– Conduct a critical analysis of 4 media items (newspaper articles, magazine articles, videos, dramas, textbooks, websites, films, television programs, recordings, and other media presentations).

– You must:
- assess information for completeness, accuracy, currency, relevance, balance of perspectives, and bias
– analyze different presentations of the same information to reconsider positions
- assess ways in which language reflects and influences values and behaviors
- assess how mass media influence individual perceptions and social behaviors

– For an example of what I mean, look at:    http://www.media-alliance.org/     Click on "media analysis"

– Here is a list of sample questions you can ask yourself in order to monitor the information you receive through the mass media and complete this assignment:

   Importance:
What importance was given to the item?
Was the importance given to the main item justified in relation to other news items?
On a given issue, how many items appeared about it?
Were there any news stories that were neglected?
What page did the article appear on (or at what point during the broadcast, and for how long)?
How many column spaces were devoted to the article? What sized font was used?

   Use of Photographs:
Are there any photographs / illustrations used?
Do they show favorable or unfavorable treatment of the subject?
How often are photographs used on a given issue?
How big were the photographs?
What aspect of the story / person do the photographs highlight?

   What is the Source?:
Is it possible to identify clearly who the sources of the information are (their name, occupation, where they live, etc...)
Is the story from a wire service (e.g: Reuters)
Can you clearly identify who is being quoted throughout the story (their name, relation to the story being covered, etc...)
The Angle of the Story:
What aspect of the story was played up?
How are humorous comments used? What do they imply?
Are dramatic or tragic stories used to symbolize a larger social issue?
How much information is provided on this larger social issue?

   The Information:
What information is provided? What information is NOT provided? Is this information significant?
What percentage of sentences are supported by facts? What percentage are supported by opinion (either the reporter's or someone else's)?

   Bias of Reporting:
Who does the reporter work for? Who owns the organization they work for?
What is the emotion of the language used in the report? Look at the adjectives.
Were different groups treated the same in the reporting? Why or why not?

– Thus in general, I’m looking for:
- What type of audience is the author addressing? Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience?
- Is the information covered fact, opinion, or propaganda? It is not always easy to separate fact from opinion. Facts can usually be verified; opinions, though they may be based on factual information, evolve from the interpretation of facts. Skilled writers can make you think their interpretations are facts.
- Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence? Assumptions should be reasonable. Note errors or omissions.
- Are the ideas and arguments advanced more or less in line with other works you have read on the same topic? The more radically an author departs from the views of others in the same field, the more carefully and critically you should scrutinize his or her ideas.
- Is the author's point of view objective and impartial? Is the language free of emotion-arousing words and bias?