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Alexander Koo

Mr. Kim

English 3AP-113 November 2012

Headlines

1. CIA Chief Petraeus Resigns over Affairhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/politics/petraeus-cia-resignation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3David Petraeus stepped down as director of the CIA on November 9

th, 2012, which

shocked the intelligence community; Petraeus announced that After being married for over 37

years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior isunacceptable, both as a husband as the leader of an organization such as ours, in his letter to

colleagues. Many praised the man for stepping down for admitting to extramarital affair.

Petraeus had an outstanding 37-year career in the military before joining the CIA (he was

considered the nations most well-known and popular military leader since Colin Powell), aidingin battling rebels while commanding forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Petraeus assumed command

of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan in July 2010,

after serving more than 20 months as commander of United States Central Command;furthermore, the general wrote a book on counterinsurgency techniques by overseeing

development of the Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Manual. Earning praise from both

political parties, the retired four-star general was promoted to the director of CIA in September

2011.What moral responsibilities do leaders have? Furthermore, what are the implications of

having compromising a public image? Is resigning really the only choice? David Petraues was an

amazing leader, both as a military director and the head of the CIA; his affair, while a seriousmoral compromise, seems not enough for him to resign. A man who had accomplished so much

in this country is resigning because of his bad public image. As a leader, he values this, but

perhaps too much; how much bad publicity can an individual have, and what does it compare to

his or her achievements as a leader? However, as a leader of the Central Intelligence Agency, anaffair can lead not only to a compromise in his own personal security, but also a leakage of

confidential information that might endanger others. It was irresponsible and immoral for him to

have an extramarital affair, but at the same time he had achieved so much and has been sopopular that it is hard to imagine him stepping down from his position. The clash between

responsibility and publicity, morality and leadership is shown through this article.

2. Media Circus: Fox Struggles with Obamas Win

http://www.npr.org/2012/11/07/164576251/media-circus-fox-struggles-with-obamas-win

Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy argued that President Obama was a guy who

promised hope and changea lot of stuffand he didnt deliver. After the election DavidGregory, host of NBCsMeet The Press, said This is not as great a night. This is not hope and

change. Fox Newsits journalists and commentatorsnever appeared to grasp the idea that

Obama may have won voters trust on a personal level, or identified policies that voters found

appealing, or even achieved any significant accomplishments; even its Democratic (liberal)analysts merely discussed electoral tactics and the unresolved gridlock confronting Obama in a

second term, both valid topics but not the entire story on a night Obama achieved Electoral

College victory.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/politics/petraeus-cia-resignation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/politics/petraeus-cia-resignation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3http://www.npr.org/2012/11/07/164576251/media-circus-fox-struggles-with-obamas-winhttp://www.npr.org/2012/11/07/164576251/media-circus-fox-struggles-with-obamas-winhttp://www.npr.org/2012/11/07/164576251/media-circus-fox-struggles-with-obamas-winhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/politics/petraeus-cia-resignation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3

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There is much bias in the news media, but should media have such a bias? Would people

know that there is any when viewing programs? Why should they know? Whoor whatis

responsible for educating the public that there is any bias, responsible for teaching them to thinkcritically? Do opinions expressed in the media (such as Fox News, NPR, and CNN) matter at all,

or are they merely just opinions? News programs should have a certain level of objectivity to

ensure credibility; they serve to inform the public about recent events and happenings around theworld, and when they serve it with a bias, an uneducated individual will undoubtedly be affectedwith that bias. If an individual was solely exposed to extremist-right conservative news sources,

then that individual will most likely become conservative. On the other hand, by presenting

viewers with different approaches to the same topic, news sources contribute to public discussion.There is no good orbad news source, and exposure to diverse perspectives will broaden the

viewers view of the world. However, this is assuming that viewers have the faculty to think

critically (for themselves).

3. BBC Boss Entwistle Resigns over Broadcast of False Sex Abuse Claims

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/10/world/europe/uk-bbc-abuse-claims/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

George Entwistle, director general of the British Broadcasting Corporation, stepped downon November 10, 2012, for a report that aired false claims by a sex abuse victim accusing a

political figure of the 1980s. Entwistle had just two months on the job, and Tim Davie, director

of BBC Audio & Music will serve as acting director general while a permanent replacement is

sought. BBC issued a formal apology for broadcasting false claims by a sex abuse victim, whichis just another mistake in the recent series of critical missteps by the UK public broadcaster. The

allegation stirred much heat and controversy in the Internet, with individuals. Secretary of State

for Culture, Media, and Sport Maria Miller responded that while it was a regrettable situation,it was the right decision; she stated that it is vital that credibility and public trust in this

important national institution is restored. It is now crucial that the BBC puts the systems in place

to ensure it can make the first class news and current affairs programs.

In the case of the BBC, objectivity was upheld stringently, but it is also important to notethat in the UK freedom of speech is severely restricted. Objectivity in the news is important to

maintain credibility to the public; the news itself will be presented with no bias, just straight-

forward information, and the information itself will be up to the individuals, the citizens tointerpret for themselves. Some argue that all news sources cannot be completely objective

because even the diction and tone of an article can be a giveaway to favoritism for a particular

political party, but it is still important to note how credible the BBC is not only on a nationalscale (within the UK), but also on a global one. This credibility has been established through

presenting impartial news, but at the cost of freedom of speech. Furthermore, is such a harsh

punishment justifiable? How important is freedom of speech when an individual cannot even

think critically? The value of discussion is established only when individuals are able to take parton certain issues and support their view with logical reasons; when uneducated individuals

attempt to do so, however, it only turns in to a brawling match. Another important thing to note

is that the director general was punished severely for such a reason; he had to step down for a

mere slip of the tongue. Perhaps it was a little too harsh, but considering that the BBC is aglobally-acclaimed news source renowned for its unbiased approach to events across the world,

it was not completely unwarranted.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/10/world/europe/uk-bbc-abuse-claims/index.html?hpt=hp_t3http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/10/world/europe/uk-bbc-abuse-claims/index.html?hpt=hp_t3http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/10/world/europe/uk-bbc-abuse-claims/index.html?hpt=hp_t3