Massmedia is redefining itself at a speed and depth unmatched in human history. Basic definitions o ...
Massmedia is redefining itself at a speed and depth unmatched in human history. Basic definitions of various long-established mass media are rapidly evolving to include digital formats that would have seemed the stuff of science fiction a few years ago. Furthermore, as mass media becomes more pervasive and powerful, its impact on individuals and the larger society have increasingly become topics of scholarly research. Your paper will be written about one of the mass media topics listed below. Choose a topic that interests you and for which you can find a variety of high-quality sources. 1. Election Year and the Media 1.1 According to your research, how do typical Americans form their opinions about political issues and candidates? 1.2 According to your research, what forms of media are the most influential in helping form those opinions? Do different media influence people of different generations? 1.3 According to your research, what types of media consumption are most associated with extreme political views? Do habits, lifestyle, age or other factors make a person more likely to be receptive to extreme viewpoints? 1.4 According to your research and analysis, what can you do to help yourself or others (family members, friends, etc.) recognize credible election-year reporting and disregard media messages that are not rooted in fact? 2. Social Media Use and Mental Health 2.1 What does scholarly research have to say about the effects of social media use on mental health? 2.2 What sorts of people are most susceptible to having their mental health compromised by social media? What types of mental health problems are these at- risk people experiencing? 2.3 Have changes in lifestyle caused by Covid accelerated these mental health problems? If so, how? 2.4 According to the research, what are warning signs that you can look for if you believe that someone has had their mental health damaged through social media use? What can family members, friends and others do to help those who have had their mental health damaged by social media? 3. Battling Misinformation Through Lateral Reading 3.1 According to the scholarly research, what is Lateral Reading? How does a person engage in lateral reading? 3.2 According to the research, why is lateral reading a particularly relevant skill in the internet age? How does it decrease the destructive power of misinformation? 3.3 What are some examples of lateral reading being successfully taught in schools? 3.4 Find an internet site devoted to a current political or social issue. Engage in lateral reading to determine the truthfulness and general fairness of the site. Describe what you did and what you found. This paper will be an analysis based upon your research. Research the four questions as they pertain to your research topic. Divide your paper into six segments: A. Introduction B. Answer to Question 1 C. Answer to Question 2 D. Answer to Question 3 E. Answer to Question 4 F. Conclusion Find credible sources to research your answers. You will be graded on the quantity and quality of your sources, and how well you use them in your text. Cite your sources, MLA style, as you use them in the text. Be sure to use full MLA-style citation information in your works cited section. Students who merely provide a list of web addresses will be marked down. Length: Around 1500 words (plus works cited section). Research The depth and quality of your research matters. Citing your textbook or what is said during class really isn’t impressive in a college research paper. Your research should branch out beyond the classroom and the textbook. Dictionaries and encyclopedias (including Wikipedia) have some value in leading you to appropriate sources, but should not be cited as sources in the text. Be careful about using web sites as sources; many of them are not credible. If you cannot clearly state who is the writer of the material on the web site and what qualifies that person or persons to be an authority on the subject, then you probably do not have a credible source. There is no “correct” opinion about any of the research topics. Whatever your topic and your opinion on it, make sure that you find credible sources that support your case. Remember: (1) more sources are better than fewer, (2) high-quality sources are better than low-quality sources, and (3) cited sources that clearly enhance your paper are better than sources that make no apparent impact on the text. A Note About Artificial Intelligence (AI): Although it is an impressive technology, AI can be easily misused in a college term paper. So far, AI has been ineffective at gathering high-quality academic sources and using and citing those sources in MLA style. If you choose to use it, let me know when you turn in the paper. Failure to do this will be seen as evidence of academic dishonesty. Also, make sure AI leads you toward a well-researched and cited term paper, and not a vaguely-reasoned essay. Due Date Thursday, Oct. 24 Early Bird Special: Turn your paper in one week before its due date (or earlier) to receive two extra points.
