Project 4: Responding to Media
• Learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• 2 sources (APA style)
• Length: 3 pages (1000 words)
Overview
This writing project will be in the form of an op/ed piece that might be submitted to a newspaper, either print or online. You will first of all learn a little about what an op/ed opinion article is. This particular op/ed will be a response to an article published in another publication, in this case the regional western news source High Country News. You will select an article from High Country News, and respond to it, critiquing the article’s point of view, agreeing with it when you can, disagreeing with it when you must. Your response must be reasoned, informed, and fact-based.
Details
First explore what an op/ed article is and does. Try reading a few in major American newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. Avoid news sources that are predominately opinion or ideology-oriented. You might enjoy considering this graphic that attempts to represent the range and degree of political bias in selected media outlets. I wouldn’t vouch for its accuracy, but it is interesting and reflects the fact that media outlets do indeed have varying commitments to the politics and approaches described below.