Media & Politics Midterm Exam - Due on Thursday, October 29, 2009
You must write two summaries of two different media-related news stories (double spaced; one-inch margins; 11 or 12 point type). Each of your summaries must be at least two pages long. Please select the two stories from the list below. Note that you will have to read more than one article on each story in order to write a complete summary. You do not have to summarize all of the details in every article; instead focus on major themes and developments.
Keep in mind that summarizing requires you to synthesize information. Although you may quote specific terms or phrases when absolutely necessary, do your best to translate the story into your own words. Be sure to specify the source of your information even if you do not include direct quotes.
Also, do not include any opinions. Simply summarize the articles without adding comments or evaluations of any kind. This exercise is designed to help you get a sense of how most journalists are trained to write. Consequently, avoid using the first person ("I"), and try to focus on specific details such as names, dates, locations, and concrete events or developments.
You will be graded according to your ability to convey information in college-level prose. Please use the Term Paper Checklist to catch common errors before you turn in the exam. If your midterm suffers from the errors identified in the checklist, your grade will be much lower than you might expect. Minor errors will not be held against you, but your exam must indicate that you wrote, revised, and proofread your work as carefully as possible.
Your exam must be formatted for Microsoft Word and sent as a single e-mail attachment. Please include both summaries in one Word document (at least four pages total). Don't forget to include your name on the first page. Also, include your name in the document title. Thus, your midterm should be saved as "YourName.doc" or "YourName.docx." Please make sure that your exam has a ".doc" or ".docx" extension before you send it in.
Suggested template for midterm summaries: (Not required)
On [provide date], [name news outlet] reported that [name topic]. According to the [name news outlet], [summarize central developments in two or three sentences].
[Describe developments more specifically in two or three paragraphs.]
[Detail main conflicts or consequences in one or two paragraphs.]
[Provide background or context in one or two paragraphs.]
[Indicate either what may happen next or the general outcome in final paragraph.]
Do not try to pass off someone else's work as your own. Plagiarism will cause you to fail this entire course and riddle you with eternal shame.
Stories:
Summarize two of the stories on the list below. Each of your summaries must be at least two pages long. In order to write a comprehensive summary of any of these stories, you must read several linked articles or documents related to that story. You do not have to include all details, but your summary will be incomplete if it indicates that you read only one source and failed to grasp the story as a whole. Again, do not add opinion or evaluation. Simply recount the main facts as they were reported. If you have any questions, please e-mail me.
1. New York Times Reporting by and on Judith Miller, selected articles, 2005-2007.
2. Social Status and Sexual Assault: The Case of William Kennedy Smith, various articles from the New York Times.
3. New York Times Reporting on Accused Spy Wen Ho Lee, selected articles, 1999-2006.
4. "Clergy Abuse and the Case of Paul Edwards," NPR, All Things Considered audio, 10/31/03. Background: Coalition of Catholics & Survivors, Letter to Archbishop Sean O'Malley on the Edwards case; Victims' Rights Committee Report on the Edwards Case.