The Murdoch Tower Comes Crumbling Down

Recent news suggests the Murdoch hierarchy may finally be coming to an end. As we have witnessed over the years, Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerates have taken a big toll after the allegations that one of the worlds largest media outlets was hacking into celebrity’s, royal’s and public figure’s private cell phone accounts to publicize personal information. After years of investigations and resignations, James Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch, has stepped down from his position as executive chairman of News International, the British arm of News Corp. Though Rupert Murdoch made a statement that his son will continue to work with a variety of “essential corporate leadership mandates,” I have to think otherwise.

James Murdoch is the last Murdoch to run the Murdoch media world, however; with the allegations and pressure he has received about knowing of the several scandals, he may have no choice but to eventually resign, as did his father. I’m glad to see that the media is not able to get away with anything, because at times, I have my doubts. It brings on a slight aspect of comfort that there are boundaries and when those boundaries are crossed, there are consequences, even for the most powerful people. I will be curious though to see how the transferring of James Murdoch has an effect on this large corporation.

Media in Other Countries

As most of us have heard, yesterday afternoon a train crashed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing a total of 50 people and injuring around 700. This was the worst train crash they have seen since the 1940s. As far we know the crash was caused by a random brake or driver error. After reading several articles about the crash, I found it very interesting to see how the media in other countries handles crisis. From what I have read and found, a few fingers have been pointed at who to blame for the crash but I have yet to see one apology or sympathy article. If this accident had happened in the United States, I feel it would be handled very differently.

It's interesting to see just how different the media acts in certain countries. One thing I know is that when a crises happens in the U.S., if the organization or person responsible for it does not come out with an apology within 24 hours, their reputation will be affected for years, sometimes forever. As we saw with the Komen incident, they lost hundreds of supporters simply because they kept quiet for too long. As I follow the Buenos Aires accident, I will be curious to see how it turns out and who takes the blame.

The Media's Powerful Twist

After discussing examples of leadership that have lead to ethical results, I found this unfortunate situation to be a perfect example. As most of us have been informed by now,  TCU has had 17 students arrested in the past 12 hours for dealing drugs, four of those 17 being very talented football players. This was a devastating occurrence for TCU, putting quite the mark on the school's reputation. Chancellor Boschini addressed the issue promptly and respectfully. He informed the public of the schools goals and ethical values, he was saddened to report the incident. He clearly stated what TCU is about and kept his statement brief and to the point. He informed not only all the students but also the student's parents about the situation, letting everyone have a clear understanding of the circumstances.

Situations like this are never good to witness, they affect people everywhere. I feel Chancellor Boschini did an excellent job at handling the incident. Unfortunately, I feel the media has twisted into something it shouldn't be. Instead of focusing on the real problem, as to why so many more students have gotten involved with drugs, the media focused on the fact that four out of the 17 students were football players. This created unnecessary attention for TCU across the nation. I have a hard time believing TCU is the only college that has had multiple drug related arrests, however, if they don't involve a well known group or person we don't hear about them. I'm saddened to see the that the real issue still awaits its answer while the media continues to focus on what our football team will be like for next season.

Susan G Komen vs. Planned Parenthood

As most of us know, Susan G. Komen has reversed their decision to not support Planned Parent. A few days ago, Komen stated they would continue to raise funds and donate to the organization. The controversy has made the headlines everyday since it started. It has caused protests, rallies and petitions on just about every social media site. After watching and hearing the news I realized just how unfortunate this situation is. Being on the outside, the public may not know what truly caused Komen to stop their funding, but what we do know is that Komen's main goal is to help women. Unfortunately, the media is able to twist a story into such a different perspective Komen came out of this story looking like a terrible organization.

After watching statement after statement on the news and all over Twitter,  I realized just how big of an effect the media has on us. Obviously both organizations are aiming for the same goal, they want to provide women with a healthy life and keep them safe. But ever since the issue became political it seemed the organizations were completely against each other and the public almost forgot the main reason why we have organizations like this. The battle has turned into a political controversy rather than sorting out the issues and finding a resolution that is best for both.

The Golden Mean

Finding the perfect "in-between" for just about anything in life is much easier said then done. Everyday we are faced with decisions, and hopefully, we try to make a choice that is best for both ourself and everyone around us. After researching about Aristotle's mean, also known as the golden mean, I realized more people should practice his way of thinking, not only with difficult decisions but with everyday decisions.

Aristotle believes when faced with a decision in life it is best to find "the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency."What first came to my mind after reading this theory was the scandal at Penn State. It was clear that several administrators at Penn State knew about the problems going on but failed to report them. They chose to save the schools reputation rather than make the right decision. When these administrators were put in the position of deciding whether or not to do the right thing and turn the coach in, they found themselves in a difficult position. Their decision had to very different options, instead of turning in the man who was at wrong and moving on, they continued to stay quiet which eventually led to a much bigger problem at the school. This scandal will continue to be one of the most talked about scandals in history, all because a few people decided to make the wrong decision.