Posted: October 12th, 2016

t, you will seek out a source about a controversial piece or practice of journalism. Then, like DeGhett, you will use the incident or practice that your source discusses as a case study for exploring the norms and conventions of journalism in a thesis­driven 5­6 page paper

In �The War Photo No One Would Publish,� Torie Rose DeGhett writes about the controversial war photos of Kenneth Jareke, particularly his photograph of the remains of an Iraqi soldier. DeGhett uses the censorship of Jareke�s photograph as a springboard to critique both state influence on the dissemination of news and our cultural squeamishness about wartime violence. In this assignment, you will seek out a source about a controversial piece or practice of journalism. Then, like DeGhett, you will use the incident or practice that your source discusses as a case study for exploring the norms and conventions of journalism in a thesis­driven 5­6 page paper. You may, for instance, use embedded journalists as a lens for discussing the relationship between state power and journalism. You may analyze a Hollywood scandal as an example of trends in how different forms of journalism discuss sex, relationships, and sexuality. You may look at a hoax or piece of misinformation as a cautionary tale about what happens when the need to fact­check runs up against the need to get �the scoop.� Whatever topic you choose to discuss, you must include at least one academic or journalistic source relevant to your topic. You should also make an effort to incorporate Singer, Savage, Vaid, and/or DeGhett into your paper, but do not attempt to shoehorn them in if they will not fit. Some potential questions to consider: Why is freedom of the press important? What happens when that freedom runs up against concerns about privacy, national security or propriety? What are the ethical responsibilities of journalists, and why are those responsibilities important? Do these same rights and responsibilities apply to vloggers, citizen journalists, and infotainment sites? Remember: Your essay should have a clear, original argument expressed in a thesis statement in your first paragraph. This argument should engage with and either push against or build off of your sources� claims. Your argument should be backed up by a set of claims, which in turn should be backed evidence from your sources. You should avoid common logical fallacies and take the time to consider and address possible counterclaims, especially when you contradict your sources. Your essay should demonstrate organization and focus; it should be devoid of irrelevant information and should smoothly transition between sources and ideas, not just paragraphs. It should end in a conclusion that sums up your argument. Your essay should consider the needs of the audience. It should fully explain and provide appropriate contexts for all its claims (including context for examples or quotes from Singer), should make effective use of collegiate rhetoric, and should end with a conclusion gives the reader a sense of your argument�s relevance. In choosing outside sources, consider the way those sources will impact your credibility. Your essay should demonstrate attention to grammar and format. It should be written in Standard American English and in MLA format. ALL material from outside sources should be clearly and appropriately documented as su