M9

Objectives:

· Demonstrate understanding of how people consume "hard" news.

· Describe how the newspaper industry is declining and what is replacing it.

Steps:

1. (20 points) After completing the individual homework, write a 300-wordmaximum analysis about the state of the news. Be sure to address the following points:

2.  How do you get your news? 

3.  Why is news even important? Should we have laws that ensure we get good quality news from our media outlets?

4.  How has technology changed the way we get our news?  

Post your response below

2. Read the post below.

I get a lot of criticism from my friends and roommate for this, but I generally avoid following the news, especially politics (though I do research when it comes time to vote). When I do learn about certain events it is either through word of mouth or through posts from my friends on Instagram or Snapchat. Often I will hear about something going on that I would like to learn more about and I do this by looking up the event on Google. I may read a few articles online though I typically end up watching videos on the topic through Youtube.

Though I don't consume much of the news myself, I think it is very important for us to have access to it. I think as voting citizens, we have a right to this information. I believe in our right to freedom of speech, and therefore I do not think everything published needs to be 100% true. There is a certain value in reading about the opinions and commentaries of others. However, I think that publications from trusted organizations should be required to publish content which is, to their extent of knowledge, the truth. If it is not it should be clearly labeled as an opinion piece to avoid any misconceptions. 

Technology has drastically changed the way we access the news. It is now so much more readily available. We can access it (often for free) online, and we can do this from home or on the go. We can choose to read articles or watch videos. However, I think that it is so readily available now because it is also very easy to publish. This creates a sense of doubt about the validity of the news we are consuming which I think poses major issues. 

 Write a paragraph response to that post. Justify or refute what they wrote. Be sure to include the three points listed above. Suggested length: 100 words. 

M10

Objectives: Spend a day without media and analyze the experience. 

Introduction: This assignment is based on a  study  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Or go here: https://withoutmedia.wordpress.com/ . Conducted by the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda and students at the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. 

Part One: Find a 24-hour period during which you can pledge to give up all use of media: no Internet, no newspapers, no books, no magazines, no TV, no cell phones, no music, no movies, no ads, no television, no media of any kind. Make sure you understand the difference between the technology you use to access media and the media accessed.

Yes, this assignment will be difficult, but education requires sacrifice! If you are subjected to some media during this time, make note of it, but don't give up on the assignment. 

You will write at least two paragraphs about your experience and post them below. Feel free to do outside research if this helps you, but make sure to correctly cite any outside sources you use. (Many of you did have not been citing your sources correctly. A URL is not a complete citation.) In your paragraphs, explore the following issues:

1. Were you successful in going 24 hours without media? If not, how long did you make it? What happened? How did you feel during the experience? Be honest.

2. In general, reflect on the following questions: What about your day was different in terms of logistics? What about psychological effects? Were you surprised either by how hard or how easy it was? What does your use of media reflect about our society and its use of communication media? If you are tied to media, what about those in our society who are not connected? Is there something they’re missing? Is there something you’re missing out on if you are entrenched in media?