Monday, January 26, 2009
OUTFOXED
Based on what you saw in the documentary film "Outfoxed" and what you know of ANY of the news networks WHY would any of them fail to report the news in a fair and balanced manner? Who does it serve to report with BIAS? Who does it hurt?
Homework
Please read over Chapters 2 & 3 and then select one question from each chapter (2 questions)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Assignments Due Tomorrow
Just a reminder that both discussion questions for Chapter 1 are due tomorrow (typed) as well as at least one of the 3 ( In class activities) or the Assignment on page 27. So you are responsible for both discussion questions and one of 4 of the activities listed on page 27. We will go over it in class and then watch a documentary on the "social construction of the news" . I will then post a blog discussion question based on the film for us to discuss during the week.
Friday, January 16, 2009
RESEARCH PROJECT
You may decide to work individually or in a group. However, even those who decide to work with a group will be required to submit individually the following:
BLUEPRINT FOR GROUP ASSIGNMENT
1) A commentary on the division of workload and a DETAILED description of your specific responsibilities and what were the other group member responsibilities. (at least one page)
2) Detailed log of how many meetings were organized, who attended, who was responsible for what material, etc.. (at least one page)
3) A personal reflection paper that includes the research question being explored, a description of what you learned about yourself in undertaking this project, and an IN DEPTH ANALYIS of what stood out for you in terms of what you learned about the topic under investigation. (3- 5 PAGES)
BLUEPRINT FOR NON-GROUP ASSIGNMENT
1) A commentary on your project process. How you came up with your topic, how you plan to collect the data, what medium did you select and why. What is your research question. (at least one page)
2) A description and detailed log of time dedicated to project and a detailed list of tasks and accomplishments related to the project. (at least one page)
3) A personal reflection paper that includes the research question being explored, a description of what you learned about yourself in undertaking this project, and an IN DEPTH ANALYIS of what stood out for you in terms of what you learned about the topic under investigation. (3- 5 PAGES)
Each student will be responsible for:
1- Blueprint (commentary – log –reflection paper)
2- Presentation
The presentation is to be approximately 10 minutes per student (If a group consists of 5 students = 50 minutes for the entire group). Creativity in presentation will be required and evaluated. Consider using props, role play, games, music, photos, etc… in order to present your findings, and to include active class participation.
Some class time will be provided for groups to meet.
SUGGESTIONS FOR PROJECTS:
1- Select a media source. These may include the following:
- television news broadcasts; network news shows (CBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, etc…);
- a newspaper (local, regional, or national) or news magazine - a primetime crime drama currently being broadcast or in syndication;
- TV crime documentaries (i.e. CSI, Forensic Files, Law & Order, Homeland Security, etc),
- a series of crime movies that deal with a particular theme (i.e. juvenile delinquency, organized crime, police corruption, deviance in women's prisons, , etc.);
- talk radio programs (crime issues)
- crime literature (magazines, comics, short stories, or novels).
- music videos (crime content)
- video games (crime content)
NOTE: If you are reviewing a daily news source(s) you should include a full listing of the number of crimes covered by category (e.g. murder, robbery, rape, property crimes, white-collar crime, computer crime, government deviance, etc.), specific details on "high profile" stories, and criminological explanations offered.
For fictional sources, you might want to choose a theme or crime type, then pick examples of the media source that features it. For example, serial crime, white-collar crime, street crime, drug crime, crime inside prisons, police deviance, sex crimes, psychopathology, war-related crime, terrorism, computer crime, hacking, family violence, school crime, etc. would make good topics. If your media source is movies, then locate a set of films that all focus on that type of crime.
2- Develop a research question that explores the criminological significance of the shows/media you have selected (such as demographic characteristics of depicted individuals, racial or ethnic stereotyping, generalizations and assumptions about the police, or the criminal justice system, criminological motivations offered, patterns or techniques, etc. The research question is the major issues you are to investigate. The goal will be to report on how a specific media source covers an aspect of the criminal justice system.
You may choose to discuss (1) law enforcement, (2) the criminal courts and criminal law, or (3) sentencing and corrections. As these are complex, choose a topic that covers an aspect of law enforcement, courts, or corrections.
For example, police stories may be tales of crime fighting activities, police deviance, social work functions, or bureaucratic activities, among others. Courts stories could focus on role players such as prosecutors, defense attorneys, or judges; or processes such as trials, plea bargaining, or jury deliberation. Look for criminological explanations offered by the media for the behavior of criminal justice agents. For example, is police deviance depicted as the result of stress, peer group pressure, racial bias, personal abnormality, etc.
Explore how your media sources reflect or do not reflect “the truth” as they relate to the above.
____________________ OR _______________________________
3- Create your own news show and develop this based on the notion that you have just been hired as news anchor for a local TV station/Radio Station/Newspaper. Management has informed you that they want a more "honest" portrayal of local crime and the criminal justice system. So you will basically be creating and presenting your own news show. ____________________ OR _______________________________
4- Create your own crime show but the twist is to develop it based on the truth in all of the aspects of the CJS
____________________ OR _______________________________
5- Create your own documentary on a crime topic ____________________ OR _______________________________
6- Explore how violent video games are impacting violence among youth
____________________ OR _______________________________
7- Explore how music videos with criminal content are impacting violence and crime in society
____________________ OR _______________________________
All topics/ideas must be submitted for approval
BLUEPRINT FOR GROUP ASSIGNMENT
1) A commentary on the division of workload and a DETAILED description of your specific responsibilities and what were the other group member responsibilities. (at least one page)
2) Detailed log of how many meetings were organized, who attended, who was responsible for what material, etc.. (at least one page)
3) A personal reflection paper that includes the research question being explored, a description of what you learned about yourself in undertaking this project, and an IN DEPTH ANALYIS of what stood out for you in terms of what you learned about the topic under investigation. (3- 5 PAGES)
BLUEPRINT FOR NON-GROUP ASSIGNMENT
1) A commentary on your project process. How you came up with your topic, how you plan to collect the data, what medium did you select and why. What is your research question. (at least one page)
2) A description and detailed log of time dedicated to project and a detailed list of tasks and accomplishments related to the project. (at least one page)
3) A personal reflection paper that includes the research question being explored, a description of what you learned about yourself in undertaking this project, and an IN DEPTH ANALYIS of what stood out for you in terms of what you learned about the topic under investigation. (3- 5 PAGES)
Each student will be responsible for:
1- Blueprint (commentary – log –reflection paper)
2- Presentation
The presentation is to be approximately 10 minutes per student (If a group consists of 5 students = 50 minutes for the entire group). Creativity in presentation will be required and evaluated. Consider using props, role play, games, music, photos, etc… in order to present your findings, and to include active class participation.
Some class time will be provided for groups to meet.
SUGGESTIONS FOR PROJECTS:
1- Select a media source. These may include the following:
- television news broadcasts; network news shows (CBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, etc…);
- a newspaper (local, regional, or national) or news magazine - a primetime crime drama currently being broadcast or in syndication;
- TV crime documentaries (i.e. CSI, Forensic Files, Law & Order, Homeland Security, etc),
- a series of crime movies that deal with a particular theme (i.e. juvenile delinquency, organized crime, police corruption, deviance in women's prisons, , etc.);
- talk radio programs (crime issues)
- crime literature (magazines, comics, short stories, or novels).
- music videos (crime content)
- video games (crime content)
NOTE: If you are reviewing a daily news source(s) you should include a full listing of the number of crimes covered by category (e.g. murder, robbery, rape, property crimes, white-collar crime, computer crime, government deviance, etc.), specific details on "high profile" stories, and criminological explanations offered.
For fictional sources, you might want to choose a theme or crime type, then pick examples of the media source that features it. For example, serial crime, white-collar crime, street crime, drug crime, crime inside prisons, police deviance, sex crimes, psychopathology, war-related crime, terrorism, computer crime, hacking, family violence, school crime, etc. would make good topics. If your media source is movies, then locate a set of films that all focus on that type of crime.
2- Develop a research question that explores the criminological significance of the shows/media you have selected (such as demographic characteristics of depicted individuals, racial or ethnic stereotyping, generalizations and assumptions about the police, or the criminal justice system, criminological motivations offered, patterns or techniques, etc. The research question is the major issues you are to investigate. The goal will be to report on how a specific media source covers an aspect of the criminal justice system.
You may choose to discuss (1) law enforcement, (2) the criminal courts and criminal law, or (3) sentencing and corrections. As these are complex, choose a topic that covers an aspect of law enforcement, courts, or corrections.
For example, police stories may be tales of crime fighting activities, police deviance, social work functions, or bureaucratic activities, among others. Courts stories could focus on role players such as prosecutors, defense attorneys, or judges; or processes such as trials, plea bargaining, or jury deliberation. Look for criminological explanations offered by the media for the behavior of criminal justice agents. For example, is police deviance depicted as the result of stress, peer group pressure, racial bias, personal abnormality, etc.
Explore how your media sources reflect or do not reflect “the truth” as they relate to the above.
____________________ OR _______________________________
3- Create your own news show and develop this based on the notion that you have just been hired as news anchor for a local TV station/Radio Station/Newspaper. Management has informed you that they want a more "honest" portrayal of local crime and the criminal justice system. So you will basically be creating and presenting your own news show. ____________________ OR _______________________________
4- Create your own crime show but the twist is to develop it based on the truth in all of the aspects of the CJS
____________________ OR _______________________________
5- Create your own documentary on a crime topic ____________________ OR _______________________________
6- Explore how violent video games are impacting violence among youth
____________________ OR _______________________________
7- Explore how music videos with criminal content are impacting violence and crime in society
____________________ OR _______________________________
All topics/ideas must be submitted for approval
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
