Assignment:
Media Literacy Paper
You will write a 4 to 5 page paper, double spaced, on one of the following historical American events, each of which had an impact worldwide. Explain exactly what happened (the when, where and what for, etc.) , why it is considered historical and what its significance is in terms of media literacy. Did it change the way the media treats such events, from the time it happened to this very day? What was its impact socially...culturally...politically, etc., both here and abroad? Did it raise any new issues/problems for future (and similar) media experiences? What evidence supports this? This should be a thought provoking paper on why this event captured the public's imagination and why it still resonates today. Please choose from one of these events:
1. JFK funeral & the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald on camera (caught live as it happened)
2. Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
3. Verdict in the O.J. Simpson trial (and the racial divide it caused)
4. Oklahoma City bombing (terror hits home)
5. Columbine Shooting (how it affected the media's handling of additional shootings)
6. USA defeats USSR in men's ice hockey, 1980 Winter Olympics (political ramifications)
7. The rise of Reality TV (the pros and cons of it and how its changed the tv landscape)
8. L.A. Riots (racism)
9. Kennedy-Nixon televised debates (and its lasting political impact)
10. Beatles first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (what it meant culturally, musically)
11. Apollo 11 Landing
12. Hurricane Katrina (and its impact on race relations)
13. Televised coverage of the Vietnam War (and how it changed the public's sentiment on it)
14. Monica Lewinsky scandal (and how sex scandals are now covered by the media)
15. Martin Luther King's ‘I have a dream' speech
16. Obama's inauguration in 2008 (political implications)
17. Princess Diana's Death (and the role the media/paparazzi had in it)
18. Bombing at the Boston Marathon (terrorism)
19. Orlando shooting at Pulse nightclub (terrorism, homophobia)
20. #MeToo/Times Up Movement (sexism and the media)
21. Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake Super Bowl XXXVIII controversy (FCC implications)
22. The Y2K Panic of 2000
23. Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage 2015
24. Sandy Hook (tragic event when children are involved)
25. Presidential Election of 2016 (pick one element to focus on)
26. 1989 World Series Earthquake (sports coverage and the media in times of crisis)
27. March for Our Lives, 2018 (gun control, school shooting and backlash against students)
28. Black Lives Matter (racially charged shootings captured on video)
29. Charlottesville (racism, violence, present day politics)
30. Covington Catholic Controversy
Please include a list of sources that you used.
If there is another media event that is NOT on this list (and you feel it should be) please see me so I can approve a topic not listed above. Make a valid case for why it deserves to be on this list, and I'll approve it.