Mainstream Media and Mental Health
1) The introduction of the paper should be a brief discussion of the main characteristics of the conflict you are analyzing, and the media coverage (or lack thereof) that you are criticizing. Where was it first started? Who are the main sides of the conflict? Which media that covered the conflict are you analyzing? Is the conflict transnational — meaning it includes several nations at the same time, and in which ways does this conflict connects to the US? Be brief (one page for the intro). If there is anything more in-depth to discuss about general issues, use the body of the paper to do so. Remember, your intro is a teaser to entice your reader to read your paper, so bring interesting short phrases, or statements that you will explain later.
2) Hypothesis(es). Your central theory generally goes at the end of the introduction. It is important to tell the reader what are you going to talk about, what is your take on the issue, why it is relevant, and why are you discussing or including certain relevant class concepts to explain this conflict. Do not wait for the conclusion to tell the reader what your main topic is (this is a common mistake) or the concepts you will use to analyze it.
3) Body of the paper: You should start showing evidence to support your thesis. By evidence I mean your original research using media excerpts, articles, video-clips, Facebook, Instagram entries, posters, post-cards, podcasts, or whatever media you choose to analyze regarding your chosen topic/conflict. If you include quotes, statements or paraphrased ideas from other authors, you need to provide citations in correct APA style for everything that is not your own idea or analysis. Formulate a guiding structure so you can explain your findings with class concepts. You will need those concepts as tools for analyzing the meaning and relevance of your data. You will need to analyze the conflict in the body of your paper. Please, cite class readings as you use the concepts from them.
4) Conclusion: Tie your conclusion back to your introduction and your thesis. Reflect upon the bigger picture of the paper and give the reader your reflection on what you just wrote. Any future recommendations, or final thoughts go in the conclusion as well.
Hypothesis- How does mainstream media and its portrayal of mental health affect an individual’s privileges?
Concepts that need to be in the paper- media portrayal, fake news vs. real news, disinformation, political agenda and monetary gain, moral clarity
