Speech papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speech papers - Essay Example The portrayals were characterized by repetitive and indiscriminate depiction of the Muslim community that reinforce stereotyping and misunderstanding among the wider public. Central to the negativity of the media's Arab and Islamic portrayals are the reporters themselves. The idea is that claims to objectivity in news reporting is a myth and that, in their reports, they have the power to shape and change meanings that influence public opinion just with use, misuse or non-use of certain words. An excellent example of this is the way Palestinians are labeled terrorists in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when the ANC that uses the same methods that got the former labeled as such were called as freedom fighters. (Manning, p. 52) Dr. Ibrahim Hilal added another example when he pointed out in an ABC interview how Western networks never say occupied territories in Palestine and instead mention â€Å"territories† or the just the â€Å"Palestinian people† in their reports about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in addition to the usual failure in mentioning the reason of resistance and violence on the part of the Arabs. (p52) There is also a tendency to opinionate and cast blame on Muslims as a whole by using specific incidents and personalities in order to represent their community and what they stand for. For instance, during the peak of the media coverage of the Lebanese rape gangs, the Islamic religion was repeatedly dragged into the fray, with reporters going as far as pontificating how Islamic culture and values breed the kind of violence that Arabs are capable of. Manning identified the general media slant that declares rape is typical of men of Middle Eastern extraction and that â€Å"white† women are threatened by the communities that harbor them. (Manning, p63) What is happening is actually a sanctioned prejudice towards a race on the guise of public indignation on specific criminal acts. The apt description, according to Michael Humphrey, is to â€Å"exoticize the Other† perhaps in an effort to demonize, curtail and control an ethnic minority. (p63) This comes in handy, for instance, when advancing certain policies that concern minority groups such as on the issue of what to do with refugees and asylum seekers. The section of the public who does not have any idea what the Muslims are or their faith and beliefs, their culture and their community have to depend heavily on the media and the printed material for their opinions and judgments. It is, hence, unfortunate that they get to read about Muslim depictions that are negative one-dimensional and often misleading and malicious. What is more unfortunate is the fact – as has been previously explained – that this phenomenon is a deliberate and systematic campaign on the part of the media. The media is guilty with the typical Western prejudice on Muslims and Islam and also, the â€Å"otherness† that comes with having a different culture and wa y of life. This is unfair to the Muslim community and unjust in its most extreme manifestations. It also harms societies that are multicultural and diverse. It breeds segregation and alienation among groups that should have been coming together and learning from each other, enriching the

Genetically Modified Food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Genetically Modified Food - Essay Example   This means the losses incurred by farmers and other people who are involved in the same can easily be averted. Research also goes to show that genetically modified food is also resistant to herbicides which natural food can never be. These are some of its advantages but there are disadvantages too which must be considered to make its case even.   Last year a laboratory study was published which showed that pollen from B.t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B.t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B.t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B.t. the toxin that would only kill crop-damagi ng pests and remain harmless to all other insects.   There are several unknown effects of consuming genetically modified foods; more research is being conducted in this field. Research thus far has found both pros and cons of consuming genetically modified foods.   Countless children succumb to hunger each day in Africa; the problem of malnutrition can easily be solved should human beings start using genetically modified foods. Malnutrition can be slowly but steadily eliminated should genetically modified foods be used on a daily basis.