Topic 193

Retailing, advertising, media by Ken Moyer

Retailing is the sale of goods or merchandise, from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing can also include deliveries. Purchasing can be done by a business or an individual.

For example, businesses can by intermediate goods from other businesses so that they can create their products. Things like tools or natural resources can be a part of this. Individuals buying a personnel computer or a mini I-pod from a mall or a street store is also part of retailing. Shops may be on residential streets, or in shopping streets with few or no houses, or in a shopping center or mall. The difference in prices can be a social issue in this situation. In different stores, prices are different due to competition.

Although competition keeps the market at equilibrium by the individual hand in the market. But, if people have to go shopping for hours to get the best price possible, this wastes time and transportation fees. If people have to waste more time and money to shop, then there is more inefficiency in the market. But, if prices were all the same, then prices will generally be higher, and people will have less incentives to work harder since prices can not be altered to increase profit.

Advertising is paid communication through a non-personal medium in which the sponsor is identified and the message is controlled. Every major medium is used to deliver these messages: television, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers, the internet, and billboards. Advertisements can also be seen on the seats of grocery carts, on the walls of an airport walkway, and the sides of buses, or heard in telephone hold messages or in-store PA systems . Advertisements can be put almost anywhere.

Advertisments can be used in a bad way in society. Pornography or sex advertisements, drug advertisemnts, cigarette advertisements, or other advertisements can have bad impact on the society. Im sure these advertisements create more sexually transmitted diseases, drug addicts, cigarette smokers, young pregnancy, and other nasty things that will put society in a worse condition. Obviously, most advertisments that are seen are not bad. These advertisments share information about goods and services, which will help the economy increase their stand of living and production level. So overall, advertisements are good to the society but they can have some negative aspects.

Media is the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely. There are many different kinds of media. Print media is a process for production of texts and images, typically with ink on paper using a printing press to communicate or inform the society with information. Electronic media is media that utilizes electronics or electromechanical energy for the audience to access the content. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public are better known as video recordings, audio recordings, multimedia presentations, slide presentations, CD-rom and online content.

Media is a great way to inform the society with useful information but it can be used in a bad way to the society. A governemnt can definetely use the media in a negative way. For example, a government may have a secret which they cannot let their people know. But if there was some scandal about the secret or something, then the government needs a good explanation to protect the secret.

The media can be used to communicate false information the the people. So what you see in television or what you read in newspaper might be a complete lie made by the governement. But, maybe it is better for the governemtn to lie because people will be happier without knowing the truth and the society will be more stable. But it is sure not the best way to use the media, which is an excellent way of communication. It is also not such an ethical thing for a government of a country to do.