Exam 2 Study Guide

History of the Mass Media Spring 2008

Exam 2 will consist of 5 short answer questions (worth 2 points each), a take home essay based on the book Reporting Iraq, and one in-class essay. You will not have an opportunity to choose the short answer questions on this exam. The take-home essay must be brought with you on the day of the exam. Each essay is worth 5 points. (Total exam points = 20 points)

Preparing for the Exam:

The exam is intended to demonstrate your understanding of course content from lectures, books, readings, guest presentations, and documentary film assigned or presented in class. Therefore, make sure your answers incorporate and integrate these sources. You are responsible for all assigned readings listed on the on-line syllabus, regardless of whether they were discussed in class.

Short Answers

You should identify the term or person, explain its significance to the study of media history, and provide enough supporting material to show you understand the historical context.

McClures

Ida Tarbell

Lincoln Steffens

Alien and Sedition Acts and the Crisis of 1790s

Daniel Ellsberg

Plumbers

Mark Felt

Deregulation

Republican Revolution & the Media

Role of New Media in Political Advertising (Jim Clark)

Judith Miller

Bohemian Brigade

Edwin Stanton

George Creel

Why We Fight Series

TET Offensive

Press “pool” system

Reporting the Gulf Wars

War Spin

The take-home essay will be posted Monday. One of the following essays will be written in class:

1. Describe the contributions of three of the leading journalistic reformers between 1890 and 1917, making sure to explain the target of their journalism, their methods, and the legacy of each writer’s work?

2. Write an essay that explores the legal challenges to press freedom surrounding the Alien and Sedition Acts of the 1790s and the publication of the Pentagon Papers in the 1970s. Include enough historical specifics to show the historical context of the crises, the legal issues raised, and the subsequent outcomes.

3. Paul Mowrer, newspaper editor and war correspondent, has said, “In this nation of ours, the final political decisions rest with the people. And the people, so that they may make up their minds, must be given the facts, even in time of war, or perhaps especially in time of war…” However, governments have not generally been willing to let the free flow of information alone shape public opinion. Discuss the role of government sponsored propaganda in shaping public opinion in times of war, using as examples two campaigns or efforts to win public support for war in different conflicts.

TAKE-HOME ESSAY TIPS

1. Your essay should be at least 300 words (one-page, double-spaced) and no more than 600 words (two-pages, double-spaced).

2. Because you may draw upon a variety of sources, I expect more detail than you would normally provide in an essay written in class. Use details, quotes and examples. (You may use an informal citation style by attributing material to an author, but you don’t need to cite page numbers.)

3. If the question has more than one part, be sure that you answer all the parts.

4. If you have additional information about a topic that goes beyond the wording of the question, include it in your answer if you can work it into your essay. In other words, demonstrate your knowledge of the topic.