Communications and Media

Order Description
Question of the essay: Why have media scholars found it hard to show that media have negative effects on young people?

First, you must demonstrate an engagement with key readings. Second, you must use ideas from these readings to explain how studying young people’s engagement with media informs a more general understanding of the social role media play.

1. Identify how the question addresses a general issue on the social impact of the media.
2. Identify relevant literature on this issue, and explain to the reader why this literature is
important.
3. Identify a case study which shows how media influence works in practice. You can use ones from the book or lectures, but the better essays will apply ideas from the unit to your own youth media examples.
4. Summarise what you have learned about media influence, based on the literature and the case study.

Gunter, B. (2008, April). Media Violence: Is There a Case for Causality? American Behavioral Scientist, 51 (8), 1061-1122.

Pieslak, Jonathan R.(2007) ‘Sound Targets: Music and the War in Iraq’, Journal of Musicological Research, 26: 2, 123 ? 149