Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Group Project (aka "The Final")

Propose a set of reforms for the problems preventing the press from fulfilling its functions under democratic theory. You can draw on Postman, the Hutchins Commission report, and other in-class sources.

You should first define what you see as the major problems affecting the functioning of a socially responsible press, then specify how they might be resolved.

Each group is responsible for an 8-10 page paper, fully footnoted, explaining your recommendations. In addition, the groups will each make a 10-minute in-class presentation on one particular recommendation. The presentation should be accompanied by or accomplished through a video, PowerPoint, or another audio-visual aid.

(Please give your input; I'll revise this with your input in mind.)

25 comments:

Nick Hall said...

The first thing that comes to my mind is how clunky writing an academic style paper with a group of four is. It may help us keep it flowing more without taking from content if we wrote it in the form of a manifesto or as the Hutchins commission wrote theirs. Like we put forth our ideas as a group "we find that..."

I also don't write tests for students, I take them =), but this is what came to my mind first. Like I said, I'm mainly concerned about how difficult it can be to write a long academic paper in a group.

Diana said...

I just read your email on the final project and I'd like to cover media literacy for the final.

yellow rebel said...

For whatever reason I'm still drawn to Postman's idea of criticizing media in the form of parodies a la Colbert report. I understand the point that you brought up in class that these same shows can eventually turn into the problem that they sought to rectify, but I still think it has relevancy.

Christal said...

I like the whole idea about having media (tv,newspapers, news channels, radio) having local news. However, I feel like that is way too much for now so teaching students how to observe the news, commerical, etc.. seems more "workable". Im for media literacy. As for the final I am technology illiterate so im not for the video. Powerpoint seems alright. So for me Im for media literacy.

Gina Davison said...

I think Nick raises a good point about how awkward it is to put together a paper for a group... so I don't know. But I think the premise for the project is a great way to tie in the entire semesters worth of work, while forcing us to be more optimistic, rather than... well, how I've been feeling while we're watching Idiocracy (ack! We're doomed!). It's easy to critisize, find out what the problems are, be a nihilist/cynic, but what you'll be asking us to do is rise above it and try to find a solution... I think its a great idea. Although, yikes.


Let's not do footnotes. Argh. Just kidding sort of.

Dawn said...

I think that an actual hands on project would be a lot more worthwile then having to sit down with 4 others to write a tedious 8-10 page paper.

Darrell C. said...

An extensive 8-10 written paper will most likely prove difficult because of students schedule but a project defining what are the issues affecting a socially responsible media is cool.

Jillian said...

I would like to cover media literacy. It's the one aspect of this conversation that I really think can make a difference.

Jillian said...
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Jillian said...
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Anonymous said...

i hope its not too late for this comment, but i'm really interested in media literacy.

Gina Davison said...

My group and I would like to do non-for-profit media/press as our final idea.

Doug Carter said...

I would like to do a project on media literacy

Nick Hall said...

If we are picking topics, I think I would like to work on the national press council idea.

yellow rebel said...
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kristen h said...

i'm torn between the idea of improving media literacy and a national press council. i think both are interesting and have potential, so i'd be willing to do a project on either.

Julia P. said...

I'd like to research the non-profit media for the project.

kt said...

Not for profit media

Gina Marinelli said...

I would like to do my final project on the press council where media complaints can be issued and dealt with.

Christal said...

I wrote before that I wanted to do media literacy.

Shannon said...

I would like to research not for profit media

Tara Quealy said...

I would rather do media literacy

Damien Tavis Toman said...

I have always found group projects to be especially terror-inspiring. They seem to result in the creation of two types of students: ones who assume that everyone else is doing enough work for them to relax and take matters loosely, and ones who assume that nobody else is doing any work, and wreck themselves in an effort to handle the project singularly. I confess that I tend to represent the latter personality.

If we are to work in groups, it seems most fitting that (1) each group should take as its focus one specific solution to the present mass-media conundrum, and (2) each member of that group should research one particular form of media (TV, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, radio, etc.), and work to ascertain how the solution in question would be applied to it, while offering a conclusion on the probable efficacy of such an attempted solution.

But I think that this is what the Good Professor Good (Professor) already suggested in the last class anyway. Projects involving a lot of research, but only a minimal ammount of writing, per person.

Kalli Chapman said...

I was thinking, what about a debate between the ideas for resolutions, or as another standpoint that their is no resolution. I think a debate would be much more interesting as opposed to a power point or paper. I think the problem is much deeper and that their is no resolution , but, If im forced to choose one i would have to chose media literacy.

. said...

I would like to research non-profit media for the final. Sorry for the late post, hope it's not too late.