20181204224743chapter_13_essay x
MM 100: Chapter 13 Critical Thinking Exercise
Directions: After reading the prompt below, write a 300 – 350-word essay as a response. I want to see three main points in your essay. Each point should be addressed thoughtfully and completely.
THIS IS A FORMAL ESSAY. This means I don’t want to see bad grammar or poor spelling. Do not write it like a blog entry or a text message and do NOT leave the questions you should answer in your essay.
Double-space your assignments ALWAYS. They should also be written in Times New Roman, Calibri, or Cambria only at 12-point font. You WILL lose points for not following these directions.
As always, late assignments are not accepted.
Prompt:
This prompt comes from the textbook chapter. After you’ve read the chapter, answer the questions below.
There are several media theories that are discussed in the book such as spiral of silence, agenda-setting, cultivation effect, social learning theory, and third-person effect, just to name a few. Pick any one of the theories in the chapter and apply it to what you observe in your own life. Have you seen your theory proven in your own experiences? How and why? Have you seen it disproven? How and why? Who do you know behaves according to what the theory suggests and why do you think that is? Expand on this and really analyze your observations.
For example, you might talk about how during the election season, selective exposure and retention is glaringly obvious. One instance where this proves to be true is when friends who are Republican don’t believe that liberal news organizations, such as CNN or MSNBC, are unbiased toward the Republican candidate and vice versa with friends who are Democrats. This is why Republicans typically consume conservative media, like Fox, and always post articles that reflect their viewpoints but often refuse to consume media from the other side because they don’t believe it is objective reporting. The same is also true with Democrats who consume media that is liberal and reflect their viewpoints. Therefore, in this instance selective exposure is proven true.