principle of mid-term reduction or stabilization targets.

How valid is this agreement? Who makes sure that the targets are met? What happens when the targets are not met?

With these questions swimming through my mind, I decided to dig in. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I came across an article from The Financial Times written by David Pilling. The article states that China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa have declined to stand by the agreement and have gone on record saying that “They cannot adopt any measure that will endanger the growth needed to pull hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.”

These countries have dangled the poverty card as a license to continue polluting the environment. To what extent is this justifiable? These are the ones who are right now the culprits, contributing to a major share of carbon emissions. They have also adamantly suggested that the “rich and developed” countries are the ones who should cut down on their emission levels between 80 and 95 per cent from the 1990 levels, whereas they should be given a free license to pollute our environment. Yea…license to rape.

I believe that developing countries have the flexibility to adopt measures to check and cut carbon emissions when compared to the already developed ones. Any measure put in place now will hold good even in the coming future, taking into account the fact that there will be continuous increase in population, which will directly correspond to increased amount of carbon emissions.

Why wait till a country achieves the coveted status of “developed” to implement carbon emission cutting measures? Why not now?

The stance adopted by a few countries calls into question the futility of conducting these meetings. Why cheat our conscience by adopting resolutions which will not be adhered to? Go ahead. Rape our environment. We are more concerned about alleviating poverty.

We can always live with the fact that at this rate of increase in pollution, the day when the environment becomes inhospitable for the existence of our kind is not too far away. But we just cannot live with “POVERTY.”

By Rakesh Reddy R

A Small Step for a Healthier India

India’s healthcare sector has been growing rapidly and is estimated to be worth US$40 billion by 2012, according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers in its report, “Healthcare in India: Emerging market report 2007”. The number of patients visiting India for medicare has risen incredibly due to a combination of experienced physicians, lower cost, rising number of super specialty hospitals and world class care provided.

But what do we lack in our healthcare sector?
Though the prospect for healthcare looks great, I feel that we lack in general awareness. I think the pharmaceutical companies see the Indian market as outdated. India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs and also a production unit for banned drugs.

We can see many drugs that have been banned in the US and UK easily available and being prescribed by physicians. Let me quote an example, PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE. I know majority of the people just know the brand name, so I will quote that (Vicks Action 500 is the brand name of a combination medicine that contains paracetamol 500 mg + phenylpropanolamine (PPA) 25 mg + caffeine 32 mg per tablet. Paracetamol is a pain-killer while PPA is a decongestant and D’Cold). On 6 November 2000 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “Public Health Advisory” statement notifying that it was “taking steps to remove phenylpropanolamine from all drug products and has requested that all drug companies discontinue marketing products containing phenylpropanolamine”. The statement followed advice from the FDA’s Non-prescription Drugs Advisory Committee that there is an association between phenylpropanolamine and haemorrhagic stroke and that phenylpropanolamine was not considered safe. The FDA advised that the risk of haemorrhagic stroke was “very low” but there were significant concerns because of the seriousness of a stroke and the inability to predict who was at risk.

As I am living in India, I know majority of us take this medicine when we have cold and headache. What is worrying is that this drug can be bought off the counter without even a prescription. To add to that the drug is advertised on prime time television without even a mention about the side effects. The medical community is also guilty of prescribing these unsafe medicines. If I quote the medicines that are banned in other countries but are available in India, I will have a long list.

So, I request everyone to check the content of the drug you take and have a general idea about it. Also spread information about the dangerous side effects. Be bold to tell your physician that you had read about the side effects. You might provide the physician with an information that he wasn’t aware of thus saving the lives of many others. If not, you would have at least prompted the physician to be careful and not take advantage of a patient’s ignorance. Your questions might change the fate of many others!!

By Dhanya

The Brave Mehbooba Andyar – Where Is She Now?

The World is moved seeing the condition of poor innocent people of Afghanistan, but Mehbooba Andyar made the World feel proud for her.

I am really very proud of Afghan’s Mehbooba. Andyar, Afghan’s only female athlete’s choice to compete in a head scarf and full-length, body-covering running suit could not spare her from Taliban taunts and threats. Almost all of us would know the way women were treated during Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan. The Afghan middle-distance runner, nonetheless, trekked on and was on the verge of realizing her Olympic dream. I salute her for her fearless Courage. No bravery award will ever try matching her.

I was really worried, when I read the news that Andyar has gone missing from her training site just weeks before the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies. According to a TIME article, Andyar has not contacted any Afghan or international track-and-field authorities since disappearing from a training facility in Formia, Italy, 106 miles (170 km) south of Rome, where she and other international athletes were based in June. Italian police are investigating the disappearance, though there are no signs of foul play. Her bags and passport were also gone from her room, a sign that she may have left on her own.

No scenario is being ruled out, and Andyar did not have any special security detail. One possible explanation is that the 19-year-old may be seeking asylum somewhere in Europe, following repeated threats and humiliation from Muslim extremists, including false rumors that she was a prostitute. Nick Davies, spokesman for the IAAF, the world track-and-field governing body, said there had been no signs that Andyar was having second thoughts about competing in Beijing. "It was quite a surprise to us," Davies told TIME. "We don't know where she is. All we know is that she and her bags are gone."

An Italian Olympic official said Andyar and other athletes who had previously been training in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, had been in Formia the past month to train, and as a base for European track meets. "We were only the hosts," the Italian official said. "They were in transit here."

The other Afghan track athlete expected in Beijing, a male sprinter, as well as an Afghan trainer were also at the Formia facility, and they told authorities they were unaware of Andyar's whereabouts. TIME contacted both the Afghan Olympic Committee and the country's track-and-field association in Kabul, but neither knew where Andyar was. An Afghan Olympic official said the team holds the right to substitute Andyar with another female athlete, though the IOC would have the last word.

Davies says the runner was scheduled to return to Malaysia with the other Asia-based athletes just a few days after she disappeared. Although she could still wind up competing at the Olympics, Davies says that every passing day makes it more likely that Afghanistan will have no women at the Games.

Four years ago in Athens, Robina Muqimyar ran the 100 meters and Friba Rezihi competed in judo, becoming the first Afghan women ever to compete in the Olympics.

I really wish and pray for her safety and that she competes in Beijing Olympics.

Source: http://www.time.com/ Where Is the Afghan Female Runner?
By Sowjanya Shankar

Warren Buffet – Take a bow

I am motivated and inspired by billionaire investor Warren Edward Buffett’s business ethics. Buffett is an American investor, businessman, and philanthropist (born on August 30, 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska). The only boy in the family, he was the second of three children, and displayed an amazing aptitude for both money and business from a very early age.

He is regarded as one of the world's greatest stock market investors, and is the largest shareholder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. With an estimated net worth around US$62 billion, he was ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world as of February 11, 2008.

Often called the ‘Oracle of Omaha,’ Buffett is noted for his adherence to the value of investing philosophy and for his personal frugality, despite his immense wealth.

Buffett is also a noted philanthropist. In 2006, he announced a plan to give away his fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2007, he was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in The World. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees at the Grinnell College.

He is the second richest man who has donated US$31 billion to charity. Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:

1. He bought his first share at the age of 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at the age of 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small three-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, which he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house, though his house does not have a wall or a fence.
4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEOs only two rules. Rule number one: Do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number two: Do not forget rule number one.
7. He does not socialize with the high-society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch television.
8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only five years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half an hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for 10 hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer at his desk.

His advice for young people: ‘Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and
Remember
A. Money doesn't create man but it is man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't follow what others say, just listen to them, but do what you feel good.
D. Don't go for brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on them who really need money.
F. After all it's your life; then why give chance to others to rule your life.’

Visit for more information
http://www.buffettsystem.com/
http://beginnersinvest.about.com/cs/warrenbuffett/a/aawarrenbio.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

By Prathima

VIVA LA ATI! Welcome back ATI

For those who happened to read my earlier blog on graphics cards, more so on NVIDIA, should have noticed that I had continuously praised NVIDIA for its foresight and performance and shrugged its only competitor, ATI. I brought out this point because a shakedown is in order, ladies and gentlemen. Finally, ATI has just come up with not one, not two, but three winners – its 4800 range of cards (the Radeon 4850, 4870 and the 4780 GX2) which may boost the chances of the laggard PC game industry in reviving itself.

Competition is great (for gamers)
The past seven months have seen NVIDIA dominating the graphics card market in the mid-range and high-end cards segment through its 8800 (featuring both 90nm and 65nm dies) and 9800 series of cards. Needless to say, the high-end cards were exorbitantly priced by NVIDIA when they were released – from $500 to $700! The new 9800 series didn’t have a high price tag as its predecessors, but it was the only high-end solution available for a gamer at one point of time. In addition, NVIDIA recently unleashed the 200 series in the form of GTX 260 and GTX 280 (with old price tags of $400 and $650, respectively) which are the next generation of graphic cards in the market and provide roughly 40–50% more performance over the 9800 GTX (NVIDIA’s most affordable high-end card in the market with an old price tag of around $350). There were often times when gamers and the PC game industry must have wondered whether ATI was ever going to challenge NVIDIA. Enter the Radeon 4850, 4870 and the 4870 GX2 – it will give me immense pleasure and I’m sure to many gamers around the world that ATI has finally released three great cards that are not only challenging the 9800 GTX and the ultra-high-end NVIDIA cards (GTX 260, GTX 280 and 9800 GX2) in terms of performance, but prices as well. Consider the 9800 GTX that is retailing currently around $200 (down from $350), which is the same as Radeon 4850. The Radeon 4870 which provides similar performance in case of most of the games compared to the new GTX 260 (and close to GTX 280) is priced higher at $300. Now let’s focus on the Radeon 4870 GX2 – it has brought down the price of the GTX 280 to $500 (from $650), which is competition at its best. Absolutely divine!

Technology dissected
ATI has gone ahead and implemented DDR5 in its new range of cards. Many of the gamers may question their use because it doesn’t provide a big leap in terms of performance compared to high-end NVIDIA cards which use DDR3. AMD is sticking to a 256-bit memory bus while NVIDIA has moved to a 512-bit memory bus with the GeForce GTX 280. AMD has gone narrow on the bus but has included fast memory (GDDR5). On the other hand, NVIDIA has gone for a wide memory bus and slower memory (GDDR3). The same memory bandwidths can be achieved on both configurations depending on the frequency of the RAM modules. But, DDR5 being the next generation in RAM has the potential of hammering out better performance in future. A narrow 256-bit bus should not act as an impediment to the new generation of ATI cards.

Gazing into the crystal ball
Yes, we agree that ATI has revived the good old days of competition in the form of better products and prices. Not only has it brought the prices down, but has also introduced DDR5 to graphics cards. Speaking of prices, it’ll no wonder give some relief to a lot of gamers who had almost given up on ATI as well as on a sluggish PC game industry, which is reeling under the cloud of piracy and high hardware prices. Pricewaterhouse Coopers has estimated that the PC games sector will fall 1.2% a year from $3.8 billion in 2007 to $3.6 billion in 2012. It’ll be interesting to see how ATI challenges the current kings of the high-end graphics segment – the twin chip-based 9800 GX2 and the 240 stream processors behemoth, the GTX 280. The 4870 GX2 has shown a lot of promise in terms of performance. However, there is one key factor in which NVIDIA scores over ATI – power consumption. A high-end machine equipped with a 9800 GX2 consumes 120–140 watts less than that of a machine with a 4870 GX2. This is one of the critical areas that ATI needs to focus upon. Well, the conclusion you might ask? One thing is crystal clear – the smiles are back in the geeky corridors of ATI’s offices and needless to say, in ours too.

By Dipankar Mohanty