Mid-term Essay - Newspaper Bias

Our conversations in this course center around the affects of journalistic media in the context of social, cultural, political and personal relationships. Because newspaper, television, and radio news outlets so powerfully shape and change our society, and because there is such a wide variety of news media approaches, consumers today need to develop a highly critical stance in their approach to how they use and understand these media. However since most people do not have the time, nor the expertise to study the vast array of topics on this subject, many depend on media scholars to study and report on the various special topics surrounding news media. One important line of study in this area is journalistic bias. To complete this assignment, you will be required to keep a journal of your critical responses to three newspapers, then write a 6-page (minimum) analysis of your findings.

For two weeks, (beginning February 6 at the latest), you will need to read three newspapers a day (in print—see library). In your journal (use electronic format, dated for each day—you will turn in the journal with your Mid-term essay), answer the following questions:

What are the three leading national news stories of the day for each of the three papers? Summarize each story using 1-2 sentences.

Which articles get to most prominent headlines? List them in order.

Do the headlines accurately reflect the content of the story? Explain in 2-3 sentences.

Are there other elements used in the story (sidebars, graphics, photo spreads, etc.)? If so, describe.

Article placement: how are they arranged on the page (top-of-fold, bottom-of-fold, right, left, etc.)? Why?

Reading the articles on the sentence level, are there words or phrases used that slant the story to a particular political, social, or cultural view? Explain.

Once you've completed the journal, use your observations as a jumping-off point for your essay. Approach the essay as a critical study, including the use of outside sources (minimum three ). Discuss your findings:

Globally compare and contrast the three papers. For example, was the overall tone different between the papers? How? If not, what does that tell you about the newspaper medium as a whole?

If you had to make a judgment, which newspaper, if any, would you consider "liberal", and which, if any, "conservative"? Explain.

How did layout, placement, headlines affect your analysis of your judgment?

At the sentence/language level, what where the "markers" that support your judgment?

How can we use your study to better assess the bias of a newspaper (what did you learn that you can pass on)?

This is not a complete list of questions you will need to address in your essay, but a starting point. Any other interesting or valuable information that you deem to be important to the consumer, bring into the discussion. As in any good research paper, you will need to use proper formatting (MLA will be fine here), grammar, punctuation and spelling. Proper in-text citation and a properly formated works-cited page is also required. Attach and post both your journal and essay by Thursday, March 1st. Good luck, and have fun.