Key to the creation of any story is the narrative that will be presented and developed in order to engage the reader throughout. Authors must regularly decide what features to emphasize and what plot lines must be cut in order to create a seamless story. In news, this difficulty is compounded by the fact that multiple authors are all trying to write the same story at the same time, to engage often the same readers in the same moment. In this assignment, students will consider how journalists develop frames and decide stories. Specifically, students will answer the following questions.
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First, utilizing the readings and your own independent research, explain the concept of framing, and how it relates to the how the media, “sets the agenda.” What factors are generally associated with “gatekeeping;” the selection of a particular story over others? What critiques can we levy against how journalists choose and report stories, based on the research? Taking a look at Nate Silver’s 538 post “The Media Has a Probability Problem (Links to an external site.),” what is the main issue with how journalists report statistics and probability? How does this problem extend to how consumers read the news?
Second, select a politically salient topic that is being discussed by the news media at the present moment (entertainment news, sports news, etc, does not qualify for this particular assignment). Why was this particular story emphasized over other potential stories/topics? Next, search two major news sources (note: your favorite blogger is not necessarily a major news source. Use your basic common sense, or ask the instructor if you are unsure) and examine the way the different journalists framed the stories. What similarities/differences are there? Paying attention to the headline in particular, how did the source try to “hook,” the reader to read further? Afterward, seek out two punditry analyses of the tiopic you chose, and break down how these analyses viewed the situation. How are the two types of sources (primary news sources vs. punditry) similar/different? Finally, examining state or local media sources specifically, do local sources discuss the chosen topic? And how do they choose to do so? Why or why not, based on your readings.
