Media Criticism

The First Assignment!

As the experts on how the media have covered their assigned summer media assignment topic over the last three weeks, students were asked to use that knowledge to write, in groups, their first piece of media criticism (here's a model they used as a guide!) to share with the Poly community. What are the media doing well with regard to coverage of their topic? What could they do better? What is the basis of the critique?

Some guiding questions they considered as they drafted their group's contribution:

• How do the media frame public discussion of your topic (by repeating various story elements, using common metaphors, quoting similar people, etc.)?

• Who are the main spokespeople on your particular topic (citizens, advocates, policymakers, academic experts)?

• What aspects of your topic are being covered, and which are being ignored?

• Is your topic often front-page news? If not, where in the paper (or on the paper's website) is your topic covered?

• In what ways, if any, can the media improve their coverage of your topic?

Finally, they were asked to keep their group's piece to 650 words or fewer! Sources they relied on can be found at the bottom of their pieces; dive in!