Everything it seems can be blamed on 'the recession.' Most of us are sick of the mere mention of it, but it is difficult to ignore when television, newspapers, radio, internet and magazines keep fanning the flames of the 'R' word. The media reports on the recession, possibly causing people to worry and tighten their spending habits, therefore lowering the demand for products. This means less income for businesses, and some companies cannot afford staff so they cut their wages or enforce redundancy. People have difficulty finding more work, and in turn the media uses this and reports on it. Would the recession exist in a world without the media?
The media has the power to sway opinions or completely shape them based on what they present as fact. There is a very fine line between what is truth and what is opinion on any information about the recession. In our Land of the Long White Cloud, people may be tightening their spending habits because of an anxious ideology that they shouldn't be spending money in a recession. Could the media be influencing society to be minimalist consumers?
Imagine if there was a public relations meeting held and the government formulated a plan for the headline on the front page of tomorrows paper to read, 'The recession is over!' People could relax and start spending money again, and thereby 'fix' the economy. Preposterous? What would happen if we declared New Zealand 'recession free?' That's what the Cook Islands have done. They have declared their country recession free and are experiencing growth in the tourism sector. A media release on the 18th of May announced they had decided not to take part in the world wide recession, making it the first recession free oasis in the world.
The Cook Island Minister of Tourism Wilkie Rasmussen said everyone is tired of hearing about the global economic doom and gloom. "Travelers are now being given the opportunity to escape the recession by coming to a country where it doesn't exist."
Air New Zealand Deputy CEO Norm Thompson, said "we are seeing interest and growth in bookings for flights to the Cook Islands despite slow downs in other markets. It's currently Air New Zealand's number one Pacific Island destination."
Is the recession psychological? There's reality, and then there's perceived reality. Has the word Recession been slapped on willy-nilly? Comparing it to the Great Depression of the 1930s in which it is reported that 7 million people in the United States died, are we literally starving, or just forced to buy budget brand toilet paper?
The media has the power to sway opinions or completely shape them based on what they present as fact. There is a very fine line between what is truth and what is opinion on any information about the recession. In our Land of the Long White Cloud, people may be tightening their spending habits because of an anxious ideology that they shouldn't be spending money in a recession. Could the media be influencing society to be minimalist consumers?
Imagine if there was a public relations meeting held and the government formulated a plan for the headline on the front page of tomorrows paper to read, 'The recession is over!' People could relax and start spending money again, and thereby 'fix' the economy. Preposterous? What would happen if we declared New Zealand 'recession free?' That's what the Cook Islands have done. They have declared their country recession free and are experiencing growth in the tourism sector. A media release on the 18th of May announced they had decided not to take part in the world wide recession, making it the first recession free oasis in the world.
The Cook Island Minister of Tourism Wilkie Rasmussen said everyone is tired of hearing about the global economic doom and gloom. "Travelers are now being given the opportunity to escape the recession by coming to a country where it doesn't exist."
Air New Zealand Deputy CEO Norm Thompson, said "we are seeing interest and growth in bookings for flights to the Cook Islands despite slow downs in other markets. It's currently Air New Zealand's number one Pacific Island destination."
Is the recession psychological? There's reality, and then there's perceived reality. Has the word Recession been slapped on willy-nilly? Comparing it to the Great Depression of the 1930s in which it is reported that 7 million people in the United States died, are we literally starving, or just forced to buy budget brand toilet paper?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10573198
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