1.  Describe what you see as the media’s primary role in society. ◦ Discuss how you see it performing in that role.  In what ways does the media influence our lives and our views? ◦ Consider advertising, politics, celebrities, and the news.  Respond to the following quote: “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” – Jim Morrison

2.  Visit the following websites for five days and write down what the main headlines are for that day. ◦ Check each website at the same time each day. ◦ If there are pictures w/ the headline, briefly describe the image. ◦ If the headline isn’t self-explanatory, read the article to get a sense of the story  Websites: ◦ www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com ◦ www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com ◦ www.cnn.com www.cnn.com ◦ www.ajc.com www.ajc.com ◦ www.bbc.com/news/ www.bbc.com/news/ We will come back and discuss these next week.

3.  Categorize the main headlines for each day and website: world news, politics, sports, celebrity, technology, etc.  What does the type of stories that each site reported on say about that website? ◦ Any patterns you noticed?  What conclusions can you come to about media, the news, and its portrayal of events?