Presidential Candidates Media Analysis WebQuest

Introduction | The Task | Resources | The Process | Learning Advice | Conclusion

Introduction

Our political socialization begins when we are very young.  We learn our political beliefs from our parents, our family, our friends and in school.  We further develop those beliefs by our exposure to different types of media:  television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. The events the media covers, the way the cut their video footage, or the statements they choose to print (as well as the information the media chooses not to print) help formulate a candidate's image and what we think about that candidate.  As this media coverage influences our views about candidates, it also influences the success or failure of a political candidate. 

The Task

Resources

 Candidates and their Official Websites:

• Look at the different Presidential polling data.  How many Americans favor the candidate you are observing?  What policy positions of the candidate do Americans favor?  What policy positions do they oppose?  Is the candidate drawing the support of any particular demographic or region?
  
• CROWDPAC
• FiveThirtyEight
  
• Gallup Poll
  
• Rasmussen Reports
  
• Real Clear Politics

• Sourceaid
• Easybib
• Noodletools
  

The Process

1.   Select a candidate and become familiar with his / her platform:
• Become familiar with his/her biography
  
• What four issues are most important to the candidate?
• What is the candidates stance on those issues?
• From what demographics is this candidate getting the most support
2. Monitor the candidates placement in the polls
   
3. Each week, read three newspaper or magazine articles (these should be informative articles; they may not be editorials, opinions, commentaries, or letters to the editor) on your candidate.  Your articles must be from a variety of news sources and must include:  (1) conservative news source, (1) liberal news source, (1) foreign news source.
   

• Complete an annotated bibliography using APA format of your three news articles
• Due Dates:
• 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29
  
• Each annotated bibliography is worth 20 points
• If you're struggling to find newsworthy articles, consult the Galileo research database. See Ms. Stedman for the password. Once you enter your candidate's name, you'll be able to refine the search (menu on the left side of the screen), and limit the search returns to news and magazine articles.
  

• Track your candidates placement in the polls.  (For consistency, I recommend following the same polling organization each week.)  Include, in your final paper, a chart or graph that describes the change in the candidates standing in the national polls.
  
• Write a 3 page analytical paper that includes the following:
• a brief background paragraph on the candidate and his / her platform
  
• a brief summary of common themes presented in the articles you have read
• a comparison of the ways in which the various news sources presented your candidate and his / her campaign
• Which sources were more favorable to the candidate?  What led you to this conclusion?
• Which sources were less favorable to the candidate?  What led you to this conclusion?
• How did the foreign press's coverage of the candidate differ from the American coverage?
  
• an analysis of the coverage of the candidate
• Do you think the majority of the coverage the candidate received was fair (or unfair)?  what led you to these conclusions?
  
• Was the media coverage biased in any way?
• a brief paragraph with your personal observations - through this project, what did you learn about the media and their participation in the political process? 
  
• Do you believe the media have too much or too little influence on the political process?  Why?
• Paper Due Date:  11/5
• The paper is worth 100 points
  

Conclusion:

This page written by Jill Stedman.
Last updated: September 22, 2015

This page was adapted from Bernie Dodge 's WebQuest_Template1.html by Tom March