Emily Kiefer

[emily kiefer]

Okay, for my paper topic i am considering focusing on the media, and comparing its effects and uses for the baby boomers, gen x, and millenials.

I am realizing that the media is a pretty broad topic, and so perhaps i can narrow it down into just talking about the news.

The changes in the ways newspapers are distributed (now they are online), thinking about the ways war is covered in the media (Vietnam being very explicit, in color for first time, whereas the wars in Iraq and Afganistan don't get as much coverage.)

News parody shows, and comedy shows that focus on current events (Onion News Network, The Daily Show...) what would have been comparable to that for babyboomers and Gen X? Maybe Saturday Night Live?

Maybe even ideas about the way news is presented have changed. (more sensationalism, more analysis by talking heads?)

I don't yet have a purpose in mind, but maybe comparing the media between baby boomers, gen x, and millenials could go somewhere?

[Fred Cooksey]

Interesting possibilities, Emily. Since I also teach journalism, these are questions that intrigue -- and concern -- me.

There's been quite a bit of attention paid to these subjects over the last ten years, so you'll definitely want to narrow it down. There's a great essay by Cass Sunstein called ... I can't remember. Search for boston review cass sunstein daily we

(I had the link but the site won't let me post a link for 7 days....)

(Also look at link on right side of page -- this was one of many essays in a forum on democracy.)

Sherry Turkle is another possible source.

I had another link it wouldn't let me post; search for we media -- it's a pdf. Older, but good for explanation of the basics.

Here's a keyword to use in your searches: gatekeepers. Let me know what you learn about it....

Finally, maybe (big maybe) you could focus on the coverage of a recent news event (such as Occupy Wall St.) to explore how a certain group (college or high school students?) is getting news; use this primary research as a way to explore issues that have been subject to debate (daily me vs. daily we; gatekeepers vs. citizen journalism, etc.) for years now....

Good luck....

[Kevin Sylvester]

If you're going to do the whole satire thing and want the comparable shows to The Daily Show & SNL...

A couple that I can think of from childhood (Mr. Cooksey will remember)

Not Necessarily the News
MadTv - I can remember this was kind of billed like the Gen X's anti SNL...
Kids in the Hall - This was from Canada and gave the US all sorts of censorship issues.



If you haven't decided on a final topic, satire through the generations could be really fun if you could narrow it down a bit further.

The research alone could be hilarious!!!

[Paige Dolinski]

When we were talking about the Vietnam War in class and how much coverage they had compared to now, really intrigued me. I'd love to see the research on that - as well as how the presentation of media has changed.. definitely charged topics. And the gatekeeper idea Prof Cooksey touched on was also really interesting. The news outputs nowadays are so vastly different compared to gen x/baby boomers ("more sensationalism, more analysis by talking heads?" - definitely)
I think a paper focusing on these ideas would be really compelling.

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