Investigation

Investigation #1: Sourcing the News

Purpose: to expand your thinking and consider how you source information; to develop crucial analytical and argumentative evaluation skills towards obtaining and sourcing new information; to improve your abilities in interpretation and application of complex ideas

Task: construct a response in casual essay format in at least 400 words containing: answers to the questions below; a short research inquest; citations of your sources in an understandable format; and submitted by the due date/time

Criteria: papers are evaluated based upon meeting the requirements stated above. Specifically, they are marked in terms of clarity, supporting evidence, and addressing the prompt below.

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Take a moment to think about the most recent news stories you've read. What sources did they come from? Specifically, I want you to investigate 2 news sources you have personally used in the past few weeks. Please respond to the following questions:

1) What are the two news stories and from which outlets were they produced (newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc.)? Where did you see/find them (search engine, Snapchat, Facebook, Reddit, newspaper, television, radio, etc.)?

2) Find out the following information about the two news outlets: a) who owns the news source; b) is the source non-profit or for-profit; c) what is its reputation in terms of political bias (ex: liberal, conservative, neutral, etc.); d) where do you access this news source most often; and e) what sources did you use to find answers to these questions?

After completing this short research project about news outlets you currently use, try to find 2 news outlets that you have not used extensively in the past. Specifically, look for sources that have a strong journalistic reputation, that specialize in long-form journalism, and that are understood to be mostly neutral in their politics. Please respond to the following questions:

1) What are the two news outlets your found?

2) Explain in a paragraph or two why they meet the criteria stated above.

3) Give an example of an article from each and explain how the articles demonstrate the journalistic integrity/reputation of the source.