Week 10: "Where's the Media Outrage?"

So I stumbled across this on Facebook yesterday...

I was intrigued, so I did some googling and found that the January 2007 case mentioned here is that of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome in Knoxville, TN. Basically, the young twenties white couple (both enrolled in college) planned to go to a friend's birthday party on a Saturday night, instead they decided to go to Channon's friend's apartment to watch a movie. Channon called her parents at 12:30 a.m., to let them know she would not be staying at her friend's as planned, and instead would be coming home. She never showed up. Two days later, Christopher's body was found by the railroad tracks badly burned. The two had been carjacked and kidnapped in the apartment complex. They were then taken to a house where they were both brutally raped and beaten. The details of this act are far worse than I want to recount, but it was horrific. Chris was then drug to the railroad tracks, shot twice in the back, and once in the head execution style before his body was set on fire. Channon was then kept alive for several more hours enduring further rape and torture, after which a chemical substance was poured down her throat and open wounds in an attempt to cover up DNA evidence. Still alive, she was put into several trash bags, and inside a trashcan, where she suffocated to death. She was found with her eyes still open.

There was media coverage of this event, local TN stations kept up with the case, and CNN and FoxNews ran a story about this. However, it seems many feel there was not enough media coverage of this story, and blame the black on white issue. As the victims were white and the five attackers black. Some argue this case was not publicized enough on the national level for fear that it will encourage the issue of racism. However, these type of attacks happen all over the country, with victims of all races. Consider the Natalie Holloway case, how long had she been missing before the nation was aware of it? I can't imagine very long. In this case, the victims could not have been missing for longer than 48 hours. Their attackers did not make it had to find them. Her car was found 2 blocks from the house where they took them, they left their finger prints inside the car, and they took them to a house that one of the attackers was renting, where they left her body and evidence of the attack. Had they been missing longer, would there have been national media coverage?

Is national media coverage really necessary to help the family grieve and move on? From an ethical standpoint, I wonder if it would be in the family's best interest to have excessive national media coverage. They would be main shareholders. Once their children's bodies were found, what is the point of seeing it over and over again and having reporters consistently reminding them of the tragedy they just endured. Granted, I cant imagine they need any reminding. But from another point of view, people may need to be aware that these types of attackers are out there. However, I do not think this recent question of media coverage (ie: the FB photo above) is anything but race related. The photo shows the victims: white, preppy, smiling, college student, wearing a North Face (associated with a fraternity)... Basically All-American kids. Then the attackers: black, mug shots, glaring, scary. The intention of this attempt is to make this tragedy an act of racism.

In the following 16 minute documentary by Knoxville's KnoxNews, the case is discussed in detail, but I think the most important thing I took from it was the point that these attackers were known by people of their community as "they've always had a life of crime, they were always unstable, and they were always into something."

Week 9: #StopKony

Last week the not for profit organization, Invisible Children launched a social media campaign urging the US to "Stop Kony in 2012," with this 30 min video:

This campaign gained a large amount of publicity and awareness by reaching 21 million YouTube viewers in less than a week by utilizing various social media outlets. This blog is not about Invisible Children’s intended message, gaining awareness about the issue of Joseph Kony’s actions. However, I wish to examine the ethical issue concerning the organization’s questionable actions, which have raised much controversy among bloggers and news media.  

Basically the tactics of this video, and information divulged as well as the organization's funding allocations have been questioned. If you are an organization like this, is it okay ethically to exaggerate facts as a means to a greater end? Their biggest objective was to create awareness by making Kony famous and to make his name associated with the child abuse in Africa. I think they clearly did, and in remarkably fast time. In fact this case is a great testament of the power of social media. After seeing the mass Kony postings on my FB news feed from friends who have never taken an interest in any cause before, I began to question the authenticity.  When I posted on my wall the counter-action blog urging people to do more research on the organization, the cause, and what happens to the funds.... I was met with outrage. People saying I needed to be proud of country for making a change by joining together, proving that you dont have to be rich or famous to make a difference. I just think its sad how people follow along sheepishly without making any decisions or questions themselves. 

Anyways this blog helps discuss some of the things I had issues with, as well as answers from IC. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-what-s-the-story?fb=native 

Week 8: Victoria's Secret on Blast

After considering the undeniable disregard VS has for our environment due to their inexcusable mass catalog mailings... I thought about what sort of ethics and principles this company has.

VS is one of 6 brands under the umbrella Limited Brand. On their website, they have a subheading for responsibility... That is broken into community, products, environment, labor and inclusion. When you dive further into the products, the main overview is as follows:

"Limited Brands is a values-based company. Our mission is to make our customers feel sexy, sophisticated and forever young. We acknowledge our responsibility to deliver on this promise by providing high-quality, safe and effective products in all of our brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, PINK, Henri Bendel, White Barn Candle Company and La Senza.
While Limited Brands offers a broad array of products ranging from top-selling perfumes (Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret) to fun collegiate dorm wear (Victoria’s Secret PINK), we apply the same, disciplined approach to all of our products when it comes to quality and protecting our customers."
http://www.limitedbrands.com/responsibility/product_info/product_overview.aspx
 

As a company that plays largely into women's misconceptions of what "sexy" is. I was disturbed to find that VS does not have an individual mission statement garnered specifically for that brand. I find it hard to believe that the same ethics, morals, and principles should be applied to a lingerie company and a candle company. I did not find any acknowledgement of the companies attempt to help women have a healthy body image. In fact, the days of Tyra Banks (a full figured super model) who preached about her love of her curves are almost non existent. The VS Fashion Show is and has always been an exciting TV event that I love. I used to dream about how amazing it would be to work for them, designing and putting together such a magical event. But the 2012 VSFS left me speechless. The models were thinner than ever. I felt like we were back in the early 90's. The next day on campus, the girls in my classes were discussing how sick these "models," were. More so than the show.

So from this semester's discussion of companies mission statements, values, ethics, and principles, I just find it so outdated to see that VS has made no efforts to recognize the influence their brand has on women's perception of body image, and the powerful messages their brand sends. By incorporating a campaign similar to that of the "Dove Real Woman" campaign, it seems they could improve their image. Their main stakeholders, women, would benefit by VS becoming more ethical and moral, than just by helping woman feel "sexy" in $150 underwear.

Week 7: Mass Direct Mailings ... Seriously. Still?

Several years ago, in my effort to become a responsible and sustainable patron of mother earth, I made the decision to unsubscribe to the MANY direct mailing/catalogs I was receiving. It was just too much of a waste... And a temptation to spend. I also choose to do my billing electronically, in my continued effort to save the planet and eliminate excessive waste. However, the previous tenant in my apartment not only never paid her bills or speeding tickets, but clearly had a massive shopping addiction. It's amazing how you can get an idea of the type of person someone is just by looking at their mail... Anywho, the point is, I get a TON of catalogs flooding my mailbox on a daily basis. I've also made numerous attempts to return to sender as well as inform my postman that Tina Gr***om does not live here any longer and she probably should know she has several outstanding speeding tickets... I can only assume as I know better than to open other's mail! :)

I digress... So when discussing media from an ethical point of view, I want to consider the ethical responsibility companies have to our environment. The "Green Movement," is here to stay. I don't see it as just a popular trend. Society is concerned. Many companies have caught on to this and are figuring out ways to capitalize on the popularity of being a green patron of society. I think that is brilliant. Make money and do good. I'm all for it. What I don't understand is how companies can ethically continue to send out catalogs in the mass quantities that they do when the Internet makes shopping much simpler and greener.

 The biggest violator of mass mailing? Victoria's Secret. They take it to the extreme. Not quarterly, or seasonal, but BI-MONTHLY catalogs... If not more. Sometimes weekly. The frustration comes when I recognize that they are basically the same catalogs with different covers. I didn't want to buy that $85 bra last week, and I still don't this week. Catalogs advertising end of season sales, then clearance, then Christmas, and Spring, and Swim, and Swim Brazil. It's just plain crazy. I don't even have the chance to look at one before another 2 show up in my mailbox. If that is not enough to keep their brand in my mind, then they send me quite obviously expensive mailings with $10 off coupons every month. Its overkill, and frankly has ruined my appreciation for the brand.

According to a 2009 post on greenamerica.org, VS was sending 400 million catalogs a year... That's more than 1 million a day. http://www.greenamerica.org

There I found another site called victoriasdirtysecret.net which was actively aiming to get VS to change their mailing policy. Where a popup explained that VS had "cleaned up their act."
Uhh... According to who?

Now, if you go to their website, they have an online catalog. The exact same thing. Seriously. Exactly it. Where you can flip through it just as if you were holding it in your hand.

The screenshot below shows the option to choose a current catalog:

Then choose which pages you want to scroll to, or you can just browse normally:

So they have already made an adaption to become "green," yet I feel like the number of mailings have grown. Why has no one targeted this and made it an issue? I get that women like to see it in their mailbox, go inside, flip through, and circle/ear-mark items they are interested in, but seriously... Cut back on the amount. Once a month even. Promote your online catalog availability. Trust me. Women (and men) will still shop there. Check yourself Vicky.

VS is one of 6 companies under the Limited Brand, who's mission statement regarding the environment is as follows:
"Sustainable Success:  Our Environmental Responsibility
 We believe in doing what is right in our industry, our community and our world. This includes conducting our business in an environmentally responsible way. To this end, we are always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. We are working to shrink our footprint through better natural resource management. We’re helping to reduce the demands on our forests by promoting sustainable materials in our catalogues. And we’re introducing programs to reduce our energy consumption and reduce or reuse materials whenever we can. Together with our manufacturers, suppliers, partners and customers, we’re helping to support a healthier planet."
 Limited Brands

Bottom line... Not good enough.

If you are have the same problem as me go to http://donotmail.org to request that you no longer receive junk mail and unwanted catalogs.