Comparative analysis of media coverage of religion

Comparative analysis of media coverage of religion

Question

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Your task is to write a comparative analysis of media coverage of a particular incident or issue related to religion. Provide excerpts/printouts of news articles relating to a particular incident or issue from at least two different media sources. Use secular media sources (you may not use only one from explicitly religious or sectarian media sources). Use news articles, not opinion pieces or editorials. Make sure the news article was published on the same day or within a day and within the last 6 months. Using the following questions, write a detailed analysis of your coverage of the incident (should be at least 4-5 pages long), highlighting similarities and differences between various sources.

A. Read carefully:

(1) Reporting: How extensive is the reporting? (How many pages of the newspaper is the article on, how big is it and how big is the headline? Is there anything on the website that makes the article stand out or easy to find? How many comments, Facebook likes, tweets, or links to other articles?) Does the coverage grab your attention? how?

(2) First Impression: What impression does the headline and first paragraph convey? How do you define the situation? Are photos or other illustrations used? Does it give a positive or negative impression to the topic? how? Please give an example.

(3) Speech: What words and phrases are repeated or emphasized? Are insults or stereotypes used? Are generalizations used or does the author justify his observations? What is the general tone of the press? Give an example.

B. Analysis:

(4) References: Who is the author and why is the author an authority on this subject?

(5) Sources: Is it possible to identify the source of the information used in the news article? Are these sources reliable? How do you know? Can you distinguish between facts and opinions in reporting? Give examples.

(6) Perspectives: What perspectives are represented? Who are the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ in the coverage? What emotions does the coverage evoke? Give examples.

(7) Purpose: What is the main purpose of this article? Is it to persuade, inform, entertain, or sell something?

(8) Limitations: What limitations (economic, political, etc.) of the news media business may have affected the form and/or content of the coverage? How?

Cover

(9) Implications: What general attitudes does this report evoke towards religion in general or against specific religious traditions?

Please note:

• The easiest way to get the job done is to use, or at least start with, recent news articles. Then look for another article about the same incident or issue in another news source. If you look it up on the internet, this is relatively easy. You can also use the online newspaper database accessible from the University of Regina (ask a librarian for help if you need it).

• The primary purpose of this task is not to provide information on religious topics of interest. Rather, it is to compare and contrast current media coverage of a single incident or issue related to religion and see if the same or a different perspective emerges. Therefore, it is important that the two articles you use were published on the same day or within the same day. It must also be recent (that is, within the last 6 months). • Analyze each article relative to the second using questions from each area of ​​the challenge. For example, describe and compare the “coverage” of both articles, then the “first impressions” of both articles, then the “language” of both articles, etc. Analyze the entire article in isolation and do not analyze the next article in isolation.

• There are no right or wrong answers to questions. However, to critically consider the way religion is reported, we need to take the question seriously. Put aside your own opinions and beliefs about the incident or issue at hand and pay attention to how each article tells you about that incident or issue.

• Constraints: Media sources such as newspapers are businesses. So it ultimately operates to make money to its owners/investors, and therefore tries to do what it can to sell the most newspapers and views. This economic coercion can affect whether and how news sources seek to report the truth. Other restrictions may be of a more political nature. News sources often align with particular political parties or ideologies, which can influence what is reported and how it is reported. In some countries, newspapers and other media may be subject to formal or informal censorship. Use a simple Internet search to find out where news sources are published and whether they have ties to particular ideological views or political parties, religious/anti-religious groups, etc.

• When submitting this assignment, please include your analysis in the evaluation form on the next page. Media analysis jobs are evaluated using this form. To maximize your chances of getting a good grade, make sure your analysis meets all the criteria listed on the form. The criteria will be explained in detail in class as needed. Again, be sure to include this form in your media analysis. It will be returned with the assignment.

• Also include excerpts or printouts of news articles you are analyzing.

Follow the instructions on how to write assignments in the syllabus. Please double space.