Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
- Deconstruct media messages in various forms and contexts
Scenario
You work for Eco-Focused Response, (EFR), a nonprofit environmental organization that provides information and support to help communities prepare for and recover from natural phenomena, and develops strategies to address issues such as pollution, hazardous material, and waste disposal. Your organization is aware of the importance of sharing information and getting the message out to individuals and communities. It is trying to determine the best form of media—television, radio, newspaper, social media (Twitter), or blog—and the best methods to use to deliver messages to communities.
Directions
Management has decided that the best approach for this task would be to evaluate how other organizations have used a variety of media to share information concerning pollution. They have gathered five examples of media messages for you to review and compare. They have decided to look at information conveyed through television, radio, newspaper, social media (Twitter), and a blog. The media message examples are located in the Supporting Materials section.
Note: If this project would be appropriate for a company you work for, you may choose a topic that is applicable to your company instead of the one provided in this scenario. If you choose a different topic, you must still review and compare five examples of media messages, including a blog, a radio broadcast, a social media post (on Twitter), a newspaper article, and a television broadcast. You will have to create a Microsoft Word document containing the links and appropriate citations for your examples, and submit it along with your brief.
You will review the forms of media used for each example and evaluate the content of the messages using the questions and criteria provided. You will summarize your results for each example, and using that information, provide a ranking of the media messages. Your review, recommended ranking (1 being the best, and 5 being the worst), and the reasons for the ranking order should be included in a 800- to 1,000-word brief that you can send to management.
First, read the Media Message Examples document located in the Supporting Materials section: As noted above, you can use the five examples of media messages provided in this document, or you can gather and review examples focused on a topic of your choosing. You will need to view the media messages and explore the sites and information surrounding them to gather the required information. You may find that some of the information may not be available for each example. You will need to reference the missing information in your summary and consider how that lack of information will impact your ranking.
Address the following criteria for each example:
- Explain the history and development of each form of media (television, radio, newspaper, social media, and a blog).
- How long has it existed?
- How has it changed from its beginning state?
- How does the delivery method (form of media) impact the message being delivered? (Consider authority, trustworthiness, and context of delivery.)
- Describe the purpose of each form of media.
- Who is the target audience?
- What are its strengths?
- What are its weaknesses?
- How has it been used and misused?
- Evaluate each media message for the presence of bias. Use the five key questions as identified by the Center for Media Literacy.
- Who created the message?
- What creative techniques are used to attract your attention?
- How might other people understand this message differently than you do?
- What values, lifestyles, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?
- Why is this message being sent? (Consider whether the message is meant to inform, persuade, or entertain.)
- Evaluate the accuracy of each media message:
- Is it a reliable and valid source?
- Does it contain verifiable facts versus opinions?
What to Submit
Every project has a deliverable or deliverables, which are the files that must be submitted before your project can be assessed. For this project, you must submit the following:
Brief
You will review the forms of media used for each example and evaluate the content of the messages using the questions and criteria provided. You will summarize your results for each example, and using that information, provide a ranking of the media messages. Your review, recommended ranking (1 being the best, and 5 being the worst), and the reasons for the ranking order should be included in an 800–1,000 word brief that you can send to management.
Supporting Materials
The following resource(s) may help support your work on the project:
Need help citing your sources? Use the CfA Citation Guide and Citation Maker.
