HIV Vaccine Clinical Trials: The Standard of Care Debate Essay

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus infecting approximately 35.3 million people worldwide that leads to the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV-1 selectively infects certain host immune cells, including CD4+ T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, resulting in the continual depletion of the host immune system (Global Report, 2013). More specifically, HIV-1 prevalence is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries worldwide. In recent years, there has been much effort devoted to developing an effective vaccine against HIV-1. The vaccine clinical trials are typically held in these developing countries where HIV-1 prevalence is highest. The dilemma that continues to plague vaccine trials in developing countries pertains to the standard of care that should be provided to the participants who inevitably become infected with HIV-1 during the trial (Bloom, 1998). This standard of care debate revolved around top ics such as what type of treatment should be provided to the participants, how long should the treatment continue, will treatment continue after the trial has concluded, who has the obligation to ensure the standard of care protocols are enforced, what are the repercussions in failing to do so, and most importantly, who is paying for all of this (Berkley, 2003). The Declaration of Helsinki clearly endorses the view that all trial participants are entitled to the worldwide best standard of care (Lie et al, 2004). Unfortunately, efforts to devise an accepted standard of care have continued without success since the 1990s (Berkley, 2003). The root of the problem revolves around the expenses associated with treatment. This is an especially difficult ... ... 7. Lie RK, Emanuel E, Grady C, Wendler D. (2004). The standard of care debate: the Declaration of Helsinki versus the international consensus opinion. J Med Ethics 30: 190-3. 8. Macklin R. (2008). Standard of care: an evolution in ethical thinking. The Lancet 372(9635): 284-5. 9. Scott BR, Tsevat J. (2006). Is antiretroviral therapy cost-effective in South American? PLoS Medicine 3(1): 14. 10. Shapiro K, Benatar SR. (2005). HIV prevention research and global inequality: steps towards improved standards of care. Journal of Medical Ethics 31: 39. 11. Specter, M. (2003). The vaccine. The New Yorker 78(45): 56. 12. The Kaiser Family Foundation. Health expenditure per capita (PPP; $US). 2002. 2007. 13. UNAIDS/WHO, 2007 WHO/UNAIDS. Ethical considerations in biomedical HIV prevention trials: guidance document. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Nonverbal Communication Essay

Abstract The goal of this study was to find out if teachers were teaching nonverbal communication in their classroom, and also if it was important to teach nonverbal communication in the classroom. Teachers have a variety of teaching styles, and techniques. Some teachers using nonverbals and some do not. However, sometimes class size, classification levels, and gender can cause teachers to either use nonverbal communication or not. The participants of this study were asked whether or not their teacher use different types of nonverbal communication in the classroom setting. The study found that students said most teachers in their classes use nonverbal communication to teach. This study also provides support of the importance nonverbal communication has when teaching. Nonverbal communication in the classroom: A research about the importance of teaching nonverbal communication Communication in general is the process of sending and receiving messages that enables humans to share knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Although we usually identify communication with speech, communication is composed of two dimensions, which are verbal and nonverbal. Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication, but just without any words. Communicating is not something we can just do without, nonverbal communication especially considering it can never be shut off, unlike verbal communication we are always communicating nonverbally. One cannot not communicate. Nonverbal communication is always around you and impossible to ignore. Research, in many studies, has indicated that nonverbal communication can serve a wide range of functions in human interaction. Nonverbal communication is an essential part of every day life. No matter if at work, school, or even at home, nonverbal communication plays a huge role in life. As Blatner (2002) says, â€Å"Often people cannot understand the impact of nonverbal communications involved in a situation unless it is replayed and figured out† (pg.3). Teachers need to be practicing and teaching nonverbal communication in the classroom everyday, and that by doing so students will become much better communicators. Nonverbal communication strategies are important to the development of an effective educational system. Nonverbal communication should be practiced in more classes than just communication classes, because no matter what major of study you are in communication is always going to be an essential thing to know. Many social scientists have conducted research in the field of nonverbal communication as it affects students and educators. Ritchie (1977) found that seven percent of communication is nonverbal. Voice inflection accounts for 38% of the message, and facial expression, including â€Å"body language,† communicates 55% of the message. Speer (1972) states that because 90% of the total impact of a message can come from nonverbal elements, sharpening nonverbal communication skills cannot help but make a person a better communicator. So why are not all teachers using this method of teaching in the classroom setting? That is one of the questions I would like to answer in my research. This paper will work to determine if nonverbal communication is essential to be taught in the classroom and the importance of the teaching of nonverbal communication. Literature Review Research has been investigated, by many different scholarly researchers, about nonverbal communication and the importance of why it should be taught to students in their learning career. Nonverbal communication can be defined as signing, symbols, colors, gestures, rhythms, and much more. Those are just a few examples that will be discussed (Ritchie 1977). Speer (1972) believes that it is important to know all the different ways to communicate nonverbally and explains all of those ways in the book. Speer (1972) also emphasizes on the fact that in order to communicate, you must first know what nonverbal communication actually is. Pilner, Alloway, & Krames (1974) however compare how humans and animals communicate differently nonverbally and the importance of knowing the different ways, and they also point out how humans and animals can communicate very similarly nonverbally as well. Ethology is the way of studying behavior amongst people. Weitz (1974) refers to ethology as a way to cond uct research, knowing how to study different peoples behavior is essential to know before observing how people act. Visual interactions are also ways of studying nonverbal communication in the classroom, according to Weitz (1974). According to Molcho (1985), nonverbal communication is critical in the classroom setting, especially in interpersonal communication. The most credible messages teachers generate are said to be nonverbal. Duggan (2012) discusses all of the different nonverbal cues and why they are important. For example, he states the importance of facial expressions, gestures, and appearance. Along the same lines Carli (1995), Mayo &Henley (1981) and Thompson (2012) have different articles about differences between men and women and the different thoughts they have on nonverbal communication. He also discusses different research scenarios in which research has been conducted to prove the importance of nonverbal communication, and why men and women communicate differently sometimes. Area of Study Nonverbal communication plays a huge role in the classroom, and how teachers should be using nonverbal communication. (Pliner 1974) This paper is a research intended to help understand why nonverbal communication is so important in teaching, and what those importance’s are. Teachers should be using nonverbal communication everyday, in every course no matter what the major of study is. I want to research to see if teachers are using nonverbal communication skills in the classroom environment, and if so how they are using them. My hypothesis is that yes I believe teachers are using nonverbal communication as a way of teaching in their classroom. If the answer is no however, I will research why teachers are not using nonverbal communication in their every day teaching techniques, and if there are reasons behind why they are not using it. I will conduct surveys in class to see if students believe teachers are teaching enough about nonverbal communication, and if they believe it is important to be learning about. I would ask, does nonverbal communication play a role in the classroom? For instance, is nonverbal communication important in the classroom setting, whether it be how the teacher dresses, lectures, stands, etc. I also want to find out if teachers are teaching enough about nonverbal communication to their students. Are students gaining enough knowledge about nonverbal communication while in the classroom setting? Also, I would like to find out, what is the importance of nonverbal communication. Why should we study this and why do we need to learn this study for our whole careers. Finally, what would a classroom setting be like with zero nonverbal communication? This consists of no eye contact, appearance codes, gesture, or any other kind of nonverbal communication behavior. The following research questions and hypotheses guide the current study: H1: Students believe teachers are using nonverbal communication to communicate with them on a daily basis. H2: There is no difference between what males believe teachers use in the classroom and what females believe. H3: All ages believe the same thing when it comes to how often their teachers communicate nonverbally and how they are communicating this way. RQ1: Does nonverbal communication play a role in the classroom? RQ2: Are teachers teaching enough about nonverbal communication to their students? Methodology Instrument I used the convenience type sampling method. (see appendix A) This is a nonrandom type sampling; in which I used volunteers in my class to take my survey. The survey contained nine questions. Participants were asked nine questions about how their teachers use different nonverbal communication skills to communicate with them. The students were asked to mark yes or no depending on if the teacher used those certain styles of nonverbals while teaching, Students were also asked some demographic questions: sex, classification, and age. I used evidence by Wilmont (1995), about research of nonverbal communication to come up with my research questions. I developed my questions very carefully before choosing what the right questions were to ask. I thought about questions that could be useful to my research and that would help me develop the results I needed in order to prove or disprove my topic. I choose questions that wouldn’t be offensive to anyone, so that everyone could participate . I was trying to find out the significance of nonverbal communication being used and taught in the classroom setting. Participants I had twenty-five students in my research communication class participate in my survey. There were fourteen males and eleven females who participated, however gender doesn’t have much of an affect on my research. The ages for my survey ranged from nineteen to twenty-three years old. All of the students who took my survey were in some kind of communication field. I conducted my survey and distributed it during our class hour, along with everyone else. I distributed my surveys on Thursday October 18th, 2012. I distributed my survey to each member in the class in a row order. I simply passed my survey out row by row to each class member, and when everyone received my survey they began taking it. When the class was done taking my survey they proceeded to the front of the classroom and put my surveys in a pile for me to pick up. I then took a look at all of my results later that night. I made an excel document and went through each individual paper and recorded my results in to excel. I recorded the number of females and males, class rank, and also the answers to my yes and no questions. Results The first hypothesis was concerned with if students believed teachers were using nonverbal communication with them to teach on a daily basis. The hypothesis inferred that students did believe teachers were using nonverbal communication on a daily basis to communicate with them. . This hypothesis was supported. All students answered yes to at least some type of nonverbal communication. The second hypothesis looked at the sex of the students. This hypothesis inferred that the sex of the student was not significant for this survey. This hypothesis was supported. Sex was not significant in the research. Males and females answered mostly the same for every question in the survey. The third hypothesis looked at age of the students. This hypothesis stated that age was not significant in the survey. This hypothesis was supported. After recording all the results, age was not a factor. All of the students came up with mostly the same answers no matter their age. Research question one asked if nonverbal communication played a role in the classroom setting. From my survey, students believed that yes, nonverbal communication does in fact play a role in the classroom, and the survey also showed that numerous amounts of different types of nonverbal communication are being used every day in the classroom setting. Research question number two asked, are teachers teaching enough about nonverbal communication to their students? The question was answered yes by every single student. Students believe that yes there is enough nonverbal communication being taught in the classroom. Discussion The goal of this study was to see if nonverbal communication was being taught in the classroom and if it was important to be taught. Teachers have many different ways of teaching, and many different techniques but the overall outcome was that yes, nonverbal communication is very important in the classroom and that many teachers do use nonverbal communication on a daily basis to teach. Class size, gender, and classification did not really matter in this study. Previous research has also found that nonverbal communication is a very important factor in teaching as well. My study supported previous research, and agreed that nonverbal communication is being taught in the classrooms, and it is important for teachers to teach and use nonverbal communication. Another interesting find was that gender did not play a big part in the overall outcomes. I figured since females tend to notice things more, like proximity, gestures, posture, etc., that females would answer a lot differently than males but that was not true in this case. All students believed pretty much the same things. I was not surprised that students believed nonverbal communication was important because I agree, it is.   After conducting my survey I learned a lot of things from classmates. Some of the things I discovered were, body posture is a very important nonverbal in the classroom. Body posture can tell when students understand the content presented or when they have trouble grasping the major concepts. A student who is slouching in his seat sends a very different message than the student who learns forward or sits erect. I also learned that eye contact plays a very important role in teaching. Teachers often use eye contact in the classroom to decide who is prepared to answer a question, or who has completed a homework assignment. If a student does not want to be called on they will try and have no eye contact with the teacher, and that indicates to the teacher they do not know the answer or wish to not speak. Students also responded that distance is used on a daily basis in the classroom. The teachers are supposed to stand in the front, and the students sit in desks in the middle and back. I also discovered that students would interact more comfortably with a teacher when they are in same vertical plane. Dress being a form of nonverbal communication, I discovered plays a role in every classroom. Teachers dress appropriately for class everyday, as in dress pants, dresses, nice shirts, etc. Effective teaching depends on successful communication. By definition of non-verbal communication without uttering a single word, teachers and students constantly send messages to each other (Thompson, 2012). Limits and Future Study Although my study found a lot of reliable information, there were some limitations. When conducting my survey, although it turned out very helpful, I would have changed the questions and been a little more descriptive with them. For example, I would have not only asked if the certain nonverbals were used in the classroom, I would have also asked when and how these forms of communication were used. Another limitation was class classification. There were a wide variety of grade levels that took my survey, and all teachers in every grade level have a different way of teaching, so I would have tried to get maybe all Juniors or all Seniors to take my survey. I would have tried to have all people who take the same classes with the same teachers to take the survey. Future researchers could look more in to how students use nonverbal [communication to communicate rather than just teachers. I think students use just as much nonverbal communication as teachers do and that would be an interesting research to conduct also. This research was conducted to show the importance of nonverbal communication while teaching in the classroom. Nonverbal communication plays an essential role in the classroom so I believe more studies should be done concerning nonverbal communication. References Carli, L. (1995). Nonverbal behavior, gender, and influence. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 68(6), 1030-1041. Duggan, T. (2012). Nonverbal cues between men and women in the workplace. Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/nonverbal-cues-men-women-workplace- 11424.html. Key, Mary Ritchie. (1977) Nonverbal communication: a research guide & bibliography. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press Mayo, C., & Henley, N. (1981). Gender and nonverbal behavior. New York : Springer-Verlag. Molcho, S. (1985). Body speech. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Pliner, P., Alloway, T.,Krames, L. (1974). Nonverbal communication: Advances in the study of communication and affect. New York: Plenum Press. Speer, D. C. (1972). NonVerbal Communication. Beverly Hills, Sage Publications. Thompson, J. (2012). The science and fun of nonverbal communication [Electronic Version]. Are man and woman equals in nonverbal communication? Weitz, S. (1974) Nonverbal communication: Readings with commentary. New York: Oxford University Press. Wilmont, W. (1995). Relational Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Philosophy of Love and Sex

Describe the three kinds of love: Eros, Philia and Agape Eros: †¢This is Greek term that refers to a type of love that is passionate, shows intense desire for something and is often referred to as sexual desires. Another word to describe this type of love is known as â€Å"Erotic. † As Plato writes: â€Å"he who loves the beautiful is called a lover because he partakes of it. † This quote explains that someone who admires the beauty of another is a lover because he shows the affection.The Platonic-Socratic explains that you can’t truly be friends with another after having sex with them. Philia: †¢Refers to the opposite sex and showing a tremendous amount of affection and appreciation towards friendship, parents, humanity. It should be a non-sexual relationship. Having friends is a good part of life. You need friendship to give you a notion to keep you happy to adjust to yourself. Forming a friendship is from liking each other, talking to one another or having the opposite of what you are (different).He also believes that friendship is based on pleasure but he also says that it’s not a real friendship then. Agape: †¢The love of humanity, belief in god and the combination of both Eros and Philia. You love everybody and everyone. Show affection towards your enemies and be nice to everyone. Love is unique and is distinguished by its nature and its character and how it is shown. It is also known as brotherly love.

War Upon A Plant

War Upon A Plant The War Upon A Plant Within the last century our government has established laws against certain substances and chemicals labeled drugs. These drugs are often used for recreational use and can have dangerous side affects. Substances within this category include cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin, lsd, and marijuana. Marijuana being illegal is a controversial subject with many advocates petitioning for legalization. Many countries around the world have made marijuana legal and accessible. In Holland marijuana and hashish (a product made of concentrated marijuana into a brown hard chunk which is smoked or eaten) are openly sold in shops and restaurants. Canada and Austria have made laws prohibiting the production of marijuana for sale, allowing for personal consumption. I personally have been to shops in Europe where seeds for personal cultivation are sold. I also have a friend in Salzburg who grows his own marijuana plants but does not sell the product. I am one person who does not agr ee with the laws that prohibit the marijuana plant.English: Four ounces of low-grade marijuana, usual...If marijuana were legalized our country would experience many positive side effects with few negative concerns.The plant known as marijuana has been used among human cultures for thousands of years. Marijuana has been used in many forms: eaten, smoked, used in clothing and rope productions, and even religious rituals and ceremonies. Marijuana is considered a recreational drug, often compared to alcohol and tobacco. When consumed marijuana often has mental and physical affects upon the consumer, causing relaxation and inducing hunger. The side effects of marijuana are not many, long term use has show to decrease memory and in some cases harm the lungs and liver. In certain cases, when marijuana is smoked, the user can experience slow reaction in thought and loss of decisive capabilities. Marijuana is not proven to have any cancer causing...

Global forces and Western European brewing Industry

Global forces and Western European brewing Industry PESTEL analysis of Western European Brewing Industry Political factors Unfavorable attitude of European governments toward beer and alcoholic beverages, in general. These products are regarded as demerit goods which means that their consumption has to be restricted. This results in numerous legal regulations on the advertisement, marketing, and production of such products1. Economic factors The decrease in consumption of beer. In many European countries such as Belgium, Denmark, Norway, France, and the United Kingdom bear consumption level dropped significantly within the period between 2000 and 2007. Merges in the industry due to global pressure of consolidation. Economic recession in Europe and the United States2. Social factors Growing concern about the dangers of alcohol consumption. The changes in the buying behaviors of consumers, especially the growing popularity of wines3. Increasing demand for alcohol-free beer. Low birth rates in European countries4 and increase of pop ulation In Asian countries and India. Technological factors The development of new technologies which can facilitate the production and storage of beer. For instance, one can mention those technologies that improve beer recovery process or filtration5. Environmental factors The demands to make brewing process more eco-friendly, for example, we can speak about the necessity to reduce the discharge of chemicals6. The necessity to develop an alternative to conventional bottles or aluminum. cans. The main purpose is to make beer containers more recyclable. At the given moment, the influence of these environmental factors is not very strong but this issue can become much more urgent within the next two decades. Legal factors Stronger enforcement of laws prohibiting underage consumption of alcohol. For instance, one can mention such plan â€Å"Think 21† which is aimed at reducing the availability of alcoholic beverages to adolescents7. Similar laws and restrictions are impose d throughout Europe and the United States. Tight governmental control over the production of beer. Porter’s Five Forces The threat of new entrants Currently entry barriers are very high because brewing industry becomes more consolidated, and the majority of the companies operating in this market are economies of scale.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global forces and Western European brewing Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the data, presented in the case study there are ten international brewing companies which control more than 30 percent of global market share8. These corporations can pursue cost-leader policies, and new-comers will find it difficult to compete with them. Therefore, the threat of new entrants is not significant. The threat of substitute products Wine and some non-alcoholic beverages can be viewed as substitute products; however, drinking beer is rooted in the tradit ions of many countries and it is important from social point of view. This is why it is rather unlikely that this beverage will lose its popularity. Hence, the threat is more or less moderate. The power of suppliers The main suppliers of brewing companies are the packaging manufacturers and agricultural sector. Each of these industries is highly concentrated, for instance, there are only three can producers in the UK9, and breweries dictate their terms to them. The same thing can be said about the suppliers of barley or grains. Thus, the power of suppliers is relative strong. The bargaining power of customers The main buyers are supermarket chains such as Tesco or Carrefour. Brewing companies sell them approximately 67 percent of their products10. Thus, these customers are very important to breweries and they can make concessions to them, especially if we are speaking about the price. Thus, the power of customers is very strong and it can become even stronger. The Intensity of compe tition The industry is very concentrated and the competition between companies is very intense. In 2009, ten brewing companies produced more than 60 percent of global beer volume11. Under such circumstanced competitive advantages can be gained by introducing new products such as fruit-flavored beer.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Discussion PESTEL analysis and the study of Porter’s Five Forces indicate that brewing companies must be aware of the following challenges. Legal and social factors will produce the most adverse effects on this industry. These companies should remember about changing lifestyles and increasing awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption. The same thing can be said about legal restriction on the marketing of beer. This is why they need to emphasize the healthfulness of their products. They must prove that beer should not be vi ewed by the governments as alcoholic beverage and a demerit good. In the future, they may have to increase the production of alcohol-free beer. Secondly, they should explore new markets for their products, especially in such countries as China or India. The thing is that the consumption of beer in Europe can decline even more due to the decrease of population in this region. Finally, these companies should develop their own distribution networks in order to diminish their dependence on super or hypermarkets. At this point, they are the main customers of brewing companies. The impacts of global forces on specific companies Anheuser- Busch InBev The products of Anheuser- Busch InBev are well-positioned in the markets of different counties. This company possesses such famous brands as Stella Artois, Beck’s or Budweiser. Its main strengths are well-developed supply chain and close cooperation between various divisions 12. This company ensures that the best practices are quickly s hared across different breweries. However, it has some weaknesses as well. They have to manage more than 300 brands and this is quite a challenging task. Secondly, the legal status of this corporation is not secure since in many countries is viewed as monopoly. Greene King The main strength of Greene King is that it has its distribution network. This company runs more than 200013 pubs across the UK. Hence, they are less dependent on hypermarkets. Moreover, many British customers feel strong affiliation to this brand. However, there are several significant weaknesses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global forces and Western European brewing Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More First, this company has not fully explored international markets and in the future they can suffer losses due to the decline of beer consumption in the UK. Additionally, in the recent year public image of this company suffered significant ly, because it is accused of monopolizing the UK market and closing many local breweries. Tsingtao The key strength of this company is that it is very well-posited in China, one of the largest markets in the world. Furthermore, this company has successfully entered European and American markets. The main weaknesses of this organization are more related to its external environment. Tsingtao operates in a very regulated market and it can be controlled by the Chinese government. Finally, some of its brands are not familiar to European customers. Reference List Blee M R. Whittington. â€Å"Global forces and the Western European Brewing Industry†. In G. Johnson (ed.), Exploring Strategy, 9th edn, Pearson Education, New York, 2008, pp. 1-3. Bereridge F S. Velutti. Gender and the open method of coordination: perspectives on law, governance and equality in the EU, Ashgate Publishing, New York, 2008. Moens, G. J. Trone, Commercial law of the European Union, Springer, London, 2010. Porter. M. On competition. Harvard Business Press, Cambridge, 2008.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Proctor A. Alternatives to Conventional Food Processing, Royal Society of Chemistry, London. 2011. Lewis M. Bamforth C. Essays in brewing science, Springer, London, 2006. The Department of Health. Youth Alcohol Action Plan, Home Office, London, 2008. Footnotes 1 Moens, G. J. Trone, Commercial law of the European Union, Springer, London, 2010, p. 62 2 Blee M R. Whittington. â€Å"Global forces and the Western European Brewing Industry†. In G. Johnson (ed.), Exploring Strategy, 9th edn, Pearson Education, New York, 2008, p 2. 3 Blee M R. Whittington, p 1 4 Bereridge F S. Velutti. Gender and the open method of coordination: perspectives on law, governance and equality in the EU, Ashgate Publishing, New York, 2008. 5 Proctor A. Alternatives to Conventional Food Processing, Royal Society of Chemistry, London. 2011, p 237 6 Lewis M. Bamforth C. Essays in brewing science, Springer, London, 2006, p 170. 7 The Department of Health. Youth Alcohol Action Plan, Home Office, London, 2008, p. 16. 8 Blee M R. Whittington, p 2 9 Blee M R. Whittington, p 2 10 Ibid, p 2 11 Blee M R. Whittington, p 2 12 Blee M R. Whittington, p 3 13 Blee M R. Whittington, p 3

Getting Your Book Coverage in the National Press

Getting Your Book Coverage in the National Press Getting Your Book Coverage in the National Press This is a guest post by Douglas Wight, freelance journalist, author, publisher and book serialization specialist. He explains how authors can get book coverage in the national press†¦ and get paid for it!Book Coverage: Making A SplashHow many â€Å"likes†, how many â€Å"followers†, how’s your â€Å"discoverability†, what are your â€Å"signs of life†, are you on top of your profiles, what are your hits on â€Å"YouTube†?Life can be baffling for an author these days. The pressure not just to have a digital presence but one that’s firing hourly on multiple platforms is not just daunting, but increasingly terrifying.But imagine a platform that would pay for your content. That’s right. Hard cash. Not only that but it will guarantee an audience of millions. And these millions aren’t just digital consumers but actual readers. In addition, at no cost to you, it will take on the heavy lifting of promotion. This platform mig ht even advertise your book, plug it extensively online, tweet links to your material, sell your content on to other outlets, giving you a share of the spoils and run discount price offers so the audience can directly purchase your book.Sounds not bad, eh? And what is this amazing new platform that can promise all this?Actually, it’s oldest known to mankind. The humble newspaper.A Great Success StoryIn the digital age, not much attention is paid to â€Å"old media†. Newspapers are dinosaurs, right, losing readers by the millions, out-dated and out-of-touch?On the contrary, newspapers are in many ways the great success story. They’ve survived the arrival of radio and television and, after a rocky period, are navigating a passage through the Internet age. Crucially, for authors, they love books. True, many titles have done away with specialist literary editors but newspapers appreciate the kudos a book can bring. A good serialization can work wonders for both news paper and author. And, in an age of declining sales, all round publishers and the fourth estate need each other more than ever. If you write non-fiction, there’s a good chance your book could find a home in a newspaper. If you’re the author of a non-fiction book, there’s a good chance it could find a home in a newspaper. The only criteria, be it for a celebrity biography, strong real-life or historical story or a ‘mind, body, spirit’ book, is that it’s new, or offers readers something different. And, as long as it’s properly researched and credible, they’re happy to promote self-published books, which can be a massive boost for a fledgling author or imprint.Modern-day serializations have evolved from the days when newspapers would pay tens, even hundreds of thousands to gut a big celebrity title over several days. As advances have come down, so too has the money newspapers expect to pay to run content, but this has opened up the market. These days a ‘serial’ is more likely to be a one-day hit but it can be a fantastic launch pad for any new book. "A ‘serial’ can be a fantastic launch pad for any new book." – @dougwight Although newspapers demand exclusivity, other media – magazines, online news sources, television and radio stations – are happy to follow, offering new pathways to publicity and promotion.And the good news is that, certainly where tabloids are concerned, they are still willing to pay for content. The sums involved might not make you rich but in an era of ridiculously small advances they can almost take the place of an advance for self-published work.With journalist Jennifer Wiley, I recently self-published an unauthorised biography of the pop singer Rita Ora. A serial deal with the Sun meant we were able to print a hardback and attract interest from a major high street retailer. The Sun’s coverage was picked up around the world and led to extensive secondary publicity. This won’t be everyone’s experience but it showed the potential of strong newspaper coverage.In another example, a book published solely through Amazon’s Print on Demand went o n to sell thousands of copies after a tabloid serialisation brought it to the public’s attention.Get Serious About SerialWhether you are an independent author, self-publisher or have a forthcoming book with a traditional publisher it’s important to think about the merits of serialisation.Most publishers have a rights department whose job it is to secure serial deals. Sadly, however, away from the big titles it can often be the case that a smaller book gets overlooked or not much effort is put into achieving national coverage.So, take an interest. Think of ways to make your text appealing to newspapers. Some authors are guilty of thinking that once their manuscript is sent a team of specialists will mold their work to make it publicity friendly. The reality is that the best you can hope for is that a rights manager will flag it up to a paper and send over the manuscript. If you’re a books editor or features editor you might have ten manuscripts a week vying for y our attention.If, however, you’ve dissected your text and teased out the killer new lines, in which chapters to find them and set out exactly what’s fresh and interesting, then you’re helping push your book to the top of the pile. Dissect your text and tease out the killer new lines, then pitch it to the press. It also means you’re starting to control part of the process.Newspapers are visual beasts so think photos and images. If your book is photo-free suggest images available online that might help them illustrate it. The more visually grabbing your piece is the better chance it has of making it past the editorial conferences held to decide which stories are placed  in newspapers (and where).Fiction is harder to place or feature with anything more than a review. However, if you have a good back story or a remarkable real-life event sparked the idea for a novel this could pave the way for an interview to plug your new book.It’s worth noting, however, that newspapers traditionally don’t pay for author interviews, just extracts. They will, however, plug the actual book, possibly with an off the page reader offer, and front cover.If you’re not writing for a publisher, work with a serialisation expert, or ring up the paper you think is best suited to the material. Features editors are desperate for brilliant ideas.Often, retailers monitor press coverage and increase their orders accordingly. There’s no guarantee that happens all the time and publishers might well argue that the press’s influence on sales is not what it was†¦ but any publicity is good publicity and the more prompters readers get to the existence of a new book the better.So, in this digital age, think ink and see how Fleet Street can help your book get on the High Street.Looking to get some book  coverage in the press or on specialist blogs?  Pitch our  Reedsy publicists here  and ask them for free quotes!Have you tried to pitch your book to newspapers? Do you believe in the power of the "old media" in the digital age? Share your thoughts and experiences with us, or ask Douglas any question, in the comments below!

Freedom of Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Freedom of Speech - Essay Example You may ask what war am I talking about and I will answer with gratitude that this war is the war for the rights, freedoms and liberty to speak and act as an individual. Very significant for our little research is the existence of the person named Edward Snowden. A lot of people heard about him and about things that he has done. Nevertheless I will briefly remind about this massive international espionage scandal. Snowden worked for the government (CIA and National Security Agency) and stole secret documents of strategic value. He then has been convicted by absence on the matter of stealing government property and espionage after which he escaped from country and now is hiding in Russia. The most interesting in this are the files that he stole. Secret documents that became public property after The Guardian and The Washington Post received them from Mr. Snowden consisted mainly from the cases of violation of the human rights on the matters of freedom of speech and private space. These documents included facts about surveillance and using wiretaps in order to spy on the people and not only in the USA but all across the world. This once again made peo ple rethink what illusory â€Å"free† and â€Å"democratic† world they live. Such pieces are only known facts and there are most probably a lot more than that. Where is the line between national security and security of an average citizen and his private life? Do we live in utopia or dystopia and therefore should look out for the cameras like the main heroes in George Orwell’s 1984? I will only add on this point that most recently (May 7th) court of the USA stated that mass surveillance on the people was illegal. That became possible only thanks to the â€Å"crime† of Mr. Snowden and the documents he provided. DOS attacks nowadays are the best way to confront government. Internet and computers are the only sphere where government can be exposed and unmasked. People nowadays live in a