English 5, Critical Thinking

The following links and assignments will take you till the end of the semester. Please read the instructions and due dates carefully.

Tabloid news is headline news.
More and more we are seeing tabloid or "fluff" stories making headlines. Examine a recent story that made the news that you think barely warranted a blip on the radar. Why did this story receive so much attention? Is this what the public wants, or is this what the media wants us to have? Can't think of any "fluff" stories? Here are a few off the top of my head:
-Janet Jackson's nipple at the Superbowl, Bennifer, The Passion of the Christ, Brad and Jen's break up (or any celebrity break up for that matter), the Michael Jackson trial, Britney's pregnancy, "Woman finds finger in her chili and turns out to be a crook," "Bride runs away from upcoming wedding and pretends it is a kidnapping." I think you get the picture.

OR

Discuss a story that did not get enough media coverage (the demand for an Ohio recount, for example). Why did this story go ignored? Who benefited from the story being underreported? How does it affect the public to be uninformed about the issues raised in the story?

Day class: Due 5/12
Night class: Due 5/17

I have created a list of media websites (hopefully all the links work). Using one of the following websites (or one you already are familiar with), write an annotated bib on a feature story. Look at not only what is being said, but also how it is said. Are their biases, agendas, omitted information? If you are liberal and looking at a liberal website, make sure to be objective and think critically about the content. (Same if you are conservative looking at a conservative site) I’ve done my best to include links to liberal and conservative minded sites. I think it would be good for you to look at the other side of the fence. See what is being written about and compare the angles each side is taking on the same story and what stories are being focused on. I don’t recommend writing your annotated bib on a story from the opposing side because I think you’ll find it too easy to tear it apart.
Again, don't have to limit yourself to the sites listed below, but all of the sites are useful and interesting (at least to me).

Media Research Center

Accuracy In Media

AlterNet

FAIR

Independent Media Center

Michael Moore

Media Matters

Due 5/17 (night and day classes)

We'll begin by looking at two reporters that have gained fame by falsifying stories. Stephen Glass worked for The New Republic and you can read about him in this Forbes article or on The Cheating Cultureweb site. Jayson Blair worked for The New York Times. He is also listed on The Cheating Cultureweb site. Here is an additional article on Jayson Blair. I'd also like you to look at this article regarding journalistic integrity. Journalism.org has a very thorough examination of media. Take a look at points that interest you from their report "The State of the News Media," which is linked from their home page. If you find any interesting articles during your exploration of the web, please post them in the comments section of the blog or email me and I'll post for you. Enjoy.