Continental Airlines Strategic Analysis

Media Analysis Summary

I chose to watch Hannity and Colmes on FOX News. This show features two hosts with opposing ideologies in a live, spur-of-the-moment, animated, and often heated debate about a variety of current issues. Both hosts are radio personalities who host other shows, and many big name guests frequent the show.

This particular episode featured several stories. First, there was a story about the continuing problem of illegal immigration--particularly from Mexico--and a group of lobbyists pushing for change. The Minutemen founder Chris Simcox discussed exclusive footage of immigrants streaming over the border in Arizona and the efforts of the Minutemen to affect Washington lawmakers in this area. Second was a piece on a missing girl in Florida, as well as an expose on child safety, and ways to protect your child from predators. Third, there was a discussion about a Muslim professor who was apparently fired for expressing anti-Muslim views. Finally, Jim Lehrer joined the show and discussed the current Senate fight over the confirmation of John Bolton as President Bush's choice for U.N. Ambassador. Of particular interest was the media's handling of the debate and the question of media bias.

There were several examples of the importance of accountability in this broadcast. One was the importance of useful information. The lawmakers in Washington are unlikely to listen to what Chris Simcox has to say without the footage that demonstrates the severity of the problem. The Muslim professor who was fired is suing the university that fired him. The suit will likely require the university to be accountable for their actions. They also must be able to account for the decisions they made. This demonstrates the need for accurate record keeping, and a clear documentation of the reason for various decisions. There may be a future need to justify them. Also, the question of media bias is an important one. The media is supposed to provide information with which viewers can formulate opinions. If that information is not as unbiased as possible, it cannot be relied upon to give an accurate depiction of a situation, and therefore, is not useful for making decisions. The same can be said of accounting. If the information is biased, it cannot be relied on for the purpose of making good decisions