Assess how a particular news story or subject area unfolds as part of the
media information stream. You may choose a particular pundit/writer/commentator. You may
focus on a publication or information platform. The goal is to better understand the nuances of
analysis and advocacy. How does this help to determine who to trust? At the end of your paper,
assign a Letter Grade (from A to F) to your chosen subject..
Microsoft Word - Paper 1 How It's Told 2021 Copyright 2021 by Walter J. Podrazik. Used with permission in the University of Illinois course COMM 207/POLS 207 “Mass Media and Politics” Department of Communication: University of Illinois at Chicago Fall 2021 08.27.2021 “Mass Media & Politics”: COMM 207 (43451) / POLS 207 (43449); M/W 3:00-4:15 p.m. BSB 187; Walter J. Podrazik; Office BSB 1160C
[email protected] revised 9.27.21 Details are subject to change and refinement by the Instructor throughout the semester. Paper #1: “How It’s Told” Who/what do we trust to make sense of it all? Due: Monday October 04; Electronically via Blackboard; hardcopy in class (Topic to be approved no later than September 13) Your assignment: Assess how a particular news story or subject area unfolds as part of the media information stream. You may choose a particular pundit/writer/commentator. You may focus on a publication or information platform. The goal is to better understand the nuances of analysis and advocacy. How does this help to determine who to trust? At the end of your paper, assign a Letter Grade (from A to F) to your chosen subject.. Publications or Platforms: Publications and platforms deliver information. These take the form of traditional venues (newspapers, magazines, television, radio) as well as online systems. Pundits. Pundits are commentators, writers, and analysts offering their observations, explanations, and judgments on events and subject matter. Sometimes self-acclaimed, pundits are called on to dispense advice, cite history, explain the present, and boldly predict the political future. Pundits appear on television and radio, in print via newspapers and magazines, and online–often the same people on multiple platforms. Pundits can help to examine issues, but they can also obfuscate. Their business is “steering the conversation” by putting forth their fashioned persona. They interact with other participants such as elected officials, business leaders, an organization’s current PR/press officer/spokesperson, news reporters, academics, and experts on the subject. In contrast, news anchors and documentary hosts frequently drive discussions, but at their best they strive to act as facilitators rather than as advocates. Everyone has some agenda (from boosting ratings to touting a cause). The challenge in your analysis is to recognize the players and the issue dynamics and to sort through the rhetoric. News stories/subject areas. Practically any subject is fair game, reflecting flashpoints of our times. High interest areas could include Immigration. Taxes. Energy. Climate Change. Racial Justice. Economic Equity. Vaccination policies. Community health. If you choose to focus on hyper local issues, those still need to be accompanied by some form of media coverage. Copyright 2021 by Walter J. Podrazik. Used with permission in the University of Illinois course COMM 207/POLS 207 “Mass Media and Politics” DETAILS TO BRING TO YOUR PAPER: For your chosen topic: Offer a brief background sketch. What is the context of the subject matter? The platform? How do pundit(s) and publications enter? Is this subject considered controversial or partisan? Identify the punditry perspective and persona. Liberal? Conservative? Deliberately provocative? Attempt to capture the essence of the beliefs embraced. Are the issues consistently framed? Do the pundits have supreme credibility in one circle, and none in another? Is the subject analysis set in stone, or does it bend to fit shifting public opinion? Bottom line: Evaluate “How it’s told.” Consider insight, consistency, reliability, believability, and command of the facts. How effectively is the subject matter covered? A pundit could be weak on facts, but successful when armed with an effective and charismatic style. Ultimately that source might be judged as a popular success. Include examples to illustrate your conclusions. Consider Style, Substance, and Influence in arriving at your overall grade (from A to F). Step-by-step: Select the subject: All names/subjects require instructor sign-off. Please be prepared to indicate your pundit/punditry subject for approval by Monday September 13, or earlier if you wish Length: Approximately 750+ words (approximately 3+ pages) plus 1 page of contemporary-to- the-times citation images (see below) plus 1 page of source citations Contemporary-to-the-times images: Find and incorporate contemporary-to-the-times images (photos, ads, portrait of a pundit, the publication logo). These help to transform the essay into a magazine style article. Sources: At the end of your paper, list your source citations, including any online links. . Judging Your Paper: 1. Clarity of subject. Who are the players and what is this issue? 2. Context. Provide background. 3. Completeness of presentation. Remember to include the grade and contemporary images. 4. Execution of presentation. Carefully check grammar and spelling mechanics 5. Delivery. On time, in proper format. FRQUENT QUESTION: WHO are potential subjects? Even if not the lead subject, all voices and sources are fair to cite in your discussion (including elected officials, news anchors, Supreme Court justices, comedy commentators, and so forth). Individuals slip back-and-forth as pundits to official representatives, sharing expertise while actively working campaigns. Newt Gingrich (Republican side) and Donna Brazile (Democratic side) have moved from pundit participants to active officials, and back again. When humorists such as John Oliver urge a call to action, beyond telling jokes, they can be as much activists as anyone else.