Assignment
There are two parts to this assignment. The responses must be submitted in paragraph format. Please do not add the questions. You can restate the questions in your topic sentences for organizational purposes, but separate each response in a separate paragraph. You are required to have at least one citation per question. You can use the class reading resources and/or outside resources to support your viewpoints.
Part I: Media and Culture Theory
After studying the assigned reading in week one in The Handbook of Communication Science, Second Edition: Chapter 15: Mass Media Effects, considering one of the five categories of media effect theories mentioned in the article (learning, socialization, selective exposure, selective presentation, and perceived effects-remember, these are the categories, not the names of the theories themselves) identify one of the theories listed in the article and answer the following questions or prompts.
A. Does media directly influence individuals? Explain your answer
B. Which of the mass communication theories do you feel most accurately portrays your media experiences? Why? Be sure to provide an example that supports your opinion.
C. How involved should the government be in protecting us from media effects? Where do you draw the line between free speech and indecency? Is censorship ever warranted?
Part II: The Nature of News
After studying the assigned reading in week two in the 21st Century Communication: A Reference Handbook: Chapter 65: The Changing Nature of "News" considering the concepts of timeliness, proximity, unusualness, prominence, impact, conflict and human interest, provide a current example of a compelling news story. Answer the following questions or prompts:
A. Why is it compelling? Which of the concepts does it exemplify?
B. In general, how have these concepts been challenged by the advent of immediacy in news release?
The response should be in 12pt type, at least 2.5- 3 pages pages in length,1.5 line spacing. Please meet the requirements to avoid loss of points. You should use the class reading resources and/or outside sources to support your viewpoints in your response. When you use research, please use in-text citation and create a reference sheet in APA format. Submit your response in the file submission area for this assignment. If you choose to "add a file" by attaching a MSWord document, please also copy and paste your response into the comments area.