Evolution of the Media

1. Choose one of the traditional news media types –(newspaper (online or print), television, or radio — and compile a list of the existing options local to the town/city where your campus is located or to the town/city where you are currently living. E.g., how many radio stations are local to your area? Use your knowledge and/or do a quick google search to find out.
2. Narrow down your list to just three of the options you found, and research the following information about them organize this information into a chart or table (see sample chart below — you will need to create your own, or use headings and bullet points), and post it to your Discussion Board thread:
   a. News Coverage: what kind of news stories do they cover? (For example think about hard/soft/opinion, local/national/international, business/sports/entertainment, etc.)
   b. Audience: who do you think their target demographic is, how popular are they with their target (who listens to them, when, and how often)? (Hint: think about the types of news they cover, or shows they broadcast, or music they play — you can use a combination of research and critical thinking to make an educated guess)
   LOCAL ______
   (Newspapers, Radio Stations, or TV Channels) Type of News Stories Target Demographic
   1.

2.

3.

3. Choose one major news story covered by one of the media outlets you listed above. Choose a story that is related to or involves a specific business or organization.
4. Briefly describe the story. (If you chose ‘newspapers’, you can post a link to the story in your discussion board thread, or copy and paste it in). Identify the creator if you can. (E.g., journalist, announcer, or businessperson/media relations person?)
5. Assess the story: did it have most or all of the 7 elements of a ‘good’ story described in your textbook? Provide some examples from the story to support your assessment.
6. Would you consider the story ‘positive coverage’ for the business or organization? Explain why or why not. (FYI – positive coverage means that the business benefits in some way from the publication of the story (reputation, popularity, sales, etc.); negative covereage means that the buisness identified in the sotry is negatively affected (reputation, popularity, sales, etc.) Tip: ask yourself – would the business be pleased or upset with the way they are portrayed in the news story?