Media Visionary

Media Visionary Assignment

Description:

Write a biographical, 750 word paper, which focuses on a media visionary and details that person's impact on their specific discipline. This is a research-based paper for which you will need a minimum of 5 sources. You will be required to develop your thesis, support it and summarize your position.

Goal:

The goal of this assignment is yo learn about a particular media visionary, and to develop a theory of that person’s importance. In order to understand a particular person’s impact we must have some understanding of the impact of their work. For this reason, I suggest you do not attempt to select someone who is a recent visionary. This does not mean that you cannot select someone who is still active, but you should select someone whose place in history is somewhat set. For example, Oprah is still active but her place in history is already assured no matter what, and we know some of the reasons why. In comparison, Mark Zuckerberg seems like a massive media visionary, but history may not be so kind. In five years, Facebook could be a ghost town. If this happens how we perceive him now may not be how he is perceived in the future.

Format:

The paper should use the basics of APA format (12 point font, double space, 1 inch margins, Time New Roman or similar font, numbered pages). You do not need an abstract for this assignment.

Workshop:

You will need to bring a draft of your paper on the assigned day for an in-class workshop.

Grading:

This paper will be graded on grammar, style, thesis strength, and support for that thesis. The strength of your sources and their integration will also be considered.

Note on sources:

Wikipedia is not a source, but many great sources can be found there. Sources should not only be interviews or articles about your subject. You should look for articles that analyze their media innovations in a serious and rigorous way.

Due Dates:

Topic: Feb 22

Workshop: Mar 9

First Draft: Mar 11

Final Draft: Mar 21