Portfolio Assignment and Description (All 5 Stories Due- Finals Week- via email)

Portfolio Assignment and Description (All 5 Stories Due- Finals Week- via email): 

Description: the portfolio is the closest we get to homework in this course. You will analyze a single story either periodically or pictorially from three different article sources. You will read the articles/pictures and attach the links or the photographs representing the story you have chosen. In one sentence you will describe the basic structure of the story and in the following sentences you will describe the similarities or inconsistencies in reporting from various periodicals. The differences you are looking for can come from the way actors or states in the story are described, from the vantage point of the story (capitalist, realist, liberal, Marxist, conservative, state-based, individual-based etc. ), or from the editorial byline of the periodical (i.e. does the bias of the periodical stand out in their reporting, when compared to other stories?)   

Objective: To critically analyze a single story from multiple periodical vantage points (at least three). 

Number of Stories: 5 

Format: Below I have included a sample of the photojournal, the article-based option can have the same format. A third option is also available. If the written assignment is not in your wheelhouse, another option is to take the 5 stories (either pictorially or periodically at least three articles or pictures per story), you have completed throughout the semester and post a short PowerPoint-assisted, video podcast. A completed podcast should do effectively what you written assignment would otherwise do throughout the semester: briefly introduce each story and note the differences and similarities in the reporting of each story. Representing this visually can be a challenging and engaging way to complete the assignment.  

Past students have posted videos to Youtube and simply turned in the link as their portfolio, others have used programs on the MAC and PC to generate their videos. I have used PowerPoint video linked through a program called Camtasia, so, this is the one I am most familiar with but I would be willing to try to learn whatever you need to complete the assignment. Let me know how I can help you to get this done.  The format for your citations for the article can be found here (http://libguides.tulane.edu/content.php?pid=6016&sid=2732305), the photographs only require the link. The preferred structure for citations is Harvard Referencing Style the description of which can be found in the link above. 

Where to look for sources: 

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/ Foreign Policy is a news magazine that is published by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Those that are skeptical of the CFR, its motives, and history have every reason to be dubious about the validity of this magazine as a source, however, I think it is a useful starting point in asking important questions about news and foreign affairs. The magazine also will send tailored emails every morning about issues important to our area of study. Peruse the website, find the Middle East Brief, or the FP daily briefing and see if it fits your notion of how news should be gathered, it is an important resource, if only as a starting point. 

Several Periodicals (be skeptical of editiorial byline, but feel free to use) 

The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ 

The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/ 

Politico (American News site, it can be valuable for Foreign Policy purposes). http://www.politico.com/ (While I would by no means require you to link your email to these, much like FB or Twitter, Politico has several early morning emails that can serve as the basis for further media exploration, specifically The Huddle, Playbook, and the E-Ring (Defense Department- focused). 

Europe- 

Der Spigel (Germany) - http://www.spiegel.de/international/ 

BBC (The UK)- http://www.bbc.com/ 

Le Monde- http://mondediplo.com/ 

Latin America 

Argentina- http://www.buenosairesherald.com/ 

Boliva- http://boliviatimes.com/ 

(Two very, very different perspectives on LA politics) 

Middle East- 

Al Jazeera (English or if possible Arabic) http://america.aljazeera.com/ 

Haaretz (Israeli- Left) http://www.haaretz.com/ 

Arutz Sheva (Israeli- Right-Center) http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ 

The Jerusalem Post (Israeli- Right) http://www.jpost.com/ 

The Times of Israel (Israeli- Center) http://www.timesofisrael.com/ 

The Lebanese Daily Star (A good daily with a searchable archive) http://www.dailystar.com.lb/ 

Al Ahram (Egypt) http://english.ahram.org.eg/Index.aspx 

Al Aribiya http://english.alarabiya.net/ 

For Africa I have contacted some of Afr-icanist colleagues (a subset of comparative politics) and they have responded that while there are papers in Africa they are mostly local in focus, so if some of you have specific interests in a given county, A) let me know about it, and B) ask for sources.  

I am still looking for well rounded Asia sources and would invite discussion on the issue. Yes, the subcontinent of Asia, I don't have reliable sources for India, or China, although I do have a couple for S. Korea (http://www.koreaherald.com/ ; http://english.chosun.com/) I'd be interested to hear any suggestions from the class