Media Monday - ESPN - Cowards

On Sunday ESPN released a statement related to an unfortunate headline used by a website contributor and a sportscaster related to New York Knicks' star Jeremy Lin's Chinese heritage.  In this statement, they put forward that they fired the writer and the sportscaster was suspended for 30 days.  In this, I think while heavy-handed, they choose to run their business as they wish.

What I felt was cowardly is that they usually allow public comments on their news stories.  On the exact same page the public can comment on: 1) Brian Cashman's personal issues; 2) a story on a boxer that was arrested for assault;  or even a report on how the former head of the Fiesta Bowl has settled with the State of Arizona for crimes related to a political donations scandal.   The public can comment on all of these issues but not about ESPN's mess-ups.    What a bunch of cowards.  Obviously in the world of ESPN, what is good for the goose, is not good for the gander.

What makes this even worse, is that ESPN's two main competitor's http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ and http://sports.yahoo.com/ reported on the story but also did not allow public comments when they normally allow public comments on the vast majority of their stories.

If you are going to allow the public to comment on controversial issues such as the Penn State scandal and the Duke lacrosse scandal (oops on that one right?) or about players divorce's or social lives, perhaps you should be prepared to take some of your own medicine when it comes time.

Hypocrisy thy name is media. 

Media Monday - Food Stamps

Last week a disturbing report was released stating that 45.8 million are now receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) benefits.  To receive assistance from the program a single American has to have a demonstrated income of $14,088 per year.  If they qualify, they receive benefits of up to $133 per month.  A family of four must have an income of less than $28,668 and may receive benefits of up to $290 per month.

In order to put the severity of the issue in context, if who received the benefit represented a country, it would be the 27th largest nation in the world.  There are 11 states in which one in five are receiving benefits (figure 1).  While some contend that number in increasing because of fraud, the Department of Agriculture based on a study of electronic purchase tracking stated that 96% of revenues have been spent as per program guidelines.

Figure 1 - Percentage of Americans on 'Food Stamps' By State

Perhaps the most telling argument was written by Bill Schiller in the Toronto Star.  In his article he notes the following,

In the first minutes of each month, food stamp purchases at 24-hour Wal-Marts across the country surge as Food Stamp Nation drives through the dark to purchase sorely needed food.

“Our sales for those first few hours on the first day of the month are substantially and significantly higher,” Wal-Mart CEO William S. Simon told a Goldman Sachs conference 18 months ago. “If you really think about it, the only reason somebody goes out in the middle of the night and buys baby formula is that they need it — and they’ve been waiting for it.”

No matter what your political affiliation, when a nation as wealthy as the USA  has 15% of its population is on a social assistance program due to poverty, perhaps there needs to be a reexamination of the system.

Media Monday - Syria

Normally, I do not like to get political on my blog but this weekend the UN Security Council's motion related to Syria was vetoed by Russia and China.  This motion was supported by most Western Nations along with the Arab League.

Many Syrian children are bring wounded in the struggle within that nation. Several human rights groups are maintaining that the Syrian forces are even torturing children as young as 13.  It is estimated that over 5000 Syrians have been killed so far during this conflict including up to 200 on Saturday in the worse case of one-day violence since the uprising began.

While I am usually not a supporter of outsides influencing the affairs of other nations and I agree with China that asking a sitting leader to step-down is unsettling however, this plan according to AlJazeera...


"does not explicitly call on Assad to step down or mention an arms embargo or sanctions, though it "fully supports" an Arab League plan to facilitate a democratic transition."

In this case, it is not only the Western Nations who are supporting the resolution but the Arab League itself.  The Arab League contends that the balance of power is so one-sided in this conflict that something must be done for the sake of the people.  If the Arab League is making these types of statements about one of its member nations, you know the situation on the ground is tragic.

I only hope officials from China and Russia are working hard behind the scenes with the Syrian government to create a peaceful resolution to the current conflict.

May we all know peace in our time.

Media Monday

I am really sick today...I didn't want to go without a post -so here I go.

January 2012, I brow my record for number of page views of this blog. While I mostly write the blog for personal reasons, I do like the fact that so many others take the time to read what I write, so for that I thank you. Here is hoping tomorrow is a better bloggy day.

Charlotte & Conferences...

I had a great time presenting at the annual Carolina ShowFest Conference this weekend.  The fun part of this conference is that it has a large industry presence.  It is actually mostly an industry trade show with some speakers (like yours truly) thrown in.  One of the best parts of this conference is that performers are present with hopes of being booked at various festivals and events.   My personal favorite of the performers was a band called Underhill Rose.  This is not my usual style of music however, they did a tremendous set...what voices!

Media Monday - Human Trafficking

Today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States.  One of his dreams was for all men and women to live in a equitable and free society not just in the  United States but around the world.  While his message has resonated and lead to change in many places, sadly there are locales and individuals who do not share his dreams.  One of the saddest stories is that of human trafficking in India (see videos below).

Very few people think about this topic.  I guess that is because it is so heinous most people do not believe one could have it in them-self to buy and sell another human being (let alone a child).  While no one knows the number of people who are bought and sold, it is substantial (then again, in my view, one person is too many).  It is one of the saddest realities around the globe.  In light of Dr. King's message, please remember those who have no one to fight for them.  May we one day live in a world where all of us knows peace.

Media Monday - Hotel Rates Are Up

A very interesting report in the Economist outlines how Hotel rates have been rose in the USA by 4.3% in 2011 (average daily rate = $107.56).  New building of hotel rooms however, only rose 0.6% indicating that the confidence in this growth is tenuous.

I believe this trend will continue.  America in terms if HTM is becoming a mature market with limited growth potential.  This is mainly due to the short-haul market maturing and the long-haul potential being potentially stunted by the recent developments in the airline industry (see this post as a prime example).  This means that if American hospitality companies are to continue to grow profits, they will have to either merge, expand beyond the USA borders and raise prices.  

Media Monday - Grading My 2011Predictions

Uh oh!  Judgement time. In italics were my predictions from last year (here is the link to confirm that I have not changed these).  I have then graded my performance in bold:

One of my favorite sports is making predictions (and seeing if I am right (though I hope I am wrong this year)).  Most of my predictions are from my research and work but some are indeed more akin to 'gut' feeling (though based on some evidence).  Let's go through some of my favorite predictions:

The USA economy continues to stagnate (and may even go into decline again).  The USA industrial sectors have not yet caught up to the realities of the new world economy.  Until further emphasis is placed on knowledge-based industries and away from traditional 'industrial' areas the economy will continue to flounder. 

Wayne Self Grade - A- 

Geo-political relations between EU nations and the Middle Eastern and African countries will become increasingly tense.  This has the potential for potential disaster.  

Wayne Self Grade - B (The French & English involving themselves in Egypt & Libya counts.  We also have not seen all of the fall out from this involvement)

The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue to break my heart (along with the Raptors and Blue Jays). 

Wayne Self Grade - A- (The Blue Jays were more improved than thought but still finished with a record under the previous year - the Raptors & Leafs were as predicted - terrible)

Tablet computers will become more prevalent.  Already tablet sales are showing a staggering rate of adoption.  This trend will continue while the traditional desktop computer continues to disappear. Also, do not sleep on 3D TV becoming a major force within the entertainment spectrum. 

Wayne Self Grade - C (Tablets are rising, 3D more in cinema than in home entertainment. Hummm...)

We are in for a heck of a year weather wise in North America.  This year will see drought conditions through most of the breadbasket this year followed by increased hurricane activity for those on the Atlantic and Gulf Of Mexico coasts. 

Wayne Self Grade - D  (Hurricane in USA were average (though we did have a couple of abnormal Atlantic hurricanes) and drought conditions were also so). 

P.S. I will not write the Farmers Almanac next year.

 China will have a very difficult year.  First, there are large tensions with its Asian neighbors over its growing power and influence.  Second, there are increasing tensions within the country.  The economy there is beginning to slow and the political structure is being to show fractures.  This is going to be a very challenging year for the country that is growing into being a superpower whether it wants to be or not. 

Wayne Self Grade - F  (This one was a swing and a miss - wrong part of the world, if I had said Middle East here I would have been a genius)

The NFL will not be locked out while the NBA will have a lengthy work stoppage.  

Wayne Self Grade - C+ - The NFL was locked out but didn't miss any games and the NBA missed the first two months of their season...so I was sort of correct.

The NHL will move back to being on ESPN.   

Wayne Self Grade - F  (They resigned with Versus - I didn't know about NBC launching NBC Sports Channel to compete with ESPN).

So there you go.  My seven predictions for this year.  I truly believe that unfortunately, this will be a year of great turmoil which I hope does not become catastrophic.

Overall Wayne Self Grade - C 

Tomorrow - tune in for this years predictions

Media Monday - Boxing Day Edition

Today is Boxing Day and no it doesn't have anything to do with this guy...

The tradition of boxing day goes back to when the master of the house would box up their used items the day after Christmas and give them either to their servants or to the poor.  This tradition was may or may not include the master and the servant switching places for the day (often in the military the officers and enlisted men would change places) or giving them the day off (i.e. Christmas for the serving class).

Today, boxing day is met with sales and a last desperate attempt to make profit.

I vote that we redefine boxing day.  Perhaps today is the day we go through all of our gently used items and donate them to charity.  We could even use today to box up as many food items as possible and donate them to food missions.  Perhaps we can turn today into an act of giving with the idea that would can smash poverty away.

Media Monday - An Elephant Sized Problem

Recently, in my hometown of Toronto, Ontario there has been a rather large controversy over the moving of three aging elephants from the Toronto Zoo to a sanctuary run by PAWS near Galt, California called ARK 2000.  This controversy began last year when Bob Barker (he of Price is Right fame) stated that,


"They don't belong in zoos…they don't belong in Canada. Canada is a wonderful place, but it's too cold for elephants."

Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20110414/barker-zoo-elephants-110414/#ixzz1gzv4KOhO

after four elephants in four years passed away at the zoo.

Toronto City Council along with Zoo officials have fought for months over what is the best course of action in caring for these creatures.  It has gotten so nasty that even the Zoo's accrediting body, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) are threatening to pull Toronto Zoo’s accreditation over the city's decision to transfer three of its elephants to a sanctuary in California.  



The PAWS facility is accredited with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and has 2,300 acres of varied terrain for the animals to roam with lakes to bathes in as well as heated elephant barns with therapeutic Jacuzzi's. According to PAWS the sanctuary is "...the largest captive wildlife sanctuary in the United States and is the only sanctuary able to house bull elephants."  Several zoos including the Alaska Zoo have already successfully moved their elephants to the sanctuary.

Today, Bob Barker offered to pay for the relocation of the elephants to the Sanctuary.  This will hopefully end the controversy and allow these elephants to do as many Canadians before them have done and pack their trunks in order to retire to warmer climates.

Media Monday - Lowe's Dropping Advertising

As reported on the BBC, Lowe's has decided to pull its advertising from a US reality show because a group in Florida argued that the show, "...hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values."

According to the Lowe's spokes people, the company is just trying not to alienating customers.  The problem is that they have been placed into a no-win situation.

The most interesting part of this story is that as the demography of the United States continues to change, this is an issue retailers and other political figures are going to face more often.  According to the US Census Bureau by 2050, more than 50% of the population of the United States will be non-Caucasian.  With this shift in demography, will come a redefining of 'traditional values.'  Perhaps groups in the majority today should consider how they will want to be treated when they become a minority.

Media Monday - What...Sports News?

I don't usually write about sports on here but it has been a fascinating time in that world lately.  What has been most interesting in the amount of controversy that has been involved.  Take these three instances:

1. The amount of time and energy to discuss the play of one Tim Tebow has been astounding.  I swear I know what time he had his bowel movement yesterday morning.  It is not that I go out of my way to find this information but it is hard to miss it.  The most interesting part of this story however, is not the amount of coverage, it is the visceral venom or abject love that the stories are receiving.   This story seems to parallel the political discourse in this country where both sides make valid points but neither side is willing to listen to the other - so it is akin to the current state of bickering that is achieving nothing.  
2. The BCS pronounced that the annual championship football game will LSU vs. Alabama.  Never-mind that the teams have already played (LSU won) and that Oklahoma State (the Big 12 Champion) played a tougher schedule with more wins against top 25 teams - apparently we need to see the rematch and like it.  Speaking of absolutely BCS travesties - not having any non-BCS teams playing in those high tier of bowls.  Seriously, they could not have found a slot for an 11-1 Boise, a 12-1 Houston or a TCU team that was 10 - 2?  This is a clear case of the ol' boys network doing its thing.  Perhaps this is another example of how America is operating at the moment.  The American dream used to achievable for all.  Now, it is available if you have the right connections.  sad.
3. Tiger Woods won this weekend.  Perhaps, this could be a redemption story...stay tuned.  We are not sure if it will be back or not or whether we should be positive about this or not?  I must say however, if I changed Tiger Woods and put the word economy in its place, would the feelings be that different??
4. The NBA is getting back after its lockout.  This was a story of rich vs. richer with the little people caught in the middle.  Now, the little people are expected to be just forget and come back like little lemmings.  

Now, I know why I don't write about sports very often.  While they are supposed to be a distraction from everyday existence in reality, they just mirror and present a microcosm example of the larger issues plaguing this great nation.  Eeeewwww!

Media Monday - Student Don't Study Enough

Last week the annual National Survey of Student Engagement  released its latest findings.  The primary finding was the the average senior only spending about 15 hours a week studying.

As a professor in a business school, I found it particularly interesting that business students only spent on average 14 hours a week studying while working on average 19 hours per week.  In the past few years, I have heard more students placing increasing emphasis on part-time work experiences over their education.  While the economy has something to do with this imbalance, I believe there is a greater player involved as well.

The economy has obviously been a factor in this finding.  States have cut funding to Universities.  For instance, the State of South Carolina now only provides my College with eight percent (8%) of its total operating budget. in turn, universities have had to raise tuition to keep up with costs.  Students now require classrooms to have the latest technology, buildings capable to house that technology with faculty and support staff with the ability to facilitate its use.  This was a cost not borne by schools in the same way prior to the turn of the millennium and has added large capital expenditures and operating costs to the universities which in turn has been passed on to the students.  This has created a need for students to have to work more hours in order to afford schooling and live the lifestyle they so desire. This has created a situation where the tail has started to wag the dog.

Due to technology, students feel that they can get any information they need as quickly as Google will let them.  This means that there is a feeling that I don't need to know this stuff because I can look it up when I need it.  The immediacy issue is what I call it.  This is why many students also work too much. I need that cell phone data plan, to have money to go out Friday night and/or to pay for rent next month.  They are only living in the present day.  They are only examining their present needs and wants (the heart of immediacy).

At present, they can get away at work with learning ideas and concepts last minute (or as they arise) because they are mostly in front line positions and most issues that they are relatively simple and have straightforward solutions. What happens however, when this group gets into management positions where the issues are nuanced and require delicate and deliberate strategies?  What the students do not realize their missing is the ability to manage information, judge its quality and use it to integrate it into a comprehensive strategy.   They use technology as a crutch to replace real thinking and that is dangerous in relation to their long term growth.

The biggest complaint from students I get today is how they hate to read long boring pieces of literature.  This is also due to the age of immediacy.  They are so used to getting information in quick, concise sound bites that to take the time to read and ponder is almost perceived as being painful.  They do not want to take the time to read and thus study time goes down.  They can gain the major points from a reading from a summary found online.

Now, this sounds like it is complaining about the students of today and perhaps some of it is.  The reality is that it is much harder to get the students to engage material today then it was even when I first started teaching seven years ago.  It is our jobs as educators to create opportunities for students to see the value in taking the time to 'learn how to learn.'  It is imperative that we demonstrate to them the importance of not just examining issues from a micro perspective but from a macro one as well.  This is going to take further innovation in our approach to teaching to get students to engage and develop the desire to spend the time in order to be truly successful in mastering concepts and ideas.

Media Monday - Understanding Scale - China vs. USA

On Halloween, I wrote in the blog about the seventh billion person being born.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population as of the United States as of July 2009 was just over 307 million.  China on the other hand had an 2010 estimated population of 1.34 billion (over 4 times larger than the USA).  It is no secret that China's economy is growing and that this is a nation that is going to be a dominant player in the world economy for the foreseeable future.

Just to give you an example of the growing buying power within China; The Next Web reported on the current sales figures of China Mobile.  China Mobile reported having 638.89 million customers (more than double the population of the USA).  In the last year, China Mobile more new customers (over 63 million) than three times the combined population of New York (8.2 million), L.A. (3.8 million), Chicago (2.7 million), Houston (2.1 million), Philadelphia (1.5 million), Phoenix (1.5 million), San Antonio (1.3 million) and San Diego (1.3 million).  As the by Jon Russel states, that is an average of adding two new customers every second!

For those still thinking China is a paper tiger, please think again or be prepared to be mauled.

More Media Monday - Midnight Classes?

What are fascinating story this is.  Would I turn into a pumpkin teaching a midnight class?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Media Monday - Netherlands Banning Tourist from 'Coffee-Shops'

My disclaimer: I do not condone the use of drugs for recreational purposes in any way.  

In a fascinating story, Maastrict, a city in the Netherlands has passed a law which requires the local 'coffee shops' which sell cannabis to become private clubs to which only Dutch citizens can be members.  Dutch authorities argue that they are doing this to combat 'Drug Tourism.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15134669

The Dutch government for years has been trying to maintain an image across the globe as a place of Vincent Van Gogh, windmills & tulips and not of drugs and prostitution (which curiously avoided this type of law so far).

This approach has lead to some very interesting questions.  If an activity is deemed inappropriate for tourists; why not ban it for citizens as well?   While countries have had this type of double-standards for years (see legal drinking ages), they are commonly brought forward because of health and safety concerns rather than those of image.  If this ban is being brought forward as a question of image rather than being implemented for health or moral reasons, does this not lead the nation down a potentially very slippery slope?  One rule for some and another for others.  An interesting case study indeed.

Media Monday - Reminder Again Appearances Can Be Deceiving

On October 25th several British news agencies reported that Ryanair was using duct tape to repair a cabin window. Please see the screen clipping from the Daily Mail below as an example.

It turns out, that this story was less than accurately reported.  In reality, according to the Economist who actually did some investigative reporting, the maintenance staff was actually using a $700.00 per roll Aluminum bonding tape to ensure that a potentially uncured sealant was kept in place. The tape was approved by the manufacturer, the FAA and the company's engineering department for temporary situations such as the one stated above.

The moral of the story, is that the media has to stop worrying about being the fastest but rather concentrate on the story right.  This story, which is now in folklore, could have potentially derailed a rather successful airline.  In an industry where few airlines are actually making money, Ryanair reported a second quarter pretax profit of 463m Euros.  This type of unsubstantiated reporting however, could have cost the airline several millions in revenue (and potentially hundreds of people their jobs as a result).  Then again, the caption under the picture from the Daily Mail Report did call it Duck Tape - so one should not be impressed by their editorial standards.

An Extension to Media Monday

On Monday, we talked about the 7th Billionth person being born.  This is probably the best explanation of reason for this growth, I have every seen.



Thanks to NPR for posting is brilliant video piece.

Media Monday - A Scary Number Seven (7) Billion

Last night, Baby Nargis was born in India.  According to Plan International she represents the seventh billion person on the planet.  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15517259

While nobody knows for sure that she was indeed that seventh million person... 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15494349#TWEET20041

Whether we have hit seven billion this weekend or not, one needs to still question, how much population can the planet sustain?  What happens if the BIC countries (Brazil, India & China) wants to live at a lifestyle close to what we have in the United States?  How are we going to manage world resources?  These are fundamental questions that keep getting put off for another day... The question is, how long can we put them off until we can not any longer because we are facing crisis?   

Scary thoughts on this All Hallows Eve.

Media Monday - Book Reviews

One of my favorite parts of being an academic is getting to read the work of other people within the field.  In the past year I have reviewed some 18 academic papers to date as well as getting to review books as well.  Yesterday, one of my favorite book reviews was published in Annals of Tourism Research.

The Origins of Hospitality and Tourism

Kevin D. O’Gorman. Goodfellow Publishers Limited <http://www.goodfellowpublishers.com/academic> 2010, xiii +223 pp (figures, pictures, index, and references) $46.00 Pbk. ISBN 978-1-906884-08-6

Wayne William Smith

College of Charleston, USA

Assigned 16 May 2011. Submitted 6 June 2011. Accepted 15 June 2011.. Available online 17 October 2011.

This text is an enjoyable read and should be required for any individual doing a PhD in the field. The Origins of Hospitality and Tourism takes the reader through the beginning of this humble sector so that the reader can understand why it is formed as it is today. The text is well written, beautifully researched, and makes a contribution as being the first book that examines the origins of hospitality and tourism. Beyond its academic contribution, this text presents a commentary that may have been unintended by the author but is important nonetheless. Lately, the hospitality industry has been centered on being just that, an industry. Those in the industry talk about customer or guest services and how to balance services with profitability. Industry managers are constantly looking for a competitive advantage by implementing new marketing messages, offering new packages and services at a value rate. This has turned the industry into one of the most complicated in terms of revenue and channel management. The sector has become so high tech that practitioners risk forgetting the fundamental core: to be a good host for out guests. The text serves as a reminder of what the core really is and, in that lesson, comes the collection’s real contribution.

The reminder of origins is first put into perspective when the author provides a beautiful summary of how the words “host” and “guest” have evolved to their contemporary meaning in English. This discussion of how the terms evolved highlights the importance of host-guest relations and of the duty people traditionally owe to those who come to visit. It one reads carefully, one can see where the core of guest services arose and perhaps how the field has gone astray over the past decade or so. This work highlights the need for more research into the origins of guest services that could perhaps lead to new insights into what the core experience should contain and what should be the emphasis in terms of guest services. As an aside, beyond the lessons for customer or guest services, there are also nice tourism development lessons to be learnt from as well. The graph displaying the cluster of commercial establishments in the center of Pompeii would service today as an excellent example of destination design and service clustering (perhaps, though, without the lumpanar (brothel)).

Overall, it was stated at the beginning that this text should be a required reading for any PhD in the field. Beyond graduate students, this text should be a must-read for industry managers. The lessons contained within the text are beyond that of a series of facts and fascinating stories (of which there are plenty) but rather addresses the core of what perhaps the industry should be about, hospitality. While no one is now likely to have a servant take care of a guest’s horse and spear upon arrival, staff still often help the guest from his or her car and assist with luggage. The core remains the same and perhaps there are lessons in that.