Media History Essay
Microsoft Word - Media Studies 111B - Essay #2 Prompt (Fall 2022).docx Media Studies 111B – Fall 2022 Essay Assignment #2 From “Information” to “Knowledge”: Media and Data as Tools of Power DUE: Thursday, November 17th, by 10 PM in PDF format on Bcourses Format: 1300-1600 words, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, double-spaced. Purpose of essay To research an attempt, successful or otherwise, by an historical agent to gather, process, and represent information as a means of achieving a specific social, political, or economic goal using media technology. How do historical agents obtain information and what do they do with it? What happens when information is transformed into “knowledge” about bodies, communities, and ways of living? What kinds of new social formations or ways of thinking does this new relationship with information prescribe? Instructions 1. Choice of Topic: Select an attempt by a historical agent (a government, corporation, organization, or individual) to gather, interpret, and process information and thereafter use media to represent it as a specific form of knowledge. a. Some examples of historical knowledge production projects (many others are possible): the use of censuses to gather information about a population, the development of statistics for business or actuarial tables for insurance, journalistic efforts to shed light on urban poverty or other perceived social ills, corporations’ use of surveys and focus groups to enhance marketing efforts and increase profits, and state efforts to surveil and record the activities of their citizens or other populations. b. An important distinction here lies between information, by which we mean facts, numbers, images, messages, or documents, and knowledge, by which we mean something known about information. i. An example: a government carries out a census to gather information about, among other things, the incomes and occupations of its citizens. Were the government to then use that information to determine taxation policy, to set economic goals, or to address wealth inequality, then it would need to first turn the information into a form of knowledge by classifying, analyzing, and drawing conclusions based upon the census information. ii. Another example: a reporter for a major newspaper conducts interviews to collect information about the lives of individuals living in poverty in the city where her paper is published. Were the reporter to then compose and publish a newspaper article about the dire conditions of destitution pervasive throughout the city and what might be done about them, she would be turning the information she collected into a particular form of knowledge by selecting, narrativizing, and synthesizing the information. iii. Yet another example: a corporation seeking to develop a new product line engages an advertising agency to ascertain how best to market the product. The advertising agency conducts market research, including focus groups, surveys, and in-store observation of customers. The information thereby obtained is then analyzed and processed to reveal important knowledge about the potential consumer base for the corporation’s product. c. Parameters: 1800-1960s, anywhere in the world. Exceptions to the time period parameters must be preapproved. d. Get started early. Your first idea may not work if sufficient sources are lacking. If so, you can either see if something similar is possible to research or try a different idea instead. Feel free to think creatively, though. There are many potential ways to conceive of “information” being turned into a form of “knowledge.” 2. Analysis: To develop a sophisticated and multivalent argument explaining how and why information became knowledge. Invest time analyzing the various stages and components of the process, although you do not need to give equal weight to each stage. Emphasize the stages you determine most consequential for the historical outcome of your chosen knowledge production project. a. Consider what counts as “information” and what might be described as “knowledge” for your specific historical example. Cmiel and Durham Peters offer some interesting models for how “information” and “knowledge” can be respectively defined and also how they relate to one another. b. Consider the historical agent’s motives for gathering information and presenting it as knowledge. What did they hope to gain through this process? c. Determine what role media technologies played in the process of gathering, classifying, and processing information. Also consider what role media technologies played in the process of converting information into knowledge and in representing that knowing to a wider public. d. Did the historical agent encounter resistance or face problems with specific stages of their knowledge production project? Was their project conceptually or morally flawed? e. Does this knowledge production project reveal something significant about how media technologies can be used to produce knowledge and even establish the “truth” about some aspect of society, culture, politics, the economy, or the natural world? 3. Writing: Compose an argument explaining how and why an historical agent used media technologies to obtain and process information and then presented the results as a form of knowledge. a. Your argument should be persuasive, but it not need not be comprehensive. Identify key aspects of the knowledge production process to focus your argument on, then determine what you will need to explain and argue in the form of supporting points. In other words, you should provide an overview of the entire knowledge production project, but you could then focus on how information was collected, how it was processed, or how the resulting knowledge was presented. b. It can help to have a basic, preliminary thesis to guide your research and writing. Allow this thesis to develop into a more complex argument as you identify and accentuate aspects of how the knowledge production process functioned. Your final thesis statement should succinctly state your overall argument in a clear and compelling manner. Take your time crafting it. c. Using an outline will allow you to construct your argument in a modular fashion. With an outline as scaffolding, you can move parts around, determine where specific claims and evidence should appear, and identify portions that while interesting may not necessarily fit your evolving argument. An outline can also serve as an excellent holding space for evidence, sources, quotes, and citations. d. Aim to finish a complete draft two days before the deadline. This will allow you ample time to edit, proofread, and, if needed, overhaul your paper to ensure it is clear, compelling, and well- balanced. Requirements 1. An introductory paragraph ending with an argument in the form of a thesis statement. 2. Several well-organized body paragraphs in which you introduce and analyze specific evidence. Your body paragraphs should prove your argument in a logical, well-substantiated manner. Within your body paragraphs, include: a. A succinct description of (A) of your chosen historical agent and their goals b. A succinct description of (B) the knowledge production project. c. An explanation of the role media technologies played in the knowledge production project. 3. A concluding paragraph restating your argument in light of the evidence and analysis you provided. 4. Thorough source citations (MLA, APA, or Chicago) and a Works Cited section. After or below “Works Cited,” indicate in parentheses which citation style you are using. 5. At least five published sources. a. These can include books, chapters in edited volumes, monographs, journal articles, and documentary films. Separate chapters in the same book can count as separate sources each, if you need them to. b. You may also provide primary source evidence. A primary source is the raw material of history. This could include pieces of information, texts or images produced during the knowledge production process, or forms of media in which the knowledge was ultimately presented. c. You are welcome to include images, document samples, or other suitable graphic material. Look up how to include such sources properly according to your chosen citation style. Research and Writing Resources 1. Begin with the Research and Writing Resources and Course Bibliography pages on our Bcourses site. 2. The Student Learning Center Writing Program is a wonderful campus resource that all writers are encouraged to take advantage of. The SLC Writing Program offers a variety of remote-access formats, including Appointments, Drop-in, Weekly meetings, Workshops, and Events. These are designed to provide support to undergraduates with all levels of writing experience and working in all disciplines. A link to the program will also be available on Bcourses. 3. Take care to avoid plagiarism: Whenever you rely on a source, cite it. This applies to direct quotes, paraphrases, or any idea taken from another author. Citing Wikipedia is not a great idea, but even that is preferable to plagiarizing someone else’s work. If you have any questions about how to properly cite a source, check out the Purdue OWL’s citation guide for your preferred citation style. If you still have questions, you are most welcome to email me. G ra di ng c ri te ri a Category Criteria % Specific Components (50%) Introduction and thesis statement clearly explains how and why a historical agent used media technologies to obtain information and use that information to produce a form of knowledge 10% Description of historical agent 5% Description of knowledge production project 5% Explanation of role of media technologies 5% Body paragraphs providing and analyzing specific evidence in a manner supportive of the paper’ argument 25% Evidence (25%) All claims substantiated with appropriate evidence drawn from reliable sources (do you cite appropriate sources to substantiate your argument?) 15% Sources properly cited according to MLA, APA, or Chicago style and included in a Works Cited section following the paper (do you cite your sources properly?) 10% Organization (15%) Supporting points presented in a logical sequence that proves the main argument. Examples and analysis organized into coherent paragraphs of appropriate length. 15% Style (10%) Writing is syntactically and grammatically correct. Edited and proofread. Paper is easy to understand. 10%