Humanities Application of Sociological Concepts to Media Assignment Step 1: Select a news story of a current event recently covered in news media, such as a local or national
newspaper. Print [or copy & paste] the article. — Sit down with a pen/pencil/highlighter and spend some time reading through the article (you can
do this electronically, also). Mark those passages that stand out or seem interesting to you. — Sketch out a rough conceptual map in which you identify ideas or concepts from your reading,
lecture, and discussion throughout the semester. — Write: Discuss your sociological thinking based on this first layer of analysis. Step 2: Consider the news story in terms of its institutional context – the mass media.
— Working through the article again, think through the following: What is the tone of voice? What
kind of language is being used? How is the story being framed? Are there any possible biases? — Write: Following the analysis, discuss how the story is being communicated.
— Write: Do you feel that this way of communicating the story is appropriate? Why/why not? Why do you think that how a story is communicated is important?
— Write: How might this news story be projecting and/or reinforcing cultural beliefs, values,
norms, and ideas about morality? Alternatively, how might it be challenging our cultural beliefs, values, and norms? (See Newman Chapter 2, page 21) Step 3: Consider the social context of the story.
— Who is the target audience of the newspaper? And, are they a local, regional, national, or
international audience? — Write: What is the local versus global importance of the story? Is this reflected in media coverage?
— Explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and select one “˜goal’ that is most relevant to your news story.
— Write: Briefly explain the development goal and the global problem it addresses, and then discuss how it speaks to the news story. Step 4: Think critically about the news story you read and analyzed.
— Review the concepts of cohort effects and period effects from Chapter 13.
— Write: How would you explain these concepts to someone who is not studying sociology and has never heard of these terms?
— Write: Apply the concepts of cohort effects and/or period effects to your analysis of the news story. How can you make sociological sense of the news story using these concepts? [Think in terms of local/global, as well.] OUTLINE: -Part 1: Title of the news story: Publishing newspaper: Annotations and concept map: *attached*
[3-4 sentences] Sociological framework: -Part 2-
[3-4 sentences] How is the story being communicated?
[1-2 sentences] Is it appropriate? Why/why not?
[1-2 sentences] Reflect on why how a story communicated is important?
[3-4 sentences] How might this news story be projecting and reinforcing [or challenging] cultural beliefs, values, norms, and ideas about morality? -Part 3-
Target audience: Geographic location: [2-3 sentences] What is the local versus global importance of the story?
[2-3 sentences] Is this reflected in media coverage?
UN Global Sustainable Development Goal: [1-2 sentences] Briefly explain the development goal and the global problem it addresses.
[2-3 sentences] Explain how it connects to the news story. -Part 4-
Cohort Effect: Period Effect: [3-4 sentences] Application of concepts: