This assignment involves comparing and analyzing two half-hour national newscasts from different TV networks in terms of their coverage, agenda-setting, biases, use of narrative and visual elements, and potential improvements.

Directions: For this assignment, record and watch two half-hour national (not local) newscasts from different TV networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News) on the same day (preferably a weekday) as close as possible to the same time – e.g., watch CBS and NBC News at 5:30 pm. Do not do two broadcasts from vastly different times or places. Do not do one local and one national newscast. Do not do a feature news documentary. If you do not have easy access to a TV or access to the shows on your computer, you may compare two comparable news web sites for the same day (e.g., BBC, Fox News, msnbc).
1. List the network and day/time of the newscasts. Make a list of the news stories covered in order and include these lists with your assignment (b e specific – e.g., don’t just say “Afghanistan.) Then answer the following questions:
2. What similarities and what differences in coverage did you see across the two cases? Consider whether stories are included or not on each network and also the prominence given to those stories which are included.
3. Comment on agenda-setting by either or both networks. What are they telling us is important? Be as specific as you can. Suggest possible reasons for these agendas if you can.
4. Do you see examples of biases (political, ideological, economic, social, etc.) in either or both sources? If so, what are they and how were they revealed? Are these biases appropriate or not and why?
5. Do you see any tendency to tell hard news stories as “soft news?” If so, give examples. Do you see the narrative (story) form in these news stories? How is the news made very entertaining? Does this distort the news or make it clearer?
6. How do the pictures complement the verbal part of the story? Are there any cases where the photography significantly enhanced, detracted from, or confused the story? Was the visual part misleading in any way?
7. What would you like to see changed about the coverage on either or both networks? What, if anything, bothered you about these presentations of the news? What particularly impressed you as positive?
Note: This assignment will not work as well if your news day happens to be a day of a major breaking news story that captures a majority of the broadcast. Try to avoid such a day. Also, a weekday is preferable to a weekend, since there is more hard news on weekdays. Finally, I will comment on the quality of each post this week. So please put your last name in your post’s subject heading. This ONE POST answering all questions in an effective manner will count for your week’s participation grade.