Overview
Top Story of the Week
Assignment Tips
By now, you have been reading the paper for over a month, and you have a handle on how to get through the first section of your newspaper every day. (If you haven’t read the Course Introduction link on the Homepage, this would be a good time, as all the assignments and projects build on the foundation laid out there.) Now, we will start with the fundamental question all media students, scholars and working journalists must answer every day- What is the most important news story today?
This exercise will help you further focus your attention on the stories that matter and the issues that must be fully understood if you are to be media literate, let alone work in the communications field.
So how do you choose the Top Story of the Day? Fortunately, you have some of the very best minds in the news media helping you with that decision. And like the old expression “the cream rises to the top” you can count on the New York Times editorial staff to prioritize the most important stories by placing them either on the front page, or in the first few pages of the paper.
This is not universally true in media- some newspapers and tabloids use their front and back pages as a form of sensational advertising, hoping to get you to pick up the paper as you wait in the checkout line at the supermarket. So they lure us with lurid tales of the lives of celebrities, entice us with gossip and scandal, and mix entertainment with real news. Unfortunately, too often in today’s media, cream is not the only stuff that floats to the surface.
As you look to discern the Story of the Week, here are some good questions to ask. “What is the scope of the story?” That means- “Does it only affect a few people, a town, the whole country or the entire world?”
Another is- “What is the impact of the story?” Does it change our daily lives in small, gradual ways or immediately, in deep, long lasting and permanent ways? Another good sign to look for is the evidence of related stories either next to, or on jump pages (the page in the paper that a front page story jumps to from the bottom of the column) as well as follow up stories in the next day’s paper and as the week goes on.
Start by selecting a Top Story for Monday from the articles that appear on the Front Page in the Today’s Paper section. Then do the same for every day of that week. These are your candidates for Top Story of the Week. Remember, you have the ability to reflect on the entire week before you make your argument for the Top Story, so build your case on solid evidence. You might wish to count the number of stories a potential Top Story has called for, and total what we in the newspaper business call column inches, which means simply the number of inches down a column a story takes up. A big chunk of column inches is precious and is only given to important story- after all, more than half of the column inches in the paper are set aside for advertising, which pays the bills.
Well, happy hunting, and if you have a question, shoot me an email using the in course Mail icon. Or check the discussion boards for tips and debate on the assignment.
When you have chosen your Top Story, make a reasoned and well documented argument in support of your choice. It should be 1-2 pages typed, double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 point. Then save the file in Microsoft Word .DOC format and upload it into the Project 2 Drop Box.
Upload your MS Word .doc files here for grading.
Corresponding Course Outcomes-
- Analyze and dissect a daily newspaper of the caliber of the New York Times
- Utilize Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint to create professional, compelling and attractive content
- Demonstrate writing and presentation skills needed to succeed as a professional.
- Value the importance of academic integrity and honesty in academic writing.