Florida is blocking medical examiners from reporting all COVID-19 deaths

On May 5, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn coronavirus, Ethical Issue(s), PoliticalLeave a comment

An article from the Tampa Bay Times discusses how medical examiners were told to stop releasing data surrounding the deaths and cases of COVID-19 in the state of Florida. This comes after the concern amongst the public grows that the state government is intentionally under-reporting the number of cases, and therefore underreporting on the severity of the virus and the situation/implications it has caused.

The inquiry into data numbers and statistics came after discrepancies were found between death numbers reported by individual counties and the Florida Department of Health. I wanted to write about this article because I find it interesting how many media outlets, national, local and online, are pointing their finger at, and blaming China for their underreporting of cases and deaths. I understand the supposed scale difference in the omission of data between China and Florida, but does that mean that it’s okay? We are so quick to put the blame elsewhere and criticize others, but shouldn’t we sometimes be critical of ourselves a little more? Each state and its governor needs to be held accountable.

Another topic that made me want to write this article was due to the recent protesting of the ‘lockdown’ across the United States. I want to emphasize how ridiculous it is that there are Trump supporters who are protesting social distancing measures and claiming that the government is over-reporting and exaggerating the data- it is clear that is not the case, but rather, Florida (who’s probably not alone in this endeavor) are systematically hiding cases and deaths.

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/04/30/report-florida-officials-asked-medical-examiners-to-withhold-information-on-coronavirus-related-death

~Club Zoom is in effect~

On April 30, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn Consumer behavior, coronavirus, Marketing, Media Covergence, Social Media, Streaming, Technology, ZoomLeave a comment

During the current era of social distancing, we have seen many artists, musicians, and DJ’s bring their performances to video conferencing platforms such as Zoom in order to give fans and supporters concerts, or content, or share tricks of how to create or be creative when it comes to music or art, or whatever the topic may be. With everyone streaming something from their home, we are seeing new ways of doing things that are currently just not possible, nor are they safe. For instance, at the moment you can’t really go grab a drink at your favorite bar, but people are coming up with alternatives.

We’ve heard of Zoom happy-hour with friends or family, but have you heard of a Zoom nightclub. Well, this article from Bloomberg Business says that they’re here, and no, they are not free. People are actually paying money to get into Virtual nightclubs on Saturday nights amidst the pandemic. The Zone, a 16 room virtual nightclub has been hosting people on the video conferencing app. A bouncer greets guests in the waiting room where they are inspected to make sure they have on the proper attire, as well as beverages in hand. The guests are then let into ‘dance rooms’, where there are different costume themes and a live-streamed DJ. Later, guests are invited to the ‘hot tub room’ where swimming attire is a requirement.

I wanted to write about this because I found it to be an interesting idea/concept. Personally, I think it’s a bit ridiculous that people are paying real money to get into these virtual nightclubs. I could maybe understand if it was set up by a particular nightclub and how friends or people who frequent it are simply trying to support a business they do not want to see go under. Not everything can be streamed and have a virtual session be the same as the interactions people had in person, and dancing in your living room is not the same as dancing at the Borgata. I respect the idea behind it and see how it fulfills a current need for the frequenters of clubs and those who need the gratification of being ‘exclusive’, but I am very interested to see if this type of nightclubbing will last.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-14/virtual-nightlife-grows-past-dj-livestreams-to-paid-zoom-clubs

Disney fortune heiress isn’t quite happy with the companies recent decisions

On April 30, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Abigail Disney is a social activist, philanthropist, and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, but she’s also the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, making her the heir to the Disney fortune. 60 years old, she still declines to say how much she has inherited, but she has donated over $70 million since she turned 21. The article I read from CNN Business is about Abigail’s reaction to Disney’s decision to furlough hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers while they pay their executives millions in the meantime- “What the actual f*ck?!”

Abigail stated that not only did the executives pay themselves big bonuses but they also issued dividends to shareholders after they decided to get rid of thousands of people’s jobs that “aren’t necessary at this time”. The employees Disney decided to furlough were from parks, resorts and entertainment productions divisions, who comprise more than 75% of the company’s employees with 223,000 people.

Last year, Bob Iger, the former CEO, now Disney’s chairman as of February, made over $47 million last year, which was 911 times the median worker’s salary. Abigail has criticized Disney in the past saying for executives “collecting egregious bonuses for years”, and now is all but shaming them for failing to take care of their employees in a just and ethical manner. Thankfully, this criticism from Abigail has led to current CEO Bob Chapek to take a 50% pay reduction during this time, while Bob Iger has agreed to cut his entire salary during the pandemic.

I wanted to write about this article because I find it encouraging that Abigail Disney feels the need to be, and always has felt, that being a critic of The Walt Disney Company is important because while she holds no official position there, she is the one who will inherit the Disney fortune and she wants to make sure that the legacy of her family’s company is one that is moral and ethical. I also find it to be an even more powerful example and that she is really heard, even when going on a twitter rant because while she’s an outside perspective, she is a direct beneficiary of Disney’s profits.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/business/abigail-disney-furloughs-bonus-pay-coronavirus-trnd/index.html

Shake Shack is the light at the end of the tunnel

On April 30, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn Brand, coronavirus, Corporate, Political, Regulation, Social Issue(s), UncategorizedLeave a comment

Following up my last blog post about public companies announcing they would not be returning funds meant for small businesses is an article from NPR which discusses how Shake Shack is returning a $10 million federal loan after the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that was meant to help small businesses ran out of money in less than two weeks of operation.

The company will “immediately return the entire $10 million PPP loan we received last week to the Small Business Association (SBA) so that those restaurants who need it most can get it now,” their CEO said. Shake Shack employs about 8,000 people at its restaurants across the United States, but only around 45 people in each location. While their revenue to date marks a decline from 2019, the company has $104 million in cash and assets, says it has secured other loans to cover the money that would have come from the SBA.

Shake Shack’s CEO criticized the PPP system for being confusing by limiting the funds and setting the program to run through June 30 – “it’s inexcusable to leave restaurants out because no one told them to get in line by the time the funding dried up”. 74% of the PPP were for less than $150,000, according to the SBA- but that represents only 17% of the total money disbursed through the program. Nearly 28% of the money was awarded to companies seeking loans of $2 million or more. 9% of all approved PPP funds were granted to the food service and accommodation industry, roughly $30.5 billion.

I wanted to write this article because Shake Shack clearly did the right thing by returning the funds, but the PPP system that has been set up is indeed confusing and something needs to be changed. Yes, I think Shake Shack made the right, and ethical choice, but I don’t commend them for it simply because it would have been the wrong thing to do had they kept the funds. As the article stated Shake Shack has $104 million in capital, and as their CEO essentially said, they can afford to pay for some things out of pocket rather than take $10 million away from the majority small businesses that really need them (the 74% that were granted for less than $150,000).

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/20/838439215/shake-shack-returns-10-million-loan-to-u-s-program-for-small-businesses

Corporate America Doesn’t Care About Anything But Profits

On April 30, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn coronavirus, Corporate, Political, Regulation, Social Issue(s), UncategorizedLeave a comment

An article from CNBC discusses several public companies that took small business rescue loans say they are not giving back the cash” discusses how not only did the Federal Government mistakenly give public companies and corporations the rescue funds that were specifically meant to go to small business owners, but many of these companies are now officially taking the stance that they will not give these funds back- all while the rescue fund for small businesses have been wiped out entirely and there is no more money to give at the time being.

CNBC reached out to the 41 biggest publicly traded companies that had received Paycheck Protection Program loans to see if they would be returning the funds. Six said they had no plans to return the funds, five said they will (or had) returned the money, while 30 either did not respond or said their decision was pending. One CEO keeping the cash said, “to return would be breaching fiduciary duty.” The government warned public companies on Thursday to return the relief loans in two weeks if they wanted to avoid scrutiny about whether it was necessary for them to take the capital.

I bring this instance up for a few reasons, first being why hasn’t Uncle Sam simply withdrawn those funds that were wrongfully given to public companies, and reallocate the funds to those small businesses that are still waiting and unable to receive any additional help? It seems that this mistake on behalf of our own government could easily be fixed, yet they are allowing the true mom-and-pop shops to suffer while corporate America continues to get more and more benefits (i.e. tax breaks, increasing salaries for executives, etc.). Simply warning companies that they will only ‘face scrutiny’ if they do not return the funds is a very weak threat. When congress wants something, they find a way to pay for it- don’t feed the public that there is no more available rescue funds for small businesses while the news is celebrating the frontline workers during the pandemic such as grocery stores, delivery/trucking, healthcare, many of whom work for small businesses and corporations alike- don’t make it a choice about who is in more need of help when the economy is halting.

https://delawarebusinessnow.com/2020/04/from-cnbc-several-public-companies-who-took-small-business-rescue-loans-say-they-are-not-giving-back-the-cash

Accessibility of Online Learning

On March 19, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn coronavirus, Distribution, Diversity, Education, Media Covergence, News Media, Political, Regulation, Social Issue(s)Leave a comment

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been major shutdowns across the country and around the world at large for many businesses, schools and universities. These shutdowns have let to demand and necessity for online learning resources. Many upper-level education institutes and organizations have made the decision to move to online learning indefinitely. As a student at Temple University, we moved to online learning for the rest of the semester in mid-March. My mother is a math teacher at a high school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and they have made the decision to move to online learning indefinitely.

This makes me begin to think about many things…

A decade ago, switching to online learning or mandating that students learn via online resources would not have been possible. Technological advancement and globalization have led to an increase in technological capabilities and increase in the number of people who have access to technology and the internet. That same globalization is what has enabled the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world.

The spread of this virus has therefore created a demand and necessity for online learning resources and accessibility. The media has portrayed the COVID-19 virus as extremely bad, yet last year the flu had 350 Million cases and over 20 thousand deaths in the United States alone. Has the over-scaring tactic of the media facilitated the demand for online learning? Obviously we need to be cautious, and I understand the idea of ‘flattening the curve’, but I can’t help but wonder who’s profiting most while many people suffer.

I wrote this article because I recently learned about Community Learning Center, an adult literacy nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that provides low-income adults with free education classes and services. While large institutions like Temple can provide the technology or resources for students to participate in online learning, smaller, nonprofit organizations like CLC don’t have the funding or resources to equip all of their students with the necessary technology to participate adequately in online learning, if at all. However, the potential of online learning capabilities being accessible to everyone poses benefits for many people across many levels of education.

What happens in the wake of sports death?

On March 19, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn ads, Commercials, Consumer behavior, coronavirus, coverage, SportsLeave a comment

An article from AdAge.com discusses how the NBA postponing their season and the NCAA canceling much of their season and tournaments, including all of March Madness, much of the network advertisements are seeing declines on sports channels that are now mainly showing re-runs or older sports highlights.

The ads seeing the highest impressions are from airs during cable dramas such as ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’ and ‘NCIS’ delivered over a billion ad impressions, across over 18 hours of advertising over the weekend. This is the first time that has happened in nearly two decades. Broadcast-network delivery of ad impressions went from 15 percent down to 11 percent. Big money still went to sports though, and while basketball reruns on sports networks didn’t draw the most eyeballs, they did still result in more estimated TV ad spend than anything else on TV over the weekend.

College basketball topped the list in terms of estimated spend at $26.1 million. Food shows such as “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” had over 300 minutes of ads and delivered almost 465 million TV ad impressions. Airlines and cruise lines pulled their ads off the air amidst travel bans, online booking sites continued to spend, and health insurance companies are switching to creative coronavirus-awareness campaigns. While the big networks are bringing in the higher ad spends, it’s the cable news and lifestyle networks, such as HGTV, and family-friendly networks, like Nickelodeon, that are delivering more reach for the dollar right now.

The disruption of live sports is having a huge impact on brands that depend on college sports programming for massive reach. These are the marketer categories and brands that heavily bankrolled NCAA broadcasts last year: Vehicles: Automakers (est. $155 million), Insurance: Auto & General (est. $99.1 million), Electronics & Communications: Wireless (est. $78.1 million), Restaurants: Quick Serve (est. $58.3 million), Electronics & Communications (est. $49.2 million), AT&T Wireless (est. $68 million), Buick (est. $42.5 million), Geico (est. $36.4 million), Capital One Credit Card (est. $31.6 million), Progressive (est. $27.9 million).

https://adage.com/article/media/what-does-tv-viewing-look-advertisers-weekend-march-no-live-sports/2245041

An entire community under one roof? Coronavirus?

On March 18, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn coronavirus, Distribution, Social Issue(s), TechnologyLeave a comment

An article from NPR brings up Whitter, Alaska, an extremely small town on the west side of the Prince William Sound. Positioned in an aesthetically pleasing location in the valley of two mountains. However, there are no tiny houses huddled together or lining the streets, but rather a 14-story tall building that looks like a mediocrely maintained hotel called Begich Towers.

The former army barracks are where the majority of the 200 Whitter residents call home.

Walking along the hallways of the entrance, the building gives a high-school-esque feeling with colorful bulletin boards on top of yellow-painted cinder blocks.

In a remote area of Alaska, Whitter sees some of the most brutal weather with winds that often top 60 mph. This is why the residents of Begich Towers have everything they need under one roof. There’s a laundromat, convenience store, health clinic, school, and even a church in the basement.

I found this article extremely interesting as Whitter is obviously an extremely small town with not much more than 200 residents, but also how people are comfortable living their entire lives essentially in one building.

I decided to write about this article now because, amidst the coronavirus pandemic that we’re now in, we have ways to socially distance ourselves. In the greater Philadelphia area, we have access to some of the best medical professionals on earth- but what would happen to the residents of Begich Towers if the COVID-19 reached their remote town? What about all the Americans- all the people in the world without access to the medicine we have, or even funds to be able to stock-up during potential quarantining. Let us use this article as a reminder to be thankful for what we have.

https://www.npr.org/2015/01/18/378162264/welcome-to-whittier-alaska-a-community-under-one-roof

The U.S. Wants the World to be Wary of Huawei

On February 8, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn Algorithms, Censorship, China, Data, Fake News, National coverage, TechnologyLeave a comment

The race to 5g is already being won by Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company. The capabilities of 5g range from instant downloads of movies, to automating surgery and highway transportation, but the risk is that with more devices using the internet, the more room there is for security breaches.

In 2019 the National Security Council discussed building the new internet/5g framework from scratch with cyber-security as a primary objective, but the Trump administration repealed those requirements for 5g.

The accusations of Huawei being a means through which the Chinese government can keep tabs on the world, and the efforts of the Trump admin to slow the implementation of Huawei’s tech have basically failed as countries in Europe and Asia are showing interest in Huawei’s 5g.

The article ends with a quote by former Senior Director of the N.S.C. Richard Spalding; “What is existential to democracy is allowing totalitarian regimes—or any government—full knowledge of everything you do at all times because the tendency is always going to be to want to regulate how you think, how you act, what you do. The problem is that most people don’t think very hard about what that world would look like.”

I found that quote very interesting because sometimes I think that’s how I think about media in the US. With the patriot act and our phones seemingly always listening and maybe even seeing what we’re doing, does the idea of 5g still scare people? Maybe the US in some sense regulates how we think/act and what we do- do people feel differently if it’s the Chinese gov’t controlling our media messages?

https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/the-terrifying-potential-of-the-5g-network

Current Issues In Media Management

Author: Aidan Plunkett

Florida is blocking medical examiners from reporting all COVID-19 deaths

Disney fortune heiress isn’t quite happy with the companies recent decisions

What happens in the wake of sports death?

The U.S. Wants the World to be Wary of Huawei