DUE: February 22, 2025 (11:59pm, EST)
This assignment is designed to help you develop your skills in evaluating mass media content by analyzing the biases built into news reporting. Choose one of the below top story topics, and narrow the focus down as much as possible (such as the reporting of the actual Super Bowl game or the presence of Donald Trump at the game). Make your comparison/contrast analysis of how this story is presented. What sort(s) of bias do you detect? What sorts of information is emphasized, or prioritized, over other information? Respond to the nature of the reporting with as much depth of thought as possible—focus on how the news is being reported, not on what the actual news is. Be sure to cite (quotes and/or phrases) the work that you are analyzing. Be sure to provide complete source information. You must make use of the following sources: three samples of printed news and three samples of video or audio news—six samples, total.
To help you with evaluating the reporting of a news item, you might consider mixing your collection of U.S. news sources with news provided outside the United States:
The Guardian (UK)
BBC News (UK)
The Australian (Australia)
The Irish Times (Ireland)
RTE (Ireland)
The Copenhagen Post (Denmark)
CBC News (Canada)
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
NZ Herald (New Zealand)
RNZ (New Zealand)
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
Be aware that what might be a top story in the United States may not even be news in another country (and that’s okay, if you find a non-U.S. source for a U.S. top story).
Be sure that the works you analyze and cite are recent (February 9 or later).
GENERAL TOPIC CHOICES:
- The Super Bowl
- Elon Musk and DOGE
- Trump’s Tariffs
- Moving Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip
- The General Banning of D.E.I. Language from Corporations, the Government, etc.
- Open Topic with Prior Approval–send me an email at least 72 hours before this assignment is due to gain approval of an alternative general topic focus.
How to Submit Your Work to Me
You have several options:
- a 300-800 word essay
- a 2-3 minute video (in which you talk and/or show items, such as images, quotes, charts, graphs, etc.)
- a 10-30 slide print presentation (made with Google Slides, MS PowerPoint, or something similar, that combines printed words with images, quotes, charts, graphs, etc.)
Once I have received an email–either with the assignment attached or with notification that you have shared it with me–I will send you confirmation of receipt for that assignment, usually within 48 hours of receipt.
How Your Work Will Be Evaluated
Your assignment will be evaluated for clarity of thought expressed, and it must be thorough—fully responding to the topic. It must demonstrate critical thinking skills, particularly as they are tailored to the communication parameters of the medium/media under analysis (media literacy skills).
RUBRIC
An A level assignment follows the assignment directions fully. It responds to the chosen top story topic fully, with demonstrated depth of thought and logic. The analysis makes an excellent comparison/contrast between various representations of the top story. The communication is coherent (clear images, complete sentences,…). The communication has a professional tone. The assignment demonstrates having gone through the lesson(s), as well as having thought deeply about the content of what is being taught.
A B level assignment follows the assignment directions fully. It responds to the chosen topic fully, with some demonstrated depth of thought and/or some logic. The analysis makes a good comparison/contrast between various representations of the top story. The communication is mostly coherent (clear images, complete sentences,…). The communication has a professional tone. The assignment demonstrates having gone through the lesson(s), as well as having thought considerably about the content of what is being taught.
A C level assignment mostly follows the assignment directions, but not completely. It responds to the chosen topic, there is not much demonstrated depth of thought and/or logic (the depth of thought is weak or vague). The analysis makes an adequate comparison/contrast between various representations of the top story. The communication is mostly coherent (clear images, complete sentences,…). The communication has a mostly professional tone. The assignment demonstrates having gone through the lesson(s), but not much more (not much thought put into it).
A D level assignment barely follows the assignment directions. It responds to the chosen topic, but the depth of thought is weak or vague, and it might wander off topic. The analysis makes a rather weak comparison/contrast between various representations of the top story. The communication is sometimes incoherent, difficult to follow. The communication may or may not have a professional tone. The assignment does not demonstrate a lot of thought or having gone through the lesson(s).
An F level essay doesn’t really follow the assignment directions. It fails to respond to the chosen topic in any sort of coherent and meaningful way. Communication is mostly gobbledygook.
