Newspapers In History

NEWSPAPERS IN HISTORY

Assessment item 2

Item 2: Essay 1

Due Date: Friday 10pm, Week 6

Weighting: 40%

Length: 2000 words

Please answer one of the following questions:

1. Compare and contrast several issues of The Times newspaper from the 1850s and 1900. Develop an argument to explain the changes, differences and continuities identified in The Times over the period. The differences could be in format, language, audience (class identifiers such as language, bias, advertising, content focus), political positioning or cultural bias.

1. Compare and contrast several days of The Times and the Daily News OR the Times and another British daily newspaper. Develop an argument to explain the differences you have identified. The differences could be in format, language, audience (class identifiers such as language, bias, advertising, content focus, city/provincial).

Hint: Select the same dates for the two papers you compare. You may wish to base your comparison on a run of dates (eg a week, fortnight or month), or on selected dates taken over a longer period (eg one day/month over 12 months or Jan 1 over a selected time frame).

1. Compare and contrast advertising in the Times and the Daily News OR The Times and another British daily newspaper. What does the advertising tell us about the nature of each paper and its assumed audiences? Develop an argument to explain the similarities and differences you have identified.

The daily papers are available through the National Library of Australia eResources, ‘Nineteenth Century British Newspapers’. The Times is also available through the Griffith University Library database.

Many of the critical weeklies are available National Library of Australia eResources, ‘British Periodicals Online’. The New Statesman is available through the New Statesman archive link on the papers website.

These databases are also available through most City Council websites.

At least EIGHT scholarly sources must be submitted in Bibliography.

Just a reminder that there are several example essays available on the course website under the Other Resources link. Also I want to give some general guidelines that I find are common themes given in marking this assignment.

Firstly, you do need to read the questions carefully and address the issues suggested by the topic. There needs to be a clear statement of argument presented in the introduction. Please focus on the issues suggested by the Study Guide and Readings. It is important to engage with the content of this unit, that is, the history of newspapers rather than a more general discussion of historical events.

Secondly, you must have at least six academic references in your bibliography. You cannot do well at tertiary level if you do not engage with substantial academic research. I have an extensive list of Suggested Readings under the Other Resources link.

And finally, please carefully edit your work, checking sentence structure, grammar and spelling.