Critical Essay Assignment Guide Fall 2020
Synopsis: For this assignment, you will select ONE mass mediated text (i.e., film, television show, advertisement, video game, song, literary work, magazine, newspaper, internet site, etc.), research it, and write a 1100 word critical analysis (approximately 4 pages) of the text that utilizes one of the theoretical perspectives explored in class (i.e., Marxist, organizational, pragmatic, rhetorical, cultural, psychoanalytic, , queer, reception, sociological, erotic, or ecological). Your chosen media artifact should be no more than 2 years old (e.g., distributed no earlier than September 2018).Note that there are sample student essays of this sort in the Appendix of your textbook. There is a sample for each lens covered in class, so review to these, if you need inspiration. There is also an FAQ guide for this assignment included in OneDrive.
In terms of structure and general content, your paper should include, at a minimum:
1. A paper that begins by being properly formatted in accordance with APA 7 guidelines, including a proper cover page.
a. A resource for this style guide can be found here: https://owl.excelsior.edu/citation-and documentation/apa-style/
2. A one-paragraph introduction in which you:
a. introduce your media text;
b. comment upon its significance as an object of study;
c. formulate a clear and concise thesis statement (i.e., identify what your text is doing and how it is doing it); and
d. preview your argument/paper.
Generally, a good academic introduction will orient the reader to the theory being used, offer a claim (i.e. a thesis) to be supported, suggest why that claim matters, and will briefly explain how your chosen theory will ultimately support the claim you offer.
3. A development paragraph that orients your reader to your chosen media text. Do not assume your reader is familiar with the media you have chosen. Offer a brief synopsis and related background information to ensure your reader understands what media object you have chosen and why it is relevant.
A development paragraph usually follows the introduction, taking a step back to use narration and/or description to show your reader the media object before you begin analyzing it. For example, if you choose a film, dont assume your reader has seen the film.
4. An analysis of your text using relevant principles discussed in class and the course readings. The goal of this section is to combine theory and astute critical observations effectively, applying relevant theory to a contemporary media object. This is the body of your paper and should constitute the largest portion of the essay (i.e., several paragraphs).
The body should be a series of paragraphs organized around major themes or aspects of the theory and/or media object under examination. Your essay need not be a 5-paragraph essay; rather, your essay should have as many, or as few, paragraphs as needed to address the major points of your claim.

Each main point should have its own paragraph, constructed around some specific aspect of your argument, theory, and/or media object, applying theory to a specific example. Your paragraphs should have a logical flow, and you are not encouraged hard breaks (e.g., subheadings) to organize your essay.
5. A critical conclusion in which you briefly reflect on the implications of your analysis. This might include speculating about the role your text plays in political affairs, processes of socialization or interpellation, or North American culture generally.
An effective academic conclusion does more than merely summarize or list what has been said in the essay, and it never simply repeats the introduction. Rather, this is a space to emphasize the points that have been argued in a way that shows the reader why those points and that argument are important.
Ask yourself, What is at stake in this analysis? Why does this matter? Then, provide your answer for your reader in the form of a conclusion.
6. A bibliography formatted in accordance with APA 7 standards. Your essay, and thus your bibliography,should contain no fewer than three academic sources (i.e., sources from academic publishing houses or peer-reviewed journals) in addition to the course text, as well as proper citation for your media object, and any other resources used in constructing your essay.
Your academic sources can focus on the media text youve chosen (e.g., many popular films, television shows, and entertainment genres have been written about in scholarly journals), on the theoretical lens you have chosen, or on both of these. If you are unclear on what constitutes an academic source, you are encouraged to speak to our research librarian in the campus library, who can help guide your research. You can also check the refereed (i.e. peer reviewed) status of journals via Ulrichs Web.
For example, the referee shirt next to this entry for the Journal of Media and Ethics demonstrates that this is an appropriate scholarly source:
Academic Integrity: Please see the syllabus to understand how this course uses Turn It In to evaluate the originality and authenticity of student work.
Grading Rubric: The critical essay will be assessed on comprehension of chosen media theory (25%), correctapplication of theory to a media object (30%), use of appropriate scholarly/academic resources (25%), correct
citation in APA 7 format (10%), essay formatting that conforms to APA 7 guidelines (5%), and overall quality of writing (5%).
Length: 1100 words of text in the essay, plus a separate title page and bibliography.
Format: Please follow APA 7 citation and style guidelines. A comprehensive guide to this format can be found here: https://owl.excelsior.edu/citation-and-documentation/apa-style/ . Incorrect formatting and citation will result in a point deduction of up to one full letter grade (10 points).