Please review option 1 (agenda setting) and option 2 (campaign development) for your final assignment here: FINAL ASSIGNMENT and answer the following questions: Are you choosing option 1 or 2 for your

FINAL ASSIGNMENT

You have two options for this assignment (CHOOSE ONLY ONE OPTION)

Option 1- Agenda setting and framing assignment OR 

Option 2- Campaign Development assignment 

---Option1- Agenda Setting and framing---

Assignment Due: Sunday, July 26th, on Canvas by 11.59 pm, a short proposal is due on July 15.FINAL ASSIGNMENT PROPOSAL 

Background:

Agenda setting theory holds that the news tells the public what to think about (rather than what to think).  Framing refers to the way media frame (or present) a particular issue.  For example, a news account of the Black Lives Matter protests may have played up one aspect of the story while minimizing another. In this assignment, you are asked to compare and contrast content from two different news sources, identifying evidence of the agenda setting process. In step 1, you will analyze the homepages of two media outlets. In step 2, you will write an essay about your analysis.

 Instructions:

STEP 1-You will analyze the homepage of two cable networks, for example Fox News and CNN, on a given day over the week when you are writing the assignment. You can choose different media outlets than Fox News and CNN. 

1. For each homepagecomplete the following procedures:

2. Create a table as the one shown below. List the headlines of all stories on the home page.

3. Classify every story considering the position (top/central/bottom of the homepage) and prominence (primary-secondary-tertiary). Prominence can be assessed considering the size of the headline, whether there is a picture or not and whether there is a subhead)

4. Note if there is a picture

Sample Table:

CNN

Repeat the same process for Fox News (or the outlet you chose) in a separate table.

Attach both tables to your paper.

STEP2- Write a 4-page essay, double-spaced, typed in a 12-point Times New Roman font. In your essay:

1. Summary (half a page): Briefly summarize your findings by describing the main themes on the media outlet number 1’sagenda, and the main themes on media outlet number 2’s 

2. Analysis (2 pages and a half) make sure to address the following questions:

   1. How are the two media outlets’ agendas similar and/or different?

   2. How do the two media outlets frame the same issues?

   3. Does there seem to be some kind of “bias” in each outlet? If yes, what is it and what evidencedo you see in the content for this bias (provide specific examples)?

   4. How do you think the agendas setting and framing of the cable networks might influence audiences’ perceptions of the news?­­­

REMEMBER: The presentation of your thoughts counts! Check carefully that you have followed all instructions in terms of format and content. Organize your arguments clearly and concisely. State an argument at the beginning of a paragraph and then support it with examples from the newspaper content, references from class readings, lectures, or class discussions.  Make sure you cite sources.

Grading:

This paper is worth 25% of your final grade. Tables and essays will be graded according to the following criteria:

1. Did the author follow the guidelines of the assignment, complete all requirements AND provide evidence of this in the essay? (50%)

2. Did the author establish and support a clear position or argument?  Does the essay go beyond description to provide critical insight informed by class readings and discussion? Did the author demonstrate good knowledge of agenda setting and framing concepts and apply them correctly in his/her analysis? (40%)

3. Is the writing clear, coherent and concise?  Does the author use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation? (10%)

---Option2- Campaign Development---

Final Assignment Due: Sunday, July 26th, on Canvas by 11.59 pm FINAL ASSIGNMENT PROPOSAL 

 Background:

In this class, you learned about the various steps of a political campaign. From social media strategy to turning out voters, a political campaign is very difficult to execute. If you choose this type of assignment, you will pretend to be a campaign manager for a chosen political campaign (the type of campaign is up to you). In this assignment, you will illustrate the steps of what you would do for every main phase of the campaign.

Instructions:

You will choose a political candidate that you would the run the campaign for. The political candidate can be any candidate who is running in 2020 in any political office in the US (local, state or national level). For this assignment you will have to do some preliminary research on your chosen candidate (from what is available in the news and other online sources) and write a 6 page campaign memo explaining the various steps of your campaign (except fundraising, which is not at the core of what we learn in this class).  

-Campaign Memo

Explain the various steps for the campaign (a few sentences for each step).

1. Describe your candidate and what office they are running for in a few sentences

2. Describe your candidate’s opponent in a few sentences.

3. Who are your main target markets in your campaign? Why do you think that focusing on this target market would be effective?

4. Develop Message

   • What are some of your candidate’s positive attributes?

   • What could your candidate be attacked on?

   • What are some of the competitive advantages of your candidate compared to their opponent?

5. Communication

   • Paid Media

• • • What are some media outlets that are you planning to buy your ads in?

    • Describe the message of at least one ad that you are planning to run.

• • Earned media

• • • Describe the content of at least two press releases you would send to journalists OR describe the content of at least two free social media posts you might write.

• • • Are you using any other type of communication, beyond mass media? Which one?

  6. Structure of organization

• • What are some of the roles that would be important in your campaign? (social media manager? Strategy?) You can be creative and create roles that are particularly important for your campaign.

1. GOTV (Go to vote initiatives)

   • What GOTV initiatives are you planning to put in place during your campaign? Why do you think they are important for the success of your campaign?

Format: the memo should be 6 pages minimum, double spaced, Times New Romans 12. It’s up to you how much space you devote to each section of your campaign. For most campaign, I would expect the media section to be longer.

REMEMBER: The presentation of your thoughts counts! Check carefully that you have followed all instructions in terms of format and content. Organize your arguments clearly and concisely. State an argument at the beginning of a paragraph and then support it with examples from the newspaper content, references from class readings, lectures, or class discussions.  Make sure you cite sources.

Grading:

This paper is worth 25% of your final grade.  Essays will be graded according to the following criteria:

1. Did the author follow the guidelines of the assignment, complete all requirements AND provide evidence of this in the memo? (50%)

2. Did the author demonstrate a good understanding of all the different phases of a campaign? Did the author provide a good rationale for their strategy choices? Is the discussion of paid media and earned media ideas clear? (40%)

3. Is the writing clear, coherent and concise?  Does the author use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation? (10%)

Bottom of Form