Bra.Kevin Beatz is a Free Mason?

Bra Kevin’s 3 headed beast freestyle video was the 'illest' thing to it showbiz this year with over 15000 views on YouTube alone. The title of the song is weird. We're wondering what symbolisms the title bears with the song. Creatures like that take fame in Greek mythology and the book of Revelation. More controversy arose when Bra Kevin bespoke 74x9 which are factors for 666, a mythological number identified with the anti-Christ or Lucifer. As if that was not enough Bra Kevin made a hand gesture which is usually identified within the free mason / illuminati circles. The first question that hit me was "does this kid know what he's doing ?" at first I thought it was just me and that I was taking my interpretation of the song to far till someone I discuss music with raised the same issue. We already got Kyeiwa and Akrobetu as witch and vampire already, we don't need another jay-z or Kanye West in our showbiz industry. As artists some of like to create buzzes by pulling all kinds of stunts. These stunts may either make or break your career or influence on the public. However, things seemed to have worked quite well for bra Kevin, mostly due to the fact that the average Ghanaian is ignorant about these things. In the western music industry particularly in America and in hip-hop and R&B circles the free mason movement has been known to take credence among certain big showbiz names. It'll be absolute madness if we copy blindly in the name of fashion because the free masons have been met with a lot of skeptism about their business that is their beliefs and practices especially in the Christian circles. It is said and I quote that they seem to be connected to Satanism and promotion of the reign of the anti-Christ as prophesized by the apostle john in the book of revelation compiled in the latter part of the new testaments of Christian bible. I am open to corrections if I seem to have veered off the path of objectivity in posting this article.

Credit: Osborne, my little cousin..

Agenda-Setting Theory of Maxwell McCombs & Donald Shaw

The power of the press in America is a primordial one. It sets the agenda of public discussion; and this sweeping political power is unrestrained by any law. It determines what people will talk and think about – an authority that in other nations is reserved for tyrants, priests, parties, and mandarins - Theodore White

Mass media has great effect on people’s life. Every day a lot of people read thousands of newspapers, listen to the various radio stations and watch a lot of TV. Say, you are sitting at home, listening to the radio and drinking coffee in the morning. Suddenly your favorite host on the radio says: “Call us now! We are talking about problems of elementary education in the schools. Your opinion is extremely important to us.” Before these words you thought about something else, but after this you begin to think about elementary education. You realize that you have some useful thoughts and opinions about this and pick up the phone to call them. Who knows, maybe your ideas will help somebody to solve the following problem. Before you pick up the phone – think what make you do that. People on the radio decided for you what they are going to discuss today and you became their “prisoner” for the moment. It even made you do something about that (in this case – make a call.) As you can see media has the greatest impact on our lives. We discuss what we saw on TV last night or talk about the latest news we read in the newspapers. Usually we do not even think deeply why we do that. Maybe we should…

This is just what agenda-setting theory is telling about. Agenda – setting theory has been developed by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Show and it gives the opinion that no matter what you think, but matters what you think about. It is very important to realize the meaning of the word “about” in this case. The agenda-setting shows indirect, cognitive effects of mass media. The following theory boasted two attractive features: it reaffirmed the power of the press while still maintaining that individuals were free to choose.

For the first time this agenda – setting theory was mentioned by the University of Wisconsin political scientist Bernard Cohen. Actually Cohen made just a statement that “the news media may not directly affect how the public thinks about political matters, but it does affect what subjects people think about.” Then the theory was discovered by a number of scientists. They demonstrated that the power of media effects goes beyond agenda setting. The scientists Iyengar, Peters, and Kinder in 1982 first identified that people do not have to elaborate the knowledge; they should consider what more readily comes to mind. As you can see this statement somehow eases the work of people’s brain. The media is responsible for the message itself and for the importance of that message. Counting that agenda – setting theory influences individuals indirectly, the agenda of these messages should be set very carefully.

The most important and interesting aspect in agenda setting theory is framing. James Tankard, one of the leading writers on mass communication theory, defines a media frame as “the central organizing idea for news content that supplies a context and suggests what the issue is through the use of selection, emphasis, exclusion and elaboration.” Robert Entman also describes in his article clarifying the concept:

To frame is to select some aspects of a percieved reality and make them more salient in a communication text, in such a way as to promote a paricular problem definition, causual interpretation, moral evaluation and/or treatment recommendation for the item described.

Thus we can see that framing is the reporter’s perception of the problem and how he/she presents it in the newspaper. The popularity of framing as a construct in media studies has resulted in diverse and perhaps contradictory use of the term.

Obviously, news does not select itself. So who sets the agenda for the agenda setters? One view regards a handful of news editors as the guardians, or “gate-keepers”, of political dialogue. Nothing gets put on the political agenda without the concurrence of eight men – the operation chiefs of Associated Press, the New Yourk Times, the Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, ABC, NBC, and CBS. Although there is no evidence to support right-wing conservative charges that the editors are part of a liberal, eastern-establishment conspiracy, these key decision makers are undeniably part of a media elite that does not represent a cross-section of US citizens. The media elite consists of of middle-aged Caucasian males who attend the same conferences, banquets, and parties. When one of them “puffs” a story, the rest of the nation’s media climb aboard.

Some of the examples of agenda-setting theory and how it influences people show that this theory is extremely important in communication and especially while studying media literacy. Chronic social issues are much more dependent on media coverage to raise public consciousness and conscience. For example, journalist C. J. Bosso found that news organizations were slow to react to famine in Ethiopia in the 1980s. But when the press and the television finally picked up the story, everybody began to talk about it. When the media later abandoned the issue, people concluded that the crisis was over and shifted their attention elsewhere. This study illustrates the consistent finding that most people can only concentrate on three to five new topics at a time. If the media bring a new issue to the fore, another topic will recede in the public’s consciousness. The media seem particularly effective in creating public interest in political candidates and campaign strategy. By January 1992, news commentators had decided that Bill Clinton was the leader for the Democratic presidential nomination. “Before a vote was cast, and even though polls showed that more than half of all rank-and-file Democrats did not even know who he was, Clinton was hailed on the covers of Time, The New Republic, and New York magazine.”

Most of us know that sad example of agenda–theory happened in 1930’s when one radio station was translating “The War of the Worlds” by G. Wells. Some people really thought that the beasts from Mars invaded the Earth. One lady even committed a suicide. From this example you can see how easy some people are influenced by mass media.

So who are the people most affected by the media agenda? Now some scientists concluded that they are the people who have a willingness to let the media shape their thinking have a high need for orientation. Others refer to it as an index of curiosity. Need for orientation arises from high relevance and uncertainty. Because I am a dog and cat owner, any story about cruelty to animals always catches my attention (high uncertainty). According to McCombs and Shaw, this combination would make me a likely cnadidate to be influenced by media stories about vivisection. If the news editors of Time and ABC thisnk it is important, I probably will too.

Agenda – setting theory has strong and weak points, as every other theory. It is pretty simple and it works usually in advertisements. When you see the commercial, you hear the information about certain product. But this information not necessarily can be true. You just absorb the story it tells in order to buy the product advertised. Thus the theory usually affects weak people and those who cannot decide what to think by themselves. The theory is not working for everyone. Some people just think what they think and do not pay attention to anything they are told. Only people who want to be influenced by somebody or something can actually be influenced.

McCombs and Shaw have established a plausible case that some people look to print and broadcast news for guidance on which issues are really important. Agenda-setting theory also provides a needed reminder that news stories are just that – stories. The message always requires interpretation. For these reasons, McCombs and Shaw have accomplished the function they ascribe to media. Agenda-setting theory has a priority place on the mass communication agenda.
credit: http://www.lnu.edu.ua/mediaeco/zurnal/N3/kravchenko-engl.htm

The Uses and Gratifications Model of the Media

One influential tradition in media research is referred to as 'uses and gratifications' (occasionally 'needs and gratifications'). This approach focuses on why people use particular media rather than on content. In contrast to the concern of the 'media effects' tradition with 'what media do to people' (which assumes a homogeneous mass audience and a 'hypodermic' view of media), U & G can be seen as part of a broader trend amongst media researchers which is more concerned with 'what people do with media', allowing for a variety of responses and interpretations. However, some commentators have argued that gratifications could also be seen as effects: e.g. thrillers are likely to generate very similar responses amongst most viewers. And who could say that they never watch more TV than they had intended to? Watching TV helps to shape audience needs and expectations.

U & G arose originally in the 1940s and underwent a revival in the 1970s amd 1980s. The approach springs from a functionalist paradigm in the social sciences. It presents the use of media in terms of the gratification of social or psychological needs of the individual (Blumler & Katz 1974). The mass media compete with other sources of gratification, but gratifications can be obtained from a medium's content (e.g. watching a specific programme), from familiarity with a genre within the medium (e.g. watching soap operas), from general exposure to the medium (e.g. watching TV), and from the social context in which it is used (e.g. watching TV with the family). U & G theorists argue that people's needs influence how they use and respond to a medium. Zillmann (cited by McQuail 1987: 236) has shown the influence of mood on media choice: boredom encourages the choice of exciting content and stress encourages a choice of relaxing content. The same TV programme may gratify different needs for different individuals. Different needs are associated with individual personalities, stages of maturation, backgrounds and social roles. Developmental factors seem to be related to some motives for purposeful viewing: e.g. Judith van Evra argues that young children may be particularly likely to watch TV in search of information and hence more susceptible to influence (Evra 1990: 177, 179).

An empirical study in the U & G tradition might typically involve audience members completing a questionnaire about why they watch a TV programme. Denis McQuail offers (McQuail 1987: 73) the following typology of common reasons for media use:

Information

* finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world
* seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
* satisfying curiosity and general interest
* learning; self-education
* gaining a sense of security through knowledge

Personal Identity

* finding reinforcement for personal values
* finding models of behaviour
* identifying with valued other (in the media)
* gaining insight into one's self

Integration and Social Interaction

* gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
* identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
* finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
* having a substitute for real-life companionship
* helping to carry out social roles
* enabling one to connect with family, friends and society

Entertainment

* escaping, or being diverted, from problems
* relaxing
* getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
* filling time
* emotional release
* sexual arousal

Blumler & Katz (1974) argued that audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other (often unintended) consequences. This does assume an active audience making motivated choices. However, McQuail suggests that the dominant stance of recent researchers in this tradition is now that:

Personal social circumstances and psychological dispositions together influence both... general habits of media use and also... beliefs and expectations about the benefits offered by the media, which shape... specific acts of media choice and consumption, followed by.... assessments of the value of the experience (with consequences for further media use) and, possibly... applications of benefits acquired in other areas of experience and social activity. (ibid: 235).

James Lull (1990: 35-46) offers a typology of the social uses of television based on ethnographic research.

Social Uses of Television

Structural

* Environmental: background noise; companionship; entertainment
* Regulative: punctuation of time and activity; talk patterns

Relational

* Communication Facilitation: Experience illustration; common ground; conversational entrance; anxiety reduction; agenda for talk; value clarification
* Affiliation/Avoidance: Physical, verbal contact/neglect; family solidarity; family relaxant; conflict reduction; relationhip maintenance
* Social Learning: Decision-making; behaviour modelling; problem-solving; value transmission; legitimization; information dissemination; substitute schooling
* Competence/Dominance: Role enactment; role reinforcement; substitute role portrayal; intellectual validation; authority exercise; gatekeeping; argument facilitation

(Lull 1990: 36)


Watching TV Soap Operas

A major focus for research into why and how people watch TV has been the genre of soap opera. Adopting a U & G perspective, Richard Kilborn (1992: 75-84) offers the following common reasons for watching soaps:

* regular part of domestic routine and entertaining reward for work
* launchpad for social and personal interaction
* fulfilling individual needs: a way of choosing to be alone or of enduring enforced loneliness
* identification and involvement with characters (perhaps cathartic)
* escapist fantasy (American supersoaps more fantastical)
* focus of debate on topical issues
* a kind of critical game involving knowledge of the rules and conventions of the genre


Watching TV Quiz Programmes

McQuail, Blumler and Brown (1972) offered the following summary of clusters of 'uses' that people made of TV quizzes:

Gratifications of TV Quiz Shows: Selected Responses

Self-Rating Appeal

* I can compare myself with the experts
* I like to imagine that I am on the programme and doing well
* I feel pleased that the side I favour has actually won
* I am reminded of when I was in school
* I laugh at the contestants’ mistakes

Basis for Social Interaction

* I look forward to talking about it with others
* I like competing with other people watching with me
* I like working together with the family on the answers
* The children get a lot out of it
* It brings the family together sharing the same interest
* It is a topic of conversation afterwards

Excitement Appeal

* I like the excitement of a close finish
* I like to forget my worries for a while
* I like trying to guess the winner
* Having got the answer right I feel really good
* I get involved in the competition

Educational Appeal

* I find I know more than I thought
* I find I have improved myself
* I feel respect for the people on the programme
* I think over some of the questions afterwards
* It’s educational

(McQuail, Blumler & Brown 1972)

Social class seemed to be related to gratifications here. McQuail et al. noted that most of those who watched quiz programmes for 'self-rating' gratifications lived in council houses and were working-class. 'Excitement' was most commonly reported as a gratification by working-class viewers who were not very sociable. And those who reported 'educational appeal' as the major gratification were those who had left school at the minimum age. John Fiske suggests that these could be seen as compensatory uses of the media 'to gratify needs that the rest of social life frustrates' (Fiske 1982: 136). In contrast, people who reported having many acquaintances in their neighbourhood tended to see the quizzes as a basis for social interaction.


Criticisms of ‘Uses and Gratifications’

The use of retrospective 'self-reports' has several limitations. Viewers may not know why they chose to watch what they did, or may not be able to explain fully. The reasons which can be articulated may be the least important. People may simply offers reasons which they have heard others mention. More promising might be the study of people's engagement with media as it happens.

Some degree of selectivity of media and content is clearly exercised by audiences (e.g. choice or avoidance of TV soap operas. However, instrumental (goal-directed) accounts assume a rational choice of appropriate media for predetermined purposes. Such accounts over-emphasize informational purposes and ignore a great deal in people's engagement with media: TV viewing can be an end in itself. There is evidence that media use is often habitual, ritualistic and unselective (Barwise & Ehrenberg 1988). But more positively, TV viewing can sometimes be seen as aesthetic experience in which intrinsic motivation is involved.

The U & G approach has been criticized as 'vulgar gratificationism'. It is individualistic and psychologistic, tending to ignore the socio-cultural context. As a theoretical stance it foregrounds individual psychological and personality factors and backgrounds sociological interpretations. For instance, David Morley (1992) acknowledges that individual differences in interpretation do exist, but he stresses the importance of subcultural socio-economic differences in shaping the ways in which people interpret their experiences with TV (via shared 'cultural codes'). U & G theorists tend to exaggerate active and conscious choice, whereas media can be forced on some people rather than freely chosen. The stance can also lead to the exaggeration of openness of interpretation, implying that audiences may obtain almost any kind of gratification regardless of content or of 'preferred readings'. Its functionalist emphasis is politically conservative: if we insist that people will always find some gratifications from any use of media, we may adopt a complacently uncritical stance towards what the mass media currently offer.

U & G research has been concerned with why people use media. Whilst this approach sprang from 'mainstream' research in social science, an interpretive tradition has arisen primarily from the more arts-oriented 'cultural (and 'critical') studies'. The approach sometimes referred to as reception theory (or reception analysis) focuses on what people see in the media, on the meanings which people produce when they interpret media 'texts' (e.g. Hobson 1982, Ang 1985, Seiter, Borchers, Kreutzner & Warth 1989). This perspective tends to be associated with the use of interviews rather than questionnaires. Such interviews are often with small groups (e.g. with friends who watch the same TV programmes). The emphasis is on specific content (e.g. a particular soap opera) and on specific social contexts (e.g. a particular group of working-class women viewers).

credit: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/usegrat.html

Hypodermic Needle Theory

Communication is an immeasurable concept which has been naturally coupled with human. In its plain definition, it means the process of transforming a message and information from the source to the receiver or its better to define it as “the process of creating shared meaning.” (J.Baran, Introduction to Mass Communication). With technological growth, many media inventions have been founded and as such have pushed media practitioners and researchers to find another term for this process which is “mass media”. Mass communication, thus, is the “process of transforming a message created by a person in a group to large audience or market through a transforming device which is the medium”. Mass media, as you would expect, has become an ingredient of human life and is sturdily affecting it. As a result, there are numerous theories and approaches done by researchers to understand and describe these effects. The Hypodermic Needle Theory of Media Influence is one of these theories. This theory suggests simple concepts about media and audiences and I will illustrate these suggestions and apply it on news.

In adding up, if we want to discuss a media theory, we at the outset have to begin with the core point of media studies tasks which is the audience/addresses. Audiences are “the receivers of the message and also they are responders of it”. It’s very imperative for media producers to comprehend the process of receiving the message by the audiences and how those audiences act in response to that message. Actually, they have to understand what is happening in the audience’s minds when they receive the message. Media producers should also be sentient of their audience’s ages, classes, sex and social location. Understanding these elements leads for improved responding and outcomes. Following the demographic method in studying audience, makes media producers able to outline their messages to appeal to their audiences. They will be able to know what kind of message will be more effective for those audiences. Through the time, media researchers have developed several effects models. They found explanations for media influence on people and how they respond to the messages. They analysed how these dissimilar messages effects the behavior of the audience. They came out with many theories about this field which are still ardently researched and debated.

The hypodermic needle theory is one of the most famed and well-known theories that analyses the correlation between an audience and the media. This theory was urbanized in the early 1920s with the commencement of mass media, radio and movies (movies). In its plain description, this theory suggests that mass media can easily persuade a large group of people without any resistance and challenge from those people. “It views audience as the passive receptors of virulent viruses produce by the media” (Starker, Evil Influences: Crusades against the Mass Media). In reality, it suggests that mass media instill messages and information unswervingly and unvaryingly into audiences’ minds who without delay will be influenced. This theory did not agree with those who are say “the audiences are using their experience, intelligence and opinion to analyze the message”. Therefore, media creators and producers can control the audience and inject the information and messages that they want. According to this theory, if one watches a violent movie, he\she will do violence. Although it doesn't take any account of people's individualism, it still is very accepted
The governments understood the clout of this theory. They used it to influence people and pass their decisions which their community might not be fond of and support. The magic is done by news. Media producers know that people spend most of their time using the media where they receive their information. By applying the hypodermic needle theory and controlling the content of the news, manipulating people will be simple. The most efficient, common and effective medium to deliver this kind of messages is TV, the main supply of news. As for the theory, whatever kind of news content is shown on TV, it will be injected on people’s minds and it will influence them. They will not face up to it because there is no other source. They will accept it and believe it specially if it came from famous media such as TV3, GTV, Metro TV and even the Daily Graphic. An excellent example of the power of news is the “War of the Worlds”. On the eve of Halloween (a festive October season in the States), there was breaking news on radio that Martians (people from Mars) had begun an invasion of Earth in a place called Grover's Mill, New Jersey. About one million out of 12 millions in the US who heard this news really believed it. “A wave of mass hysteria disrupted households, interrupted religious services, caused traffic jams and clogged communication systems.” This example is a good one about the power of news and it proved the theory.

All in all, the hypodermic needle theory is still fervently debated while many related theories keep showing up. All of these theories are focusing on the effects of mass media on the audiences.

Pure Nationalism or Selfish Opportunism?

The World Cup- arguably the greatest theatre of the game- has a colonnade of debates surrounding its neck like an albatross when its date draws close. The discussions and debates, which already are raging on with a few months to go, have players switching nationality as one of its loudest cries. The issue has hit elevated heights on the pages of newspapers, been on the mouthing radars of sports connoisseurs and to a larger picture caused a chit-chat on the literal liaison between the Ghana Football Association and FIFA. The question of chauvinism or opportunism, on a player’s intent to switch countries, has come under the limelight yet again this week for World Cup reasons.
Here, Africa Sports’ Isaac Koufie-Amartey looks at the infamous cases of Portsmouth’s Kevin-Boateng and Adam Kwarasey, the former Norwegian Under-21 goalie who, for want of switch of nationalities, have become talked-about items.
On the surface, only 32 nations would be represented at the FIFA World Cup mundial in South Africa, bringing with them their swarming fans, their raucous chants, their beautiful colours and their indigenous rhythms to liven up the streets of Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto and too many a city. But in a world where borders have less and a lesser amount of significance and people move around more without stinting than ever, this is by no means the whole story. A nippy scratch of the surface reveals a veritable mélange of nationalities and backgrounds at the finals. Ghana being one large inclusion!
Just another admirable addition to the Black Stars over-flowing abundance in midfield won’t hurt if that lad had shown promise and the muscles, vigor and affirmative ego to play at the top level. Even if it means backing on the heels of Sepp Blatter for months to sign the dotted lines of paperwork geared to see a certain Boateng pull on a Black Star shirt! Kevin-Prince Boateng has pulled up some stirring, heartening performances for a Portsmouth side that looks certain to have a bite of a Championship cherry next season. He’s proved his “ghetto” upbringing looks the exact opposite of his unsurpassed soccer skill and a passion and zeal to crack up standing ovation-like outings. Aside this show of promise and looking a fine count for team selection, his involvement in the national team set-up has taken a plunge. He would bend his knees, a lot would suggest, having his files signed, stamped and given clearance to feature for his new “countryside”. But that doesn’t sound cheap a talk! And that hasn’t left him of criticisms as well.
The playmaker almost certainly innate his talent: talk of a Ghanaian touch, his uncle was a Ghanaian international, and his grandfather is a cousin of legendary Germany star Helmut Rahn, scorer of the winning goal in the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final. Talk of talent, Boateng boasts exceptional ability, refined technique and a range of ball-juggling tricks. His skill and pace are complemented by advanced tactical awareness and a powerful physique. But all of these show of class doesn’t become a Ghanaian reality if a few situations stalls and stay the same.
Keeping clean sheets have somewhat looked the bane and blight of the Black Stars. A goalkeeper, to put a challenge on the justified first team place for Wigan’s Richard Kingston, would be welcomed in purely footballing terms. Starring for Stromgodset in the Norwegian top flight league, Adam Kwarasey, who’s played for the Under-21 side of his adopted country, has also seen stiff situations in his quest to play for Ghana. At 6ft 4in, Kwarasey is literally head and shoulders above Black Stars regulars Richard Kingston and Philemon McCarthy, who average 5ft 8in. He could well prove a proficient assistant for Kingston and just maybe pick up that solo slot to man the posts.
One issue that’s been stuck on the fronts of these two players is whether they coming with warm, earnest interests or with egotistic reasons. Kevin-Prince has been spat on with accusations that he is only an opportunist as he spurned the chance of playing for Ghana at the FIFA World Cup in Ghana waiting on a call-up by the German national team. Kwarasey also has had his share of the spoils by hands accusing him of not opening up to the Black Stars cause a long while ago and only doing so at this time for selfish reason.
Is their new theme-song to play for Ghana because of higher chances of playing at the championship in South Africa or a desire to share in the passion of a certain 23-million inhabitants? It’s an issue that never seems to be far away, and never fails to polarize public opinion. Your guess is worth an ear!

CAN 2010- What legacies left?

Angola’s hosting of the biennial tournament might not have been the most impressive showdown of preeminent soccer skills and African aptitude. Neither was it a match-up to the two previous editions of the African Cup of Nations in Egypt and Ghana nor was it as stirring an event for Africa’s display of growth in the popular sport. But a bet would be worthy of the case that it was an avenue to assess the five countries that had earned the bragging rights and tickets to the mundial to be hosted in our own, South Africa. Here, Isaac Koufie-Amartey looks at how the countries have fared thus far in their quest to hear the vuvuzela’s, fine-looking beaches and beautiful tourist sites.

GHANA

Ghanaian football is usually as thespian as it is unpredictable, and when it comes to the World Cup the picture is no different. The local folks would take not a single dose of convincing on why their noble country couldn’t earn the rights to be represented, a large lump of the masses would seek for some heads to roll with the top hierarchy of the football association almost succumbing to the strenuous pressure. Ghana had an almost impressive outing at the last World Cup in Germany after being placed in the same group with Italy, Czech Republic and U.S.A with the pundits touting the group ‘’Group of Death’’ . Yet, Ghana squeaked into the second round, but got a hiding from the Brazilians. Again it found itself stuck in another hellish group with West African neighbors Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo (pulled out after a shocking and tragic incident in Cabinda) when the 29th edition of the nations cup came calling. The connoisseurs, big talkers and the betting syndicates rubbished off any real impact by the Ghanaian team in the tournament with injuries to key and experienced players like John Mensah, Laryea Kingston and John Painstil and squad exclusions with respect to Sulley Muntari, Junior Agogo, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Derek Boateng. Fact then! But the a little-over 11,000 dollar’s-a-week earning Milovan Rajevac and his unproven chaps staked a claim in Ghana’s own right as one of Africa’s noble soccer power houses by winning the silver medal. A rather unconvincing display against the Didier-Drogba-lead Ivory Coast, northern neighbours Burkina Faso, host nation Angola and old nemesis Nigeria but one sure of a poignant standing ovation against Egypt but lost. Good soccer skills and beautiful soccer artistry they didn’t show a glimpse of until the grand finale but displayed tactical discipline, a knack for holding unto a solitary lead and proving the unconstructive critics wrong when the need arises. Angola 2010 sure was an avenue well taken and platform well grasped. Some critics have called for the Black Star coaches exit citing reasons that he plays an orthodox tactical game. But that has worked in the Serbian’s way thus far. Milovan Rajevac was a surprise appointment for a country that had been promised a world-class manager when the search team was sent on job, but he has made a very positive start to his first international coaching role. He has stuck against the odds, fought tooth-and-nil to instil discpline in his team, dismissed thoughts of him not being the man at the helm of affairs and put up a giant face against suggestions that he look a pale shadow of the man needed to work out the top influences. But Angola 2010 was an even more enlightening platform to duck the waters and proved has the balls to keep to a team he feels can do the job. He's insisted that he sure would bring back Sulley Muntari and the other excluded members of the team if only the showed enough passion and zeal to play out his tactics. But wouldnt that destroy the cohesion and the team ethics that was exhibited by the rather young team. Michael Essien, bring an extra bite, Sulley Muntari sets on the table a terrifying free-kick expertise, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie some exciting surging runs, Dereck Boateng, a grit in the middle of the park, John Painstil, a defense cover and John Mensah, a pillar at the back. But the question of the lips of all and sundry, is would Milo sacrifice this names and stick to his team? Supposing Kevin Boateng, get the nod of FIFA to switch nationality and Mario Barwuah Balotelli, decide to feature for his native country, would they walk straight into the team? South Africa looks a distinct chance of announcing their presence on the soccer globe as was in Germany. But only Serbia, Germany and Australia stands between a nation-wide jamboree and pure, unadulterated sorrow.



CAMEROON

Three days, 2000 guests and a reported 250,000 Euros of wining and dining to usher in a new coach looks rather stupid in certain terms. Three months on however, surprised would be the world if the most outraged Cameroon still harbours any grudges. A rather brilliant campaign, Guen has helped achieve. Cameroon’s ticket to South Africa though could in fine terms be said to have been presented on a silver platter following a 2-nil victory over Morocco in Fez. And the reason is simple. In any other World Cup year Gabon would apt have qualified ahead of Cameroon. Leading the Indomitable Lions by 5 points after two games, with a home game against the shambolic Lions threatening, the Gabonese lost their president Omar Bongo and asked FIFA for a postponement of the game. The world body obliged, and it was the Cameroonians that held the moment bringing in French coach Paul Le Guen who promptly restored the Lions' pride and led them to four straight wins, including two against the Gabonese, and earned them the group's ticket. Angola proved why the Indomitable Lions were only lucky to have had the world cup honour. A rather ruinous display of soccer against the same Gabonese squad where they lost by a goal to nil was only in truth that the now Samuel Eto’o-led Lions were past their noble glory and heights. They would re-group though to beat Zambia 3-2 before coming from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Tunisia to find their way into the quarter-finals from Group D. Losing out to Zambia on goal difference for top of the group, they were drawn against the Egyptians ultimately losing 3-1 after extra time. But as well as new questions emerge over their performances in Angola, new options have emerged as a cohort of youngsters scrap to break their way into the team. Georges Mandjeck, 21, who plies his trade in the German Bundesliga for Kaiserslautern has shown talent in an attacking midfield role, Alexander Song, who has cemented a starting role in Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, has proven to be the new nucleus of the Lions team and Landry N'Guemo, the Celtic ace midfielder, who has shown immense talent in the SPL. If there is a platform to prove they haven’t lost a jot of the quality, South Africa looks a finer option but a friendly against Italy in March looks a shining, stepping stone.



NIGERIA

There is just something unsung about Nigerian football at the moment that makes even triumph feel like chalk for lunch. Every time the Eagles play, most soccer pundits more likely come off hissing and swearing at the poor displays from a nation capable of producing so much more. In an age of globalization and branding, Nigeria's football circles have taken a huge beating. You only have to listen to, or read the views of fans and critics that are not blindly Nigerian, to know. After earning a ticket to represent Africa in South Africa in very strange circumstances, they again lived up to what most soccer followers have termed “semi-final specialists”. They lacked the cutting edge, the older generation of players laying out lackluster performances, a technical bench bereft of control over tactical discipline and players not showing enough passion and zeal to win the green and white colours. Peter Odemwingie has shown some brilliance yet hasn’t staged a strong case to pull the final strings. Nigeria cries for a playmaker, a strong, an intelligent center forward and a defensive pillar that can put the brakes on and foil the tactics of the opposing teams. Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi Martins and Yakubu Aiyegbeni have received flakes for their slack showings. The technical bench not been spared the incurring wrath. Just a few days after Shuaibu Amodu had led the Nigerians to a third place finish though, was he been given the boot. The former Orlando Pirates coach, was often was described in Nigerian circles as a "siddon-look coach" who, for most of the 90 minutes, stays glued to his chair, always looking morose when he is not dozing off. Winning or losing, his mood and countenance are always the same. The Nigeria Football Federation's short-list is topped by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal, Frenchman Bruno Metsu, former Ghana coach, Ratomir Djukovic and former England caretaker coach Peter Taylor. Hiddink is currently the coach of Russia, Metsu led Senegal to the 2002 World Cup and Djukovic guided Ghana to the 2006 World Cup. The choice looks to be falling down the shoes of former Chelsea care-taker coach Guus Hiddink. Albeit extremely reluctantly. He carries the positive ego to cart the team along in strange circumstances and has the extremely important tactical urge over the other short-listed coaches. Whether he can transform the falling eagles into the winsome side they were on the continent a couple of years ago, looks the multi-million question. The NFF though has the final shout on who gets the nod! South Africa, in its budding beauty, looks a stage to state a claim for 130 million Nigerians after being sloppy in Angola.



ALGERIA

Rarely has such rhetoric acts been more appropriate for a football match as Algeria earned an imperative ticket albeit a smouldering bitterness that still lingers today between them and Egypt. Because of past history, the game was a tinderbox waiting to go off with tickets selling like gold dusts but it was Algeria who had the last laugh and with a laugh that still lingers on after a great performance at the just-ended African Cup of Nations. Rabah Saadane has shown some guts to axe certain key players and blended his new team with the youth exuberance that the younger generation brings on board. Nadir Belhadj, who plies his trade in the Barclays Premier League with Portsmouth, tall, rugged Rangers center-half Madjid Bougherra and captain Yazid Mansouri who plays for Lorient have shown great skill at the top level with Blackpool’s Hameur Bouazza and Djamel Abdoun of Nantes in the French Ligue One playing with grits and pure passion. They might have lost their heads at certain stages in the competition like losing 3-0 against Malawi in Luanda but they have shown to be a team that can be counted on at the defining moments. Only England, Slovenia and the United States stand between them and glory. South Africa, again a breeding ground for convincing statements.



IVORY COAST

Talk of talent, and they share it across the team. Of character, and they have players who have graced pitches at the highest level. Cases of brilliance, and you wouldn’t be in a world of oblivion traits of the soccer skills. What a team on paper. Rather shambolic that they haven’t been the best on the pitch. Didier Drogba and his team of Elephants are the African team all and sundry is mouthing about, and no one wants to meet. And for good reasons too, with Drogba, the Toure brothers, Kalou, Zokora, Eboue, Kone, Gervinho all playing regularly in some of the world's biggest teams. Even Capello, the Three Lions coach thinks they are a startling prospect. After a clinical dispatch of their opponents in the qualifiers, the Ivorians look in great shape to put Africa's stamp of drama on the tournament in 2010.With a Kaka-led Brazilian army, a Portugal team looking to redeem some lost pride and led by the infamous now Empiro Armani-class act Cristiano Ronaldo and a surging Japanese team, Ivory Coast must go beyond a wit of their strength. Certain pundits have argued that Ivory Coast are not the best team from Africa that they’re merely the most fashionable with their constellation of stars with an almost strong case that their exit from the Cup of Nations was not astonishing and did not come out of the blue. Best looking team on paper? Yes. Great side on the pitch. A spotless no. Vahid Halilhodžić's side looks a poor shadow of a team who has almost all of the world touting them as a dark horse for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. They have a huge workload on their shoulders. Didier Drogba is hot, Yaya Toure very exciting, Salomon Kalou full of pace... but do they have the urge? Another looming stage? South Africa tells it all.



In all Africa, has never had it better. All five teams that graced Angola 2010 teams are latent second rounder’s, and feeding on each other with a vuvuzela-ed crowd deafening them on, Africa appears in an enormous position to go where it has never been. And if you think that the mass of expectations will get to them, be warned, African players shine best when the fuss is on them.

Milovan’s South African Nightmare -the Serbian’s head scratches over strikers!

The striker’s job in soccer is so inimitable an art because it's the only position in which players are encouraged to take risks, be greedy, and think attack almost always. It just might not be about the glory and goals but it entails long runs, moving the ball with grit, thinking swiftly and taking a bit of a battering from opposition defenders. There is a set of unique skills - intangibles - that a striker must possess in order to be the finest at his position. This is what suggests that Milovan Rajevac, come May when he assembles his cohorts, would have sleepless nights about his striking options.

Here, Isaac Koufie-Amartey looks at the chaps who must show untainted charm, awesome guts and pure charisma as the right strikers to be at the mundial.

Asamoah Gyan used to be the man with the attack scour through, but the 24-year old seemed to have finished his bullets in Ghana's impressive run to the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. His fertile scoring rate for the Black Stars coupled with his extraordinary strike rate at Rennes in the French Ligue One makes him a plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face choice on Milo’s pages but that hasn’t left him without criticisms. He’s come under the lenses of critics who augur that “he is not a consistent striker and tends to spurn beseeching chances”. His partner Matthew Amoah's patchy fire for NAC Breda in the Eredivisie has all, but ceased, after just one strike post-Angola. He has history and experience behind him even though he has lost touch with the local fan base.

Another striker of worth, Prince Tagoe is back for Hoffenheim, after his harms with the German club. He is looking distinctly sharp, but is still not a serial scorer in the pattern of a World Cup dangerman yet. He has coughed up goals, proved some critics who doubted his soccer artistry at certain crucial moments wrong and shown he hasn’t lost a jot of his goal poaching abilities but it’s how well he manages a 90-minute performance in the Bundesliga that would be the core factor. A strong case he makes for South Africa! Quincy Owusu-Abeyie has shown glimpses of brilliance that once made him a fan’s favourite during his stint with North London-side Arsenal. He has brought some living in a Portsmouth side that looked a pale shadow of the team that won the FA Cup in 2008. Another admirable addition you might say!

The new-fangled striker’s brigade led by Dominic Adiyiah and Ransford Osei are still in the trenches, with little expected from them for a while to come, it seems. The former only recently emerged the world’s most valuable performer and goal king in the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt and the latter winning both accolades at the Under-20 African Cup in Rwanda. They’ve both shown bottle, brilliance and a world-class partnership that’s now the covet of many soccer fans.

Petrojet’s Eric Bekoe has seen some ill luck with Rajevac’s selection mill. Often maligned, he is a chap who counts being top scorer in the CAF Confederations Cup as one of his personal achievements and glory, is technically sound, has good pace, dribbling skills and strength and more importantly, has been a sharp shooter all season in the Egyptian League. It’s left to see if he makes it into the squad in May. A one-time fan’s favourite, Junior Agogo now does not even get a look-in for a 23 man squad with others quick to say “for one wrong move to Zamalek”. Keeping up good performances for Appollon Limassol in the Cyprus Super League could well see a return for the former Nottingham Forest man.

Who earns Milo’s calling rights? Your guess for the goose is as good as mine for the gander.

Role of The Media

The media has an enormous influence in the lives of many and functions as a means for establishing and maintaining established mindsets of the society. The media is a tool for communication and the ones in charge of the media has control of what they want the audience to believe. Television, radio, magazines, advertisements, etc all persuade us to consider their account of truth, their description of reality. In spite of these, the media plays certain key roles in our societal setting. The level, volume and rate of information communication in modern society are all of an unparalleled level. As a key carrier of information, the media is claiming a more imperative role in addition to its central function of information transmission. Some political, economic and social functions of the media will be discussed in this essay.

To begin with, the political function. Along with the brisk development of information communication technologies, the progress of people’s cultural alertness and the hastening of democratization, the media have been involved on different levels of politics and have brought about insightful influences on varied political aspects. The media, most significantly through its news, coverage, scrutiny and analysis, affects what and how we learn about politics and our own political view. The media is at the core of evenhanded growth in a large sense. The media can expose corruption, bribery and sleaze. They can keep a check on public policy by throwing a fuss on government action. They also let people voice various, sometimes varied opinions on governance and reform, and help build public consensus to bring about change.

Secondly, the economic functions of the media. The media help markets work healthier even in difficult economic crisis like the credit crunch fuss that enveloped the world in 2008. They smooth the progress of trade, transmitting ideas and modernization of business transactions across borders. A person’s insight and sensitivity of matters as the mining sector, transport, immigration and health related issues like the National Health Insurance Scheme which form imperative parts on an economy are affected by the manner, scope and degree of media coverage. The media also serves as an avenue for work for the unwaged.

To end with, we would take a look at the social functions of the media. The media is important for human development, bringing health and education information to remote villages and sensitizing the local folks on important issues of the society. It is also a mouthpiece of the people, that is, it’s through the media that the people get to put across their views on national issues.

Effects Of The Media On The Individual

Media effects, as defined by CommGAP, refers to “the many ways individuals and society may be influenced by both news and entertainment mass media, including film, television, radio, newspapers, books, magazines, websites, video games, and music.” The media in modern times have a major influence on the lives of individuals. This researcher wanting to know how factual the statement above is talked the effects of the media with a study group who were present at the Tema Community Library.


Nearly every teenager growing up in the Ghana is subjected to copious encounters with the media on daily basis. And this study group, being mainly teens, gave out these thoughts about the effects of the media.


The media may not affect what people think, but may affect what they think about, through the choice of which topics to cover and what to give emphasis to. Avid television viewers may drop the attitudes, beliefs or customs of their traditional heritage and cultures in favor of those they see frequently on television and hear on radio. The researcher who spoke to Desmond, leader of the study group from Creator International School, said he had unwittingly uttered his sense of dressing because he become such a big fan of the western style of dressing as he saw in the music videos were on TV and on the internet. He added that, he would spend hours reading about new clothing lines of music artist instead of normally doing his assignments.


Media consumers may become so snowed under by negative portrayals of hostility and crime that they may begin—either cynically or sadly—to believe the real world is a mean and unkind place. Jessica, probably the youngest member of the 8-member study group, gave thumbs true to this assertion. Having spent her early years in the United Kingdom, she always had a bizarre image of Africa as her eyes always met horrific and ruthless scenes of Africa on BBC, CNN and ITV2.


Media messages sometimes arouse recall of stored ideas, data, opinions, or experience associated in some way with the message content. For example, news stories about the Ghana presidential election triggered views and thoughts about the Ghanaian economy, health sector and mining industry. Nathaniel was quick to jump on this assertion when mention was made of it. He had little idea about the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) until when debates were held by the Institute of Economic Studies during the general elections in Ghana. Jessica, in an almost cheerful manner also said same.

Functions Of The Media

The media has an enormous influence in the lives of many and functions as a means for establishing and maintaining established mindsets of the society. The media is a tool for communication and the ones in charge of the media has control of what they want the audience to believe. Television, radio, magazines, advertisements, etc all persuade us to consider their account of truth, their description of reality. In spite of these, the media plays certain key roles in our societal setting. The level, volume and rate of information communication in modern society are all of an unparalleled level. As a key carrier of information, the media is claiming a more imperative role in addition to its central function of information transmission. Some political, economic and social functions of the media will be discussed in this essay.

To begin with, the political function. Along with the brisk development of information communication technologies, the progress of people’s cultural alertness and the hastening of democratization, the media have been involved on different levels of politics and have brought about insightful influences on varied political aspects. The media, most significantly through its news, coverage, scrutiny and analysis, affects what and how we learn about politics and our own political view. The media is at the core of evenhanded growth in a large sense. The media can expose corruption, bribery and sleaze. They can keep a check on public policy by throwing a fuss on government action. They also let people voice various, sometimes varied opinions on governance and reform, and help build public consensus to bring about change.

Secondly, the economic functions of the media. The media help markets work healthier even in difficult economic crisis like the credit crunch fuss that enveloped the world in 2008. They smooth the progress of trade, transmitting ideas and modernization of business transactions across borders. A person’s insight and sensitivity of matters as the mining sector, transport, immigration and health related issues like the National Health Insurance Scheme which form imperative parts on an economy are affected by the manner, scope and degree of media coverage. The media also serves as an avenue for work for the unwaged.

To end with, we would take a look at the social functions of the media. The media is important for human development, bringing health and education information to remote villages and sensitizing the local folks on important issues of the society. It is also a mouthpiece of the people, that is, it’s through the media that the people get to put across their views on national issues.