In the media content analysis paper assignment you will analyze media content on any desired topic, issue, event, crisis, debate, and/or portrayal, etc. within our broad discussion of media and politics. You can focus on related media content concerning events (e.g., elections, war, etc.), individuals (e.g.. political leaders, candidates, etc.), groups (e.g., political parties, protesters, etc.), issues (e.g., the economy, health care, gun debate, etc.), media portrayals (e.g., violence, stereotypes, etc.), or new media impact (e.g., blogosphere, Twitter, etc.), etc. You can examine news media, television programs, movies, music, commercials, new media, social media, or some combination. It is entirely your choice. In W-12 double-spaced pages, you will need to address the following components of the assignment:
1) Utilizing a, media topic of interest from the past and/or the present, gather and analyze the actual media content of ten different media stories or program content on the topic. You can rely on direct observation of breaking broadcast, print, or Internet news media as well as entertainment media content and portrayals. You can also rely on secondary analysis of print, broadcast, and Internet news, and entertainment media archives. Direct observation consists of actually observing the news or programs, and/or tracking print and Internet media in order to gather and measure the content related to your topic. Secondary analysis relies on past and/or archived media content, such as news transcripts.
2) The ten news stories, programs, etc. must be distinct from one another. One example is a variety of media organizations covering the same topic on the same day and/or the same media organization covering the same topic on different days. Another example is the analysis of ten different N programs or ten different episodes of the same program. At least five of these media sources should be since January 1, 2018. Briefly describe how and why you gathered these particular sources of media content as well as what you anticipated to find in your analysis.
3) analyze media content in light of theoretical assumptions. For example, we can make assumptions about news media bias but require content analysis to support such assumptions with related evidence. Discuss at least two relevant theoretical or analytical perspectives from course reading lectures related to expectations as part of your own analysis. How are such assumptions supported or contradicted by your actual findings
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