Mass Media and Society
Research Paper Handout
FALL 2014
What is the research
paper all about?
The research paper is
designed to closely examine one particular aspect of the eight major mass media
– newspapers, magazines, books, recordings, movies, television, radio and the
Internet. It is hoped that in writing the research paper you’ll gain a better
perspective on the media topic you choose and, of course, satisfy the research
paper portion of the course requirements.
What should you write
about?
There are two approaches
to take when deciding what to write about. Choose only
ONE approach.
First approach - The issue/problem paper. For this
assignment, pick a medium and then think of an issue or problem facing that
medium. The focus of the paper must be on the effects or outcome or impact of
that problem on that medium OR on society. Do not write a paper focused on the
problem itself. For example, a paper about demassification should focus on how
a particular medium is affected by that phenomenon. For instance, you might
research how that phenomenon has changed the way television operates. Or you might
write a paper on how file swapping has impacted the recording industry. Be sure
to focus on how the particular medium you choose has been impacted by the
issue/problem or on how society has been impacted by the issue/problem. You
must also be sure to present both sides of whatever problem/issue you’ve chosen
to write about, such as the positive and the negative, the past and the
present, the opposing sides, etc. Some examples:
Possible topics for
the issue/problem paper:
How has the shrinking
newspaper industry impacted society?
Does violence in
(television, movies, gaming) make people violent?
How has
demassification impacted (television or radio or magazines or newspapers)?
Does sex on
television and movies have a negative effect on society (be specific in your
research)?
Are non-white lives
properly represented on TV and in film?
Should the government
subsidize the newspapers industry (the way it subsidizes other industries, such
as healthcare, agriculture, banking, etc.)
Choose an
international issue and compare and contrast how media in different regions
and/or nations cover that issue.
How has digital
technology, file swapping, and the Internet impacted the recording industry?
How does the
industry’s thirst for blockbusters (blockbusters if you focus on movies; bestsellers
if you focus on books, platinum albums if you focus on recordings, etc.) impact
the quality of the content produced?
Second approach - The historical paper. For this assignment,
pick a prominent figure, issue, or era in the mass media and write about the
ways in which that person, issue, or era impacted society through a particular
medium of your choosing. For instance, how did newspapers impact the civil
rights struggle in the 1960s? DO NOT write a mini biography about Oprah
Winfrey. Do write about the impact – both negative and positive – that
she has had on society through TV or books or magazines and/or film. If you
pick an era, emphasize how the media affected society during that era (and vice
versa). For instance, what was the effect of television on America’s
perceptions/attitudes of the Vietnam War, or how did Hugh Hefner impact
American society through Playboy magazine? Again, the focus is on how a
particular figure or era affected society through a specific medium. Some examples:
Possible topics for
the historical paper:
How did Ida Tarbell
contribute to investigative journalism?
How did cable TV
impact the television industry?
How did the Internet
change the media landscape?
How did the
(Colonial, Yellow or Penny period) change newspapers?
How did Randolph
Hearst impact society through his various media companies?
These are just some
ideas. You’re welcome to come up with an idea of your own. That said, I
strongly urge you to take advantage of the opportunity I offer to run your
topics by me before beginning work, just so you make sure you’re focused and on
point.
What else do I need
to know?
Research: This is a research paper, not an opinion
piece, not a book report. Your paper must have a clear, focused thesis that
explores a specific idea. Notice how all the above ideas are posed in the form
of a question. Your research paper should pose a question or make a strong
assertion and then seek to answer that question or to prove that assertion. You
do that by consulting multiple sources that deal with your topic/subject and
bringing that information into your paper.
Sources: You must use credible, verifiable sources.
USE TRUSTED NEWS BRANDS AND
SCHOLARLY SOURCES.
You must use credible sources. If you’re not sure what constitutes a credible
source, ASK ME! Or ask a librarian. You are required to use at least four
different sources: Two books, one article from a magazine or journal and one
Internet source. Use
current material for research (within the last 10 years) unless your paper
specifically requires you to use material from an earlier period.
You must cite your
sources at least once per body paragraph. Parenthetical references (at least
one citation per body paragraph!) should be formatted using standard MLA style,
which looks like this: “Ledes have never been more important” (Stafanac 146).
That’s parenthesis, the author’s last name, the page number, end parenthesis.
OR, if you mention the author in a sentence in your paper, then you only need
to list the page number, like this: In her book Dispatches from Blogistan,
author Suzanne Stefanac wrote, “Ledes have never been more important” (146).
Length: Your research paper must be between six and
eight pages long, including the works cited page. Five written pages is the
absolute minimum. It must be typed and double-spaced, using Times New Roman,
12-point font with a maximum of 1-inch margins all around.
The paper should be
white, the ink should be black and the pages should be stapled. It is your
responsibility to make sure the formatting is correct.
Mechanics: Your paper must be well written,
organized, well researched and largely free of mechanical errors. It must have an
introduction. The introduction starts by discussing the subject in the broadest
terms and then narrowing it down until it focuses on your specific research
question/assertion in the thesis. For example, if you’re writing about the
impact of photojournalism on war coverage, you can start off by writing about
media war coverage in general then narrow your focus to war coverage via
photojournalism.
Your paper must have
a thesis statement, which is the sentence or two located at the end of the introduction
that tells the reader exactly what the paper is about. Your thesis must have
three parts: 1) a topic; 2) your position on that topic and 3) a plan of
development, which is the two to four specific areas of exploration that will
prove/illustrate/support your thesis.
Examples:
Not a thesis
statement: “Newspapers are in a
state of decline.”
The above sentence is
just a statement. It doesn't tell the reader what the research paper will be
about or how the author feels about it. Your thesis must state what the
research paper is about, include your position or “take” on the topic and
include a plan of development: the handful of areas you intend to explore to
prove or illustrate your thesis.
A good thesis
statement: “The decline of
newspapers in the U.S. is a serious threat to democracy because there is far
less investigative journalism rooting out corruption, fewer trustworthy outlets
from which to learn about political candidates and issues and a proliferation
of misinformation spreading through society.”
Note that the above
statement tells you what the issue is (decline of newspapers), what the
author’s position on that topic is (a serious threat to democracy) and what the
plan of development is (less investigative journalism, fewer trustworthy
outlets and more chance for misinformation to spread through society).
No one has a great
thesis just floating around in his or her head. You must develop your idea by
thinking about it, writing your ideas down and crafting a cogent thesis that
consists of a topic, position on that topic and plan of development.
Body Paragraphs: The body of the paper, the paragraphs
between the introduction and the conclusion, is where the bulk of the
researched information goes.
For a paper that must
include at least six pages of writing, you can plan on roughly four to six body
paragraphs, depending on the length of each. You must cite your references at least
once per body paragraph. Parenthetical references should be formatted using standard
MLA style; so a typical use of a source with citation would look like this:
Feminism has been
defined in many ways. Perhaps the simplest explanation is that it “asks the
world at long last to recognize that women aren’t decorative objects” (Faludi
36). Notice how the source citation is structured: the author’s exact language
from the book is in quotation marks; the source citation at the end is a
parenthesis, the author’s last name, the page number where the language can be
found, an end parenthesis and then the period.
Bibliography/Works
Cited Page: Your paper must
include a works cited page (a.k.a. a bibliography) using MLA style.
Bibliographic entries should be listed alphabetically by author last name and
entries for single-author works should look like this:
Faludi, Susan. Backlash.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1991.
If you are unclear
about any of this, come see me. Also, I encourage you to bring your paper to
the writing center. If you make a trip to the writing center and follow the suggestions
offered to you there, your paper will be better. Bringing your paper to the
writing center is a smart move.
* A note on MLA
style: If you are unfamiliar
with MLA style, you will need to become familiar with its proper use. You will
be held accountable for following MLA style guidelines.
Some sources for help
on MLA:
The Owl at Purdue:
MLA 2009 Formatting and Style Guide. Access the site here:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker
College Writing
Skills by John Langan
The Schauerman
Library at El Camino College has an MLA Citing Sources Guidelines
document available
online to students at http://www.elcamino.edu/library/library_ser/index.asp
These are only four
of many, many resources out there to help you with MLA style. The
Writing Center on
campus can help you, too. And of course as always, I am here to offer help,
too. Just know that you must adhere to MLA guidelines.
Content: You must present both sides of the issue.
Even if it’s a paper about a person, bring up the negatives about that person.
Find out what critics as well as supporters have to say. In the above example,
there is a large group of people who feel the decline of newspapers is a very
good thing; they say the death of large, established newspapers will break up
the media companies’ stranglehold on information and give the public a bigger
role to play in the gathering and reporting of news. This balanced approach is
critical. Don’t give me a puff piece about how fabulous Oprah Winfrey is
because she is a survivor. Many people find her controversial.
You must also be sure
to provide specific examples to prove/illustrate/back up your thesis. See how
the sample thesis I offered above has three specific examples of how the
decline of newspapers is a serious threat? They are outlined right in the
thesis statement.
This type of outline
is called a plan of development. Use a plan of development in your paper. It
will keep you focused and on point.
Also, papers must be
written in the third person. Do NOT use I, me, we, you, us or anything else that
mentions yourself. It is an academic paper and must be in the third person.
Lastly, do NOT
fill your body paragraphs with your personal opinion or with what you’ve heard
someone saying somewhere or what you think might be true simple because you
said/thought/typed/wrote it. You want to use your sources to provide proof
that what you say is true or at
least plausible. Remember that this paper is worth 100 points. That’s a lot in
the grand scheme of things, so apply yourself accordingly.
If you’re not sure
about any of this, ask me! I am here to help.
