blog 1
For this week's blog, you will reserach a current news story and how it was covered by AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT news media outlets (not just one). This can be a local, national, or international news story. The reporting should NOT come from Facebook, Reddit or more partisan websites such as Breitbart and Mother Jones. It should come from more traditional news sources such as a local news station's website (Fox4, NBC5, WFAA); a national television news network such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS News, ABC News, etc.; or a newspaper such as the Dallas Morning News, the Mesquite News, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc. All are available online. Make sure you choose a topic that was covered by multiple new media outlets and then compare and contrast how each news outlet covered the story. It would be best to use different types of sources, such as FoxNews (more conservative) vs. MSNBC (more liberal) or a local newspaper vs. a television station.
Posts should be at least 250 words in length, but might need to be longer to cover all requirements. Current events should involve a topic that is relevant to your community, state, country, etc., and that happened in the same week as you are completing the assignment. It should NOT involve a celebrity or regular sports news unless there is a legitimate news angle. For instance, it would be acceptable to write about how the NFL is responding to the national anthem controversy, but it would not be acceptable to write about the Cowboys game or the team in general. Contact the instructor if you are unsure whether your topic fits under current events. You do not have to comment on your classmates' blogs but you are certainly welcome to.
Your post this week should include the following:
1. Background on the story you have chosen and why it is important. In other words, why is it news?
2. What type of media you first used to access the story and what other news organizations covered the event. Provide an online link to each of the stories you are analyzing.
3. Compare and contrast how AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT media organizations covered the news story. For example, if the news story is about a controversial bill being considered in the state legislature, what aspect of the story did the various news outlets focus on? Did they focus on one side or the other, or did the report give equal time to both sides? Do you think the way they covered the story might influence the opinion of a viewer or reader on this topic?
4. Your opinion about the event and how it was covered by the media. Were there any underlying messages in the content or in the amount of attention it was given by the media? Was the report biased? Remember, blogs must be at least 250 words and should be in your own words. Plagiarizing will result in a zero on the assignment.