Contemporary Problems
Senator Daniel Moynihan, once said, “everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not his own fact.” This project aims at helping students understand viewpoints and biases in news coverage of global events. It will also help apply the skills so developed in analyzing the fake news/alternative facts.
In this paper students will analyze a global news headline from a major international news event, problem or political issue outside of US, (from last 5 years) from four different perspectives/sources.
An international wire service (eg. CNN, Associated Press, Reuters, BBC etc.)
A correspondent from a major US daily (eg. NYT, WSJ, USA Today)
A correspondent/newspaper in the country in which the event problem or the issue occurred. (eg. Al Jazeera, Dawn, Times of India, El Colombiana)
A correspondent/newspaper in a third country besides US and the one involved. (eg. The Mail and Guardian- South Africa)
Instructions:
Explain why you chose this news headline. Outline the main points and most significant aspects of what occurred and why as presented by the chosen major international news agency.
Compare the wire service report with the article by a correspondent/ editorial writer in the US. Which facts /aspects of the news agency story are of most interest to the US journalist? Which, if any, are disputed, which considered unimportant and ignored? What piece of information would a person relying on this news item know or not know compared with someone who had only read the wire service news?
Compare the news agency news report and the report in the US newspaper with the report of the journalist where the action took place. Does the home country journalist have some information, which the wire service and US journalist do not? Are there aspects in the story, which look like they have been censored or downplayed? What piece of information would a person relying on this news item know or not know compared with someone who had only read the wire service news and the report of the journalist from US?
Compare the article by the third country journalist with the accounts of the wire service, US journalist, home country journalist What piece of information would a person relying on this news item know or not know compared with someone who had only read the wire service news and the report of the journalist from US and the home country?
Summarize and analyze the points of similarity and difference in the four accounts. Include your own opinion as to the possible reasons behind the differences. Are they reflective of the different geopolitical attitudes ethnic and cultural differences, diverse ideological points of views gender perspective or just diversity in the outlook of the writer? Which of the four was in your opinion most accurate, that event being seen in hindsight? Bulk of your points ride on your analysis.
Mechanics: 4 pages, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, 1 margins, double spaced, MLA or Chicago citation style.
