Media Literacy Final Project:
Content Analysis of American Family Dynamics
in Entertainment Media

Value: 100 points

For this project, you will examine several different pieces of media form different media eras for messages about family dynamics. After viewing media that meets the criteria below, you will craft an analytical essay that examines family dynamics in your chosen media and discuss how these dynamics have changed from pre-2000 to more recent media. 
According to medialit.org, understanding that mass media industries sell audiences to advertisers is a powerful new concept to many American adults, who are barely aware of how a newspaper can be delivered to the doorstep for 35 cents a day or how television can enter the home at no cost.
Individuals employed by giant media companies might not feel comfortable with the idea of teachers and students analyzing their ownership patterns and acquisitions, looking critically at their annual reports and reading their trade magazines. However, any meaningful critical discourse about media messages must include a careful and systematic examination of the economic and political contexts in which films, TV shows, newspapers and news programs are produced. 
Please choose and then view and analyze either A or B (NOT BOTH! PICK ONE!)
The first and last whole season of a TV show that lasted for at least 10 years. If the show you choose is still running, please use the most recent full season. (Examples: Friends, Family Guy, Modern Family, etc)

One “family-oriented” movie from before 2000 and one “family-oriented” movie from after 2015

While viewing these types of media, keep in mind that you will need to answer the following questions in your paper:
How are families depicted in the media you chose to analyze?
How has this changed with time? Or, has it? Does the more recent media you chose accurately reflect current family dynamics in this country? (Hint: Use data from the Census Bureau to compare what is depicted in your show vs. what the actual statistics say.)
Do media portrayals of family follow trends in society, or do they influence them (or both)? This will be especially important if you choose to analyze a TV show.
What do various media products popular with young people (Millennials; born in 1980 to early 2000s) say about gender roles, and how do you interpret these messages? Are they accurate?
Which media literacy concepts, skills, and processing tasks did you use to analyze this media?
Format

Style: This is a formal essay that should be written as such. Slang and colloquial language is not acceptable. Points will be deducted for improper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This includes proper citation format for quotes and paraphrasing. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and offenders will be subject to disciplinary action.
Length: This essay should be at least 5 but no more than 10 pages long.
Format:  Double spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font, one inch margins with proper heading.
Proper heading: Include student name, date, and course title.
Title: Each paper should have an original title. (“Essay #1” not acceptable)

Analyze your data
Once you have gathered your data, analyze it thoroughly and begin to take note of what you find. The purpose of this paper is to identify patterns in entertainment media as a way to interpret messages about family dynamics. You don’t necessarily have to find something problematic, but it is very common to find troubling or inconsistent content during this process. You will look for patterns, key words, repeated images and other types of artifacts in the coverage you gathered and then determine the significance of what you found.
Organization

You should organize your paper in the following format:
Introduction – Tell the reader what you chose to research and a brief scope of the show and which season you chose. You should also include a brief intro to the topic of media literacy, as well as why you think this media is appropriate for a discussion on media literacy.

Methodology – Discuss what types of media you analyzed and how you analyzed each piece. What did you do to determine patterns in these media messages?

Findings – This section is only for your findings. Discuss the word patterns you found, the images you noticed, the frequency of “buzz words” you found, and any other key findings related to messages about family.

Discussion – This is where you discuss what your findings mean. If your findings are troubling, discuss why. If they are positive or encouraging, discuss what this means for messages about family roles. Discuss what your findings means for the future of this topic. Think about how you would present your findings to the movie producers or script writers who produced your artifacts. This is where your discussion needs to include the social impact of what you found.

Conclusion – Formal academic papers don’t generally include a formal “conclusion” because it tends to be a regurgitation of everything you just read. That being said, you will sometimes find that there is a conclusion section that discusses the limitations of the paper and how the study might be expanded/continued in the future. If you’d like to include such a section, it is welcome. If you choose to do a conclusion, please don’t revamp the whole paper. That’s not useful.

Please note the deadline at the top of this document. Late papers will be subject to substantial penalties and may not receive feedback.