Media Studies 114
Media and Globalization Term Paper*
Comparative Global Media Organization/Content Study
Overview
7-9 pages, double-spaced, excluding references page
APA citation format
Minimum source requirements:
3 class sources (peer-reviewed scholarly readings from class)
3 outside secondary sources (peer-reviewed scholarly articles not from class readings)
3 institutional primary sources institution/organization profile sources (assets of the producers of the 2 global media you are comparing, e.g. annual reports, websites, government reports)
180 and 300 minutes of reviewing media texts for comparative analysis and exemplification of your main argument (content analyzed varies from topic to topic; see GSI)
Instructions
For the final paper, students will develop their proposals into a comparative analysis of regional/national media. For example, one might compare specific content (e.g. US’s Washington Post, Israel’s Haaretz coverage of Covid-19), media policies (Chinese vs. Saudi media regulations) or a genre (satire, romantic comedies, etc.) that operate in a transnational context.
Writers will use secondary and primary sources (see definitions in Addendum 1).
Secondary research from scholars will provide background information for the reader. Writers will make their own comparative analysis with primary research.
Primary sources for comparative analysis are often two types:
1. Institutional/organizational: e.g. major corporations, government agencies, advertising firms, and related revenue figures, government policy documents, media imports/export numbers, etc.
2. content analysis of media texts (media examples): e.g. themes in national advertising campaigns, film adaptations, the role of gender in two similar shows, how news organizations cover a topic, etc.
The paper should touch on both types of analysis, but the writer may choose which type (Institutional vs. content analysis) for the focus of the paper. You should aim to inform the reader on relevant media system context. A comparative paper on The Simpsons adaptation in Saudi Arabia, for example, would likely note the changes introduced to the show in light of the religious sensibilities of Arabic audiences.
Paper Organization and Structure
The paper will have roughly four main sections, though there is flexibility in how writers structure the paper. All page numbers suggestions are approximate and will shrink or grow as you focus on elements of your comparison.
1. Introduction (1-2 pgs.)
Introduce the media outlets/programs/content you will be comparing and which aspects you will be comparing. For example, you could compare similar news shows, reality TV, children’s programs, documentaries, etc. in two countries. Your “cases” should be comparable in as many ways as possible (similar genre, similar audience, similar medium) so that any differences you find can be linked to the regional media system in which they function. Justify the comparison in relation to globalization theories (what general questions does this case study comparison contribute to?). Explain how you will investigate your question (what methods and primary sources will you be using?).
2. Media organization/programming profiles (2-4 pgs.)
2a. Drawing on relevant course readings and additional secondary and primary sources, situate your media organizations in their national/regional context. For example, if you were comparing Al Jazeera and CNN, you would would be smart to provide some information on the contrasting free speech laws in Arab and western media systems. Focus your reader’s attention on the most important elements for your comparison.
2b. Provide specific background on the media organizations related to your topic (e.g. TV Globo, Gibli Studios, a particular telenovela or set of Bollywood films). Fruitful information for this section may include the following elements: historical background, ownership, funding, audience, and mission statement of an organization.
3. Content (text/image/format) analysis (2-4 pgs.)
3a. Draw a sample of “texts” from each media outlet/program. A good way to evaluate if you have enough primary source material (media texts for content analysis) is to ask if the evidence you have gathered makes a compelling case for a fuller investigation.
3b. Conduct a close reading of these texts to draw out similarities/differences of the “output” of the media outlets/programs/genre you are investigating.
3c. Support your interpretations with evidence (quoted passages, captured images, statistics – e.g., numbers of times in which certain themes, frames, characterizations, images appear in each sample).
4. Conclusion (1-2 pgs.)
Summarize what you have learned from this study. Link your findings to globalization theories and concepts. Reflect on the research process: what worked well? What might you do differently next time? What kinds of future research might extend or qualify this study?
Provide a APA citation and bibliography listing all primary and secondary source materials.
Final paper rubric
Links to an external site.
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Addendum 1: definition of sources
Secondary sources may include (but are not limited to):
• articles in scholarly journals such as European Journal of Communication; Media, Culture & Society; Gazette; Press/Politics; New Media and Society, International Journal of Communication, International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, etc.;
• scholarly books written by academics or other experts about the organization, including biographies or organizational histories;
• journalism/media professional reviews such as Columbia Journalism Review, etc.;
• articles in major business newspapers, business magazines, or general newspapers with business sections (e.g., BusinessWeek, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Times business section, etc.) – but no matter how many of this type of article you use, they will only count as one secondary source, and you will have to use at least one additional secondary source from the first three categories.
Primary sources may include (but are not limited to):
• Hoover’s company reports, Corporate annual reports, financial filings, etc.;
• Articles in relevant trade publications such as Ad Age, Editor & Publisher, Strategies (French), Variety, etc.;
• Reports of the World Association of Newspapers, Harvard’s Nieman Lab, Pew Research Center, etc.;
• Government or Industry Trade Group or International Regulatory Agency (UN, OECD, WTO, etc.) reports;
• Memoirs or autobiographies by managers or creative professionals working at the organization;
• Interviews conducted by you (provide notes or transcript).
• Television, print, images, films that provide the content for analysis
Addendum 2: Media Texts as primary source?
There is flexibility in the number of media texts. Students examine different types of media (films vs. music videos vs. TV shows). Writers should aim to provide enough primary source evidence to show your reader a compelling comparative observation. Some comparative observations need many texts to substantiate a claim. Some fewer. For stronger papers, plan to spend between 180 and 300 minutes reviewing the media texts and composing your analysis.
Here are some examples of media text analysis and number of texts.
A writer comparing Brazilian and American telenovelas would watch and analyze 6 episodes (30 minutes each), 3 from Brazil and 3 from the U.S.
A writer studying two full length movies would devote a total of about 3 hours of viewing time and 1 or 2 for analysis. Two films in this case would be enough.
A writer examining news would devote more time to analysis of coverage from two news outlets reporting on a similar topic (6 or more news pieces)
