Important! Read First
Compare how ONE media story within the past five years has been covered by news outlets from three different parts of the world. Find three news items (one from each source) focusing on the same event:
One of these outlets should represent what is typically considered mainstream news in the U.S., such as a major daily newspaper, a network-affiliated local news broadcast, or a national network news broadcast.
The other two outlets should represent news sources based outside of the U.S. in two different regions of the world.
Even though some of these sources may overtly favor a particular political perspective, please do not focus on opinion pieces or editorials. Instead, you should compare the journalistic news reporting among the different outlets. NOTE: The news items you are analyzing do not count toward your required sources and should be properly cited.
Address the following questions in your paper:
Do these news outlets rely on different types of sources?
Do the writing or presentation styles differ among the outlets?
Do they all attempt to present an objective point of view?
For each source that does attempt to appear objective, describe what it is that makes it seem objective. For non-objective sources, describe what it is that indicates it is not trying to be objective.
What are the main differences in the ways these three outlets present the story?
Do they offer different emphases on how the story affects certain groups of people?
Do they use different words or phrases that indicate different attitudes towards their subjects?
Does one source present the story as more important to their news agenda than the others? If this is the case, how is that conveyed?
What cultural factors do you think might account for the differences among news outlets? What cultural factors account for their similarities?
What emphasis does the U.S. source place on foreign sources and perspectives? What emphasis do the foreign sources place on U.S. sources and perspectives?
Your well-written paper should meet the following requirements:
Feel free to use the readings from any module, but also incorporate at least four to six scholarly sources not used in this course. NOTE: The news items you are analyzing do not count toward your required sources and should be properly cited.
Make your paper 8-10 pages in length, not including the cover and reference pages.
Format your document according to APA Requirements
NOTE: An academic research paper is a formal project based on research and, therefore, it is not appropriate to use first person voice or pronouns, which can lead to opinion insertion. Instead, use third person voice or pronouns for academic writing. Write clearly and logically, as you will be graded on content, analysis, and your adherence to the tenets of good academic writing, which should be succinct where possible, while also exploring the topics appropriately.
