Media & Politics Midterm Exam - Due on Monday, March 18, 2013
You must write two summaries of two different media-related news stories or reports (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)
[Par. 1. News story:] On [provide date], [name news outlet] reported that [name topic]. According to [name news outlet or reporter]... [Summarize central developments in two or three sentences; mention coverage by other news outlets.]
[Par. 1. Reports on issue or media trend] In recent years, [name issue or trend] has become a major topic of debate in [name social sector, e.g., "among journalists" or "within the [name industry].
[Describe major developments or central issues more specifically in two or three paragraphs.]
[Detail main conflicts or consequences in one or two paragraphs.]
[Provide background or implications in one or two paragraphs.]
[Indicate either what may happen next or the general outcome in final paragraph.]
Although you may use the language provided in this template if you find it helpful, this is the only part of the exam that may be copied. Please 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 and Reports:
Summarize two of the stories or surveys included in the list below. Each of your summaries must be at least two pages long. In order to write a comprehensive summary, you must read several linked articles or documents. 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 or the main issues as they were presented in various articles. If you have any questions, please e-mail me.
New York Times Reporting by and about Judith Miller, selected articles, 2005-2007.
Social Status and Sexual Assault: The Case of William Kennedy Smith, various articles from the New York Times.
New York Times Reporting on Accused Spy Wen Ho Lee, selected articles, 1999-2006.
Report on Social Media & Political Engagement, Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2012.
"On Media Consolidation," Perspectives from Bill Moyers' Group Think, December 7, 2012.
The Continuing Saga of Dominique Strauss-Kahn (Be sure to include the most recent developments), Times Topics.
"Has the Media Failed in Covering Climate Change?," Here & Now, WBUR, November 15, 2012 (Be sure to listen to radio show and read source article.
"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.