Critical Evaluation of a Case
The final project for the course requires that students select and critically evaluate a research topic based on a medium of mass communication in the United States and global society. This topic may be a medium per se (broadly or specifically, new or long-existing), an institution, an organization, an issue, or even an event.
Examples include (but are by no means limited to) topics such as cable television, the MSNBC network, the Bill O’Reilly Show, broadcast radio, Facebook, Twitter, the political blogosphere, a particular blog, news reporting, newspapers, a particular newspaper or news organization, a media merger, or an issue such as “What are plausible roles for social media in political movements?” In other words, the selection of a case study for this assignment is very much open, and just about anything pertaining to mass communication is acceptable.
Write a critical essay analyzing your topic in terms of history, relationships with society and the public sphere, and established categories of media theory and research.
Elements of the completed project must:
• Describe the current state of your case, based on credible sources, which can be news-related or scholarly.
• Explain the historical evolution of your case: how it originated and came to its current status; what were its antecedents; and what was the role of public activity, the market, government, and technology in its development.
• Discuss the roles played by organizational, professional, economic, and political factors in shaping the development of your case.
• Discuss the implications of your case for effects on individuals, society, and the public sphere. How is the character and application of your example shaped by individuals, society, and culture, and how in turn has it impacted individuals, society, and the public sphere?
• Evaluate your scholarly sources, providing a brief comment on the theoretical underpinnings of each.
Support the description of your topic, and your analysis and position(s), by citing course readings, as applicable, and at least four credible or scholarly sources other than the assigned readings. Your paper should be 8 to 10 pages in length.
