Media and Society

Theory in action Order Description Media and Society   General Assignment Description: This paper must be typed using 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced, and have one-inch margins. Everything should be written in typical paragraph format using complete sentences and paragraphs. All sources for assignments must be cited, both within the text and on a reference page, and must conform to either APA, Chicago, or MLA style. There are no excuses for late assignments, and you only have a 24 hour grace period to obtain a reduced grade. You can always turn in assignments early. If for some reason you are having problems with the Blackboard dropbox, you must notify me beforehand to get me an alternative digital copy. Digital copies must be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. If you fail to submit in this format, and I must request a new copy, it will be considered late and receive a 10% penalty. All assignments are run through the anti-plagiarism software Turnitin. Please note that self-plagiarism is still plagiarism and everything you turn in for this class should be created for this class, in this semester. That is, you cannot turn in a paper you submitted in a prior attempt at this course, or in a different course. critically think about the various ways information can be presented, and the variety of potential explanations that exist for effects based on exposure to media content. To do this, you will need to apply two media effects theories to public opinion data and explain how the two different theories could explain the observed results. For each theory you chose you use, you need to 1) describe the theory, 2) describe how it applies to the poll finding you are discussing, and 3) describe what processes are occurring according to the theory to result in the observed effects. The discussion and application of each theory should be about 1.5 pages long. When describing the theory, you need to describe who the primary developers of the theory were, in what situation the theory was first utilized, and fully describe all of the major elements of the theory. When describing the processes that are taking place, make sure you explicitly reference the finding you are discussing and tie the finding directly to the elements of the theory you are using. That is, you need to use concrete details when describing how the finding matches up with the theory you are using. The discussion of both theories should be about 3 pages long. The description of each theory should have a minimum of two sources used – so the entire paper should have a minimum of four sources. The sources must be cited both in text and in an attached reference page, and at least three of your sources must be academic sources. Academic sources include books and journal articles. Appropriate non-academic articles include newspaper or magazine articles, reports from the government, or reputable websites (e.g., a college or university that has a history section of their website). Inappropriate sources include Wikipedia and other non-verifiable Internet sources. You will lose 5 points for each source you do not include in your paper. After you have explained how two theories could be applied to the same results, you need to provide an analysis of which theoretical explanation is more compelling and why you believe this is the case. This should be about 1 – 1.5 pages long. Altogether, this paper should be about 4-5 pages long. The below locations contain a wealth of public opinion data about media use and public attitudes and behaviors. You are free to choose whatever pieces of information you find most interesting. If you find poll/public opinion data elsewhere that you would like to use, make sure you clear it with me first. https://www.journalism.org/2015/04/29/state-of-the-news-media-2015/ https://www.people-press.org/ https://www.gallup.com/home.aspx ? Theory in Action Rubric Unacceptable – 0 points Minimum – 2 points Poor – 5 points Average – 7 points Excellent – 10 points Theory 1 Description of Theory Not present Maybe a paragraph of content, but missing many details All aspects minimally described, or missing multiple aspects Fully described, but missing an aspect Fully described who, when and major elements Explanation of what processes are taking place Not present A sentence or two provided A paragraph provided, but little to no details Adequately described and some details present Fully described concepts correctly with concrete details Explanation of how theory applies Not present A sentence or two provided A paragraph provided, but little to no details Adequately described and some details present Fully described in multiple paragraphs, with concrete details Theory 2 Description of Theory Not present Maybe a paragraph of content, but missing many details minimally described, or missing multiple aspects Fully described, but missing an aspect Fully described who, when and major elements Explanation of what processes are taking place Not present A sentence or two provided A paragraph provided, but little to no details Adequately described and some details present Fully described concepts correctly with concrete details Explanation of how theory applies Not present A sentence or two provided A paragraph provided, but little to no details Adequately described and some details present Fully described in multiple paragraphs, with concrete details Preferred Explanation Rationale for preferred theory Not present A sentence or two provided A paragraph provided, but little to no details Adequately described and some details present Fully described in multiple paragraphs, with concrete details Sourcing