Critical Media Analysis

Assignment Description (80 pts)

Select a news topic that you find interesting and/or important. Pick at least four media outlets (I would suggest no more than five) and throughout the semester carefully follow how they cover this issue. What patterns are there? What narratives are implicit in the coverage? How does the coverage coming out of a non-Western country contrast with what we see in Western media outlets? These questions are just ideas for directions you might want to take your paper in, what is important is that you develop a compelling argument. Only one of the media outlets can be a U.S. one and only one can be based in Canada, Australia, or Western Europe. You are encouraged, but not required, to select media outlets solely from the non-Western world. During week 6 of the semester, you will submit a 200-words description of the project and how you plan to complete it. The four-page double-space analysis is due during week 13. The goal of the project is to defamiliarize yourself through the consumption of media content from a different country.

Important Considerations

· It is very important that you to understand that this is a systematic project. This means that you dedicate time each week to examine the content of the media outlets you selected. I suggest that you do this at least three times a week and that you keep a journal in which you take notes of what you observe. In short, turn this into a habit. The biggest mistake you can do is to try to accomplish all this work during the week when the project is due. It will be obvious that you did not examine the sources systematically and you will fail.

· You can choose from print media, online media, television, radio or a combination of them.

· This is a formal paper which should be well-written, organized and proofread BUT I also expect that you will have fun with this project. In short, this should be an enjoyable learning exercise so feel free to be creative.

· This assignment does not call for academic research which involves acquiring books from the library or peer-reviewed articles from its databases. The goal is to hone your analytical skills. You could consult external sources but make sure that you cite every thought that is not your own.

· Make sure that you include a bibliography of all the news materials you cited in your paper. The bibliography page is an addition to the four pages of writing.

The Proposal (due February 28) (20 pts)

The quality of your proposal counts toward the final grade for your project. It forces you to start thinking about a particular issue and to engage in a systematic analysis. While you can change certain aspects of your project, I strongly suggest that you stick to the initial plan and engage in a thorough analysis from week 6 to week 13. If you consider a significant change, make sure that you notify me.

Your proposal should be written on a word document, 12-font, single space and should include your name, topic/issue, and countries and/or media outlets you are interested in. In addition, include a short description of the topic of choice as well as why you selected these media outlets.