Court Systems Paper For Upload To Study Mode free essay sample

The trial of State of Arizona vs. Jodi Arias is being tried in the Mauricio County Superior Court (Criminal Court Case Information Case History, 2014); the following paper outlines the process that follows in the criminal investigation up to the final stage. Eave listened to nearly 12 hours of testimony from the key players that I have listed, from the courthouse in Mauricio County. When this particular case first was reported I remember finding it very interesting and was following the progress for some time.I recently became aware that this trial is still in the final sentencing after numerous jury dismissals, mistrials, hung jury, allegations Of perjury, prosecution wrongdoing, and defense cover-ups. Background On June 4 2008, Travis Alexander a 30-year-old businessman who lived in Mesa, Arizona was murdered in his home, found almost a week later on June , 2008, on the floor Of his stand up shower (Jodi Arias Murder Case: Timeline Of Events, 2014) . Almost immediately, a person of interest was identified, by the Mesa Police Department when she called the detective that was assigned the case (Jodi Arias Trial: Day 2: 1 of 2: Evidence Reviewed (no Sidebars), 2013). Jodi Arias, 28 year old, photographer, and former girlfriend of Travis Alexander, called Estates Floors twice, first leaving a message and second leaving a message with a receptionist who notified Floors of the call. Jodi Arias was originally indicted on first-degree murder by the grand jury onJuly 9, 2008, and arrested on July 15, and plead not guilty on September 1 1, 2008. Initially Jodi told police that she was not in Mesa, AZ on the day of the murder, and later said that two intruders had broken in to the home of Alexander, attacking her and murdering Alexander, finally two years after Jodi Arias arrest she pleaded guilty of self-defense, claiming she was a victim of domestic violence (M itchier, 2013). After 4 and h years with the murder, trial starting January 2 201 3 continues, and the media coverage has not lessened.The Mauricio County Superior Court with Judge Sherry Stephens presiding ever the very gruesome case, perpetrated by one very calculating defendant who has admitted killing Travis Alexander after he became enraged that she dropped his newly purchased digital camera and in self-defense, stabbed him over 29 times, and shot him, and slit his neck, now goes into the sentencing ph ase after numerous juror dismissals, and accusations of prosecutor mishandling, and defense cover ups. This trial and the defense of Jodi Arias has a total price tag of over 2. Million that rests on the taxpayers of Arizona (Kraft, 2015). Lifetime aired Jodi Arias Dirty Little Secrets, Exposed Secret Life Of Jodi Arias, authored by Jane-Valve Mitchell, made its debut in hard back, paper back and audio download on August 20, 2013 thru Amazon (Mitchell, 2013). Discovery and Investigation A burglary that was reported at the residence of Jodi Arias grandparents, where she was residing revealed that among items stolen and never recovered was a . 25-caliber gun.Jodi Arias rented a car 100 miles from her grandparents residence on June 2 and drove the car from Redding California over 2,800 miles telling the rental company she would be using the rental locally. When Jodi Arias returned the mental car on June 7, it was missing floor mats, and had stains on the front and back seats upholstery (Kefir, 2014). Travis Alexander voice mail had been accessed on June 5, which supported her account that she had called and left several vocalism messages (Mitchell, 2013).On June 4 2008, Alexander missed a conference call and a group of friends went to Alexander home. Roommates Unripe Cortez and Zachary Billings communicated that Alexander was Out of town, but found a master bedroom key and entered the room only to find the mutilated body of Travis in the sh ower, Amanda McBride girlfriend of Zachary Billings made the 911 call to authorities, which set the case into motion (Mitchell, 2013). Stalking and slashed tires, along with Backbone stalking was one of the accusations that was conveyed to investigators against Jodi Arias according to the victim she was an ex-girlfriend (Mitchell, 2013). A spent . 25-caliber round was discovered near the body of Travis Alexander, later determined by the Medical Examiner Kevin Horn, came from the weapon that caused the probable fatal injury to Alexander head (Jodi Arias Trial : Day 2: 1 Of 2 : Evidence Reviewed (no Sidebars), 2013).On June 5, Jodi visited Ryan Burns in Utah, and spent some hours hugging ND kissing. Arias had some obvious cuts on her hands that Jodi had explained away with an incident at a restaurant that she claimed she was working (Mitchell, 2013). In April 2008, Alexander asked to substitute Jodi Arias with Marie Mimi Hall to travel with him to Cancan, Mexico on June 1 0, 2008, for a business trip While the investigators searched the home of Alexander, a digital camera was found in the washing machine (Jodi Arias T rial: Day 2: 1 of 2: Evidence Reviewed (no Sidebars), 2013).Although the camera was damaged the forensic team was able to recover images that apparently had been deleted wowing Alexander and Arias taken on June 4th at 1 pm up to 5:30 pm that indicate the victim was alive up to 5:29 pm and revealing that the victim was no longer living after 5:30 pr -? with a graphic image of Travis bleeding profusely on the floor of the bathroom, although the body looked as if it had been rinsed off (Mitchell, 2013). Sheets and blankets had been stripped from the bed; the hallway had blood smears and one bloody palm print on the hallway wall. All roommates and friends were all ruled out as suspects. Latent print experts were able to retrieve a bloody handprint from the hallway of the bathroom that contained he DNA of both Arias and Alexander (Mitchell, 2013). The grand jury indicted Jodi Arias on July 9; Jodi was arrested on July 15 and extradited to Arizona on September 5 for first-degree murder of Travis Alexander.On September 1 1, Jodi Arias pleaded not guilty (Mitchell, 2013). Key Players Jodi Arias (Defendant) Travis Alexander (Victim) Estates Floors (Investigating Detective Mesa, AZ Police Department) Judge Sherry Stephens -? (Presiding Judge) Bill Montgomery (Mauricio County Attorney) Juan Martinez (Prosecution Attorney) Kirk Inurn (Defense Attorney) Jennifer Willow (Defense Attorney) Kevin Horn (Medical Examiner)Daryl Brewer (former BE of Arias) Daniel Freeman (Friend of Alexander) Lesli e Alkyd (Friend of Arias) Gus Search (Arias mentor) Beth Hawkins (Arias Babysitter) Richard Samuels (Psychologist on behalf of Arias) Alice Levitate (Psychotherapist on behalf of Arias) Amelia Invoice (Juror 5 dismissed prejudicial comments) Jansen Demarcate (clinical psychologist -? rebuttal Of defense) Dry. Robert Gaffer (psychologist defense witness) Amanda Webb, (Walter employee prosecution witness) (Jodi Arias Murder -renal: Key Players, 2013). Retrial IQ testing was ordered May 2009, to show that Jodi Arias was competent to stand trial. A motion was denied to disqualify Mauricio County Attorneys Office April 2010 (Murder of Travis Alexander, 2014). On June 2010 over 8,000 emails from Alexander were turned over to Kirk Inurn and Jean infer Willow by Estates Floors (Murder of Travis Alexander, 2014). Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedures was amended to change the last day the State could seek the death penalty in capital cases from 18 months to 24 months after arraignment, in December 201 0(Mitchell, 2013).Kirk Inurn and Jennifer Willow initially stated to Juan Martinez that there were no text messages sent or received by Alexander, and were ordered to urn over several hundred, after their initial statement in January 2011 detailed in a defense filing(Murder Of Travis Alexander, 2014). Jury Selection Commencement of the trial at the Mauricio County Superior Court with Judge Sherry K. Stephens presiding started on December 10 , 2012. Jury selection started on December 20, with arguments against Juan Martinez that he was displaying bias toward jurors that were African-American women. Judge Stephens ruled there was no bias exhibited by the prosecuting attorney (Murder of Travis Alexander, 2014). Guilt Phase In Arizona on day 1 6 the members of the jury were allowed to ask questions Arizona is one of a few states that allow the jury to ask questions thru the judge to the witness (Mitchell, 2013).Judge Stephens was monotone and neutral in her responses. Juan Martinez sought the death penalty (Mitchell, 2013). Arias three separate accounts of what occurred on the day that Alexander was murdered were as follows: first she stated that she had not seen Travis Alexander since April 2008, second intruders that she referred to as ninjas because they Wore ski masks, third and final account Was she killed Alexander in self-defense after he became enraged following her dropping his camera.This was completely damaging to Arias credibility to both the jurors and the prosecuting attorney, which completed the guilt phase of the trial Richard Samuels testified on behalf of the defense for 6 days starting March 14, that Arias was most probably suffering from PETS (Murder of Travis Alice Levitate testified on behalf of the defense beginning on March 26, stating that Arias was a victim of domestic abuse. The jury posed approximately 1 60 credibility questions for Levitate (Murder of Travis Jansen Demarcate testified on behalf of the prosecution countering that Arias id not suffer from PETS or amnesia, but displayed signs of immaturity, unstable sense of identity and borderline personality disorder (Kefir, 2014). Amanda Webb, was called to testify on April 24th, for the prosecution, regarding the testimony from Arias that she had returned a gas can on June 3rd the same day she had purchased it at Walter, there was no record of any return by Arias on that day or the following week (Murder of Travis The last defense witness called Dry.Robert Gaffer testified that the testimony and diagnosis of Jansen Demarcate was inaccurate, stating that the sets given to Arias since her arrest pointed to an anxiety disorder from trauma. Dry. Jill Hayes, argued that the statement from Dry. Robert Gaffer regarding the IMP test was not capable of detecting borderline personality disorder (Murder of Travi s Alexander, 2014).The guilt phase of the trial included the 18 days of Arias testimony, which did not help her case in the retaining of the jury, subsequent juror dismissals for misconduct, health reasons, and felonies charges that had not been disclosed, led to defense seeking a mistrial which was denied by Judge Sherry Stephens (Murder Of Travis Alexander, 2014). Closing arguments by defense Kirk Inurn and Jennifer Willow on May 4, stated premeditation did not make sense, against Juan Martinez claiming manslaughter (Murder Of Travis Alexander, 2014).The 12 jurors went into deliberation on May 8 2013 and 15 hours later, five jurors found Arias guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, and seven jurors found her guilty of both felony murder and first-degree premeditated murder (Murder of Travis Alexander, 2014). Aggravation Phase Starting on May 1 5 2013 required Juan Martinez to convince the jury that Arias was indeed eligible for the death penalty due to the cruel, heinous, and r depraved act that had been committed. Kevin Horn was the only witness to testify in the Aggravation Phase.Kirk Inurn and Jennifer Willow argued repeatedly that Alexander may not have felt much pain due to the extreme adrenaline which was not convincing to the jury, or Juan Martinez with only a matter of less than 3 hours of deliberation the jury returned their ver dict for the death penalty (Murder Of Travis Alexander, 2014). Penalty Phase Juan Martinez called upon Alexander family on May 16 2013 to submit victim impact statements in an attempt to persuade the jury that the crime Arias committed warranted the death sentence (Murder of Travis Jodi Arias pleaded to the jury on May 21 2013, for life vs. death penalty. Judge Sherry Stephens was forced to pronounce a mistrial for the sentencing phase. On May 23rd 2013, 8 jurors voted for death penalty while 4 jurors vote for life sentence resulting in a hung, jury (Roberts, 2015). Sentencing Retrial Bill Montgomery (Mauricio County Attorney) discussed the next steps on May 30 2013 in a news conference regarding the seating of an impartial jury and the possibility of the victims family agreeing to a life sentence with no areole (Murder Of Travis Alexander, 2014). October 6, 2013 alai,n. Errs began the prospective jurors for the penalty phase retrial. Appeals Numerous attempts to appeal due to actions during all phases of the trial were brought up to show that the witnesses either perjured themselves therefore throwing out the right to fair and just trial for Jodi Arias. Mistrials were filed in January, April and May of 201 3 (Lour, 2013). Appellate Division of Supreme Court Supreme Court-? The Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from everybodys favorite victim, Jodi Arias, on why she should be allowed to weave her tale Of woe in riveter(Roberts, 2015).Jurisdictional rules and interpretation issues PHOENIX (AP) ; The judge in the Jodi Arias murder trial declared a mistrial in the penalty phase Thursday after the jury reported for a second time that it was deadlocked on whether to sentence her to life in prison or death for killing her boyfriend in 2008(Arizona: Jurors Deadlock On Jodi Arias penalty, 2013). Under Arizona law, a hung jury in the death penalty phase of a trial requires a new jury to be seated to decide the punishment.Fifth second jury cannot reach a unanimous decision, the judge would then sentence Arias to spend re entire life in prison or be eligible for release after 25 years. The judge cannot sentence Arias to death (Arizona: Jurors Deadlock On Jodi Arias Penalty, 2013). However, if the prosecutor decides not to pursue the death penalty a second timer the judge would then sentence Arias to one of the life in prison options, and the trial would come to a conclusion(Arizona: Jurors Deadlock On Jodi Arias penalty, 2013). KEEP-TV Channel 12 v. Stephens, NO. 1 CA-AS 14-0213 (Razz. CT. APP. DCE. 16, 2014), the Arizona Court of Appeals addressed a challenge to the closing of the penalty phase Of a murder trial to the press and the public. On January 26, 201 5, the court vacated the closure order. Citing that Clear and Present Danger must exist to exclude the press and public (Arizona: Jurors Deadlock On Jodi Arias Penalty, 2013). Evolving technologies effects This is one of the largest media cases wave had at Superior Court, said Media Relations Director Karen Array. We have three rows of local and national reporters tweeting and taking notes with laptops, phones and tablets. Also, the media room in the back of the courtroom is filled to capacity. lionesses TV, the designated pool camera, is broadcasting the trial vie gavel-to-gavel, and local media outlets are streaming the trial on their news websites. CBS 48 Hours aired their show last week. Court Systems (State V Jodi Arias: Media Coverage, 2015). State-Level Superior Courts Trial Courts of limited jurisdiction, is the first level within the State Court System, which includes Magistrates Court Municipal Court The types of cases heard in Municipal court commonly are divided in to 4 categories Motor vehicle and traffic laws Disorderly and disorderly persons offenses Fish and Game laws, Parks and Forests, Weights and Measures, SPEC, and Boating Regulations Violations of municipal ordinances (local laws) (Guide To Municipal Court, n. D. ). Police Court Justice Court District Court- SIS district courts are trial courts of the federal court system.Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters (District Courts, n. D. ). Limited Jurisdiction Court Juvenile Court City Court Small Claims Court Federal District Courts District Court Federal trial courts are termed district courts. Trial courts hear cases first. Evidence presented by both sides including witnesses, will be decided on either by judge or jury.Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction are the second level within the Court System and the following courts are included: Circuit Court a mutable court where sessions are held in different locations for AAA specified period of time whereas the presiding judge rides the circuit, from city to city and the court moves with the judge. Formerly, the Federal District Courts of Appeal were called the Circuitous o f Appeal (Circuit Court, 2015). Superior Court (the Judicial Branch Of Arizona Mauricio County, 2014).Court Of General Sessions -? entrusted with a wide-ranging jurisdiction and is ordinarily the publics beginning to the judicial process. Each of the eleven divisions of the Metropolitan General Sessions Courts maintains an elected judge. Criminal and civil matters are ruled on by one of the eleven judges that rotates every week, between civil and criminal schedules. The General Sessions Courts are served by two different Clerks (General Sessions Civil Division, 2015). Court of Common Pleas This type of court is a trial court, that was created so that citizens loud go to court or file a claim against someone without involving the King.There are Court of Common Pleas in South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Ohio (Court Of Common Pleas, 2015). Supreme Court (New York) -? New York states court of last resort. The court traces its origins to the year 1691 and is one of the oldest continuously-serving courts of general jurisdiction in the United States (Supreme Court, Civil Branch, New York County, 2014). Appellate Court is the third level in the Court System and includes the following courts: Superior Court (The Judicial Branch Of Arizona Mauricio County, 2014).Court of Appeals Each of the 12 regional circuits within the 94 judicial districts has a court of appeals. The court of appeals will hear appeals within the district, and appeals of Federal agencies, special cases for the Federal Circuit involving patent, International Trade and Court of Federal Claims (Court Of Appeals, n. D. ). Intermediate Appellate Courts and Supreme Courts- Federal appellate courts are called courts of appeals. Cases can be further appealed to the U. S. Supreme Court. If either party disagrees with the decision in the trial court, they can appeal, asking a Geiger court to review the decision. The Difference Between Trial Courts And Appellate Courts, 2015). U. S. Supreme Court Referred to as the Courts of Last Resort the fourth level in the court system contains the following courts: Court of Appeals As a district court within the circuit rulings in this court will affect all people within the district circuit. No new evidence is presented, the judge(s) simply review the materials from the original trial and determine whether the lower court made the correct legal decision (The Difference Between Trial Courts And Appellate Courts, 2015).Supreme Judicial Court University of Phoenix, 2009). Conclusion The structure of the Criminal Justice including the Judicial Court system historically has been a work in progress, citizens were bound to the rules and laws regulating the British Colonies, reform only started after the American Revolution. The compilation of police, citizens, courts, prison officials, and federal and state officials is the method that has been adopted by the united States, which has protected citizens rights at the same time and gave a new sense of independence from Britain.Reducing the death penalty to three crimes that consisted of murder, reason and some forms of arson New York was the first state to stop public executions (The Early Years Of American Law Colonial Freedo m, BritainS Push For Greater Control, 2015). In 2004, the New York Court of Appeals held that a portion of the states death penalty law was unconstitutional. In 2007, they ruled that their prior holding applied to the last remaining person on the states death row. The legislature has voted down attempts to restore the statute (Death Penalty Information Center, 2015).

Essay Topics on Domestic Violence Secrets That No One Else Knows About

Essay Topics on Domestic Violence Secrets That No One Else Knows About Essay Topics on Domestic Violence: the Ultimate Convenience! The very first kind is known as physical violence. Despite the fact that Domestic violence can be brought on by either male or female it's usually brought on by the male on account of the large physical benefit. When it occurs there are different types of abuse that can take place. Educating our society for a whole is an essential key to ending domestic violence. Additional the effects of domestic violence depend upon the kind of domestic violence. Your neighborhood domestic violence shelter can help you locate an immigration attorney. Female immigrants or refugees face lots of the exact challenges as other abused ladies. Domestic violence is a continuous problem in various pieces of earth. Essay Topics on Domestic Violence Options The political effect on literature can't be ignored. The majority of the folks have a tendency to run away from politics and thus the politics essays too, therefore it is quite important to grab the eye of the readers till the conclusion of the essay and that would be much difficult I know. Hence, if you believe banking essays are boring just like your organization studies are, then you're probably wrong here. In a sociology class as an example, you could be requested to compose an argumentative essay on domestic violence. Following are a few of the suggested sociology essay topic for those students that are unable to choose a great topic for their assignment. Scholarship essay examples are supplied for insight on how best to write a scholarship essay. The absolute most powerful theme from Moby-Dick is Man's hubris to the mastery of the pure world. Exactly like the research writing the collection of the research topic is a difficult matter to do. What About Essay Topics on Domestic Violence? At this time you should consider the simple fact that children that grow up in a home with domestic violence will most likely require medical care for stress-related illnesses, in addition to mental wellness care for anxiety and depression. Along with awareness of its frequency it is crucial to likewise understand what treatment and support choices are available. The absolute most important solutions are education, law and policy, and a prerequisite practice. Serious health problems have been linked with do mestic violence. If you are abused, you don't need to respond to questions about your immigration status. If you already know the guidelines you'll have to follow, try and keep it up. For starter you will need to have a very good topic to work on. The Do's and Don'ts of Essay Topics on Domestic Violence Importance of rules There might be certain rules that you must follow depending what you're writing for. If you don't know the guidelines and still write your paper then you may need to change it once complete. The format and structure of the essay will also vary based on the kind of paper you're likely to write. As soon as you have mastered the format of 3 paragraphs you'll be able to move to the five paragraphs. Make certain your topic isn't narrow enough so that you'll be having an absence of arguments to back up your perspective. Still, every one of them would show up in the overall list. To get started writing your assignment you would want to encounter an interesting and promising topic. There are an infinite number of websites that have sample papers on a wide variety of topic. The Bad Side of Essay Topics on Domestic Violence It is normal for the victim to get less money as the abuse persists. The abuser gets apologetic and will often request forgiveness, and assure the victim it will never happen again. He or she also tends to have the typical male or female personality in today's society. He or she may also seek to isolate the victim from other people who may provide assistance. Physical abuse may also include behaviors like denying the casualty of health care when needed, depriving the victim of sleep or other functions essential to live. Abuse as a kid, was a casualty of abuse for a kid, abused former partners and unemployed or underemployed. Children have problems moving forward when they are victims or any time they know somebody who is a victim like their mother. Some children grow up believing it is fine to harm others on account of the abuse they witnessed during childhood. Completely free Domestic Violence essay samples can be found FreeEssayHelp with no payment or registration. You have to act at the moment. Having stricter laws and regulations is important because most abusers are provided a slap on the wrist, and it typically does not teach them a lesson in the slightest.

Persuasive Essay Topics For The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe

Persuasive Essay Topics For The Lion The Witch And The WardrobeWhy does anyone even need to worry about persuading any one of the five persuasive essay topics for the lion the witch and the wardrobe? What is the use of being good at arguing you may ask? Well, first of all this article is a discussion about why people might still want to persuade you by using persuasive essay topics for the lion the witch and the wardrobe.Most people are not skilled in political or persuasive argumentation but they certainly will know the 5 persuasive essay topics for the lion the witch and the wardrobe. Even if the topic sounds simple enough, they will still be able to get you to change your mind or perhaps even change how you feel about it.It may sound bad but I say it is to you and me because it is a whole world of social engineering and manipulation of your emotions and subconscious thought processes that are involved. You need to be able to jump into the mindset of someone that is either right or wrong on every issue or controversy. If you can do that then you will be able to win most arguments. This is not always easy.However, when you use persuasive essay topics for the lion the witch and the wardrobe, you will be able to manipulate your audience in a way that their inner thoughts will change. You can find out where they stand on an issue, what they feel, think and are likely to do. That is about as far as it goes. There is more to it than that.In fact there is only one logical argument that is being presented and that is the one of how right or wrong you should be about the topic. Of course, that doesn't make sense to you or me but then we don't know what your thoughts are. We do know that you are reading this article and therefore that must mean that you should do something with it.Whatever you do you need to be careful and you must realize that a single opinion one person has is not going to change the world. Yet, the power of words does create change in certain situat ions. The use of persuasive essay topics for the lion the witch and the wardrobe creates the first of two types of responses that you can imagine.The first type of response is that they will assume that you are right because they recognize your logic and the logic of the logic because you have presented it correctly. As soon as that happens they automatically consider that you are right because they believe it. They probably will not ever think about it but that is the kind of response you want to be creating. Remember that the magic of words does have its limits so it is best to keep them at a minimum and limit the power that they can wield.The second type of response is that they will ignore you and your logic because they see it as nothing more than another case of your personal and emotional feelings. It is much like what your grandparents would say to you if you talked to them about politics and social engineering. That is why it is wise to remain neutral and detached when usin g persuasive essay topics for the lion the witch and the wardrobe. Because of that your only opportunity to convince someone will be if you use other persuasion techniques to get them to change their opinion. This will take a lot of time and patience but the results will be worth it.

Essay Tips - How to Write a College Essay at Harvard or Princeton

Essay Tips - How to Write a College Essay at Harvard or PrincetonWriting a college essay at Harvard or Princeton can be as intimidating as any undergraduate paper, however this is no excuse for not knowing how to write well. Writing well at a top school like Harvard or Princeton is not an easy task, but with the right tips you will be able to write well and impress your admissions committee and fellow students.Writing a college essay is one of the most difficult task to undertake, even more so if you have already completed a college-level English course. The stress you are under as a student already may cause you to lose focus on getting the essay correct. If you have not had much experience with writing an essay, don't worry; there are many ways you can help yourself. To start with you need to make sure that you read through your university's material, as this will provide you with a good idea of what to expect.After reading your university's material you should get some perspective on what you want to get out of your essay. For example, if you want to use your essay to boost your academic performance you should choose your topic carefully. If you are considering writing about a difficult experience, you might be better off doing so after you have completed an intensive English course. Even if you are planning to write about something relatively straightforward, it is important to keep in mind that it must be written in a way that will grab attention and interest from your reader.When it comes to writing a college essay at Harvard or Princeton, remember that you are writing for the college admissions committee and the rest of the student body. By keeping this in mind you will avoid unnecessary repetition and improve your chances of success.Another way to prepare for writing your essay is to write as if you were going to give a presentation. By writing as if you were giving a presentation it will give you a general idea of how to write well at Harvard or Prince ton.Take some time to do some research on the topic you have chosen. Once you have taken some time to gather information, you will be able to come up with a very interesting essay. If you take the time to do some research, you will also be able to avoid the pitfalls of plagiarism, which are very common in today's society. Writing an essay at Harvard or Princeton doesn't have to be difficult, but it does need to be done correctly, with an attention to detail and formatting.Make sure you work hard at your essay at Harvard or Princeton. You may not have the most difficult task ahead of you, but you can expect to work hard and give your best efforts, even if it means getting a lower grade than you would normally get. Writing well at Harvard or Princeton is not something that anyone should take lightly.

How to Write Your MBA Admission Essay Sample

How to Write Your MBA Admission Essay SampleThere are a wide variety of MBA admission essays samples available for students to use in order to craft the perfect application for their university. Each type has its own specific characteristics, so before one can choose which sample is best for them, it is essential to determine what the applicant's strengths and weaknesses are, before they can put their essay into the proper format.In a past life, an admissions officer would ask all students to complete an application essay in which they would list the strong points and the weak points of their resumes. However, these types of forms have changed over the years, as many applicants are opting to enter into a business degree program that does not require a large number of essays. However, the various MBA admission essay samples still remain available for use, and in this article we will discuss the topics they cover.Writing a personal statement can be fairly simple if the individual decid es to focus on his or her strengths and not the weaknesses. Using the same example from earlier, let's say that the applicant was to list their strengths, such as academics, career interests, extracurricular activities, communication skills, etc. The applicant would then need to list the weaknesses, such as not having any leadership qualities, not possessing enough determination, or not possessing the necessary education or work experience. Here are some helpful tips for those looking to craft their own personal statement:The best type of personal statement is one that looks at the applicant's strengths, in comparison to the weaknesses. When you list the strengths, be sure to also list the weaknesses, in order to identify the weak spots that need improvement. If you don't know where to begin, go online and use the search engines to find examples of personal statements.There are many places on the internet where one can find an article or essay about their weakness, or weaknesses. Th is can save you a great deal of time when you find yourself bogged down by the topic. For example, many students who went through a degree program in health care found that their weaknesses included communicating with people of the opposite sex, being a little scared, not being able to read lips, or having a fear of heights. In order to avoid these weaknesses, they wrote their essays in a way that displayed how their weaknesses could not hinder their success.In addition to determining the strengths and weaknesses of an applicant, the format of their college essay should also be considered. There are many different formats, but the most common form is the word document, which is also known as a thesis statement. You should also think about writing an essay using the MLA format, which is also referred to as a guidebook essay. These can sometimes be used to give students a more general approach to writing their college admission essay.MBA admission essay samples is one of the best ways to create a successful college application. If you are serious about applying to your school, make sure that you read through all of the sample essays, so that you can ensure that your essay is truly tailor-made for your school and your career goals.

Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essay Example

Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essay Overview of the Outback Case Study Analysis The authors of the Outback Goes International study, (hereinafter the â€Å"Study† or â€Å"Case†) depict a restaurant company, Outback Steakhouse, (â€Å"Outback†, the â€Å"Business†, or the â€Å"Company†) that by 1995 had experienced significant growth over the prior seven years. The Case addresses how management identified international expansion and product diversification as the principle elements of a strategic plan formulated to continue rapid expansion. This report will evaluate Outback’s strategies of international expansion and restaurant diversification in light of alternative means of achieving enhanced shareholder value via growth. Several uncertainties and challenges, which management acknowledged and the Case documents, faced Outback. The methodology used by the Company to consider its strategic options will be addressed by this report as well. The analysis contained herein will evaluate issues pertaining to those challenges, relying on the comparative performance of the Company’s publicly traded stock as the ultimate measure of management’s success or failure. This report will first evaluate the fundamental elements of the companies’ strategic plans, incorporating published academic research regarding strategic decisions, risks and the basis for management’s decisions. Additionally, further evaluation of the opportunities and competitive achievements in the international arena will be conducted. Finally, this report will attend to and appraise the ultimate financial performance achieved by the Company since the establishment in 1995 of its strategic plans and subsequent preparation of the Case being analyzed herein. We will write a custom essay sample on Outback Steakhouse Case Study specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Outback Steakhouse Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Outback Steakhouse Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Comments from Outback’s legendary C. F. O. Bob Merritt, will serve to punctuate the conclusion of this analysis; Outback’s strategies of product diversification and international expansion did not pay off for shareholders. Strategic Planning Methodology In evaluating Outback’s strategic plan this report adopts the fundamental assumption that management has as its primary objective the creation of shareholder value. Presumably, strategic decisions of management are designed to support this value proposition. A number of alternatives exist for companies to create value and Outback’s challenge was to weigh potential returns of alternatives against their inherent risks. Adrian J. Slywotzky and John Drzik of Mercer who document seven classes of strategic risk in their April 2005 article Strategic Risk Management published in the Harvard Business Review, set forth that in managing strategic risks there are an, â€Å"array of external events and trends that can devastate a companys growth trajectory and shareholder value. † It is evident that Sullivan, Outback’s chief executive, was aware of risk when he stated, â€Å"†¦the world is becoming one big market, and we want to be in place so we don’t miss that opportunity. † Management can react to risk through five generic responses as addressed in A framework for integrated risk management in international business, published in 1992 by Dr. Kent Miller in the Journal of International Business Studies . Miller’s five responses are identified as avoidance, control, cooperation, imitation, and flexibility. Sullivan and his management team’s plans reflected their primary concerns over two of the strategic risks identified by Slywotzky and Drzikclear; stagnation and competition. Stagnation is characterized as flat or declining sales volumes; in the case of Outback slower growth. The risk of competition is characterized by emerging competitive threats; in the case of Outback this strategic risk was represented by restaurant competitors in their markets. These were appropriate concerns and priorities given the facts of the Case. In responding to these threats, management’s reaction reflected four of Miller’s five categories of risk responses including control, imitation, cooperative responses and organizational flexibility . Sullivan and his team sought to control uncertain variables rather than passively treat the uncertainties as constraints by continuing to gain market power via growth in units. In addition they resorted to imitation of rival organizations strategies to cope with uncertainty by pursuing a â€Å"multipronged† strategy that both encompassed new restaurant concept development and international expansion; a strategy that had been adopted by other competitors including their former employer and competitor Brinker International. Outback also intended to utilize joint venture and franchise agreements as a cooperative response by creating partnerships that produce interdependence. Finally, as Miller points out, the Company adopted organizational flexibility by embracing, â€Å"the most widely cited example of flexibility in the strategy literature†¦product or geographic market diversification. † International expansion and new restaurant concept development certainly fulfilled this documented organizational flexibility response to risk. Absent from the Case and potentially excluded from Outback’s strategic considerations was the alternative response of expansion and diversification through a merger or acquisition. While the Company did acquire an Italian concept, Carrabbas Italian Grill, for development purposes, the business was very small at the time and as a result did not generate synergies or make significant near term contributions to revenue and profits. While Outback may have evaluated acquisition or merger alternatives, the Company did not integrate this strategic alterative into its plans. In fact, in June of 1999, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse was available for sale . This company represented several hundred million in annual revenues with obvious synergies. However, despite in-depth discussions, Outback avoided making an offer to acquire the business and Ruth Chris was sold to the private equity firm of Madison Dearbourn Partners. Ironically, Ruth Chris went public in August of 2005, raising $235 Million that represented, â€Å"the richest IPO from a restaurant firm since Dominos Pizza (DPZ) kicked off in July, 2004 with proceeds of $337 million†, according to Thomson Financial. This was an opportunity the Company missed, and reflects an error in not considering acquisitions as a prong in its â€Å"multipronged† plan. In reviewing the Case, and researching the basis for Outback’s evaluation of strategic alternatives in 1995, management’s decisions appeared prudent at the time and reflected established theories in strategic thinking, planning and risk evaluation. Expanding internationally and diversifying through new restaurant concept development represented sound direction at the time. To further support the basis for the aforementioned strategic direction of the Company, one can look at the growth trajectory of the business. At the end of 1994, Outback had 214 locations in operation. Its annual sales growth from inception in 1988 until its fiscal 2004 year end averaged 53. 91%. Since 1992 the company had more than doubled revenues, growing from $189. 2 Million in 1992 to $415. 9 Million in 1994. As the Study notes, Chairman Sullivan described this growth, expressing that, â€Å"we can do 500 to 600 restaurants (domestically)†¦ over the next five years. † In the year 1995 had Outback maintained its averaged unit growth rate of 53. 91% over the prior three years the Company would have reached U. S. market penetration of 600 locations in a matter of a few years. In fact the Case notes, although somewhat more conservatively, â€Å"At the rate the Company was growing (70 units annually), Outback would near the market’s saturation within 4 to 5 years. † Therefore Sullivan had to explore alternative methods of growth to continue to create value. The business had, according to the Study, a â€Å"multipronged strategy† that included the expansion of its Italian chain â€Å"Carrabbas Italian Grill† and the development of new dining themes. Interestingly, by 1994 Brinker International, a key competitor of Outback, had already achieved a degree of international expansion and planned to continue its pursuit of this strategy. According to Brinker International’s 10K filing with the SEC dated September 27, 1994, â€Å"During the past two years, the Company entered into several international franchise agreements, which will bring Chilis to Australia, France, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom in the next 12 months. In fiscal 1994, the first Chilis restaurants outside North America opened in Singapore and Malaysia on February 4, 1994 and June 15, 1994, respectively. The third, fourth and fifth overseas Chilis locations opened in Egypt, Australia and Puerto Rico on July 19, 1994, August 28, 1994 and September 6, 1994, respectively. The Company intends to continue pursuing international expansion and is currently contemplating development in other countries. † In addition to Brinker’s international expansion, it also had amassed 458 locations that included six different restaurant concept brands. It is apparent that Brinker International had already pursued the plan that Outback ultimately adopted, further confirming Outback’s adoption of Miller’s imitation response to risk referenced previously. Restaurant competitors of Outback that served the casual, full-service dining segment generally had not expanded internationally like fast food restaurants. This is confirmed by the Case, which lists T. G. I. Friday’s and Applebee’s, the only direct competitors of Outback on the list, as having only 39 international locations as of 1994. The Case failed to include Brinker International in its data, but given the documented expansion, the number of casual dining chains engaged in international expansion was relatively limited in 1994 at the time Outback was considering its plans. Obviously an opportunity existed for international growth; but would this growth add value to shareholders? Recall that this report addresses the strategic decisions of the Company in the context of appreciation in shareholder value, which represents the ultimate measuring stick of performance. A June 2005 report in the Outlook Journal titled Getting a Truer Picture of Shareholder Value, concluded that, â€Å"there is a limited and diminishing correlation between those measures (net income and earnings per share) and share prices. A company’s income statement usually accounts for only about 4 percent of market value for a stock with a typical price/earnings ratio of 25, while the balance sheet covers about 25 percent. The remaining 70 percent of market value consists of intangible assets and expectations of future growth. † Pushing continued expansion to support or further promote publicly traded share prices is common. However, as Motley Fool’s Brian Green attests in a February 2000 article commenting on then popular P. F. Chang’s, a recent star in the domestic casual dining segment, stock, â€Å"Its at this point in the script when the customer lines are stretching out the door and the national expansion plan is gearing up that so many hot restaurant operators of yesteryear have screwed up everything. † In fact, the notion that international expansion is an intelligent strategic option for a business in the service sector, such as Outback, is questionable. While it is generally understood that a firm’s financial performance improves with a greater multinational presence, empirical studies have rejected this notion. Instead, becoming an international business has been shown to have, â€Å"Both a U-shaped relationship (which suggests an initially negative effect of international expansion on performance, before the positive returns of international expansion are realized) and an inverted-U-shaped relationship (which suggests that international expansion beyond an optimal level is again detrimental to performance, and results in a negative slope). Meaningful analysis of expansion in the international marketplace by restaurant companies and the related financial performance of such companies is not readily identifiable. However, the Case does address many issues that created great challenges for international expansion, including location, distribution, local appeal, and other factors. Undoubtedly, if a proven financial model exists for a restaurant brand domestically, this does not mean that the same formula is applicable in foreign markets. Regardless, over the past decade Outback has expanded to 123 units internationally and developed six new restaurant concepts including Carrabbas Italian Grill, Lee Roy Selmons, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bonefish Grill, Paul Lee’s Chinese Kitchen, and Flemings Prime Steakhouse Wine Bar. The Company also has a joint venture development relationship with Roy Yamaguchi, the chef and creator of Roys Restaurants located in Hawaii, the U. S. , and Japan. These accomplishments are in line with the strategies management outlined over ten years ago. However, despite achieving their goals, the ultimate judge of the strategic plan should be defined by the financial performance of the Company and finally the enhancement of shareholder value. Outback Financial Performance – The Results As mentioned in the introduction, increasing shareholder value is a primary objective of management. The results of a businesses’ profitability, growth prospects and returns contribute to investors’ valuation and ultimately judge management performance over the long haul. Share prices of public companies are objective reflections of market value and serve to compare Outback’s performance during the past ten years to a number of its main competitors. It should be noted that each of the competitor companies included in the comparison are large chains, with significant revenues, market capitalization of several billion dollars, managing multiple concepts and having significant international operations. These restaurant chains are identified as the â€Å"four big players† , in the restaurant industry. For additional evaluative purposes, the broad S 500 index is also included. (THIS SPACE LEFT BLANK FOR FORMATING PURPOSES ONLY) Graphic of Competitive Stock Price Appreciation From 8/26/95 through 8/26/05 Graph 1 Outback Steakhouse = OSI, EAT = Brinker International, APPB= Applebee’s, DRI = Darden Foods sp500=S 500 Of the four companies depicted in Graph 1, Outback has generated the poorest appreciation in stock price during the past decade. Darden Foods experienced the greatest appreciation, rising nearly 400%, Brinker International appreciated nearly 250%, Applebee’s nearly 150%, and Outback, below the performance of the S 500, appreciated 100% over the past decade. These are disappointing results and would not reflect the optimism demonstrated in the Case performed on Outback regarding its plans in 1995. What is the cause of this poor performance in shareholder value appreciation? Regrettably, financial disclosure documents submitted by Outback and its competitors described in this report do not provide adequate evaluation and disclosure of international operations to ascertain the relative financial performance of its international business. While Outback has successfully opened 123 units internationally since its strategic decision a decade ago, the specific financial contributions from these ventures are indeterminable. However, the appreciation of the Company’s stock is irrefutable. An interesting development pertaining to the financial performance of Outback is the recent surprise retirement of its CFO, Bob Merritt. Highly regarded and referenced extensively in the Case, it would be interesting to learn of Merritt’s perspective. Perhaps these observations would provide clues as to Outback’s performance issues. Thankfully, in a June 2005 interview with Chain Leader Magazine written by David Farkas entitled, Parting Shots, Merritt is rather candid. The article first substantiates Merritt’s stature as described in the Case. â€Å"Bob’s legacy will be as the pre-eminent CFO in our industry over the past two decades,† says investor and former Brinker International CFO Jim Parish. SG Cowen’s Paul Westra, who has followed Outback since 1994, considers Merritt to be â€Å"the granddaddy† of CFOs. While Merritt cites frustrating changes in financial accounting standards as a motivation for his abrupt departure from the Company, his thoughts are not limited to this point and he provides some keen insights to what has gone on in the halls of his former employer. When asked about his perspective on the casual dining segment, Merritt opined, â€Å"It’s going through a fundamental change. You now have four big players†, these are the companies included in this report’s stock price comparison, â€Å"and they are all net generators of cash. He added, â€Å"It’s also the most competitive environment and the worst cost environment. † Merritt makes an interesting point that goes to the heart of the issue of growth in the industry when he says, â€Å"There is an inflection point in the development of any restaurant concept. The cost to build the incremental restaurant escalates faster than the ability to raise prices. The consumer doesn’t care that the cost to open a restaurant in 2005 is 50 percent higher than the cost of the one five miles away that was built in 1995. They are not going to pay proportionately more to eat in the new unit. As a result, returns go down. At some point the incremental return doesn’t justify the incremental investment. † Finally Merritt points out, â€Å"Will they (management) do what they have historically done and continue to mindlessly expand these concepts well past this inflection point and destroy capital, or will they change and become more concerned about generating real shareholder value and how to grow it? A number of companies in this industry are destroying capital by continuing to grow even though incremental returns don’t exceed their risk-adjusted capital cost. † Was Merritt referring to Outback’s expansion strategy, given its relatively dismal performance during the past decade? It certainly sounds like it based on the review of share price appreciation of his former employer, Outback Steakhouse. Conclusions Outback’s plans as described in the Case and reviewed in this analysis seemed quite prudent at the time. However, if the objective of management is to maximize shareholder value, given Mr. Merritt’s commentary, is this best accomplished by expansion that might not fundamentally provide adequate financial returns? Judging by the results and Mr. Merritt’s thoughts, Outback’s expansion plans have not been successful. Outback’s results as compared to its competition fail to reflect a business that achieved what it had hoped to. While adding many units, it is clear that the incremental benefit from its expansion did not enhance value in a manner that compares to its competitors. Perhaps the results of the strategy had more to do with poor execution.

Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement

Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement Since its conception, the media has been hugely influential in the development of the society. The media can be used to drive public opinion, report on current news and advance some social values. The media is at best a complex genre which may be broken down into a large number of sub-genres e.g. news stories, opinion columns, advertisements and horoscopes to name but a few. One of the key facets of the media is the advertising sub-genres.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Croteau and Hoynes suggest that the heavy emphasis of advertisements in media is due to the fact that advertisers are the dominant sources of revenue for most modern media[1]. The influence that advertisements have on the people is colossal as can be inferred from the rise in sales for corporations that engage in large-scale advertisement. Most advertisements are therefore ke en to include messages that are beneficial to the advertisers. Texts represented in advertisement can signify a myriad of meanings apart from the very obvious message that the advertisement image purports to sell. An image can denote varying directions and be made to evoke deeper sentiments from the viewer and from simple image, one can build up an entire story. All this is in an attempt by the creator of the advert to persuade the consumer to think, feel or act in a predetermined manner. This paper shall set out to deconstruct and discuss a particular advert so as to show how it relates to a wider set of issues. This shall be in an attempt to articulate that advertisers normally embedded a lot of ideas and sentiments into an advert so as to manipulate the intended consumer into acting in some manner that is desirable manner. Description of the Advertisement Advertising is defined by Lester as any form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, good and services by an iden tified sponsor[2]. In this particular scenario, the advertisement is of a software application called â€Å"The Box† that allows users to make video calls over the internet. The primary objective of the advert in this case is to promote the sale of the product being advertised. The product is sold online in a website and therefore the advertisement will exist within the context of a website. The text analyzed consists of a rectangular bold lined frame which is surrounded by a faint shade of gray. Within the frame, there is an illustration of a box and an oval.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The box contains significant landmarks such as the tower of Eiffel, the Statue of Liberty and the Big Ben clock tower. This is connected by gradually increasing size rings to an oval containing the image of a mother and two children looking on to a computer screen on the top lef t is written a short message Let them see who theyve been missing. The Deconstruction Process Lind and Brzuzy suggests that owing to the adverse effect that advertisements can have as they influence the opinions of people and sway peoples attitudes, being media literate is of importance[3]. Media literacy includes being able to actively deconstruct what is seen in the media and particularly pertaining to advertisements. The deconstruction process involves a breaking down of the complete whole into various components so as to enable a deep analysis and criticism of the text or image contained[4]. n the advertisement context, this shall enable one to understand the two levels of meaning i.e. the denotative meaning which is the obvious message that the advertisement contains and the connotative meaning which has to do with the symbols and the association of this symbols with some experience of knowledge shared by the targeted audience[5]. The first step in the deconstruction process is to recognize that owing to the fact that the media message, web advertisement in this case, was constructed, there has to be someone responsible for its construction. Hence answering the question who created the message? or â€Å"whose message is this?† is the first stage in deconstruction. In this scenario, I am the creator of the message and the message is meant to advertise a software application for making video calls over the internet. Having identified the creator of the advertisement, one can then positively identify the goal behind the creation. The goal for this advert is to elicit people to purchase and use the online video calls software product. The second phase in the deconstruction process involves identification of the target audience. This phase can be expansive since one has to look at various attributes of the target audience. This will include their age, ethnicity, profession, etc. In the Box advert, the targeted audience is people who have long distance r elations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The age group mostly covers young children and young couples. In the image presented in the advert, we see a young mother and two little children hinting that the ad might be targeting young families who have one of their relations at a long distance. The picture portrayed depicts an entirely white family which might infer that the ad might be targeting people of Caucasian ethnicity. The next step involves looking at the text of the message. This calls for a simple review of the words and images portrayed in the advert so as to confer the most obvious suggestions made. In this advert, there is a box containing various landmark features, an oval encircling a mother and her two children who are all staring at a computer screen and the words let them see who theyve been missing†. From the message contained in the advert, the following subtext can be inferred:- The box contains landmark features from London (the clock), Paris (Eiffel tower) and America (the Statue of Liberty). This suggests that the application being advertized possess the ability to interlink the locations that are represented by the various features despite the locations being far apart geographically. The theme of reconnection is also advanced by the wordings which suggest that the family in the picture is finally afforded a chance to interact with their distant relation as a result of the application software being advertised. Galpin suggests that when deconstructing a text, the primary objective is to draw attention to conflicting logic or to offer insight into what may not have been explicitly represented in the text[6]. The next step therefore involves trying to discover what the advert may have implied but not explicitly stated. The message suggests that from using the Box, the family will be drawn cl oser. This is depicted in the image of the mother and her two little children who are all in close proximity even as they use the product. The advertisement also suggests that the use of the products results in the happiness of users on both ends of the line. While the faces of the mother and her children cannot be clearly made out, a look at the computer screen reveals smiling faces which implies that the people are happy as a result of using the Box. Thomas Mickey asserts that one of the core aims of advertisements is to have the consumer identify with the product[7]. To this end, the image of the young family with the husband away for some length of time is one that most people prospective users can relate to. The advert portrays a modest lifestyle by its depiction of an average family.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The images are not glamorized or highly classy and the family in the picture is young and average looking. The family is photographed under the background of neatly stacked rows of books and files. This is a study room setting that most people in the western world can relate to. This familiarity will appeal to the prospective customers who will mostly be middleclass families. In addition to the main objective of promoting a product, most advertisements express some values that may be held by the society or by the advertiser. Some of the values expressed in this advert are that being happy comes as a result of being connected with loved ones. However, this advert also expresses some values that have been deeply entrenched in our society. The media has over time been accused of propagating the patriarchal theme in the society. This has mostly been done by making the male figure play a dominant role while keeping others (women) in the shadows[8]. This advertisement in a subtle manner p lays this stereotyping role. The images presented show a mother with her two children which implies that the female figure is the one who is left at home to tend after the children as the male figure goes out to fend for the family. This stereotypical view of the female as the home maker is detrimental to the women empowerment efforts. Key to the selling of an ideal is the use of various tools of persuasion. Persuasion in advertisement makes use of knowledge or beliefs that the consumer holds. However, consumers have an idea about how advertising tactics work to affect persuasion and therefore subtle tactics must be employed for effectiveness[9]. The Box advert engages the use of a homely looking family. The setting is also not lavish or glamorous thus creating an appeal to a wider class of people. The wordings of the advert are also persuasive as they incite the viewer to reconnect with the person whom they have been missing by use of this particular product. The box in the advert is given a warm and engaging colour which suggests that using the product can indeed bring about a warm feeling to the person. This advert suggests that a family that is in constant communication is a united and happy family. While this may not necessarily be true, this is a positive message that is advanced by the advert. In addition to this, the advert show cases a health looking simple family thus suggesting that one does not require to be sophisticated so as to be happy. However the Advert fails to incorporate people of various racial and ethnic identities thus propagating the theme of racism. Neglecting of the other races is negative as it may lead to animosity amongst the other races who may feel sidelined. The final stage in the deconstruction process involves gauging the totality of the advert presented[10]. The Box advert fails to tell a conclusive story as there are various important pieces of information left out. From the advert, one cannot tell of how much the calls wil l cost or if there are any negative effects that may arise as a result of the usage of the software product. One could obtain more information on the product by visiting the website which will provide a more detailed description of the product. Conclusion Because of globalization and the ever increasing influence of media outlets in our lives, we need to possess the skills necessary to process and evaluate the constant barrage of media information that is presented to us. Deconstruction of advertisements presents an important front from which to initiate this critical assessment of the media so as to enable us to recognize and therefore avoid the negative influences and/or misinformation that media may cause. This paper set out to deconstruct an advertisement of a software product called The Box so as to critically analyze the advert and show how it relates to a wider set of issues. This paper has undertaken a detailed deconstruction of the advert and it has been observed that the a dvert can have far reaching messages embedded in that the lay person can detect. It is clear from the discussions presented that even a simple advertisement can have stereotypes and untruthful sentiments contained therein. From this paper, it can be authoritatively stated that media criticism empowers an individual and helps them to shun any negative influence that the media may present. These skills are especially relevant in today’s world where newer technologies are continually widening the reach of the media therefore making us more exposed to advertisements than ever before. Bibliography Croteau, D Hoynes, W. Media society: industries, images, and audiences. Pine Forge Press, 2003. Galpin, R. Erasure in Art: Destruction, Deconstruction, and Palimpsest. 2008, viewed on richardgalpin.co.uk/archive/erasure.htm. Roman, A. Critical De-construction of Media Messages. 2008, viewed on fabc.org/offices/osc/docs/pdf/Critical%20De-Construction%20of%20Media%20Messages.pdf./ Media L iteracy. How to Deconstruct A media Message. New Mexico Media Literacy Project, 2007 Lind, A Brzuzy, S. Battleground: women, gender, and sexuality. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. Thomas, M. Deconstructing public relations: public relations criticism. Routledge, 2003. Leiss, W, Kline, S Botterill, J. Social communication in advertising: consumption in the mediated marketplace. Routledge, 2005. Haugtvedt, P., Herr, P Kardes, F. Handbook of consumer psychology. CRC Press, 2008. Lester, P. Visual communication: images with messages. Cengage Learning, 2006. Footnotes D Croteau W Hoynes. Media society: industries, images, and audiences. Pine Forge Press, 2003, p.70. P Martin Lester. Visual communication: images with messages. Cengage Learning, 2006, p.75. A Lind S Brzuzy. Battleground: women, gender, and sexuality. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008, p.319. A Roman. Critical De-construction of Media Messages. 2008, viewed on fabc.org/offices/osc/docs/pdf/Critical%20De-Construction% 20of%20Media%20Messages.pdf. Ibid. R Galpin. Erasure in Art: Destruction, Deconstruction, and Palimpsest. 2008, viewed on richardgalpin.co.uk/archive/erasure.htm. M Thomas. Deconstructing public relations: public relations criticism. Routledge, 2003, p.53. W Leiss, S Kline J Botterill. Social communication in advertising: consumption in the mediated marketplace. Routledge, 2005, p.284. C Haugtvedt, P Herr F Kardes. Handbook of consumer psychology. CRC Press, 2008, p.556. A Roman. Critical De-construction of Media Messages. 2008, viewed on fabc.org/offices/osc/docs/pdf/Critical%20De-Construction%20of%20Media%20Messages.pdf.