Modern Media and its Responsibilities

Freedom of the media carries with it certain responsibilities of honesty, fairness, accuracy and accountability. In this essay I will discuss issues relating to media responsibility today.

The media are responsible for the majority of the observations and experiences from which we build up our personal understanding of the world and how it works.

Much of our view of reality is based on media messages that have been pre-constructed and have attitudes, interpretations and conclusions already built in. The media, to a great extent, give us our sense of reality. Without mass media, openness and accountability are impossible in contemporary democracies. Freedom of the media carries with it certain responsibilities of honesty, fairness, accuracy and accountability. The power of the media to create and destroy human values comes with great responsibility. Such power ought not to be in the hands of a few.

In this essay I will attempt to define the meaning of responsibility, and will discuss the power and various responsibilities of the media. I will then proceed to address hate speech and it’s consequences and then examine the various problems regarding media ownership when in the hands of a few. I will conclude with a discussion regarding our role as socially responsible citizens to take a stand for what we expect from the media.

The media are a centre of power in the political system, having great influence on politics and on forming social change. Television can greatly influence the election of a national leader on the basis of image. The power is the power to decide who will communicate what to whom.

Today even those who loathe the media must use the media. The Taliban, to take an extreme example, banned television, photographs and computers but now use what they called ‘tools of the devil’ to refocus world attention on the war in Afghanistan.

The media’s main impact is psychological and intellectual. Media and entertainment companies shape public opinion and help frame the terms of public debate. The media is what we read, listen to and watch. In parallel, through its close relationship with advertisers, the media also exerts a powerful influence on the decisions we make, the products we buy, and the sort of questions we ask when we make our everyday choices.

(http://www.sustainability.com/publications/engaging/good-news-and-bad.asp)

The long view of history proves media's power by showing that the medium itself, in the long run, is more powerful than the messages it carries, because the medium determines what can be communicated and how we think about that communication. (Gibbons ;2000,10)

Responsibility.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word responsible (adj) as having an obligation to do something, as part of one's job or role:or having control over or care for someone, liable to be called to account (to a person or for a thing). To be accountable, answerable, to blame, blameworthy, at fault, guilty, culpable. While responsibility (n) is defined as the state or fact of being responsible, the ability to act independently and make decisions,the state of being answerable for one's performance according to the terms of reference of the Code of Professional Conduct. Socially, peoples' responsibilities are those things for which they are accountable; failure to discharge a responsibility renders one liable to some censure or penalty as part of a job, or profession, or social role .

According to Paul Ricoeur responsibility is tied to ethical identity, both at the individual and at the community level. Ethical identity, for its part, is born of tradition, critical and normative thought, and the capacity to exercise sensitive judgement in the manner of Aristotle's Phronesis . It is because such an identity can be attested to by ethical subjects and communities that responsibility can be imputed to them and should be accepted and honoured by them. (Ricoeur,2000,p27)

Social Responsibility

Maintaining that the press plays an important role in the development and stability of modern society, advocates of Social Responsibility press theory believe it imperative that a commitment of social responsibility be imposed on mass media ( Merrill, 1974). In their eyes, the press has a moral obligation to consider the overall needs of society when making journalistic decisions that will produce the greatest good or the greatest number. Moreover, this utilitarian goal can be accomplished only through a concerted effort to further various ethical ideals agreed upon by all concerned with this "improvement" of society. To allow unchanneled and uncontrolled distribution of ideas and information supported by the libertarian press notion was considered neither responsible nor beneficial to society and could not be considered ethical. (Lloyd ;1991:6)

Professional journalists do have a code of ethics. Journalists make judgments about what's safe and appropriate to report which often involves difficult choices. Let us consider the journalists' share of responsibility for the consequences of their reporting? German sociologist Max Weber distinguishes between an 'ethics of conviction' and an 'ethics of responsibility.' According to the latter, journalists must take into account the foreseeable consequences of their reporting, the impact on society. The ethics of conviction on the other hand posits that journalists have an absolute duty to tell the truth, regardless of the consequences. War journalism tends to regard this mission to reveal the truth as a sufficient condition for ethical reporting, although according to Weber both ethics are complementary rather than opposites.

(http://www.erc.org.au/issues/text/rw03.htm)

The underlying assumption of social responsibility is that moral and ethical commandments dictate journalistic excellence (even if authoritarian control is needed to uphold such laws) instead of the individual reasoned choices of reporters and editors. (Lloyd; 1991;6)

Trust.

For a multi media company, trust is a keyword. It is essential to have mutual trust with readers, viewers and listeners, as well as employees, owners and society at large. One does not gain trust without taking responsibility. For Media companies it is of vital importance to be identified as being ethical and responsible.

The public's right to know of events of public importance and interest is the overriding mission of the mass media. The purpose of distributing news and enlightened opinion is to serve the general welfare. Journalists who use their professional status as representatives of the public for selfish or other unworthy motives violate a high trust. Freedom of the press is to be guarded as an inalienable right of people in a free society. It carries with it the freedom and the responsibility to discuss, question, and challenge actions and utterances of our government and of our public and private institutions. Journalists uphold the right to speak unpopular opinions and the privilege to agree with the majority. Their social responsibilities to the public are paramount. That is the nature of their profession. (Knowlton;1995;5)

Hate speech.

No issue is more problematic for those concerned with media freedom and responsibility than the issue of "hate speech". The term is generally used to refer to advocacy of national, racial, religious or other hatred. The issue, in essence, is how far it is proper or acceptable to limit the right to freedom of expression, when the views being expressed support the limitation or infringement of the rights of others. These issues become even more acute in a country with a history of communal or

-5-

ethnic violence, where the media are known to have played a role in fanning hostilities.

In 1946, the judges at Nuremberg found Julius Streicher, the Nazi publisher of Der Sturmer, guilty of "inciting of the population to abuse, maltreat and slay their fellow citizens, to stir up passion, hate, violence and destruction among the people themselves aims at breaking the moral backbone even of those the invader chooses to spare." The judges sentenced him to death because "his incitement to murder and extermination at the time when Jews in the East were being killed under the most horrible conditions clearly constitutes persecution on political and racial grounds and (therefore) a Crime against Humanity."

Forty- seven years later, in Dec. 2003, in a landmark verdict, the war crimes tribunal for Rwanda convicted three media figures of genocide for inciting people to take part in the wave of killing that swept across Rwanda in 1994. The defendants were found guilty for their use of a popular radio station and a newspaper to inflame hatred against the country’s Tutsi minority and to direct and encourage the campaign of slaughter. The lesson in the conviction of the three is that social responsibility is at the root of journalistic practice. In an interview with The New York Times, Stephen Rapp, the senior prosecutor on the case, said "A key question will be what kind of speech is protected and where the limits lie. It is important to draw that line. We hope the judgment will give the world some guidance. He also noted that in terms of international legal standards there has been no decision since Nuremberg. “Those who control the media are accountable for its consequences,” the Arusha, Tanzania, based international court said before handing down the convictions.

(http://www.crimesofwar.org/onnews/news-rwanda.html)

In my opinion the media should not cooperate with hate-mongers by providing them an uncontrolled platform for disseminating their ideas. This is not to say that the media should fail to report about the conduct of hate mongers. Instead, the media coverage of hate speech should be cautious and sensitive to the interests of the group under attack, and above all be ‘responsible.’

Owners

Without a doubt information is power, and the big owners of the main medium to get information to the people, the mainstream media, are very powerful people. Therefore we may well ask how can there be credible democratic discourse in any country when the major public information channels, television and newspapers, are owned or controlled by a handful of individuals accountable only to themselves?

Interestingly, for Karl Marx, the mass media was simply an instrument of bourgeois control over the proletariat, a part of the overall superstructure of society, along with religion, the family and education.

Whether one agrees with Marx's political dimension or not, what is clear is that Marxism presents to us an extremely useful model in which to study the mass media today. Though Marx was writing at a time when the main organs of mass media would've essentially meant newspapers and books, Marxist analysis can be applied to today's media: the mass media, a privatized means of production, is there to replicate capitalist ideology and to promote a 'false consciousness' amongst the working class. (http://www.marxists.org/glossary/index.htm)

Television and radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and internet sites are, largely, owned and controlled by profit-making businesses. Since it is the bourgeoisie who control the media, it is only natural that it is their ideas get promoted through both things like advertising and the actual media products themselves - movies, soap opera, tabloid newspapers, consumer magazines and so on.

The case for imposing limits on media ownership is based solely on democratic, social and journalistic concerns. The media have a social responsibility that makes them unlike other commercial activities. As such, freedom of the press is not just the proprietary right of owners to do as they see fit. It is a right of the Australian people. (http://www.presscampaign.org/proposals.htm)

The current level of ownership concentration here in Australia continues to be one of the highest in the world. Rupert Murdoch, the world's most powerful media mogul, already decides what's fit to print in Adelaide, Brisbane and many regional cities, where he owns the only newspaper. In Melbourne and Sydney he dominates the newspaper market and he owns the only national daily, The Australian . Kerry Packer is Australia's richest, most powerful businessman, and owns the dominant Nine TV network as well as a large stable of news, women's and other magazines. Companies run by the two media moguls and their sons, James Packer and Lachlan Murdoch, are also equal shareholders in the pay-TV group Foxtel

(http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/mar1999/aba-m18.shtml)

The film Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism , a recently released documentary about the Fox News channel in the US, exposes the methods and props used by the Fox Network to mold the news. It also displays the influence these methods have had on the major media groups. Fox News claims to be 'Fair and balanced' but in reality is anything but. For the first time ever, this documentary reveals the secrets of former Fox News producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a 'right-wing' point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said, 'There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed.' The film demonstrataes the impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person. (http://www.disinfo.com/site/)

An Australian media without a strong, independent ABC and an independently-owned Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review would no longer be a free media. It would be controlled by powerful political and business players, and they will decide what’s fit to read, what stories to publish, and what opinions to disseminate. (http://www.xmedia.org.au/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=)

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, through programs such as Media Watch, Frontline and the Media Report, has contributed much. The effect has been to raise public awareness of the processes of journalism.

(http://www.unimelb.edu.au/speeches/pchadwick99nov17.html)

In addition Four Corners has carved a long and proud tradition of investigative journalism, exposing corruption in high places and peering into neglected corners of society.(http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/4c40/essays/ricketson.htm)

To conclude, the largest transmitter of information today is the mass media. Here a mere fraction of a percent of the western world population decides what the rest of the world is to know and not to know. Technological advances continue to increase the power of the media to effect cultural change, manipulate public opinion and influence government policy. I don't want to censor the media I just want them to understand their power to influence minds and use it responsibly. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility.

The core problem is that most journalists are employees, not autonomous professionals like, say, a barrister. The main issue for truth in reporting is advertisers or media owners putting pressure on editors and journalists to publish or hold stories. Unfortunately journalists don’t always control the end product of their work as published or broadcast. Regrettably the majority of the key decision-makers in media organisations (such as the owners), the people who really wield power and from whom responsibility should be extracted, are not subject to any ethical codes or enforcement system (http://www.alliance.org.au/work/aja/ethics/ethics1.html)

Private media ownership; the mass media conglomerate,a concentration of media ownership in too few hands is a danger to society. This can constitute a threat to democracy itself, where major political parties are almost held to ransom by media proprietors, who can wield enormous power through their ability to manipulate the opinion of the electorate, should they choose to do so.

It is my view that such power and responsibility should never be left in the hands of a few. The public need a wide range of contrasting perspectives from the media, not simply the opinions of a handful of conglomerates and their owners.

Working journalists in the monopolized television and newspaper media must know that, where there is conflict between the principles of public interest journalism and the direction set by ownership, there is a channel of appeal where professional standards reign.

For this reason there need to be rules which media owners respect and accept. We need rules to prevent one company from having too much control over the media content. We must have reliable systems developed which ensure a diversity of media ownership, so that competition within the media stimulates a wide range of perspectives on public policy issues and acts as a check on the political power of the media magnates .(http://www.transparency.org/sourcebook/14.html)

Finally, I believe it is our responsibility as concerned citizens to make sure we are not merely passive viewers, readers or listeners, after all we are also voters and consumers. Together we can wield a huge influence on the media by playing an active part in improving the output of all our media services by making our views known where it counts.

Each of us has a responsibility to reject any obvious biases and take a stand for what we expect from the media by demanding equal representation of issues and political candidates. Nowadays we have the Internet to assist democracy by giving a voice to every citizen in every library, every office and every home.

Complaints processes exist for anyone wanting to complain about something they have watched, heard or read in a variety of media. This includes complaints in relation to television or radio content; advertising; online content; film, videos and literature; and the print media.

It is important for our society that the media and their owners are accountable. It is up to every one of us to closely follow the critical issues of the day, monitor the performance of the media and, through grassroots activism, use our powers of purchase and persuasion to expose media bias and fraud; bring pressure to bear for media reform; and when faced with cases of continued bias, inaccuracy or unfairness, make our objections heard and direct others toward more reliable and responsible new sources.

         

    

References

Gibbons J & R Eldon Hieberet 2000 Exploring Mass Media for a Changing World Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mahwah, NJ. p10

Knowlton S. R & Parsons P.R. 1995 The Journalist's Moral Compass: Basic Principles. Praeger Publishers Westport, CT. p5

Lloyd Scott, 1991 A Criticism of Social Responsibility Theory: an Ethical Perspective

Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Vol. 6.

Ricoeur Paul 2000 The Just, The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London; p25

Electronic References

Edmund Rice Centre

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.erc.org.au/issues/text/rw03.htm]

Crimes of War Project

Dworkin Andrew

December 2003

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.crimesofwar.org/onnews/news-rwanda.html]

Encyclopedia of Marxism

Accessed October 2004,

Available at:

[http://www.marxists.org/glossary/index.htm]

The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

Media Reform

Accessed October 2004

Available at:

[http://www.presscampaign.org/proposals.htm]

World Socialist Website

Head Mike

18th March, 1999.

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/mar1999/aba-m18.shtml]

Disinformation

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/mar1999/aba-m18.shtml]

-12-

XMedia .org.au

The Cross-Media Ownership Campaign

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.xmedia.org.au/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=]

University of Melbourne

Chadwick Paul

Nov. 1999

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.unimelb.edu.au/speeches/pchadwick99nov17.html]

ABC Australia

Four Corners

Ricketson Matthew

20th August, 2001

The importance of investigative journalism - of journalism.

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/4c40/essays/ricketson.htm]

Ethics Review Committee Final Report

November 1996

Accessed October 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.alliance.org.au/work/aja/ethics/ethics1.html]

Transparency International

White Theodore

An Independent and Free Media

Accessed October, 2004.

Available at:

[http://www.transparency.org/sourcebook/14.html]

Effects on ventilatory response and performance: Exercise-induced bronchodilation in natural and induced asthma

Crimi, Emanuele, Riccardo Pellegrino, Attilio Smeraldi, and Vito Brusasco. Exercise-induced bronchodilation in natural and induced asthma: effects on ventilatory response
and performance. J Appl Physiol 92: 2353–2360, 2002. First published February 22, 2002; 10.1152/japplphysiol.01248.2001.—We studied whether bronchodilatation occurs with exercise during the late asthmatic reaction (LAR) to allergen (group 1, n 13) or natural asthma (NA; group 2, n 8) and whether this is sufficient to preserve maximum ventilation(V˙ Emax), oxygen consumption (V˙ O2 max), and exercise performance(W˙ max). In group 1, partial forced expiratory flow at 30% of resting forced vital capacity increased during exercise, both at control and LAR.W˙ max was slightly reduced at LAR, whereas V˙ Emax, tidal volume, breathing frequency, and
V˙ O2 max were preserved. Functional residual capacity and end-inspiratory lung volume were significantly larger at LAR than at control. In group 2, partial forced expiratory flow at 30% of resting forced vital capacity increased greatly with exercise during NA but did not attain control values after appropriate therapy. Compared with control, W˙ max was slightly less during NA, whereas V˙ O2 max and V˙ Emax were similar. Functional residual capacity, but not end-inspiratory lung volume at maximum load, was significantly greater than at control, whereas tidal volume decreased and breathing
frequency increased. In conclusion, remarkable exercise bronchodilation occurs during either LAR or NA and allows V˙Emax and V˙ O2 max to be preserved with small changes in breathing pattern and a slight reduction in W˙ max. incremental exercise; natural asthma; late asthmatic reaction;deep inhalation; breathing pattern....

Download the Full Text

         

Fallacies, Irrelevant Facts, and Myths in the Discussion of Capital Regulation: Why Bank Equity is Not Expensive

Abstract: We examine the pervasive view that “equity is expensive,” which leads to claims that high capital requirements are costly and would affect credit markets adversely. We find that arguments made to support this view are either fallacious, irrelevant, or very weak. For example, the return on equity contains a risk premium that must go down if banks have more equity. It is thus incorrect to assume that the required return on equity remains fixed as capital requirements increase. It is also incorrect to translate higher taxes paid by banks to a social cost. Policies that subsidize debt and indirectly penalize equity through taxes and implicit guarantees are distortive. Any desirable public subsidies to banks’ activities should be given directly and not in ways that encourage leverage. Finally, suggestions that high leverage serves a necessary disciplining role are based on inadequate theory lacking empirical support.
We conclude that bank equity is not socially expensive, and that high leverage is not necessary for banks to perform all their socially valuable functions, including lending, taking deposits and issuing money-like securities. To the contrary, better capitalized banks suffer fewer distortions in lending decisions and would perform better. The fact that banks choose high leverage does not imply that this is socially optimal, and, viewed from an ex ante perspective, high leverage may not even be privately optimal for banks.
Setting equity requirements significantly higher than the levels currently proposed would entail large social benefits and minimal, if any, social costs. Approaches based on equity dominate alternatives, including contingent capital. To achieve better capitalization quickly and efficiently and prevent disruption to lending, regulators must actively control equity payouts and issuance. If remaining challenges are addressed, capital regulation can be a powerful tool for enhancing the role of banks in the economy.

View the Full text in pdf format.Click Save in the pdf reader to save the copy of it.

Age-Dependence Revisited: On the Dynamics of Organizational Mortality

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel theoretical framework to model the dynamics of organizational mortality. The main theoretical contribution is a clarification of the relations between organizational fitness, endowment, organizational capital and mortality hazard. If the mortality hazard is a function of the stock of organizational capital, and the rate of accumulation of organizational capital is function of the level of organizational fitness, organizational fitness becomes the key factor in predicting the evolution of the mortality hazard. The paper demonstrates how this new perspective can cast a new light on the much studied relation between organizational age and the hazard of organizational mortality.

View the full text in pdf format. Click the save option in the pdf reader to save a copy of it.

The Effect of Race, Insurance and Distance Upon the Utilization of Physician Services

Abstract: This paper examines the relationships between the utilization of physician services and three variables -- race, insurance, and distance to care -- in a rural setting. Four measures of utilization are considered: (1) Total number of physician visits per capita during a twelve month period, (2) The percentage of persons in a given group having more than the mean number of physician visits per capita for that group, (3) The percentage of respondents having one or more physician visit during a twelve month period, and (4) The percentage of respondents having one or more physical examination during a twelve month period. The data reported were gathered as a part of a comprehensive community health survey. A fundamental result of this study is the discovery of a strong association between persons' distance from their source of medical care and their utilization of physician services. While there is little relationship between distance and overall utilization, distance is apparently a very strong barrier to access to care and to preventive health care behavior. In addition, not having health insurance is significantly linked with lower utilization and Mexican-Americans appear less oriented to preventive care than white residents in the community studied. Four important methodological devices contribute to the significance of this study's findings: (1) the use of several utilization measures, (2) a perceived-time measure of distance, (3) a threshold approach to analyzing distance effects, and (4) a normalization procedure that contributes a partial control for differential levels of need for health care.

View the full text here in the pdf format. Click the save option in the reader to save a copy of the paper.

Information Systems - Running Head: Nanotechnology

I. Technology has been improving rapidly over the last century. There were more inventions in the nineteenth century than all of the previous centuries combined. The last twenty years have been the most revolutionary.

Technology has been pushed to new frontiers. What was once regarded as science fiction in movies and novels have become today’s realities and necessities. The invention of the personal computer a few years ago has in my opinion, accelerated recent discoveries in science and technology.

Before the invention of the personal computer, bigger was always considered better. The evolution of the microchip is a good example of how smaller electronic component became more powerful than their room-size predecessors did. Nanotechnology will make today’s inventions be even smaller, better, in a very big way!
David Rejeski Director, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Committee on Senate Commerce, states:
As the Subcommittee knows, nanotechnology is expected to become the transformational technology of the 21st century. It is the world of controlling matter at the scale of one billionth of a meter, or around one-100,000th the width of a human hair. Researchers are exploring new ways to see and build at this scale, reengineering familiar substances like carbon and gold in order to create new materials with novel properties and functions.

Nanotechnology is already been used to manufacture many products in our world today. This technology will improve and ultimately will be the only way products are manufactured. Drexler explains the impact nanotechnology would have in computing:
A key understanding of nanotechnology is that it offers not just better products, but a vastly improved manufacturing process. A computer can make copies of data files—essentially as many copies as you want at little or no cost. It may be only a matter of time until the building of products becomes as cheap as the copying of files. That is the real meaning of nanotechnology, and why it is sometimes seen as "the next industrial revolution."

However, this is only the beginning, because nanotechnology will be used extensively in the near future. In this essay, however, the paper will focus on the range of impact nanotechnology will have on our daily lives. Industry is anticipating using nanotechnology to manufacture different materials. Furthermore, nanotechnology will advance professions such as medicine at an exponential rate. We will explore how physicians will utilize nanotechnology to diagnose illness and ultimately cures.

Because cost has always been one of the greatest hurdles in developing economies, nanotechnology will lower production costs. Therefore, the gap between the Third World and wealthy First World countries will become narrower. Finally, many of the claims made by nonscientists are far-fetched. In the conclusion, we will differentiate science from fiction.

II. What is nanotechnology?
Technology has been operating at micrometers for several decades now. Words such as microprocessors, microscope, and microphone are common these days. Most of us do not have to think about the size of these technologies anymore. Micro for instance, is one millionth of a meter. That is microscopic small, virtually invisible to the naked eye. Nano is one thousandth times smaller than micro.
Uldrich and Newberry give a more simplified definition:
The term nano is derived from the Greek word nanos, meaning dwarf. It is equal to one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology is, broadly speaking, the art and science of manipulating and rearranging individual atoms and molecules to create useful materials, devices and systems (23).
Furthermore, Uldrich and Newberry explain that the width of a dot is about one million nanometers. If we had to convert to the American Imperial system, one nanometer is to an inch what one inch is to approximately 16,000 miles. A more practical example would be that if a male or woman were 6.6 foot tall, that would be two billion nanometers (23).

The following diagram will put nanotechnology into perspective.

Nevertheless, this technology is still virtually unknown today. When did this term become so popular in the computer and science fraternities?
According to Free On-line Dictionary of Computing:
Nanotechnology has been a hot topic in the hacker subculture
ever since K. Eric Drexler coined the term in his book
"Engines of Creation,” where he predicted that nanotechnology
could give rise to replicating assemblers, permitting an
exponential growth of productivity and personal wealth.
However, Phoenix explained that in 1959 the great physicist Richard Feynman who suggested that it would be possible to build machines small enough to operate at molecular level conducted the science of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology has definitely changed the way we live today.

III. Nanotechnology in today’s world
This technology is not just confined to laboratories. In fact, nanotechnology is already part of our lives. Many people are not aware of products that use nanotechnology available in stores. Twist, a BBC News online science and technology staff member, wrote in an article about a few cosmetic products that already use nano particles:
Nanotechnology has been around for several years now. Many industries are using nanotechnology to manufacture many everyday products. Humans are inhaling millions of nano particles a day. The Cosmetics industry already puts nano-particles in lotions, creams, and shampoos. The particles are particularly good at absorbing ultra-violet rays, but make the lotion transparent smooth instead of sticky and white.

Nanotechnology is already here
This is clear that nanotechnology is used in many common household items.
Aside from the cosmetic industry, nanotechnology is changing a variety of businesses.
Surprisingly there is already a broad range of products that we use today, that take advantage of the advances in nanotechnology. Dabek posted a list of popular products that uses nanotechnology:
Golf balls and tennis racquets: Manufacturers are always looking for the best new design to improve your score, but this sports equipment is truly high tech. Wilson previously made its nCode tennis racquets of standard carbon, but now uses nanotechnology to pack extra atoms between the carbon atoms to make the racquets stronger, but just as light. A nano coating NDliNX golf balls is meant to make them soar faster and feel firmer when hit, thanks to a higher-density polymer layer on the outside of the ball.
A nano-c Household paint: Home Depot carries Behr's kitchen and bathroom paint, designed with nano-particles that increase the density of the paint to prevent the growth of mold and mildew on the walls.
Stain-resistant khaki pants and ties: Ever wonder how those so-called stain resistant pants stay so clean? Dockers, Lands End and Brooks Brothers carry khaki pants and neckties whose fabrics have been redesigned to pack extra atoms between the fabric atoms to help repel liquids on the surface.
Shoe inserts and socks: Suffer from cold feet? Originally designed for NASA, Polarwrap has created its Toasty Feet inserts with built-in nano-size pockets of air to improve insulation and make them lightweight. Millions of nano-size silver particles are knitted into Sharper Image's Antibacterial Silver Athletic and Lounging Socks to make them antibacterial and antifungal.
Lip-gloss: DERMA doctor cosmetics put nano-size zinc oxide into its POUTlandish Hypermoist lip paint for SPF protection without the heavy consistency of liquid sun block.
Sportswear: Nano-size channels built into fabrics whisk away moisture from the skin and help fabric dry quickly. The New Balance women's Skye Crop sports bra uses this technology. Eddie Bauer's Water Shorts use nano-size drying channels as well, with nano-size sunscreen embedded in the fabric to provide extra protection from UV rays.
Household paint: Home Depot carries Behr's kitchen and bathroom paint, designed with nano-particles that increase the density of the paint to prevent the growth of mold and mildew on the walls.
Canola oil: Marketed in Israel by Shemen Industries, the Canola Active brand uses molecular tinkering to deliver vitamins and to prevent the body's absorption of cholesterol in the oil. The oil contains chemical additives of micro-vitamins and micro-cholesterol blockers. Household paint: Home Depot carries Behr's kitchen and bathroom paint, designed with nano-particles that increase the density of the paint to prevent the growth of mold and mildew on the walls.

VI. Nanotechnology in our future
The science of nanotechnology is to rearrange molecules in order to create something else. Welland boldly declares that, “In five years' time, batteries that only last three days will be laughable, said Professor Welland. Similarly, in 10 years' time, the way medical testing is done now will be considered crude.”(qtd. in Twist)
Once this technology is perfected, almost every single product will use nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is said to make products stronger, lighter, and yes cheaper to produce. There is no doubt that nanotechnology will benefit many consumers and big business in the near future. Another potential use of nanotechnology will be in the developing of nanomaterials. Uldrich and Newberry mention that nanomaterials will not just be limited to one sector (99). Therefore, these implications will be huge in many sectors of our industries. This is bound to affect the sales of non-nanotechnology products such as paper towels, cleaning material, food, detergents, and many industrial and household goods. In the next few sections, we will deal with potential applications of nanotechnology in our daily lives, medicine, and global economies.
A. The potential of nanotechnology in our daily lives
The following picture illustrates the potential uses of nanotechnology.

1 - Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) for displays
2 - Photovoltaic film that converts light into electricity
3 - Scratch-proof coated windows that clean themselves with UV
4 - Fabrics coated to resist stains and control temperature
5 - Intelligent clothing measures pulse and respiration
6 - Bucky-tubeframe is light but very strong
7 - Hip joint made from biocompatible materials
8 - Nano-particle paint to prevent corrosion
9 - Thermo-chromic glass to regulate light
10 - Magnetic layers for compact data memory
11 - Carbon nanotube fuel cells to power electronics and vehicles
12 - Nano-engineered cochlear implant

B. The potential of nanotechnology in medicine
Society has been battling to find cures for many ailments for the past two hundred years. Frankly, only a few cures have been found. Most of the medication that we use today only control the diseases and the remove the symptoms for a few hours. Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the medical industry. The good news for consumers is that not only will nanotechnology reduce the price of medication, but also provide alternative treatment. Uldrich and Newberry explain in detail how nanotechnology will influence drug delivery:
Among the most exciting developments is a company named C Sixty, located on Houston, Texas, which is working on a device it likens to a “molecular pincushion.” The center of the pincushion is carbon-based structure with drugs and protein detectors attached. The nanoscopic device, which can be injected into the body, can easily and precisely fit into the pocket of an AIDS virus and disrupt its ability to reproduce…. Furthermore, these nanodevices have the benefit of being easily rapidly modified. The immediate impact of such nanoscopic drugs, if successful, is obvious. A cure for AIDS will solve a 25-year old quest for eliminating the deadly disease. (111-112)

Uldrich and Newberry cite another example of how nanotechnology will be incorporated into medicine to fight one of our deadliest enemies:
Other researchers in Texas are working on a nanoscale cancer “smart bomb.” The researchers are placing a single atom of the highly radioactive material actinium-225 inside a nanoscale cage of carbon and nitrogen. They then attach to the outside of the cage a protein that adheres only to cancer cells. Once the attachment between protein and cancer cell takes place, the cage decays and the radioactive material is released and kills only the cancer cells. Preliminary tests have shown that this smart bomb can kill leukemia, lymphoma, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer cells. And although it has been tested only in mice... mice treated with the procedure have lived up to three hundred days comapared to an average of forty-three days that did not receive the treatment. (112-113)
These treatments will certainly change the way pharmaceuticals and doctors approach and treat patients. We will see a definite power shift in the medical industry. The patient will definitely have more advantage.

C. The potential economic implications
There is no doubt that nanotechnology will be a multibillion-dollar business. Nanotechnology intends to significantly lower production costs. These lower costs will automatically be passed on to consumers. Kirby a BBC News Online environment correspondent reports that, “Research and development spending on nanotechnology is growing fast - in the US up from $432 million in 1997 to $604m by 2002, in Japan from $120m to $750m over the same period.”

Because the initial investments are currently very high, it is obvious that many of the poorer countries do not have budgets allocated for nanotechnology research. These countries will be the biggest consumers of nanotechnology products. The fact is most of the world still battles with basic needs that many developing and First world nations take for granted.

Water shortage, basic service deliveries are serious political issues in poor countries. Nanotechnology could just solve some of the major social problems. “The United Nations estimates that there are thirty-eight global spots where fighting might break out due to water shortage.” (Uldrich and Newberry) Cost is one the major factors these basic needs are not been met. “If nanofiltration systems can desalinize water or if nanotechnology-enabled advances can reduce water shortage…” (Uldrich and Newberry) Governments will concentrate on people and prosperity instead of spending millions on basic services, once cheaper alternatives are found. These new projects will reduce poverty and ultimately narrow the gap between the poor and the rich.

Diabetes is one of the most expensive diseases to treat. Nanotechnology will certainly solve many of the medical problems that we face today. According to Uldrich and Newberry, there were over 18 000 nursing homes across the country in 2003. There are over 80 million baby boomers and their healthcare alone amounts to a staggering $600 billion (107). If many cures to these diseases are found, that number will significantly be reduced. Many pharmaceuticals will have to come up with new financial strategies because nanotechnologies will reduce the cost of drug delivery. This is good news to consumers because prices are expected to drop across all sectors of the economy. Imagine perishable goods having a longer shelf life that will reduce the turn around time. I doubt however, that nanotechnology will be welcomed in all commercial sectors, because it is bound to make waves in our economies.

Conclusion
Nanotechnology is without a doubt a fascinating subject. However, as with many science and technology endeavors, it is always difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Ultimately, nanobot technologies portend possibilities for astonishing tasks, like curing diseases from inside the human body or developing new composite metals for the aerospace and automotive industries. Futurists even claim that nanotech will someday allow the rejuvenation of human bodies frozen in liquid nitrogen, and mind uploading, the now theoretical process of converting and transferring a human brain onto a supercomputer program. (West)

We have a long way to go before many nanotechnology innovations become a reality. Our hope is that poverty will ultimately be eliminated. The danger is that nanotechnology should not give the world false hope. We need to deal with realistic possibilities and focus on them, instead of having an exhaustive list of cures and empty promises.

References

Dabek, Bart. "Top 10 leats expectected products to use nanotechnology." Science and technology. 14 August,2006. About my planet. 9 Nov 2006 Drexler, Eric. "What is nanotechnology." Center For Responsible nanotechnology. 2006. CRN. 31 Oct 2006 .
Kirby, Alex. "Nanotech may spark fierce ethical row." BBC News. 14 February, 2003. BBC. 10 Nov 2006 .
"Nanotechnology." The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing. Denis Howe. 08 Nov. 2006.
Phoenix, Chris. "History of nanotechnology." Nanotechnology Press Kit - History of Nanotechnology. Monday, 15-Aug-2005 10:29:41 PDT . Nanotechnology now. 8 Nov 2006 .
Rejeski, David. "Economic Development and Nano Commercialization, Science and Transportation. Capital Hill, Washington D.C.. May 4, 2006 Thursday.
Twist, Jo. "Myths and realities of nano futures." BBC news. 9 Nov 2006 .
Uldrich, Jack, and Deb Newberry. The next big thing is really small. 1st ed. New York, New York: Crown Business, 2003.
West, Keith . "Nanotechnology heralds reinvention of global economy ." Charleston Regional Business Journal 09/10/2001. 10 Sept 2001. Setcom Media, Inc.. 10 Nov 2006 .

Effective Business Marketing Tips

1. Don't Advertise Like a Big Business

Big businesses advertise to create name recognition and future sales. A small business can't afford to do that. Instead, design your advertising to produce sales ...now. One way to accomplish this is to always include an offer in your advertising - and an easy way for prospective customers to respond to it.

2. Offer a Cheaper Version
Some prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service. Others are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality. You can avoid losing sales to many of these customers by offering a smaller or stripped down version of your product or service at a lower price.

3. Offer a Premium Version
Not all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service. You can boost your average size sale and your total revenue by offering a more comprehensive product or service ...or by combining several products or services in a special premium package offer for a higher price. 

4. Try Some Unusual Marketing Methods
Look for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. You may discover some highly profitable ways to generate sales and avoid competition. For example, print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your website or generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost.

5. Trim Your Ads
Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions.

6. Set up Joint Promotions with Other Small Businesses
Contact some non-competing small businesses serving customers in your market. Offer to publicize their products or services to your customers in exchange for their publicizing your services to their customers. This usually produces a large number of sales for a very low cost.

7. Take Advantage of Your Customers
Your customers already know and trust you. It's easier to get more business from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you. Take advantage of this by creating some special deals just for your existing customers ...and announce new products and services to them before you announce them to the general market.

Also, convert your customers into publicity agents for your business. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. An endorsement from them is more effective than any amount of advertising - and it is much cheaper.

Each of these 7 marketing tips provides a simple, low-cost way for any small business to find customers and generate sales quickly.