MEDIA

Comparison/Contrast
Compare and contrast two documentaries or movies (or one of each) by examining areas of analysis.
Review chapter 5 in From Criticai Thinking to Argument. Remember that comparison/contrast means to
discuss how they are similar and how they are different. Essays can be organized in one of two ways:
one side at a time or point by point. The analysis must be supported by outside sources including movie
reviews. Sources will be cited using MLA documentation method (see chapter 7 in our book). An outline
will be required before the rough draft.
Analysis areas can include – plot, message, setting, characters, acting quality, endings, comedy
(physical/verbal), book adaptation success, construction (narrators, voice overs, point of view,
organization,etc.), costumes, music. Pick and choose to use whatever seems most important/relevant in
the context of your comparison. The paper should clearly be a comparison of the two (not an analysis
and then another analysis.)
There must be a reason for the comparison. For example, you could compare/contrast two comedies
about education. You could use two comedies starring Adam Sandler. You could compare a comedy with
a drama because they both have the same message. You could compare a movie based on an actual
event with a documentary about the actual event. You could compare an early movie with a remake or a
movie with its sequel. There must be a reason for the comparison. Each student must submit a plan: a
short description ofthe two movies/documentaries and then a rationale for the use of them by 10/2.
Each final essay must be at LEAST FOUR PAGES in length. Final essay packages will include outline,
rough draft, peer sheet, final draft with works cited page and sources used (including notes from the
documentaries.) Essays MUST be submitted in a pocket folder. Essays are worth 75 points and will be
graded on organization, information, and documentation. A more thorough rubric will be distributed as
the peer sheet.
Consult the course schedule for deadlines. _ 5)}: 5 i D m

Student Journal of Race & Gender in Media (SJRGM)

This semester one of your assignments is to write a 750-word research article for the Student Journal of Race & Gender in Media (SJRGM). The journal is published twice yearly, once in the summer and once in the winter, and is hosted at UnderstandMedia.com. This is an amazing opportunity for you to practice your writing, research, and analysis skills on something that will actually be published in a media journal. The journal is available free of charge online, so not only can you send a link to your article to your friends and family, but you will also be discovered and cited by academic researchers working on new work. Past students have listed their writing credit on their resumes and have used their articles as writing samples to get into a four-year university. In addition, the skills you learn in this assignment will serve you well during your academic and professional careers.

Your journal article will be written in two phases: first, you will begin your research and compose a rough draft of your article. This version of your article will be well researched, well written, and will include at least three citations in MLA format. The rough draft is due in Week 8 (the week of our midterm). I will review your rough draft and offer editorial suggestions. You will then use my notes to write a brilliant final draft. The final draft will be due in Week 16 (the week of our final).

This issue of the Journal will have the theme, “Race & Gender in the 2016 Presidential Race,” and is mainly inspired by the upcoming presidential election. We have all seen Donald Trump make race, nationality, and gender all issues for the electorate to consider and debate this year. We have also seen how gender and gender bias has come into play with the nomination of Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee. In 2016 one thing is clear: race and gender are at the forefront of our national conversation.

With this in mind, here are some topics that fit the theme and which you are welcome to discuss:

Black Lives Matter, and their role in this election.
Muslims, Syrian refugees, and terrorism’s role in this election.
Gender and gender bias in this election.
Latinos, and specifically Mexican-Americans, and their role in this election.
White America and its role in this election.
The role of 24/7 news media (CNN, MSNBC, Fox) in how we select candidates.
Diversity (or lack of diversity) in today’s media and how this affects the presidential race.
What makes a great president, according to the candidates or the media?
The use of fear as a campaign tactic.

These are just SOME ideas that should help you decide what you’ll write about, but you’re welcome to come up with your own idea as long as it fits into the theme. Remember, this is a class about MEDIA, so anything you write should be written about in that context.

I will NOT be assigning you a topic. You should choose a topic that interests you, that you can research and write a 750-word paper about, and that will fit into one of the aforementioned categories. You should be prepared to spend a significant amount of time thinking about, and then researching your topic. If you are interested in writing about a topic that does not fit one of the categories above, please e-mail me with a short summary of your proposed topic so that I may offer suggestions.

Resources:

EasyBib – Free automatic MLA citation maker – http://www.easybib.com/

Google Scholar – Provides a search of scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources, including theses, books, abstracts and articles – http://scholar.google.com/

Writing a research paper (overview) – http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/PlanResearchPaper.html

Writing a research paper (more detailed) – http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/docs/research_papers.doc