International News Analysis
This assignment will be based on media stories on international social welfare issues or problems. You will use (at minimum) 2 media sources that provide a report of the issue(s). (Note: Do not select an article about a social problem in the U.S.. This assignment is meant to stretch your knowledge about international social issues. An exception might be an article on border issues. However, the story must not be the “problem on the border from the U. S. perspective” which is available to us every day in our regular news sources. Rather, the social welfare issue is the topic of interest and should lean heavily on the perspective of the nation outside of the U.S.
One Source should include:
New York Times, BBC, Reuters, Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, NPR, Bloomberg International social welfare issues must be addressed. All selections should be current, that is, not more than one month old.
A second source written from a different point of view about the same social issue may be one of the above or may be from one of the sources considered more biased such as CNN, MSNBC, FOX, Mother Jones, etc.
For this assignment, write 3 typed, double-spaced pages and include the following:
(1) A brief summary of the articles, including the name of the articles and the media source
(2) A clear description of how the story told in the two articles is relevant to international social welfare
(3) A clear application of how two or more of the concepts covered in course materials relate to the topic of the article and your understanding of the event. Offer a critical analysis.
(4) Incorporate in your analysis a comparison of how the story has been interpreted or differentially communicated by the two media sources. (It is suggested that you locate a media source covering the event from a different country or different political perspective to structure your comparison).
(5) Your personal reaction to the story and/or how it is being communicated.
Your assignment will be graded on conscientiousness, clarity, analysis and insights, and writing composition.