Question: Discussion: What Is News?
As you watch a local news program or read a newspaper, you consume the report of recent events created by professional-and sometimes amateur-writers, editors, and reporters. Regardless of their status, these journalists take time to consider the details of a story and how to present it to you, the news consumer. These details can have a powerful effect on how you perceive local, national, and world events. In this Discussion, you will have an opportunity to become a more savvy news consumer by choosing a news story, determining how it was created, and tracking its "newsworthiness" from the day the story "breaks" through several days afterward.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Choose a discussion thread based on the topics available this week.
• Each thread will present a different topic for a news story. For the topic stated in your chosen thread, you will find a news story that has the necessary elements for it to be considered news and determine whether the news story will persist or fade away.
• Review Chapter 13 in the Course Text, The Dynamics of Mass Communication: Media in Transition.
- Based on the five elements in the reading, reflect upon what is considered to be "news" and what is not. How does the definition of news change?
- Consider the multiple modes of mass communication used to deliver news stories. How do you consume news? How does your choice of mode impact how you view local and world events?
For this Discussion, choose one thread from the choices listed this week. Each thread is limited to a maximum number of students based on class size. A thread will close if the limit is reached. If a thread is closed to new posters, select from the open threads. You will post both your initial post and your response post in the same thread.
Thread 1: International Relations
• Post a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation of why you believe that your chosen international relations news story is or is not considered "news." Could this news story be the headline or lead story for today's evening news? What aspects of the story's message make you believe it would be or wouldn't be the lead story for the evening news, and why?
Refer to 2 specific examples from your course reading or your chosen news story and record in your assignment information about each source, including author, year, page number, and publication title.
Thread 2: Economics
• Post a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation of why you believe that your chosen economics news story is or is not considered "news." Could this news story be the headline or lead story for today's evening news? What aspects of the story's message make you believe it would be or wouldn't be the lead story for the evening news, and why?
Refer to 2 specific examples from your course reading or your chosen news story and record in your assignment information about each source, including author, year, page number, and publication title.
Thread 3: Entertainment
• Post a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation of why you believe that your chosen entertainment news story is or is not considered "news." Could this news story be the headline or lead story for today's evening news? What aspects of the story's message make you believe it would be or wouldn't be the lead story for the evening news, and why?
Refer to 2 specific examples from your course reading or your chosen news story and record in your assignment information about each source, including author, year, page number, and publication title.
Thread 4: The Environment
• Post a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation of why you believe that your chosen environmental news story is or is not considered "news." Could this news story be the headline or lead story for today's evening news? What aspects of the story's message make you believe it would be or wouldn't be the lead story for the evening news, and why?
Refer to 2 specific examples from your course reading or your chosen news story and record in your assignment information about each source, including author, year, page number, and publication title.
For all threads: Read a selection of your colleagues' postings.
Respond with 1-2 paragraphs that answer the following questions:
• You first heard the story 2 days ago; where is the story today? Has the story changed? Why do you think this story is or is not still considered newsworthy?
• Were you correct in your guess as to whether your story would be the headline/lead story for the evening news?
• What impact do you believe the media have on the duration of the story?
• Refer to 2 specific examples from your course reading and record in your assignment information about each source, including author, year, page number, and publication title.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.
Information related to above question is enclosed below:
Attachment:- wk2assignmentcomm.rar