Name ________________________________ Analyzing Media Sources
Radio: www.npr.org
1. What does NPR stand for?
2. Click on the hourly newscast. Listen to the five minute summary complete the following: (You may listen twice if necessary)
a. How many stories are covered in the five minutes? List the topic of each.
b. How long is each story?
c. Do they have any excerpts quoted in the stories?
Television: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4839679n
1. Who is the host?
2. How long was the first story? How many stories were covered in the first 10 minutes? What were the topics?
3. What visuals were included in the stories?
4. Who is quoted/interviewed in the course of the stories?
5. Compare this news report to The News Hour – http://www.pbs.org/newshour/
Weekend news: Meet the Press: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/
1. Watch one segment of the weekend program. Who are the guests on this show?
2. How long is each segment?
3. How is the format of this program different from the nightly news?
Which broadcaster presents the story?
5. What is the makeup of the “roundtable?”
Weekly news magazine:
1. Go to the current issue and read one of the national news stories. Try to choose one that will compare to the other stories we’ve heard in this lesson.
2. What is the headline of the story?
3. Describe the level of detail and facts presented in the story compared to the television or radio. Who are the sources for the story?
4. How current is the story?
5. How is the Internet version of the magazine different from the newsstand edition?
Newspapers: Washington Post and NY Times
1. How many stories are on the front page of each paper?
2. What do you notice about the picture? Position? What story does it go with?
3. Which stories appear on both front pages?
4. Which stories appear above the crease and which are below?
5. Can you detect bias in the newspaper? Explain/describe.
Touring the Blogosphere
The media - and citizens' relationship to the media - is being transformed by the rise of interactive political blogging. Here is an exercise to explore this new world.
1. Go to http://realclearpolitics.com/
Read and summarize one of the articles from today’s newspapers. Be sure to cite the title, author and newspaper/magazine it appeared in.
2. Read comments, and “Join the Discussion.” List three comments that people make. Feel free to add one of your own!!! (and tell me . . . I’ll look for it.)
3. Study the following political blogs. For each one, briefly describe:
a) one political debate that appears on today’s (or the last few days’) blog;
b) the kind of people who seem to be visiting this blog site.
http://www.democraticunderground.com
http://www.instapundit.com/
http://www.dailykos.com/
http://powerlineblog.com
http://www.firedoglake.com/
http://intherightplace.blogspot.com/
4. Write a sentence or two (please type) discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the media sources you considered in this activity. Consider the impact of each in our American democracy.
Radio: www.npr.org
1. What does NPR stand for?
2. Click on the hourly newscast. Listen to the five minute summary complete the following: (You may listen twice if necessary)
a. How many stories are covered in the five minutes? List the topic of each.
b. How long is each story?
c. Do they have any excerpts quoted in the stories?
Television: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4839679n
1. Who is the host?
2. How long was the first story? How many stories were covered in the first 10 minutes? What were the topics?
3. What visuals were included in the stories?
4. Who is quoted/interviewed in the course of the stories?
5. Compare this news report to The News Hour – http://www.pbs.org/newshour/
Weekend news: Meet the Press: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/
1. Watch one segment of the weekend program. Who are the guests on this show?
2. How long is each segment?
3. How is the format of this program different from the nightly news?
Which broadcaster presents the story?
5. What is the makeup of the “roundtable?”
Weekly news magazine:
1. Go to the current issue and read one of the national news stories. Try to choose one that will compare to the other stories we’ve heard in this lesson.
2. What is the headline of the story?
3. Describe the level of detail and facts presented in the story compared to the television or radio. Who are the sources for the story?
4. How current is the story?
5. How is the Internet version of the magazine different from the newsstand edition?
Newspapers: Washington Post and NY Times
1. How many stories are on the front page of each paper?
2. What do you notice about the picture? Position? What story does it go with?
3. Which stories appear on both front pages?
4. Which stories appear above the crease and which are below?
5. Can you detect bias in the newspaper? Explain/describe.
Touring the Blogosphere
The media - and citizens' relationship to the media - is being transformed by the rise of interactive political blogging. Here is an exercise to explore this new world.
1. Go to http://realclearpolitics.com/
Read and summarize one of the articles from today’s newspapers. Be sure to cite the title, author and newspaper/magazine it appeared in.
2. Read comments, and “Join the Discussion.” List three comments that people make. Feel free to add one of your own!!! (and tell me . . . I’ll look for it.)
3. Study the following political blogs. For each one, briefly describe:
a) one political debate that appears on today’s (or the last few days’) blog;
b) the kind of people who seem to be visiting this blog site.
http://www.democraticunderground.com
http://www.instapundit.com/
http://www.dailykos.com/
http://powerlineblog.com
http://www.firedoglake.com/
http://intherightplace.blogspot.com/
4. Write a sentence or two (please type) discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the media sources you considered in this activity. Consider the impact of each in our American democracy.