GOVT 2302 Task 2: Politics & the Media
Fall 2009
Dr. Garrison
(revised 10-16-09)
(sheatx2e/fal09)
Task 2 is worth 100 points and is due in
class no later than October 27, 2009.
Please submit your writing to
Turnitin for analysis. Revise your writing if needed before submitting your
paper to the professor. Write at least a three page review and
commentary of one of the choices below. Include in your paper some
commentary from the New York Times
critical review/s of the film, television program, book, etc. Also collect,
list, and cite other professional scholarly and journalistic reviews. In your
commentary consider how the media portrays politics and government. Does the
media affect the public's view of politics? Is there
media bias in your
choice?
See your text's media chapter and
Critical questions for detecting bias
and Rhetorica's Media/Political Bias
for scholarly studies.
What is the liberal
view of the media: Fairness & Accuracy in
Reporting and the conservative view:
Media Research Center?
Read this article before you choose and write: Sean Axmaker, "Movies
and Politics: Uneasy Bedfellows," MSN Movie News.
Choose to view one of the following:
Choice 1. Documentary film: Michael Moore's
film
Capitalism: A Love Story
Choice 2. Documentary film: Nobel Peace
Prize winner Al Gore's
award winning
film about global warming An Inconvenient Truth
(2006). & Bill Moyers on environment.
Choice 3. Documentary film/Streaming Video: 
,
Frontline, PBS, debuting October 13, 2009, 9 pm. and web site.
Choice 4.
Documentary films: the Eugene Jarecki film
"Why We Fight." DVD
copies are available in the LRC and rental stores. Fully
utilize the information found at the
film's web site in writing
your paper of
commentary and analysis.
Include the New York Times review of the film in your
writing.
DVD copies
available are widely available. Include the
New York Times review of the film in your writing and
fully utilize the film web site information
Choice 5.
Documentary film "No
End in Sight"
DVD
copies are available in the LRC and rental stores. Fully
utilize the information found at the
film's web site in writing
your paper of
commentary and analysis.
Include the New York Times review of the film in your
writing.
DVD copies
available are widely available. Include the
New York Times review of the film in your writing and
fully utilize the film web site information and
No End
in Sight, NOW, April 20, 2007; Stephen Hunter,
"'No End in Sight,' A Direct Hit on Iraq War Makers,"
Washington Post, July 27, 2007, C04; Charles Ferguson, "On
the Dismantling of the Iraqi Army," Letter to the
Editor, New York Times; &and Q&A:
Charles Ferguson, Filmmaker, C-SPAN, October 28, 2007.
Choice 6.
Hollywood film:
Lions for Lambs,
(2007) Robert Redford &
the Eugene Jarecki film
"Why We Fight." DVD
copies are available in the LRC and rental stores. Fully
utilize the information found at the
film's web site in writing
your paper of
commentary and analysis.
Include the New York Times review of the film in your
writing.
Choice
7. Hollywood film:
W (2008)
Josh Brolin
Choice 8. Documentary film: Michael Moore's
Sicko and
Michael Moore on Sicko
at NOW, June 29, 2007. Use all the accompanying reference
material at the web site. & Bill Moyers on health care
Choice 9.
Documentary film: *See Rethink
Afghanistan Parts 1-6
at
www.RethinkAfghanistand.com. Utilize the website
information as well as the video.*
,
Choice 10. Television documentary:
Health Care at Bill Moyers Journal. Use all the accompanying reference
material at the web site.
Choice 11. Television documentary: Afghanistan War at Bill Moyers Journal.
Use all the accompanying reference material at the web site.
Choice 12: Hollywood film:
All the President's Men
(1976) Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman
Choice 13. Television documentary: Impeach the President?
at Bill Moyers Journal. Use all the accompanying reference material at the
web site.
Choice 14. Television documentary: Bill Moyers Journal. Use all the
accompanying reference material at the web site.
|
Choice 15: Hollywood film:
Frost-Nixon (2008) Frost/Nixon
Choice 16:
Television documentary: Bill Moyers Journal.
Use all the accompanying reference material at the web site.
|
Choice 17: HBO film:
Recount (2008)
Choice 18:
Television documentary: Bill Moyers Journal.
Use all the accompanying reference material at the web
site.
|
Choice 19:
Television documentary: Buying
the War, Bill Moyers Journal: August 6, 2007. Use all the accompanying
reference material at the web site. And update at Bill Moyers
Choice 20: Hollywood film:
All
the Kings Men (1949), the classic Academy Award winning film version
of the novel or the recent remake film version
All the
King's Men (2006).
Writing and
Documenting Your Paper
Always carefully document your paper. Include reference citations and a
reference list. Following
the writing instructions at
Writing & Documenting Papers.
For film analysis
include some very specific details so that there is no doubt
that you watched the film. YOUR PAPER WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION. Please submit your
paper to Turnitin.com for a checkup.
NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Any exceptions to this
policy must be negotiated with the professor in advance.