Writing Assignment #1 (DUE 1/22, 60 pts.)

You will do research on one media/technology corporation and, in a 300 to 600-word document, summarize the following:

  1. Examine the company website to determine how it constructs (or contributes to) a corporate image. Rather than detailing what you see on the website (e.g. a pithy description of the company or links to information about media/technology products), describe how the company utilizes the site to convey a specific “image” and “identity” to the public (e.g. a corporate aesthetic/style; corporate priorities based upon information they choose to include/exclude; how featured stories and press releases emphasize what the corporation deems newsworthy; information provided to current/future investors in quarterly reports, etc.).
  2. What is the company’s mission statement? If it is explicitly stated, you can cut&paste (or summarize). If a mission statement is not explicitly stated, you need to determine what functions as an implicit mission statement (but make sure you have searched to verify if a mission statement exists).
  3. Pick the person at the top of the corporate ladder (typically a CEO or Chairperson). Locate this person’s biographical information from credible online sources and list her/his past three work positions (the company may not change if s/he changed ranks in the same corporation).
  4. What other companies or brands are included in the corporate portfolio? If the company has many subsidiaries, just include a few examples for each division of media/technology.
  5. Is the company currently hiring for any positions that describe a need/desire for entry-level college graduates? If so, what types of positions and do they require specific degrees or skill sets?

NOTE: It will be more difficult for you to locate all of this information about private companies because they are not obligated to report information to shareholders (or the public) when they are not publicly traded.

Writing Assignment #2 (DUE 2/8, 70 pts.)

NOTE: This assignment is divided into three parts. Complete each part of the assignment before proceeding to the next.

PART 1, Instructions: Choose one media company/product you want to write about for this assignment.

PART 1, Assignment: Provide one (research) question you want to explore about an economic condition that pertains to the company/product.

PART 2, Instructions: You will explore how this question is addressed from the perspective of one industry trade publication (they are listed under the heading “Media Trade Publications” and include sources like Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Gamasutra, Computer Magazine, etc.). After you choose one publication, search for four articles published in the past 2-3 years about your company/product (I will only allow you to read articles published before 2016 if the product/company you selected was not written about in trade journals during the past year). The key to this assignment is your article selection. Do not just select the first four results from your search query; instead, browse through the results to find articles relevant to the research question you provided in PART 1 as well as your interests about the company/product.

PART 2, Assignment: Continuing after your research questions in PART 1, provide the following:

  • One list of keywords / search string used to locate all articles. This list should be specific and should not change from one article to the next. (If you struggle to find articles about your company/product, try to search for different words, such as a director’s name, the name of a company executive, the category for your product, etc.)
  • A citation for all four articles you found most relevant to your research questions. All citations should utilize the footnote format from the Chicago Manual of Style.

Read all four articles articles, select two you determine to be most relevant to your research question, and provide:

  • a 1-2 sentence summary about the subject of the article/post.
  • a 2-3 sentence argument about why the topic of the article is significant and newsworthy (for the company/industry).

PART 3, Assignment: Continuing after your article summaries in PART 2, provide the following:

  • A 2-3 sentence assessment of this trade publication as a pertinent source for your topic. (e.g. Did most articles seem relevant? What makes the articles seem to provide enough detail to be objective? Did something reveal a limited/short-sighted point-of-view? etc.)
  • A 2-3 sentence explanation about how this research did (or did not) address your question in PART 1 and how you will alter or enhance your search for information in the next research assignment. (e.g. Fid you find different descriptions/keywords used amongst industry insiders? Was your company/product only discussed in particular contexts? Did you realize you would prefer to write about a different company/product? etc.)

Writing Assignment #3 (DUE 2/22, 80 pts.)

Provide a question you want to explore about technological conditions that affect consumers/users of the media company/product you will be writing about in your final paper (it will likely be the company/product you wrote about in Assignment #2, but this will be your last chance to change your focus). You will aim to find out more information about this question by doing research in the Nexis Uni Database. Begin by searching for three relevant articles from different national U.S. news publications. After you have selected three articles,

  • Read each article and provide:
    • a citation using the Chicago style. [For a newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title,” Name of Publication. Month Day, Year. Page Number(s).]
    • a 1-2 sentence assessment of the publication.
    • a 1-2 sentence summary of the article.
    • a 2-3 sentence argument about why this topic is significant and newsworthy (for the company/industry).
  • Provide a list of search terms that resulted in the articles you selected. This should be the final string of search terms rather than a random list of search terms you used in different searches.
  • In 3-4 sentences, describe what insight this research provided about your question.
  • In 3-4 sentences, clarify how you would describe these news sources as similar to and different from the trade journal you used as a source for research in Writing Assignment #3.

NOTE: If you have difficulty determining or identifying appropriate search terms for this assignment, more relevant articles can emerge when you refine your search terms by utilizing specific search parameters. This tips will help you construct a more refined string of terms when searching within most databases:

  • Use quotation marks to indicate when you are searching for an entire/exact phrase (e.g. “Walt Disney Pictures”)
  • Use the word “AND” (also “&”) to combine two or more search terms (e.g. “Walt Disney Pictures” AND Pixar AND “Finding Nemo”)
  • Use the word “OR” to broaden a search by including synonyms, abbreviations, etc (e.g. “Walt Disney Pictures” OR Disney OR Pixar)
  • Use the word “AND NOT” (also ANDNOT, BUT NOT, or BUTNOT) to exclude search terms—but use this with caution to avoid excluding pertinent articles (e.g. “Finding Nemo” ANDNOT “Monster’s Inc”)
  • Use an exclamation mark to search for variations of a search term (e.g. film! would return various results, including film, films, filmed, and filming)
  • Also, the Nexis Uni database searches operators in this order: OR, AND, ANDNOT. This means you will want to be sure you avoid using these connectors in combinations that might exclude results you want to find (e.g. “Walt Disney Pictures” OR Disney AND “Finding Nemo” will result in a search for all articles referencing the first two terms before it adds the third to refine the results; however, searching for “Walt Disney Pictures” AND “Finding Nemo” OR Disney would return broader, and less applicable results that may not even mention Finding Nemo).

Writing Assignment #4 (DUE 3/19, 90 pts.)

NOTE: You should determine the media company/product you will write about your final paper, which will also be written about in Assignment #5. I advise you to narrow your focus (especially for this assignment). Afterward, you should use this product (or one media product created by the company you’ve chosen) to write a 300 to 600-word document about how it operates within the circuit of culture model (p. 134-136). The product you select will vary depending on the company you choose (e.g. a television network series sold on DVD, a video game, a comic book, etc.) and might be a product of the company you wrote about in the previous assignment.

Your explanation can begin with any process in the circuit of culture but you should determine the most logical/effective way to describe the following:

  • The inception of the product (as an idea or continuation of an existing product line).
  • How the company represents the product to consumers.
  • How this product impacts consumer or corporate identity.
  • The production of the object, which could include information about how it was made, the media/technological innovations necessary for its creation, etc.
  • At least one way regulation has played a part in the creation or selling of the product; you can address enforced (e.g. governmental), formal (e.g. industrial norms), or informal (e.g. company specific) regulation.
  • How the product is meant to be or has been consumed.

You must locate (at least) two new popular articles/blog posts to support your explanation. You can also integrate sources you have used from previous assignments. Be sure to use the Chicago Manual of Style for in-text citations to footnote the information you located about each of the elements in the circuit of culture model. The Chicago Manual of Style utilizes footnotes with full citations; you do not need to include a bibliography in this assignment. Information about this style can be found under writing resources links.

Writing Assignment #5 (DUE 4/5 by 11:59pm, 100 pts.)

Final Paper Proposal, Part 1:

  • The first part of your assignment requires you to review your previous writing assignments before formulating a series of precise research questions about the product/company you will write about in your final paper. The reason for beginning your research with questions (like those you have been writing in previous assignments) is to help you structure a framework to interrogate a topic rather than beginning with an argument, which can often result in research confined by information that will “prove” a thesis/argument. 
  • Begin by specifying the media industry and specific product your paper will address (e.g. the iPhone mobile gaming industry and Candy Crush).
  • Provide a broad research question you will be asking about the topic (e.g. “Which industrial factors contribute to the economic success of mobile games sold through Apple Inc.’s iOS App Store?”).
  • Provide 2-3 supporting research questions to illustrate how you will approach this question/topic (e.g. “What are common structures for production and distribution of games in the iOS App Store?” ; “How do game companies report their earnings and/or successes from games sold through the iOS App Store?” ; and, “How does Apple determine which games reach a “top-selling” status within the iOS App Store?”).
  • Provide a list of citations for 5 peer-reviewed, scholarly sources (journal articles or academic book chapters) you could use in your final research paper. Use the Chicago Manual of Style for citations.

Final Paper Proposal, Part 2:

  • The second part of your assignment requires you to address how you will adapt your questions into preliminary arguments/subtopics within your final research paper.
  • You will provide a tentative structure for your paper, including a preliminary thesis and two to three supporting arguments (these will likely be derived from your research questions but could change by the time you complete your research and submit your final paper).
  • You will then provide an example of critical analysis (500-600 words). Your analysis should illustrate how you will address one of the arguments/subtopics you outlined for your final paper. You should include and cite (at least) two peer-reviewed, scholarly sources to support your critical analysis. I prefer that you paraphrase these sources. Also make sure to cite these sources using the footnote format from the Chicago Manual of Style.