Essay Instructions: Assignment Summary
Your assignment is to use two media effects theories to analyze a media message in terms of its potential impact on society. You may choose the media content, subject to the guidelines given below, and you may use any of the following effects theories: Social Learning, Cultivation, Agenda Setting, Priming, Framing, Persuasion, Reinforcement, Arousal, and Desensitization.
Assignment Specifics
You should include the following in your paper:
• I. Description of Content (no more than 1 page): Describe the important parts of your media content. For example, only parts of a film or article will be relevant for your theories. Explain these parts and why they are important for predicting potential effects.
• II. Comparative Application of Theories (3-5 pages): The central element of your paper is a comparative application of two media effects theories to the content you have chosen. Your job is to apply the theories to speculate about how the content could affect audiences exposed to it. (Of course, you do not know whether the message will have those effects. You are under no burden to prove these speculations, but your arguments must be consistent with the tenets of the theories.) Be sure to describe all parts of each theory, including any relevant conditions. Additionally, you should think about the likely audience for your content and explain how the characteristics of the audience might support or mitigate the effects you’re describing. As you compare the two different theories, think about the ways we categorized them in class to guide your analysis.
• III. Conclusion (no more than 1 page): Consider the broader social impact of the effects you have identified. The effects you describe will often occur within a single individual, but consider what might happen to society if many individuals were similarly affected. Are these outcomes a cause for concern or are they generally harmless? Should something be done to prevent or encourage such outcomes?
No outside sources are necessary to complete this assignment. However, if you do use outside sources, you must cite them using a recognized format (e.g., APA, Chicago, MLA). No collaboration with other students is allowed; this must be your own work.
Media Content
The media content you analyze can be anything that appears in print (e.g., in a newspaper or magazine), on television, or in a recent theatrical film. If you choose to use printed content, you should select one isolated piece of print content such as a single article or advertisement. If you choose a message on television, you should use only an isolated segment (e.g., one episode of a program or one news report). Do not merely talk about a television series in general terms.
The message you select must have been originally published/broadcast/released after January 1, 2009. If you are unsure whether the material you have chosen meets this time requirement, please clear it with me prior to completing the assignment.
Be careful about your message selection. Some messages are so uninteresting as to limit the amount of creative work you can do. Pick something that interests you, something that you’ll be able to write about for 5-7 pages.
Documentation
You must provide documentation of the media message you select. That is, if you use printed material, you must provide a copy of it with your paper or a link to where it can be found online. If you use a television program episode or something from the Internet, you must provide a link to where it can be viewed, or a burned copy of it on CD or DVD (if providing a CD or DVD, be sure to clearly label it with your name). If you use a theatrical film, include a link to a website that summarizes or reviews the movie. If you use content from a magazine or newspaper, submit only the particular content you reference. Do not submit the entire magazine or newspaper.
Grading Criteria
Your paper will be assessed based on how well it meets the assignment’s requirements, the depth and accuracy of your analysis, and the quality of your presentation (i.e., the clarity of your writing, organization of ideas, and avoidance of grammatical/spelling errors). Take care to do all of the things described above in the “Assignment Specifics” section. A common error in a paper like this is simply to not do all that the assignment asks of you.
