American mass media and culture are deeply intertwined, and it is hard to imagine an aspect of American culture that is not influenced by mass media. Spirituality, politics, and even our language are influenced by media. In this essay assignment, you will investigate how two different media types have impacted American culture. You will also write about a specific example of each media type.
Choose two types of mass media platforms from this list:
Newspapers
Magazines
Video streaming
Network television
Cable television
Radio
Choose one example of a media outlet for each of your chosen platforms:
Some examples of outlets include:
Newspapers– USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times
Magazines– TIME, People, Rolling Stone, Saturday Evening Post, Ebony
VIdeo streaming– HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube
Network television– CBS, ABC, NBC, Univision
Cable television– CNN, The History Channel, CSPAN, MTV
Radio– National Public Radio, Fox Sports Radio, Black Information Network
Write a paper of at least 600 words that discusses the impact the two media platforms you selected have had on American culture in the past 50 years. Then, use two media outlet examples to illustrate the significance of the cultural impact. Remember that all media impacts are not positive, so please address both the good and the bad.
Compose your essay in a Word document, please. Please double-space all the content, including the title page. Align text along the left margin of each page, and not in the center of the page. Assignment submissions in formats other than Word are not accepted for credit. Assignment submissions typed into the text box in Blackboard are not accepted for credit.
Begin with a title page at the front of your document showing the correct assignment title, the course name, your name, and the date consistent with APA format for title pages. Do not use font larger than 12 point, please. Follow the guidelines for essay title pages as shown in The Center for Writing Excellence (linked below).
Start the body of the paper’s narrative with a paragraph to introduce the topic and preview what the paper will cover. This introductory paragraph gets the reader “up to speed” with the topic and the key points being addressed.
Include the following in your paper:
Discuss how the two media platforms have influenced American culture in the past 50 years or so.
Describe how the media outlets mentioned in the paper are good examples of media impact both positive and negative.
Briefly describe what we can learn from observing the positive and negative impacts of mass media on American culture.
Conclude with a paragraph or so that summarizes the key points of your paper. Please tell what you have learned from the research you conducted for this assignment.
Cite at least two sources to support your ideas. These sources should align with the examples of the history and evolution of your chosen print publication. Use APA format in-text references. Then, also list the references on an APA format References page at the end of your document. For help with APA format, contact Dr. Swanson and/or see the information to follow below.
University of Phoenix students are permitted to utilize Artificial Intelligence and similar writing aids, provided that the assistance is noted in the student’s discussion post or written document. That notation must be in the form of an APA format reference. Use of AI or any other “help” to create written work without reference of that “help” could be considered a violation of the University of Phoenix Code of Conduct and may need to be reported via an Academic Violation Report.
