Mass Communications. Does the media give us the Truth Essay

Mass Communications. Does the media give us the Truth - Essay Example Because of this unique position, the media can be considered something of a ‘fourth branch of government’ as an informed citizenry is part of the checks and balances of a society. In many ways, society depends upon the media to hold our elected officials accountable. However, society also expects to be entertained creating some difficulty in ascertaining whether the media is capable of delivering the truth. Media acts as the link between people’s personal lives to events outside what they encounter in their everyday routine so truth is important, but can truth be defined in such black and white terms? It seems clear that while professional journalists do everything they can to deliver a truthful and verifiable report, truth is often more subjective than one might be tempted to believe. Television is a truly democratic mass medium that spreads information uniformly without regard to wealth, position or education and has clearly broadened our political dialogue. Its abilities as a mass communicator are rivaled only by the internet which has not yet caught up to the television in every home concept. The average community in the developed world now receives more than 30 channels of television with many areas receiving literally hundreds of choices at the click of a button. This diversity of programming presents perspectives regarding every conceivable characteristic of society. The viewing public has the chance to view Parliament in session and thus take a more active interest in the decisions that will have some bearing on their lives at home. Other channels or an internet search will enable them to become more informed about the issues under debate and this better-informed citizen can then make wiser decisions during the next election cycle. With all of these potent ial social conduits, there are now greater opportunities for political leaders to ensure

Three methods of measuring the health of the Australian population and Essay

Three methods of measuring the health of the Australian population and use these to compare the health status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian adults - Essay Example the indigenous people are defined â€Å"as an individual of Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal origin that identifies as a Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal and is accepted as such by the society in which he or she lives.† They were the first inhabitants of Australia. They have a less population compared to that of non- indigenous persons. Australias aboriginal population was estimated to be 669,900 people in 2011, which was 3% of the total population (ABS, 2013). There is an extensive gap between the health of the indigenous and the non- indigenous persons that’s contributed by various factors leading to the inequalities between them. The indigenous group is more disadvantaged as compared to the non-indigenous as stipulated by the AIHW (Australian Health 2014). The importance of this essay is to identify and describe three methods that can be used to measure the health status of both the indigenous and the non-indigenous populations in Australia. It will also help make a comparison between the two Australian groups. The methods will bring out the inequalities that exist between the two groups their differences. The three methods for the measurement of the health status in Australia that will be described in this essay are mortality and life expectancy, circulatory disease, and health risk factors. Life expectancy is an arithmetical measure of how long an organism or person may live. The statistics are obtained from mortality patterns and give information on the well-being of the community. It is given in terms of the number of years one is expected to live too but not the years of the remaining life (AIHW, 2012). In Australia, the indigenous group has a lower life expectancy as compared to the non-indigenous group across all the age groups (AIHW 2011). The death rates for the adults are higher in an indigenous group than in the non-indigenous Australians. They are vulnerable to illnesses that eventually lead to their death. Most of the indigenous deaths