Essay Assignment: Media Literacy in the Digital Age
Directions:
Using the concepts learned through the readings and interactive lecture pages, select a social issue or ethical dilemma in the news. Find two recent news articles from two different types of media sources on the issue. In your introduction, for both of your examples, be sure to carefully identify what types of sources you are analyzing (news story, editorial, commentary), the name of the media company, and the date and author. Then, answer the following questions:
i. What assumptions do you make about these articles before reading them? How is your mind already "at work"?
ii. What is the main claim and/or point of view expressed (if there is one) by the article? Is the article objectively written? Be careful here - if the article is an editorial opinion, note that the purpose of this type of article is very different from that of a news story. If you are analyzing an editorial, is the argument presented logically?
iii. Apply evaluative criteria to your analysis. Is there a particular audience that the article is targeting? Is there an appeal to sensationalism? Can you discern a vested ideological perspective?
iv. What is a peer-reviewed source? What peer-reviewed sources did you find that helped in thinking critically about your issue.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.