The Role Of BBC In Media Sphere - Term Paper Example

The Role Of BBC In Media Sphere Part One: BBC Visiting the BBC building was very interesting for me owing to the fact that I have been familiar with BBC but had never got a chance to visit the company’s premises. Therefore, I was so much excited to visit the company where we were enlightened on several matters involving the company from its history to its practices, challenges and plans. The most interesting aspect of my visit was the lengthy history and heritage of the media company, which traces its origin to 1922. Basically, the company derives a lot from its history that sets the background for its value system in business and media services. Furthermore, the great success achieved by the company in the many years of service is a perfect illustration of the company’s strong business value and ethic system. The speaker addressed the problems facing the organization and how the organization solved those problems and further elucidated on how those issues impact the organization’s progress. The role of BBC in the world was also discussed particularly regarding how the company faces the other competitors in the business. The financial investment obtained from the government and the license along with the international revenue, which is roundly 300 millions pounds, were matters that evolved in the process of the discourse. It came out that UK and US are very different environments for purposes of business whereas the UK is very strict with sharing confidential matters with the public, which was somehow a string for them to share some information with us as foreign students from the US. This affected the nature of information revealed through the whole process as it became difficult to obtain all the information we needed. In comparison to UK, US has very lenient rules regarding sharing of information with the public. Similarly, delectation is part of the country’s culture and they take much time in delivering tasks and duties for the employees. In overall, the day was well spent, and my visit to BBC was successful and inherently beneficial for me particularly regarding the understanding of how different countries function in perspective to the outside world. The experience opened my eyes to perceive the international world and provided an opportunity to supplement my knowledge of UK as a country and also as regards business. What holds my interest in BBC is how they handle their channel as it is different from what we are used to in Qatar (Aljazeera) news channel. There were some differences and some similarity as well. The methods they use in the transmission of news were quite different with what we use in Qatar. I noticed several things that were strange to me and I hope that in Qatar we will develop and upgrade to the standards of BBC. The visit was compounded by a lengthy talk on the company which provided great insight into the essence, history and agenda of BBC. Through the discussion, the main advisor to the COO elucidated on the agenda of the BBC structure, this was a great source of controversy owing to the fact that there have been debates regarding the structure of BBC and how it is skewed towards biased reporting on the world stage. As the speaker explained the company’s structure along with its agenda, I was reminded of scandals that have existed in the past linking the company to unethical practices. This controversy involves allegations of biased reporting whereby the company was linked to the UK government in the sense that it was a propaganda machine for the UK government. I think this scandal had a lot of impact on the reputation and operation of the company. The company’s structure influences its agenda, and it is evident that the UK government plays a great role in supporting the media company. Perhaps this is the strength of the allegation because the strong government support can be interpreted to imply government interference in its activities. However, from the company’s perspective, there is no interference from the UK government in its operations and that scandal and allegations of biased reporting are farfetched. Any controversies regarding the structure of BBC and its agenda were termed by the speaker as exaggerations. The global news channel is committed to transparency and ethics through its operations. This is well exemplified by the company’s lengthy history, which is evidence enough of the company’s diligence. In the course of the visit, the history and purpose of BBC was discussed and as it dawned to us the allegations of biasness could just be a disruption from the authentic essence of the company. BBC has continuously been successful in the media business, and its long history is evidence of the same. Therefore, the visit provided an opportunity to have a direct interaction with BBC through the inside and a close look at the company’s premises, history and its agenda. Our experience was a confirmation of the company’s diligence as regards news reporting and general media operations. The class was undoubtedly very inspiring for me because I have heard a lot about BBC, but I really knew very little about the company. This was a onetime opportunity for me to have the right perspective of the global media company and to understand its role, purpose and style of operation. Basically, my perception of BBC had been shaped by gossip and purported scandals on media biasness and inclination to the UK government that was often cited as the financier of the company. As a result, I was very keen throughout the process to see if I could understand the company better and more so to confirm all those claims I had been exposed to regarding the company. When the speaker rose to speak, my ears were very attentive to get to understand the truth about the company. Owing to the fact that BBC is a great company with a worldwide reach, my attention was very high to note the nitty and gritty of the company. The burden I was carrying was to align my understanding with my experience and had to compare whether I had the right perspective of BBC or whether I was just wallowing in unknown notions of reality regarding the company. My experience was filled by an anxiety to uncover the truth regarding the company by obtaining the truth from the discussion and separating the unnecessary issues that have been purported to prevail in the global news channel. My experience did not fit the preconception I held about BBC, and I experienced totally new picture of the media company. In essence, what I witnessed contradicted with preconceptions I had heard before taking this class. Throughout the discourse, there were several things that totally changed my understanding of BBC; they include history, purpose, structure and agenda. The speaker was very categorical in elucidating the position of the company in various issues, and it bordered on the nature of the company BBC was. BBC has long history of existence and heritage that is enough proof of the company’s experience and efficiency in the media business. The company was founded in 1922 and has excelled in the business ever since. The success of the company has been derived from its extended value system. Subsequently, through a clear explanation of the company’s purpose I realized the true picture of BBC as committed media company both to the provision of straightforward media services as well as committed to its commercial goal in the vast global media business. Similarly, the structure and agenda of BBC exemplifies the true essence the media company; BBC has a well established structure and system through which its agenda is achieved through the provision of the required media services. Much of what was said is actually happening in the news, and this was a clear confirmation of what the company stands for in relation to its purpose, agenda and structure. For instance, BBC’s commitment to quality media publishing and reporting is evident in its news whereby in comparison to other channels BBC news casting looks quite quality and the presentation is made in a very successful manner (Oelkers and Kaser 63-67). Additionally, the diversity of news coverage, which was noted as a key pillar in the operation of the company, is evident since the content of the channels coverage represents an assortment of subjects. The aspect of transparency is very much vivid in the news today as BBC continually presents very reliable news. Hence, the visit to BBC was very important in the sense that it opened to me the true picture of the company. In as much as I knew much about BBC, most of what I knew about the company was not true. Thus, my experience at the BBC premises was very much different from what I already purported to know about the company. I learnt many things about the global media corporation that exposed me to a clear understanding of what BBC stands for. Part Two: O2 The British music experience at O2 was personally one of the most favorable tours I have ever had. The experience is worth remembering both for the thrill and entertaining part of it as well as the informational essence of the visit. I am a die-hard fan of the music industry and I found this tour as very informative and resourceful. Through the visit, I met two different informed speakers who took us through the overview of O2 and how the outfit operates; this gave us an introductory tone of the visit setting us in motion for the great experience. The first speaker began with explaining the stage and how they host diverse events, and how those stages changes with different stage theme. The stage of O2 holds up to 20,000 persons; he also added they could shorten the number of seats if not available tickets were sold by covering them with curtains. The speaker also mentioned the skating event the coming Friday and how they were going to freeze the ground with a first layer of ice, and the second layer of ice and the measurement of those layers; and how they were going to paint the floor and leave it before a month. The VIP seats to be provided in front of the stage for the artist family and friends or guests. All three shows O2 had were sold out; entertainment is a huge business in London city. It is actually easier for production to hold it in London because it is closer to the other European courtiers and for transportation reasons. The second speaker, Chris Marking, began by mentioning the five sales management challenges. He stated that longer contract is more important, and a minimum of three years is needed. Over 70 percent of their customer uses trains and buses as their transportation mode. They encourage the customer to stay in the building so they can increase revenue, by making them use the time inside to go to shops and restaurants (Oelkers and Kaser 41-44). In addition, every step and requirements for making events happen were explained. The behind the scenes tour exposed me to how small details can make a major difference into the client and the provider and how important they are to make things better and easier; and most importantly to make those events very challenging for other competitors to compete with. I presume this event is very detail oriented and have explained things that I would have never thought of before getting this insider tour. The O2 building was so inspiring and divided in ways that provide a variety of choices and services; there is a five stars service. The concert was stunning; I was taken aback by the screens, and how they were clear from far away. The light effect was magnificent. From my experience, I have to say it is so right when they say everything changes with the lightning effect. The impacts that I had changed when I first saw jay Z and Kanye west perform. Somehow, O2 has been shadowed in a number of controversies regarding the organization of its events and the undercover actions invoked that present it in a bad way. Entertainment zones have always been associated with morally unacceptable behavior as well as drug abuse issues and O2 is no exception. Therefore, in my experience I endeavored to understand whether these allegations were right or wrong. O2 has for a long time been associated with unethical acts on the part of the event organizers who have been casted by media channels as being uncouth and spoiling the name of the company. Therefore, I wanted to interact with the real situation and understand what the management thinks about this issue and whether it is true or not. From my experience, it came out clearly that there were minute instances where some organizers were associated with such behaviors in the past and that such issues were fully addressed by the company. Currently, O2 is operating at a different level, and there have been no such incidences in the recent past. My opinion regarding the controversies is that the entertainment company has the best environment, and it operates in acceptable standards though distracters are exploiting the few instances of the misdemeanor in the past to mudsling the good entity. From my personal experience during the visit, O2 is a commendable company that operates in a very acceptable manner and the organizers are disciplined people. Furthermore, there is no room for uncouth activities at O2 since every step has been taken to ensure a favorable environment for the purposes of entertainment. My experience at O2 was very exciting because it gave me a different picture from what I had been hearing although I had lots of regards for the entertainment spot due to its great popularity. Being my first time to visit the spot, I had a lot of expectations because O2 has been associated with big names ever since. However, my perception of O2 had been soiled by drug abuse allegations along with unacceptable moral behavior at the premises. So in my mind I knew that I was visiting a great place though with very negative reputation. Nonetheless, throughout the experience I realized that O2 is a much better place than we have always been told. It came out clearly that some of the things being spoken about O2 belong to past isolated experiences that no longer prevail and, therefore, cannot be used to judge the company. In the end, my experience did not fit the preconceptions I had about O2 because most of what I had heard about O2 was not true and could not be used to judge the entertainment spot. O2 is a popular entertainment zone with a huge clientele and often provides the best entertainment experience that is recognized all over. In fact, news channels are often presenting news on the mega success events of O2 that present the entertainment spot as very successful. All over in the news, every event held at O2 is reported, and most of the reporting is based on the positive aspects of the spot along with the quality of service. Furthermore, regular news describes O2 as a spot that attracts large crowds during an event which is an indicator of O2 success in having a large pool of clients. The O2 was one of the beautiful stages that I have ever visited. The interesting thing about it is the division in that building and the various events that occur on this site. In Qatar, we have several places that they do each different event in, but nothing like the O2 where it can hold several events in one place. Part Three: Theater Business The experience of lecture on the theater production was another very exciting opportunity for me because it portrayed a prospect for me to learn more about something that I am so passionate about. Therefore, I really loved the lecture about this topic. The lecture touched me because I am personally very connected to the science of theater. This experience was marvelous since the west end is the largest theater in the world and its services are of high quality. Another thing about me is that I am very interested in the field, and I seek to get information about this field, as an example I had several experiences in the past getting to know more about the Middle Eastern theater and how do they forecast and produce plays and stories. Therefore, I had more like a background of theater and I found this experience very different and helped me in enriching my knowledge and experience with a different side because theater does changes through culture and traditions. The speaker mentioned a very important thing that they always make sure that the plays they show are healthy and new that people will be entertained by. The other important point that was discussed was how business of theater is very risky; the investors are aware of this actuality, but they still invest in it signifying their loyalty to the fans. Production Theaters are usually associated with several intrigues most of which cast them in the bad light (Oelkers and Kaser 34-37). For this case, it was evident that the theater was perceived as abusing the freedom by airing unsuitable content for viewership; this has been part of public discourse and it has been extensively discussed in the theater production. There were also allegations that the theater is not good environment since people got abused, and there were instances of improper connect. All these have played a very big role in influencing the reputation of the theater. However, the opposite is true since from my experience I witnessed a different picture regarding the theater. Therefore, the controversies are ill-motivated and are aimed at destroying the business reputation of the theater which has been performing quite well. From my own experience, I can give a true account of the theatre as being profession enough and committed to the production of film that met the standards of society. In essence, the production of films is a very sensitive duty since it evokes a lot of moral and religious connotations especially as regards the suitability of the content of media as well as the age limit of content exposition. Similarly, the theatre has very conversant environment for purposes of production whereby the avenue is cushioned from any unacceptable behavior that could not only hurt its reputation but also compromise the nature of its services in society. Therefore, the true picture of the theater is quite different from what is being peddled around through rumors and other sources. In essence, there may be certain weaknesses here and there as regards the theatre, but the true standing of the theater is its endeavor and commitment to quality and acceptable standards in its operations. My experience partially fits my preconceptions of the production theater while other experiences contradict what I had heard about the avenue. In essence, the theatre is the biggest and most famous in the area and has a reputation of providing quality media services. On the contrary, the spot is also perceived as filled with unacceptable practices, as well as airing unsuitable content for viewers. In my own opinion, the personal testimony is personal experience whereby you experience something directly so as to have the right perspective. Most of the negative perceptions of the theater are not true at all and are based on misinformation. I am affectionate of the theater world, and my love of drama and the comedy works is continuously growing. In Qatar the theater is in a very good stander, most of the works are comedy, but very little of music; I am assuming that it is because of the audience preference. Usually, their shows are once or twice a year. Part Four: Film Business Watching the play “Hay fever” was a pleasant experience for me as it evoked my love for film. It was very exciting yet unique; I have never seen anything like it. The film has very exciting scenes that were awe inspiring, entertaining as well as educative. The thing that made me enjoy the film was its relation with the daily events of life that was actually echoed throughout the film. This made watching the film something worth being empathetic about and it related well with my senses. The theater hall was enormously huge, elegant, and it took us to the old days. The venue was also very inspiring; it was large, spacious and well developed adding to the flavor of the experience (Oelkers and Kaser 56-78). To be honest, it was very influenced by the late 50’s; they had the big curtains, fanny fresco art of the ceiling and the huge glamorous chandelier. I appreciate the international films industry, and I admire as well the beautiful diversity that’s available for use to choose out from. Unfortunately, in my country there is no movies production. We are just staring our DTFF, which stands for Doha Tribeca Film Festival link of the DTFF website http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival. My hope is that we in Qatar will come big in the movies industry and compete in the future with Hollywood. In summary, I really enjoyed my experiences in the four respective areas and also learnt a lot regarding theater and entertainment. The entire episode was a learning experience that enabled me to develop a primary and practical knowledge regarding media and entertainment. Therefore, by the end of the day I believe this experience helped sculpt my perspective and change the way I see theater forever. In essence, theater in all over the globe shares more things than we imagine. Besides all of the difference in the cultures and tradition, there are certain things that are common such as the sarcastic irony about the reality we are living in. The experiences involve several controversies most of which emanate from misunderstandings regarding the relevant entities. Being my first time to visit the places, I was interacting with companies and avenues (which are well known in the public domain) and my attention was drawn to the explanations given by the respective speakers at the forums. Therefore, I had to pay keen attention to understand more details about the companies more so their secrets of success though I further paid attention to confirm some of the things I had earlier heard about them. In the end, I realized that the best Way to know or understand something is to practically interact with it. Work Cited Oelkers, Dotty and Kaser Ken. Sports and Entertainment Marketing. Washington: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print Read More