the news media

Your paper must be word-processed, double-spaced and at least 850 words in length (excluding your name, title, and references).  Your paper is worth 100 points. 

The news media is the primary method most Americans use to get their information about myriad issues, including those relating to race and ethnic relations. For this assignment you are to analyze a current news article that is about explicitly or tangentially race and ethnic relations (from a reputable BIPARTISAN - or NONPARTISAN - source, this includes, newspapers, newspapers or online news, or magazines such Vanity Fair or The New Yorker, etc. You may even use stories discussed in the textbook but be sure to look for and use the actual article cited) in sociological terms (or as a sociologist would do it). Find a story that intrigues you about race and ethnic relations. Critically analyze the article using class material. Although the first part asks for a brief summary of ‘the facts’ this is the least important part of the assignment. The most important part are the questions that follow! Do not forget to answer all of the questions for full credit and answer them with knowledge gained from this course. Be sure to include the following points:Identify the following: 

1. Who is involved? 
2. What happened? 
3. Why did it happen? 
4. Where did it occur? 
5. When did it occur? 
6. What aspect of race and ethnic relations is being addressed? 

This is the most important part! Thoroughly answer the following questions: 

1. How would the aspect of race and ethnic relations in question be explained by sociologists (using sociological concepts covered in this course)?
2. How (if) could this issue be addressed differently than it is right now?
3. Be sure to clearly state how the groups or people involved are invested in the definition of the situation (i.e., the race and ethnic relations at hand) provided (either resolving it or perpetuating it).