Research Paper info

Here is some information about your research paper due November 20.

Shoot for about 1200 words (4-5 solid pages double-spaced)

Pick a topic in the mass media that you are interested in.

It could be relating to a TV show, band, album, website, radio show, movie, video game, etc. It could also be a media law or a subject like photojournalism ethics (more examples down below).

Give me a history of your subject. Tell me why it matters. Put it in some historical context -- what came before it, what it compares to now, and what might came after it (or might come after it in in the future). Tell me something I don't know.

For example, you might pick to write about the show 24.

You might start off with a short history of the show and how it came to be. Tell me how many people watch it each week. Why is it so popular? What do critics say about it?
Then you could focus on 24 and torture. How is torture portrayed? As something good or bad? Has the way 24 portrayed torture influenced America's perception of torture? Not just what you think, but use evidence from any studies you can find.
You might wrap it up with a look at the show's status, especially in the light of the writer's strike.

There you have it. Try not to put any opinion in, and let research do the talking.

Remember, no Wikipedia! You can use it as a starting point and use the sources listed, but not Wikipedia itself.

Finally, remember to cite all the sources you use. You can cite your sources in your papers at the end, but also throughout, like this:

The New York Times states that "24" has 21 million viewers.

or

"24" has 21 million viewers (NY Times, 2005).

Use an APA style works cited page at the end. If it's not properly formatted, automatic 5 points off, if it's missing altogether, 10 points off (or I might ask you to write one and give it to me if I can't figure out what your sources are). Use this:

http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citapa.htm

Don't be afraid to venture to the library.

Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help brainstorm ideas for your subject.

Due Monday, November 20. 50 points (as much as a test). 5 points off for every day late (first 5 points if it's to me after midnight the day it is due, like usual).

More possible topics:
Plagiarism in the mass media
KCCI vs WHO in Des Moines (compare and contrast news featured during same time slot)
Has "24" affected our views on torture?
How has the mass media changed after 9/11?
Subliminal advertising
Video game addiction
Rap (or heavy metal or whatever) and its place in our culture
YouTube's influence
How the Internet has affected the music industry
Pirating music/software online
Colbert Report vs O'Reilly Factor
Influence of particular film director (or music producer)
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The FCC's influence on radio or broadcast
Philo Farnsworth
The Iraq War and the media
How the media has changed the way it has covered war (you could compare Vietnam and Iraq)
Propaganda (especially Triumph of the Will)
Advertising and the Internet
History of the Internet
KDKA - the first radio station
Orson Welles
Is there a liberal bias in the media?
Compare CNN to Fox News
Future of home video (DVD's, etc.)
How media in another country compares to the U.S.
Apple vs. Microsoft
Analyze a particular advertising campaign
Ethics - photojournalism, news, advertising, etc.
Censorship of the Internet in China
History and affect of YouTube
Blogging
The Daily Show affect
The Facebook affect
"The Mickey Mouse" copyright extension act of 1998