The US Presidential Race Heating Up

This year's US presidential race has got to be one of the most highly contested electoral challenges in a long time. The current president, Barrack Obama, has enjoyed a relative popularity and made great strides with health-care reform, saving the US auto industry and the recapitalization of banks in the country, amongst other things. However, he has met a tough adversary in his opponent, Mitt Romney. Romney, the republican hopeful is more energetic and younger than his predecessor, John McCain; however, he has also made a lot of slips throughout his campaign.

Two debates down and one more to go. The third and last debate should be very interesting, after a poor performance from the president in the first debate and a strong comeback in the second. There are mixed polls on the issue of who is likely to win the election, especially in the swing-states. However, the latest polls seem to show Romney as a really strong competitor, with an actual chance of getting into the White-house.

To look at the recent polls from USA Today, the categories have been divided into: likely voters, registered voters, likely female voters and likely male voters for both the swing states and the non-swing states. These are different times and Obama faces a new (if not harder) challenge to get another term of office.However, regardless of another term, I believe that the president deserves another term of office to fulfill his vision and his promises, after which Romney can then have a chance to show the world what he can do, if he can prove to be the right man for the job. Even after watching the last debate, there is no doubt in my mind that Obama should get another term. Neither was I convinced by Romney's responses to the questions from the audience, nor I did I believe his denials. Yet it still remains, the elections will end with the last vote.

Below is a figure of the polls as of this morning, which was taken from the USA Today website.

Film Noir

Film Noir is the artistic style of movies that still exists today. From the era of Alfred Hitchcock (who took full advantage of this emergence), till now, it has survived and evolved with the times. The general theme is the dominant male (usually an action-man with a gun) and the femme fatale (or very attractive and highly dangerous female).

This type of genre allows a director to explore vision through art and film techniques, with an emphasis on the main characters (who are rarely ugly) in conjunction with the story-line. One of the present-age directors that creates good films is Guy Ritchie, who brings his own unique style to the genre, which includes as much humour as it does action and dark scenes. A film worthy of being called a classic is "Lock, Stock & Two Smokin' Barrels." Another classic is "Natural Born Killers." Sometimes the movies follow rather dark paths, yet they contain something that enlightens the viewer from the approach of the way the story is told. Often the characters are depicted as 'other-than-normal' but are able to get the acceptance of the audience, as the story unfolds.

This type of genre is not specific to a particular kind of audience (as in film noir fans), but can be enjoyed by all. Whether you wish to watch action, drama, dark comedy, or simple art, there are many films that are guaranteed to entertain.

The Persuasiveness of Speech

First and foremost, when an individual is delivering a speech, that individual is informing and sharing his/her ideas with a given audience. In order to deliver a message clearly and audibly, it is important that there is a certain power behind the presentation of that speech. Charisma definitely has a key role when persuading an audience about a specific idea. Plus, the message has to be as clear as possible so that everybody can hear and understand what is being said. However, this is not strictly for the sole purpose of a public speaker, but also for anybody that is addressing an audience with any present medium of communication. Language is highly regarded and important for achieving a desired reaction from the audience. As an example: a journalist writing an article in a newspaper has to use clear and understandable language so that people can understand what is being said before making up their own minds about the issue.

It is with the power of language and delivery that intended messages are given and received, with relevant responses. To persuade is to have a power of giving understanding. As different people have different views about different things, the power to persuade is the power to teach, explain and create understanding in accordance with a given idea that has been put on the agenda.

The Visual Aspect

Who would have thought that visual components could be so important when presenting or distributing a message to a given audience? Considering the different reactions to visuals from individuals of different cultural backgrounds, does that mean that particular messages have to use different, or altered, visual aspects to convey the same message to different audiences? For instance, in some cultures the colour 'white' represents purity or virginity and in others it represents death or mourning.

The purpose of visuals is to help with  informing the audience, engaging the audience, and attracting the audience towards an intended message. It is possible to compare this to putting a cherry on top of a cake, to make it look more delicious.

With regard to a public speaker, they are clearly visible to their audience and their body language and posture adds to the dimensions of the messages they are trying to put across to the audience. Any visual techniques, like power-points, can be very useful in emphasizing an intended message.

In this day and age, everything has to be 'prettied up' to get a precise reaction from an audience. However, it is an absolute imperative to know your audience before-hand, so as to not be disappointed or receive a reaction that was not desired.

Social Media and the Latest Technologies

Firstly, anybody reading this post is able to do so due to the progression of technology. It clearly is not possible to view this without the current technology. The appearance of social media owes its gratitude to the constant growth of technology and media. As it is, we should all attempt to take full advantage of social media to get our views across and share ideas with others.

This has become the new age form of journalism as messages and stories can travel all over the world at the speed of a simple internet connection. Especially considering the current generation of adolescents and young adults, social media has become a premium platform for communication. Furthermore, anybody can be a journalist. As an example, when there is a media blackout in certain countries, those with mobile phones and internet connections can take and upload videos onto a social media site and share it with rest of the world. Public relations cannot ignore the explosive expansion of social media and, thus, it has to be integrated into the global communication scheme. No doubt as Generation Y takes the helms of governance and business etc..., the new media will be involved in a big way. For all we know, one day people will be voting and filing for tax returns via a social media site like facebook.

Defiance of the Journalist

Due to the different legislation, in different countries/regions, and the rules of the power-holders, defiance of the journalist is very cautionary. When a journalist goes against the norms, or what is expected, he/she faces a number of risks (all depending on the region where the journalist might be present). Principles also come into conflict as there is what should be done and what has been 'advised' to be done.