Specifications for Review of Research Findings

JOUR/RTV 151

Last updated 09/27/00

First, you need to select of topic: an issue regarding media effects that has received some attention in the news media recently: the role of the Internet or violent computer games in the various shooting rampages, the effect of access to Internet pornography on children, Joe Camel advertising and adolescent smoking, TV violence and violence in society. Using the Lexis-Nexis online database and other library resources, find an article on your topic in a national magazine (Time, Newsweek, Brill's Content ((which has a monthly column on academic media research)), The Atlantic, etc.) or an extended article in a national newspaper (The New York Times, USA TODAY, The Chicago Tribune, etc).

Next, analyze the arguments that the article makes about media effects -- including pros and cons. What theories among those we have studied does the article support? Do those theories suppose direct or indirect effects? Are those effects classifiable as short-term persuasive, long-term hegemonic, functional, or technological?

Next, you should ascertain what legitimate scientific research findings support the article; find and read the relevant scientific articles cited there if necessary. Then go to Communication Abstracts in the library and find five recent communication research articles on the topic. Read those articles, paying particular attention to the abstract, introduction, literature review, and summary (the statistical portions are often very difficult reading). Ascertain what the scientific articles tell us about media effects concerning your issue. Do they confirm or contradict the main arguments in your news media article? Is the scientific evidence clear? What work remains to be done?

Finally, produce a five page summary of your findings, assessing the news media article and the findings in the scientific articles. Consider what all of this tells us about theories of media effects. Summarize what we know about the topic in concise and clear prose.

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