media studies essay questions

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Sample Essay Questions

Sample Essay Questions, Media Studies Comprehensive Exam

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Rubric for Comprehensive Exam
Senior Assessment

Sample Question, Clip Analysis

View this TV commercial for Heineken Beer. It was created by a British advertising agency and aired in the UK in 2007-2008. Your task is to write an essay providing a close textual reading of the commercial, attending to the connections between its aesthetic and rhetorical elements, using appropriate critical concepts and terminology. First, read the commercial on its own terms—i.e., describing how it is composed narratively and aesthetically to sell a product and a brand to a specific audience. But then step back to frame that construction in an ideological analysis, using any theoretical tools or perspective(s) you find appropriate. Questions you’d do well to consider (not to exclude others) in doing this part of your essay:

Sample Questions on Works of Media Studies Scholarship

In response to one of the questions below, write a well-organized essay about by Walter Benjamin’s, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” W.J.T. Mitchell's "The Work of Art in the Age of Biocybernetic Reproduction," and Sudeep Dasgupta's "Gods in the Sacred Marketplace: Hindu Nationalism and the Return of the Aura in the Public Sphere."

There are two essay options; you are to CHOOSE ONE. In constructing your argument, you will need to provide supporting evidence by discussing specific examples from different chapters. Use quotations to help make your points, but don’t try to use long quotations, since your time is limited. Use parenthetical page number citations wherever you quote or paraphrase. It would be prudent to spend some time (5-10 minutes) organizing your thoughts, thinking through the issues, and deciding on your examples before you begin writing. Make sure your essay responds directly to the specific question you have chosen; a generalized essay about the readings is not acceptable .

Option 1.

For Benjamin, Dasgupta, and Mitchell, cultural texts are symptomatic of specific configurations of media technology and capitalism. Discuss how each author uses textual evidence to support his argument in these two interrelated regards (i.e. technology and capitalism). To properly answer this question you will need to summarize each author's general argument and explain how each one summons textual support to critique historically and culturally situated relations between media technologies and capitalism. Are there differences in their uses of evidence and in the direction of their arguments? Or are they in basic agreement on these matters, even though the later authors clearly appropriate and modify Benjamin?

Option 2. Dasgupta and Mitchell are both heavily indebted to Benjamin; however, each author modifies the original argument and its key ideas in a variety of ways. Write an essay that details how the later authors appropriate and yet work changes upon the original argument, drawing on specific passages to do so. Draw on Benjamin directly to suggest how he might respond to the use of his ideas. What should the interplay of ideas demonstrated here have to teach contemporary media scholars (particularly those who may not work on Indian media culture or "biocybernetics")?

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100 Best Media Topics To Write About

Students must choose brilliant media topics to come up with papers and essays that will earn them top grades. A wrong topic can compromise your grade even after investing time and effort in a research project. It’s, therefore, crucial to research a topic wisely before you decide to write about it.

Mass media topics that address emerging issues or recent developments in this field can attract your readers’ attention. However, you should research your topic extensively and analyze your information to come up with a paper that will impress your educator.

Selecting Mass Media Topics

Top 20 media topics for research, media research topics for college students, research topics in communication and media studies for dissertations, trending media topics for research papers, interesting media law topics.

Choosing mass media research topics is not always easy. That’s because most topics have been written about by other scholars. As such, you can easily find a publication with an essay or paper about a topic that you might have in mind. And this makes generating a unique topic idea difficult for some learners.

Luckily, you don’t have to struggle to come up with a topic for your paper or essay, because our assignment service is ready to help you. This article comprises some of the best media research topics to consider if your educator has assigned you a research paper or essay assignment. Simply pick one of these media research paper topics twist it a little or work with it to come up with an A grade write-up.

Perhaps, you’re looking for topics that everybody interested in the media field will want to read about. In that case, consider this list of the top media topics to write about.

Are roadside billboards effective when used to promote FACT products?
How mass media facilitates cultural diffusion globally
How the media influence young children
The impact of mass media on organizational efficiency
How print media ads and TV commercials affect consumer purchases
The techniques used by the West in recording
Can mass media be a tool for social reforms?
How the media over-emphasize terrorism
How mass media supports the establishment of public influence by political parties
The effectiveness of the door-to-door technique for promoting sales
How the mass media violates consumers’ privacy rights
Is modern mass media free from legal and ethical constraints?
Should parents supervise their children when watching TV?
How the government impose policies and rules on news channels
TV channels should have exclusive content for children
How radio is losing value and charm due to innovative media outlets
How the media affects the behavior of young adults and teens
The redundancy of reality shows
Why news channels should censor their coverage of violent events
How businesses can use mass advertisements to increase sales revenue

Pick any of these research topics in media and communication to come up with a research paper your teacher or audience will want to read from the beginning to the end. Nevertheless, be ready to research your topic extensively to come up with a brilliant topic.

Students have to write about media-related topics when pursuing mass media studies in college. To come up with an interesting paper or essay that will earn you the top grade, learners must select and write about interesting media topics. Here are some of the best topics to consider for your college paper or essay.

Influence of mass media ads on consumer behavior
The role of mass media in the dissemination of agricultural information
How the media affects the academic performance of students
The reality and illusion of press freedom in a democratic government
The audience perception of political news coverage by the media
How the media can promote pornography indirectly
How billboard advertising affect product promotion
How a government’s attempt to influence the media can affect society
How effective are radio adverts on family planning methods and programs?
How information and communication technology affects radio reporting
How the media promotes some role models
The agenda-setting role of the media
How television advertising shapes perceptions
How the media can influence the political decisions of the masses
Effects of modern technologies on how people use mass media
How the freedom of information affects journalism practices
How politicians can use the media to mobilize the masses
Effects of government ownership of a broadcasting service
How television broadcasting can affect election campaigns
How to use mass media for integrated communication in marketing

Pick and write about any of these media-related research topics to earn the top grade. Nevertheless, be prepared to research your chosen topic extensively to come up with a brilliant paper.

Your educator will ask you to choose and write about at least one media-related topic when pursuing your mass media and communication studies. In that case, you have to choose a topic you’re comfortable researching and writing about. Here are some of the best ideas to get you started.

Media coverage of women’s role in the Muslim nations
How the media covers the violation of human rights in the developing countries
How the state intimidates the media in the contemporary society
How some governments use the national security excuse to gag the media
What role does the government play in strengthening the media?
Mass media economics- How does the media benefit a country economically?
How effective are traditional teaching techniques in media studies?
Should the media avoid releasing unethical communications for justice purposes?
How can the media avoid violating privacy rights in the digital age?
How can journalists embrace a balanced approach to news reporting?
How the media influence the perception of a perfect body shape among girls
Should media personalities adhere to cultural practices and expectations?
How can the media help in ending racial discrimination?
What are the implications of political ownership of a media channel?
How opinion leaders influence the effectiveness of the media
How an independent television influences political mobilization in a country
How effective mass media can help in conflict resolution
How mass media promotes gender inequality
How editorial policies affect news coverage
How violent films on television affect the young audience

These are great media essay topics for academic dissertations. Pick any of these topics and then take your time to research extensively before writing your dissertation.

To impress your educator and score the top grade, you should pick a trendy media research topic. Ideally, your topic should be about something your audience can resonate with. Here is a list of trendy mass media research paper topics to consider.

How technology is changing the mass media definition
Propaganda and media censorship
How the freedom of speech affects modern media
Key aspects of modern communication
How media images represent modern society
How the media incorporate hidden messages in entertainment
Is radio still a popular mass media channel?
What is scientific journalism and how does it affect media consumption?
Is the Disney phenomenon media or a form of new mythology?
How the internet influences media policies
Does the media react to or create events?
Are people reverting to newspapers due to trust issues?
How media regulations and policies vary among countries
Can a journalist stick to media ethics when covering political campaigns?
Fan-fiction and fandom in mass media
What is the post-truth age in the mass media?
Arthouse versus mainstream media
Does the media prevent or enhance panic?
How the media promotes terrorism indirectly
Media companies versus bloggers

Choose any of these research topics in media and communication if your goal is to write about something trendy. However, make sure that you’re conversant with issues surrounding most new media topics to come up with an excellent paper or essay.

Most students confuse media law and media ethics topics. Laws are rules that govern the media while ethics are the moral values that media practitioners should abide by. Ethics guide the professional behavior or conduct of journalists. This category is also a great source of media debate topics. You can also find brilliant media analysis topics in this category. Here are some of the best media essays topics to consider if you love writing about laws and ethics.

Detailed analysis of media laws and ethics in the U.S
Perceptions of media law among graduate students
A comparison of media laws in the developing and developed countries
Changes in the media law in the U.S over the years
How media laws influence the evolution of a country’s political landscape
How the media facilitates the law-making process
Media law relevance for business opportunities
How media law influence sensitive issues’ coverage and reporting
How privacy laws protect TV consumers
The implication of criminal reporting- Analysis of privacy laws and transparency interplay
Big data and media- Practical interpretations of media laws
Media laws in communist countries
How media laws affect radio broadcasters- Practice issues and guidelines
The importance of media laws in contemporary society
How reinforcing media laws can lead to gaging of the media
What is the role of the government in the reinforcement of media laws?
How speech freedom differs from the media laws
Media freedom in emerging and developed economies
Advertisement laws for digital versus print media- a perspective of the UK media
How does media freedom differ from media regulation?
Some of these ethics paper topics

This category also has controversial media topics worth exploring. You can also find digital media research topics that relate to laws and ethics. Nevertheless, be prepared to research any of these topics extensively to come up with a paper or essay that will earn you the top grade.

Students have many media literacy topics to consider when writing academic papers and essays. But whether you opt to write about digital media topics or media analysis essay topics, you should research extensively before writing. That way, you will find great information that your audience will be interested to read about.

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100 Media Analysis Essay Topics & Examples

Welcome to our list of media analysis essay topics! Here, you will find plenty of content analysis topic ideas. Use them to write a critical paper, a literary analysis, or a mass-media related project. As a bonus, we’ve included media analysis example essays!

🔝 Top 10 Media Analysis Topics for 2024

🏆 best media analysis topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ interesting topics to write about media analysis, ✅ simple & easy media analysis essay titles, 🔥 content analysis topic ideas.

Portrayal of Women in Ads
Media Bias in Political Reporting
Representation and Diversity on TV
Social Media’s Impact on Self-Esteem
Media Coverage of Humanitarian Crises
How Are News on Climate Change Framed?
Consequences of Fake News and Misinformation
How Gender Roles Are portrayed in Children’s Media
Does Violence in Video Games Lead to Aggressive Behavior?
The Relationship of Media and Public Opinion in Elections
Media Analysis of 13 Reasons Why According to the laws of the genre, the atmosphere is intensified, the pace accelerates, and the turns in the plot become more and more abrupt.
Analysis of Media Strategies This is because it uses a reverse marketing strategy which states that the less the advertisement, the higher the pricing and the harder it becomes to find it, the higher the chances that people will […]
“Super Bowl LVI Today: Day 1” Media Analysis Hence, it is essential to consider the priorities of the mass communication organization, namely the tone, look and advertising in the show.
Sociological Media Analysis: “The Bachelor” and “One Day at a Time” The show is misogynistic, with the male protagonist playing the role of the pursuer and the female protagonist assuming the role of the pursued.
Historical Components of Media Analysis In the case of Mumford and McLuhan, Carey observes that the writing and interpretation of media can result in the reconstruction of wider arguments and even the selection of an antagonistic agent.
Analysis of Social Media Tools in Business The last item, the detailed analytics of the content and activity, allows for the development of the more efficient business strategy based on the subscribers’ preferences.
Media Literacy Research: Analysis of the Issue In the process of research, I have significantly expanded my ability to access and analyze media messages as well as to use the power of information to communicate and make a difference in the world.
Media Influences Learning: Analysis The use of media in learning leads to the achievement of positive outcomes if the medium used is interrelated and confounding.
Media Analysis: Abuse Over Vaccine Passports The article uses the direct quotations of the restaurant owners, thus making the most of the story based in the first person.
Media Analysis: Ageism in Advertisement In addition to the idea of saving communicated in E-trade’s ad, the commercial also seems to convey the hope of work among the old population.
Media Bias Fact Check: Website Analysis For instance, Fact Check relies on the evidence provided by the person or organization making a claim to substantiate the accuracy of the source.
The Media Economics Analysis In addition, the assessment of the economics of media reveals crucial information about the production, distribution, and consumption patterns of the media services and products.
Social Media Presence Analysis I think it expresses engagement within my workplace and willingness to learn more to either explore new ideas, be a part of the discussion, and make sure the information I am gathering is accurate and […]
The HopeLine: Website and Social Media Analysis The organization’s social media and the site contain a body of knowledge that might be also informative or important to revise for the current employees, for instance types and signs of abuse.
Media Analysis: Gideon’s Trumpet As it has been mentioned above, the purpose of the movie was to show that even a criminal has the right to have someone to represent him in the courtroom.
Acute Otitis Media Analysis The peak of acute ear infections, which precedes otitis media, is prior to the age of 2 years, and during school entry.
Modern Mass Media and Tools for Their Analysis A sender is a person who originates the message, a message is the content that is communicated, a channel is a medium used to transmit it, and a recipient is a person to whom the […]
Covering a Pandemic: Critical Media Analysis A lot of work over the past decades has been devoted to the study of media analysis, which has led to the formation of a new area of knowledge, concepts, and categories.
Analysis of Media Representation Patterns In fact, studies show that the DNA of any given human being is ninety-nine percent identical in comparison to the rest of the population, regardless of their origin.
News and Media Reliability: Social Analysis At the same time, given the apparent trend to use the Internet as the primary source of news, mobile devices still seem to arouse suspicion among the adult and the older adult population. The most […]
Analysis Representations of Britishness in Different Media Texts Although it is clear to me that facts of Britishness exist in all three media sources listed above, I understand that it has different sides and is shown as a mixture of cultural peculiarities, breathtaking […]
On Stereotyping in the Media Viewers watch shows regularly and do not understand the content that is biased while the media is able to attract the attention of the audience by way of drama, comedy and action.
Media and Injustice: Issues Analysis This paper will high light relations among media and the Injustice, discuss media in it’s past and current perspective and it’s possible role in future challenges by means of special importance on the media management […]
Media Coverage of Issues Analysis The main arguments that the authors suggest are: Inconsistent use of labels for the alternative plans minimized the likelihood that the public would understand the details of any of them; The conflicts frame narrowed public […]
Mass Media Communication: Personal Analysis Finally, when I do the same in the kitchen in the morning, I am occupied with preparing and eating my breakfast; therefore, television serves as a background and I cannot be focused on the information […]
Mass Media Law’s Analysis Indeed, the existing regulations show that the specified action is defined as flag desecration can be interpreted as an affront of the citizen of the United States, as well as the disdain for the law.
“The New Yorker” and “National Geographic” Media Analysis What finds most interesting about Surowiecki’s article is that he manages to counter the politics of the USA government, whereas, in Alexander’s article, the secret of the buried treasure and the historical events are the […]
Media Analysis: Jacob’s Cross In the Jacob’s Cross episode that was watched the following scenes that apply to the social justice theme were observed: This episode begins in the morning by Jacob calling his attorney and some other close […]
Social Media Data Analysis For the company storage purposes, information in wikis is stored in a chronological order and may be used to build the company’s knowledge.
Fairfax Media Limited Situational Analysis While it has generally taken Fairfax a longer time than expected to identify and adapt to the shift brought about by the rise of technology in market- specifically the internet and social media- the company […]
Media Industry News Analysis: Gasland May Take the Oscar To learn more about the world of media, it is better to focus on the news and the main themes of the articles offered to the reader.
Fairfax Media Industrial Environmental Analysis When the rights are granted, they come with a cost to the company; there has been challenges of print media from free press media in Australia thus Fairfax faces the challenge to handle the situation.
Media Analysis: Women and Men in Media Against this background the paper attempts to probe the way in which the press and especially the print journalism help to produce and to reproduce specific ways of knowing the third world.
Content Analysis of Two Different Forms of Media Although the first one uses television and the second uses the Internet and the World-Wide-Web to deliver content to consumers it must be pointed out that these two are rivals and basically has the same […]
Analysis of Gender Issues in the Media The message in the advertisement simply showed that women are able to control men by using their bodies in a certain way.
The Focus on the Importance of Symbols in Media Analysis
Visual Media Analysis for Social Media and Other Online Platforms
Research Methodologies for the Media Analysis
Communications and Media Analysis
Television Media Analysis
Media Analysis: Leadership
Predicting Stock Market Using Social Media Analysis
Media Analysis: Television and New Media
Media Analysis and Feminism
Television Media Analysis: Authors and Producers
How the Media Places Responsibility for the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Media Analysis
Media Analysis: Political and Social Bias in the USA
Collecting Data in Social Media Analysis
The Jurisprudence and Qualitative Media Analysis
Media Analysis: Banning Beauty and the Beast in Malaysia
Media Analysis and Understanding the Meaning of Islam
Symbolic Interactionism and Social Networks: Media Analysis
Television Media Analysis: The Cosby Show
Marketing and Business Communication: Media Analysis
The Difference Between the Quantitative and Qualitative Media Analysis
Structuring and Media Analysis
Media Analysis: Audiences and Consumers
Managing the News and Media Analysis
Comparative and Critical Media Analysis
Media Analysis: Rose Petal Cottage
Video Installation and Media Analysis
Philosophical and Social Media Analysis
Critical and Interdisciplinary Research in Media Analysis
Public Relations and Media Analysis: Semantic and Social Aspects
Functionalist Perspective for Media Analysis
Media Analysis of Traditional Primary Documents
Responsibility for the COVID-19 Pandemic: Media Analysis
Qualitative Research Methods in Media Analysis
A Visual Analytics System for Television Ratings
Food Chain Actors’ Perceptions of and Adaptations to Volatile Markets: Results of a Media Analysis
Religion and the Media Analysis
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective for Media Analysis
Employer Relation: Industrial Conflict Media Analysis
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Media Analysis
Media Analysis: Overview of Media Research Methodologies and Audiences
Patterns of Emotional Expression in Social Media Posts
A Comparative Content Analysis of Television Shows and Gender Representation
Environmental Sustainability Messaging in Advertisements
Patterns of Persuasive Language in Political Debates
News Coverage during COVID-19: Media Framing and Public Perception
The Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Behavior
Analysis of Unrealistic Standards in Video Game Characters
How Portrayal of Violence in Movies Leads to Desensitization
Diversity of Characters and Themes in Children’s Literature
How Fashion Magazines Affect Beauty Ideals
Effectiveness of Educational Apps for Children
Do Food Advertisements Promote Healthy Nutritional Choices?
Representation of LGBTQ+ Characters in TV Series
Environmental Messaging in Corporate Social Responsibility Reports
Representations and Perspectives on Climate Change
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Media Language Revision Questions

Introduction.

Writing responses to comprehension exercises is a great way to clarify the key concepts in media studies and prepare for examinations. You can enhance your understanding of the theories, make connections between the critical frameworks, and gain new insights into how we can analyse media texts.

The questions on this page are designed to help you revise the important semiotic and narrative theories, so you can assess your awareness of those conceptions. Most questions require a straightforward answer, and you might be expected to provide examples which will support your knowledge. Some questions will develop your critical appreciation of the concepts. Of course, you you skip questions if they are not relevant to your course and level.

If something doesn’t quite make sense, you can always scan through the guides to media language to check your answers.

Comprehension Questions

These questions test your knowledge of useful terms in media studies. Resist the temptation to scribble down quick answers and bullet points; improve the quality of your writing skills by using full sentences and words from the questions.

What is the difference between an icon and a symbol in Charles Peirce’s sign classification?
Briefly explain the meaning of syntagm. Give an example to illustrate your definition.
Give four examples of technical codes used in television productions.
What is the difference between a homage and a pastiche? Give an example from the media to illustrate each term.
What is meant by the phrase dominant ideology ? Give two contemporary examples to support your definition.
Describe two framing strategies news channels use to emphasise the importance of a story.
According to Jean Baudrillard, what is the implosion of meaning?
According to Saussure, a sign consists of which two elements?
Explain why anchorage is useful when communicating a message to the audience.
Explain the difference between Barthes’s first and second order of signification.
According to Todorov, what is the minimum requirement for a plot?
What is the meaning of the term representamen ?
What are the two representation systems according to Stuart Hall?
What is meant by the term paradigm ? Identify two examples of paradigm in action.
Explain the difference between genres of order and genres of integration. Give two examples from cinema.
Put the following phases in order: order of maleficence; sacramental order; pure simulacra; and order of sorcery.
Explain the relationship between the signifier and the signified.
Briefly explain the meaning of connotation and give two examples of the term in action.
Explain the function of a dispatcher in Propp’s character types.
What is meant by Barthes’ concept of myth ? Give two examples to illustrate the term.
Why do some newspapers take a sensationalist approach to reporting a story?
What are non-verbal codes? Give two examples.
What is meant by the term index ? Identify two examples of index in action.
Explain the meaning of the phrase binary opposition in terms of semiotics. Give two examples to illustrate the concept.
Which two codes construct the chronology of a narrative? Give an example of each code.

Multiple Choice Questions

Unfortunately, many students rush through these sorts of questions and miss a couple of easy marks. Read the questions carefully, look at the potential answers, and try to make informed decisions.

Connotation
Representamen
Editing Technique
Camera Angle
Tone of Voice
Inciting Incident
Transfiguration
Disequilibrium
Romantic Comedy
Exaggeration
Enculturation
Symbolisation
Opinion Followers
Moral Entrepreneurs
Stereotypes
Symbolic Codes
Lexical Codes
Semantic Codes
Hermeneutic Codes
Highway Codes
Technical Codes

Essay-style Questions

This set of questions is more challenging because your need to construct an argument. They are a stronger test of your knowledge and understanding of the key concepts in media studies.

To what extent is Lévi-Strauss’ concept of mytheme useful in analysing the media?
How useful are Todorov’s concepts of disequilibrium and repair to understanding narratives in contemporary advertising?
Explain in detail how signs achieve meaning through their relationships with other signs.
Explain why it is important to critically assess culturally important signs. Give two examples from the media.
Describe in detail the difference between action and enigma codes? Give an example of each narrative code from a film you have watched.
Explain why the interplay of codes is an effective framework for understanding film genre.
What methods can newspapers use to frame a story and help set the agenda?
To what extent are Propp’s seven character types relevant to contemporary media products?
What did Stanley Cohen mean by symbolisation in his description of a moral panic? Give one example of symbolisation in action.
To what extent are the meanings of signs arbitrary?

The Speaking-Circuit

Langue and Parole

A female reporter addressing the audience

Mode of Address

the concept of referent signified by shadows

What is the Referent?

Studium and Punctum

The Characteristics of Postmodernism

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AQA A-Level
Exam Practice

Special Issue: Propaganda

This essay was published as part of the Special Issue “Propaganda Analysis Revisited”, guest-edited by Dr. A. J. Bauer (Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Creative Media, University of Alabama) and Dr. Anthony Nadler (Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Media Studies, Ursinus College).

Propaganda, misinformation, and histories of media techniques

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This essay argues that the recent scholarship on misinformation and fake news suffers from a lack of historical contextualization. The fact that misinformation scholarship has, by and large, failed to engage with the history of propaganda and with how propaganda has been studied by media and communication researchers is an empirical detriment to it, and serves to make the solutions and remedies to misinformation harder to articulate because the actual problem they are trying to solve is unclear.

School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds, UK

Introduction

Propaganda has a history and so does research on it. In other words, the mechanisms and methods through which media scholars have sought to understand propaganda—or misinformation, or disinformation, or fake news, or whatever you would like to call it—are themselves historically embedded and carry with them underlying notions of power and causality. To summarize the already quite truncated argument below, the larger conceptual frameworks for understanding information that is understood as “pernicious” in some way can be grouped into four large categories: studies of propaganda, the analysis of ideology and its relationship to culture, notions of conspiracy theory, and finally, concepts of misinformation and its impact. The fact that misinformation scholarship generally proceeds without acknowledging these theoretical frameworks is an empirical detriment to it and serves to make the solutions and remedies to misinformation harder to articulate because the actual problem to be solved is unclear.

The following pages discuss each of these frameworks—propaganda, ideology, conspiracy, and misinformation—before returning to the stakes and implications of these arguments for future research on pernicious media content.

Propaganda and applied research

The most salient aspect of propaganda research is the fact that it is powerful in terms of resources while at the same time it is often intellectually derided, or at least regularly dismissed. Although there has been a left-wing tradition of propaganda research housed uneasily within the academy (Herman & Chomsky, 1988; Seldes & Seldes, 1943), this is not the primary way in which journalism or media messaging has been understood in many journalism schools or mainstream communications departments. This relates, of course, to the institutionalization of journalism and communication studies within the academic enterprise. Within this paradox, we see the greater paradox of communication research as both an applied and a disciplinary field. Propaganda is taken quite seriously by governments, the military, and the foreign service apparatus (Simpson, 1994); at the same time, it has occupied a tenuous conceptual place in most media studies and communications departments, with the dominant intellectual traditions embracing either a “limited effects” notion of what communication “does” or else more concerned with the more slippery concept of ideology (and on that, see more below). There is little doubt that the practical study of the power of messages and the field of communication research grew up together. Summarizing an initially revisionist line of research that has now become accepted within the historiography of the field, Nietzel notes that “from the very beginning, communication research was at least in part designed as an applied science, intended to deliver systematic knowledge that could be used for the business of government to the political authorities.” He adds, however, that

“this context also had its limits, for by the end of the decade, communication research had become established at American universities and lost much of its dependence on state funds. Furthermore, it had become increasingly clear that communication scientists could not necessarily deliver knowledge to the political authorities that could serve as a pattern for political acting (Simpson, 1994 pp. 88–89). From then on, politics and communication science parted ways. Many of the approaches and techniques which seemed innovative and even revolutionary in the 1940s and early 1950s, promising a magic key to managing propaganda activities and controlling public opinion, became routine fields of work, and institutions like the USIA carried out much of this kind of research themselves.” (Nietzel, 2016, p. 66)

It is important to note that this parting of ways did not mean that no one in the United States and the Soviet Union was studying propaganda. American government records document that, in inflation-adjusted terms, total funding for the United States Information Agency (USIA) rose from $1.2 billion in 1955 to $1.7 billion in 1999, shortly before its functions were absorbed into the United States Department of State. And this was dwarfed by Soviet spending, which spent more money jamming Western Radio transmissions alone than the United States did in its entire propaganda budget. Media effects research in the form of propaganda studies was a big and well-funded business. It was simply not treated as such within the traditional academy (Zollman, 2019). It is also important to note that this does not mean that no one in academia studies propaganda or the effect of government messages on willing or unwilling recipients, particularly in fields like health communication (also quite well-funded). These more academic studies, however, were tempered by the generally accepted fact that there existed no decontextualized, universal laws of communication that could render media messages easily useable by interested actors.

Ideology, economics, and false consciousness

If academics have been less interested than governments and health scientists in analyzing the role played by propaganda in the formation of public opinion, what has the academy worried about instead when it comes to the study of pernicious messages and their role in public life? Open dominant, deeply contested line of study has revolved around the concept of ideology. As defined by Raymond Williams in his wonderful Keywords , ideology refers to an interlocking set of ideas, beliefs, concepts, or philosophical principles that are naturalized, taken for granted, or regarded as self-evident by various segments of society. Three controversial and interrelated principles then follow. First, ideology—particularly in its Marxist version—carries with it the implication that these ideas are somehow deceptive or disassociated from what actually exists. “Ideology is then abstract and false thought, in a sense directly related to the original conservative use but with the alternative—knowledge of real material conditions and relationships—differently stated” (Williams, 1976). Second, in all versions of Marxism, ideology is related to economic conditions in some fashion, with material reality, the economics of a situation, usually dominant and helping give birth to ideological precepts. In common Marxist terminology, this is usually described as the relationship between the base (economics and material conditions) and the superstructure (the realm of concepts, culture, and ideas). Third and finally, it is possible that different segments of society will have different ideologies, differences that are based in part on their position within the class structure of that society.

Western Marxism in general (Anderson, 1976) and Antonio Gramsci in particular helped take these concepts and put them on the agenda of media and communications scholars by attaching more importance to “the superstructure” (and within it, media messages and cultural industries) than was the case in earlier Marxist thought. Journalism and “the media” thus play a major role in creating and maintaining ideology and thus perpetuating the deception that underlies ideological operations. In the study of the relationship between the media and ideology, “pernicious messages” obviously mean something different than they do in research on propaganda—a more structural, subtle, reinforcing, invisible, and materially dependent set of messages than is usually the case in propaganda analysis. Perhaps most importantly, little research on media and communication understands ideology in terms of “discrete falsehoods and erroneous belief,” preferring to focus on processes of deep structural misrecognition that serves dominant economic interests (Corner, 2001, p. 526). This obviously marks a difference in emphasis as compared to most propaganda research.

Much like in the study of propaganda, real-world developments have also had an impact on the academic analysis of media ideology. The collapse of communism in the 1980s and 1990s and the rise of neoliberal governance obviously has played a major role in these changes. Although only one amongst a great many debates about the status of ideology in a post-Marxist communications context, the exchange between Corner (2001, 2016) and Downey (2008; Downey et al., 2014) is useful for understanding how scholars have dealt with the relationship between large macro-economic and geopolitical changes in the world and fashions of research within the academy. Regardless of whether concepts of ideology are likely to return to fashion, any analysis of misinformation that is consonant with this tradition must keep in mind the relationship between class and culture, the outstanding and open question of “false consciousness,” and the key scholarly insight that ideological analysis is less concerned with false messages than it is with questions of structural misrecognition and the implications this might have for the maintenance of hegemony.

Postmodern conspiracy

Theorizing pernicious media content as a “conspiracy” theory is less common than either of the two perspectives discussed above. Certainly, conspiratorial media as an explanatory factor for political pathology has something of a post-Marxist (and indeed, postmodern) aura. Nevertheless, there was a period in the 1990s and early 2000s when some of the most interesting notions of conspiracy theories were analyzed in academic work, and it seems hard to deny that much of this literature would be relevant to the current emergence of the “QAnon” cult, the misinformation that is said to drive it, and other even more exotic notions of elites conspiring against the public.

Frederic Jameson has penned remarks on conspiracy theory that represent the starting point for much current writing on the conspiratorial mindset, although an earlier and interrelated vein of scholarship can be found in the work of American writers such as Hofstadter (1964) and Rogin (1986). “Conspiracy is the poor person’s cognitive mapping in the postmodern age,” Jameson writes, “it is a degraded figure of the total logic of late capital, a desperate attempt to represent the latter’s system” (Jameson, 1991). If “postmodernism,” in Jameson’s terms, is marked by a skepticism toward metanarratives, then conspiracy theory is the only narrative system available to explain the various deformations of the capitalist system. As Horn and Rabinach put it:

“The broad interest taken by cultural studies in popular conspiracy theories mostly adopted Jameson’s view and regards them as the wrong answers to the right questions. Showing the symptoms of disorientation and loss of social transparency, conspiracy theorists are seen as the disenfranchised “poor in spirit,” who, for lack of a real understanding of the world they live in, come up with paranoid systems of world explanation.” (Horn & Rabinach, 2008)

Other thinkers, many of them operating from a perch within media studies and communications departments, have tried to take conspiracy theories more seriously (Bratich, 2008; Fenster, 2008; Pratt, 2003; Melley, 2008). The key question for all of these thinkers lies within the debate discussed in the previous section, the degree to which “real material interests” lie behind systems of ideological mystification and whether audiences themselves bear any responsibility for their own predicament. In general, writers sympathetic to Jameson have tended to maintain a Marxist perspective in which conspiracy represents a pastiche of hegemonic overthrow, thus rendering it just another form of ideological false consciousness. Theorists less taken with Marxist categories see conspiracy as an entirely rational (though incorrect) response to conditions of late modernity or even as potentially liberatory. Writers emphasizing that pernicious media content tends to fuel a conspiratorial mindset often emphasize the mediated aspects of information rather than the economics that lie behind these mediations. Both ideological analysis and academic writings on conspiracy theory argue that there is a gap between “what seems to be going on” and “what is actually going on,” and that this gap is maintained and widened by pernicious media messages. Research on ideology tends to see the purpose of pernicious media content as having an ultimately material source that is rooted in “real interests,” while research on conspiracies plays down these class aspects and questions whether any real interests exist that go beyond the exercise of political power.

The needs of informationally ill communities

The current thinking in misinformation studies owes something to all these approaches. But it owes an even more profound debt to two perspectives on information and journalism that emerged in the early 2000s, both of which are indebted to an “ecosystemic” perspective on information flows. One perspective sees information organizations and their audiences as approximating a natural ecosystem, in which different media providers contribute equally to the health of an information environment, which then leads to healthy citizens. The second perspective analyzes the flows of messages as they travel across an information environment, with messages becoming reshaped and distorted as they travel across an information network.

Both of these perspectives owe a debt to the notion of the “informational citizen” that was popular around the turn of the century and that is best represented by the 2009 Knight Foundation report The Information Needs of Communities (Knight Foundation, 2009). This report pioneered the idea that communities were informational communities whose political health depended in large part on the quality of information these communities ingested. Additional reports by The Knight Foundation, the Pew Foundation, and this author (Anderson, 2010) looked at how messages circulated across these communities, and how their transformation impacted community health.

It is a short step from these ecosystemic notions to a view of misinformation that sees it as a pollutant or even a virus (Anderson, 2020), one whose presence in a community turns it toward sickness or even political derangement. My argument here is that the current misinformation perspective owes less to its predecessors (with one key exception that I will discuss below) and more to concepts of information that were common at the turn of the century. The major difference between the concept of misinformation and earlier notions of informationally healthy citizens lies in the fact that the normative standard by which health is understood within information studies is crypto-normative. Where writings about journalism and ecosystemic health were openly liberal in nature and embraced notions of a rational, autonomous citizenry who just needed the right inputs in order to produce the right outputs, misinformation studies has a tendency to embrace liberal behavioralism without embracing a liberal political theory. What the political theory of misinformation studies is, in the end, deeply unclear.

I wrote earlier that misinformation studies owed more to notions of journalism from the turn of the century than it did to earlier traditions of theorizing. There is one exception to this, however. Misinformation studies, like propaganda analysis, is a radically de-structured notion of what information does. Buried within analysis of pernicious information there is

“A powerful cultural contradiction—the need to understand and explain social influence versus a rigid intolerance of the sociological and Marxist perspectives that could provide the theoretical basis for such an understanding. Brainwashing, after all, is ultimately a theory of ideology in the crude Marxian sense of “false consciousness.” Yet the concept of brainwashing was the brainchild of thinkers profoundly hostile to Marxism not only to its economic assumptions but also to its emphasis on structural, rather than individual, causality.” (Melley, 2008, p. 149)

For misinformation studies to grow in such a way that allows it to take its place among important academic theories of media and communication, several things must be done. The field needs to be more conscious of its own history, particularly its historical conceptual predecessors. It needs to more deeply interrogate its informational-agentic concept of what pernicious media content does, and perhaps find room in its arsenal for Marxist notions of hegemony or poststructuralist concepts of conspiracy. Finally, it needs to more openly advance its normative agenda, and indeed, take a normative position on what a good information environment would look like from the point of view of political theory. If this environment is a liberal one, so be it. But this position needs to be stated clearly.

Of course, misinformation studies need not worry about its academic bona fides at all. As the opening pages of this Commentary have shown, propaganda research was only briefly taken seriously as an important academic field. This did not stop it from being funded by the U.S. government to the tune of 1.5 billion dollars a year. While it is unlikely that media research will ever see that kind of investment again, at least by an American government, let’s not forget that geopolitical Great Power conflict has not disappeared in the four years that Donald Trump was the American president. Powerful state forces in Western society will have their own needs, and their own demands, for misinformation research. It is up to the scholarly community to decide how they will react to these temptations.

Mainstream Media
/ Propaganda

Cite this Essay

Anderson, C. W. (2021). Propaganda, misinformation, and histories of media techniques. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review . https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-64

Bibliography

Anderson, C. W. (2010). Journalistic networks and the diffusion of local news: The brief, happy news life of the Francisville Four. Political Communication , 27 (3), 289–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2010.496710

Anderson, C. W. (2020, August 10). Fake news is not a virus: On platforms and their effects. Communication Theory , 31 (1), 42–61. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtaa008

Anderson, P. (1976). Considerations on Western Marxism . Verso.

Bratich, J. Z. (2008). Conspiracy panics: Political rationality and popular culture. State University of New York Press.

Corner, J. (2001). ‘Ideology’: A note on conceptual salvage. Media, Culture & Society , 23 (4), 525–533. https://doi.org/10.1177/016344301023004006

Corner, J. (2016). ‘Ideology’ and media research. Media, Culture & Society , 38 (2), 265 – 273. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443715610923

Downey, J. (2008). Recognition and renewal of ideology critique. In D. Hesmondhaigh & J. Toynbee (Eds.), The media and social theory (pp. 59–74). Routledge.

Downey, J., Titley, G., & Toynbee, J. (2014). Ideology critique: The challenge for media studies. Media, Culture & Society , 36 (6), 878–887. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443714536113

Fenster (2008). Conspiracy theories: Secrecy and power in American culture (Rev. ed.). University of Minnesota Press.

Herman, E., & Chomsky, N. (1988). Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the mass media. Pantheon Books.

Hofstadter, R. (1964, November). The paranoid style in American politics. Harper’s Magazine.

Horn, E., & Rabinach, A. (2008). Introduction. In E. Horn (Ed.), Dark powers: Conspiracies and conspiracy theory in history and literature (pp. 1–8), New German Critique , 35 (1). https://doi.org/10.1215/0094033x-2007-015

Jameson, F. (1991). Postmodernism, or, the cultural logic of late capitalism . Duke University Press.

The Knight Foundation. (2009). Informing communities: Sustaining democracy in the digital age. https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Knight_Commission_Report_-_Informing_Communities.pdf

Melley, T. (2008). Brainwashed! Conspiracy theory and ideology in postwar United States. New German Critique , 35 (1), 145–164. https://doi.org/10.1215/0094033X-2007-023

Nietzel, B. (2016). Propaganda, psychological warfare and communication research in the USA and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. History of the Human Sciences , 29 (4 – 5), 59–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952695116667881

Pratt, R. (2003). Theorizing conspiracy. Theory and Society , 32 , 255–271. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023996501425

Rogin, M. P. (1986). The countersubversive tradition in American politics. Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 31 , 1 –33. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41035372

Seldes, G., & Seldes, H. (1943). Facts and fascism. In Fact.

Simpson, C. (1994). Science of coercion: Communication research and psychological warfare, 1945–1960. Oxford University Press.

Williams, R. (1976). Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society . Oxford University Press.

Zollmann, F. (2019). Bringing propaganda back into news media studies. Critical Sociology , 45 (3), 329–345. https://doi.org/10.1177/0896920517731134

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author and source are properly credited.

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Introduction to media studies, assignments, written and oral assignments.

21L.015 is a Communication-Intensive (CI) course; writing and speaking are critical parts of the class. Essay assignments and shorter writing exercises enable students to make connections between the lectures, readings, screenings, discussion sections and their own lives. Over the course of the semester, we will stress strategies for effective writing and oral presentations in the humanities and social sciences. By the end of the semester you will have completed 25-30 pages of writing and three oral presentations. In addition, you will have the opportunity to practice the craft of revision in the preparation of your last essay.

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Selecting and narrowing a topic, choose an area of interest to explore. .

For you to successfully finish a research project, it is important to choose a research topic that is relevant to your field of study and piques your curiosity. The flip side is that curiosity can take you down long and winding paths, so you also need to consider scope in how to effectively cover the topic in the space that you have available. If there's an idea or concept you've recently learned that's stuck with you, that might be a good place to start !

Gather background information.

You may not know right away what your research question is - that's okay! Start out with a broad topic, and see what information is out there through cursory background research. This will help you explore possibilities and narrow your topic to something manageable. Do a few quick searches in OneSearch@IU or in other relevant sources. See what other researchers have already written to help narrow your focus.

Narrow your topic.

Once you have a sense of how other researchers are talking about the topics you’re interested, narrow down your topic by asking the 5 Ws

Who – population or group (e.g., working class, college students, Native Americans)
What – discipline or focus (e.g., anthropological or art history)
Where – geographic location (e.g., United States; universities; small towns; Standing Rock)
When – time period or era (17 th century; contemporary; 2017)
Why – why is the topic important? (to the class, to the field, or to you)

Broad topic: Native American representations in museums

Narrowed topic: Museum efforts to adhere to NAGPRA

Adapted from: University of Michigan. (2023 Finding and Exploring your topic. Retrieved from https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=283095&p=1886086

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From Topic to Research Question

So, you have done some background research and narrowed down your topic. Now what? Start to turn that topic into a series of questions that you will attempt to answer the course of your research. Keep in mind that you will probably end up changing and adjusting the question(s) you have as you gather more information and synthesize it in your writing. However, having a clear line of inquiry can help you maintain a sense of your direction, which will then in turn help you evaluate sources and identify relevant information throughout your research process.

Exploratory questions.

These are the questions that comes from a genuine curiosity about your topic. When narrowing down your topic, you got a good sense of the Who, What, When, and Where of things. Now it’s time to consider

Asking open-ended “how” and “why” questions about your general topic, which can lead you to better explanations about a phenomenon or concept
Consider the “so what?” of your topic. Why does this topic matter to you? Why should it matter to others? What are the implications of the information you’re discovering through the search process to the Who and the What of your topic?

Evaluate your research question.

Use the following to determine if any of the questions you generated would be appropriate and workable for your assignment.

Is your question clear ? Do you have a specific aspect of your general topic that you are going to explore further? Will the reader of your research be able to keep it in mind?
Is your question focused? Will you be able to cover the topic adequately in the space available? Are you able to concisely ask the question?
Is your question and arguable ? If it can be answered with a simple Yes or No, then dig deeper. Once you get to “it depends on X, Y, and Z” then you might be getting on the right track.

Hypothesize.

Once you have developed your research question, consider how you will attempt to answer or address it.

What connections can you make between the research you’ve read and your research question? Why do those connections matter?
What other kinds of sources will you need in order to support your argument?
If someone refutes the answer to your research question, what is your argument to back up your conclusion?
How might others challenge your argument? Why do those challenges ultimately not hold water?

Adapted from: George Mason University Writing Center. (2018). How to write a research question. Retrieved from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/research-based-writing/how-to-write-a-research-question

Sample research questions.

A good research question is clear, focused, and has an appropriate level of complexity. Developing a strong question is a process, so you will likely refine your question as you continue to research and to develop your ideas.

Unclear : Why are social networking sites harmful?

Clear: How are online users experiencing or addressing privacy issues on such social networking sites as Facebook and TikTok?

Unfocused: What is the effect on the environment from global warming?

Focused: How is glacial melting affecting penguins in Antarctica?

Simple vs Complex

Too simple: How are doctors addressing diabetes in the U.S.?

Appropriately Complex: What are common traits of those suffering from diabetes in America, and how can these commonalities be used to aid the medical community in prevention of the disease?

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100 Best Media Topics For Research Writing

We know you need the best media topics for your next papers. Otherwise, why would you be reading this blog post? The good news is that you have picked the best place to look for topics. Our experienced writers have put together a list of the best media topics for high school and college students. Furthermore, we work hard to keep the list fresh. This means that these ideas will be most likely original. They will work great in 2023 because the list of media essay topics is updated periodically.

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Your professor will greatly appreciate your willingness to dedicate the time and effort to finding excellent topics . Trust us, professors know how to make the difference between students based solely on the topics they choose for their papers.
It is much easier to write essays if you choose good media essays topics . A topic you know something about is the best choice. Also, a good topic enables you to quickly find plenty of information on the Internet. Following this advice you’ll easily write your literature review and the following components of your paper.
By choosing a great topic, your essay will immediately stand out from all the rest . Your professor is surely bored of reading papers written about the same things over and over again. An interesting idea will entice him to award you at least some bonus points.

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The effect of mass media on psychological health
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Media Research Topics

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Discuss children media
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Is the media creating events or reacting to them?
Media and public relations links
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The use of media in education (one of the most interesting mass media research paper topics)
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Are you a high school student looking for some awesome topic for his next research paper on media? Here are some excellent examples of media research paper topics for high school:

Major innovations in 21st century media
Compare mainstream media in India and China
What makes an outlet a reliable source?
Advertisements in media
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Compare traditional media with mass media

Mass Media Research Topics

If you need to write a research paper and want to talk about something in mass media, we have some very nice ideas right here. Check out our mass media research topics:

The right of expression in mass media
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Compare TV, film and radio
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The war against terror in mass media
Discuss the rise of mobile media

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Influences of technology on media
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Discuss media censorship in China (a recommended media related topic)
What is media propaganda?
Mass media and its preemptive effects

Complex Media Related Research Topics

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Mass media violating civil rights
Does media benefit the economy of the US?
Define media addition and discuss its effects
Perform a qualitative analysis of 3 media outlets
Media’s scare strategies: a case study
Media influencing a rise in violence in the UK

Controversial Media Topics

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Exercising the First Amendment in media in the US
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Digital media is destroying traditional media
Artificial intelligence in mass media
Media effects on the death penalty in China

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Discussing digital media is a very good way to impress your professor. Let’s face it; the digital realm is extremely popular these days. Here are some brand new digital media topics:

Define and discuss digital media
Climate change in digital media
What is mobile media?
The fate of journalism in the 21st century (one of the best digital media research topics)
Effects of digital media on politics

Media Analysis Topics

Writing a media analysis essay can be a very difficult task, especially if you don’t have much academic writing experience. Here are some media analysis topics that should make things easier:

How Trump lost the media war
Biden’s coverage in mass media in the United States
Advertising revenue in media outlets
Analyze screen time
What are deepfakes and how to spot one?
The crisis of journalism in the 21st century

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Define mass media in the United Kingdom
Should children watch the news?
Promoting violence in mass media
Spreading awareness via media
Are newspapers still relevant today?
The very first occurrence of mass media

Research Topics in Media and Communication

Would you like to talk about media and communication? It is not an easy subject to write about, but we can make things easier. Here are the easiest research topics in media and communication:

Discuss body image in media
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Copyright law in the media
Define symmetrical dialogue in the media

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Are you interested in a media debate? Getting the best topics for 2023 should be your primary concern in this case. We have some very interesting media debate topics right here:

The impact of public relations on communities
Location-based advertising in modern media
Analyze the concept of yellow journalism
Good news vs bad news in the media
Discuss the concept of proportionality in media

Brand New Media Topics

Just like you, our writers are interested in writing about the latest topics. Why don’t you pick one of our brand new media topics?

Is radio still an important part of media?
Newspapers going bankrupt in 2023
Sexual content on TV shows
Politicians’ love for the media
Is the backing of the media important for a president?

Media Ethics Topics

Discussing ethics in relation to media is a very interesting choice. It can also get you an A+ on your next paper. Here are some exceptional media ethics topics:

Including graphic images in media
Depicting terrorism on TV
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Celebrity gossip in the media
The influence of large media corporations

Media Law Topics

Yes, there is such a thing as media law. Would you like to write an essay about it? Here are some great ideas for media law topics:

Discuss the First Amendment and media
The responsibilities of journalists
Journalists in war zones
Fake news in the media
Showing unsuitable content to children

Research Topics in Communication and Media Studies

Writing about communication and media studies has the potential to help you get a top grade. Here are our best research topics in communication and media studies:

Analyze media bias in the United States
Is digital media addictive?
Influence of media on religion

Interesting Media Topics

We know, you want the most interesting media topics to write about. Pick one of these and write a paper that will impress your professor:

State-controlled media in China
Effects of media coverage on criminal trials
The power of mass media in 2023

180 Media Research Paper Topics You Can Use To Make an Excellent Paperwork

Media paper topics are important for students as they are a basic component of mass communication. The digital space encompasses many aspects to write about. That is why research work is a very important stage for a student. Besides the fact that you need to adhere to strict rules, you need to be well versed in the chosen topic. It will be the stage in assessing the competence of each student.

Media research topics is a good stage for those who want to understand mass communications and provide expert material that will be well appreciated. Research papers like these are supposed to adhere to technical requirements for presentation, presentation of information, and facts presentation. Any media research topic should be based on reliable data. If you give statistics or any statements, then this must be supported by facts.

All media studies topics require detailed data collection. You need to focus on the main postulates in your work and adhere to the created plan. Each of your statements should be supported by real facts and statistics where necessary. It is best if the topic you choose will correspond to the level of your knowledge and competence. Let's take a look at media research topics that might be of interest to you.

History of Media

Such media research topics for college students are especially popular, as they allow you to choose any period during preparation. You can touch upon the period of formation of journalism and information space in a particular country or worldwide. You can also focus on the differences in the media space of different countries.

History of media culture in the late fifties in the United States.
How did the media space develop in the early 18th century in England?
History of the Chinese media industry.
The process of the emergence of media culture as the main factor in the delivery of information.
The media culture of Israel in the context of opposition to Palestine.
Historical aspects of the development of media culture in Yugoslavia.
The historical context as a symbol of the development of media culture.
The main bases of the historical development of media.
History of the North Korean media industry.
The media industry of the Netherlands.
Historical prerequisites for the creation of mass media.
The role of contemporary mass media in American history.
The major failures in the history of mass media.
Political information as the main institution of historical mass media.

Media Psychology

Such research topics in mass media are also popular because they offer many opportunities for exploring the psychological aspects and nuances of influence on the world community. You can focus on certain aspects of mass management or the techniques that news sites practice to retain audiences.

Influence of media psychology on the development of consciousness.
Managing the masses using media psychology.
What is propaganda, and how is it related to Media Psychology?
Nuances of manipulation using psychological factors.
How does the media industry influence modern trends in psychology?
The crowd power and media industry.
How does media psychology affect the manipulation of consciousness?
New trends in media psychology.
Psychological aspects when creating news on TV channels.
Methods of manipulating psychological factors.
Psychological aspects of interviews for mass media.
The influence of the media space.
The nuances of the modern media channels.
The analysis of psychological activity on the example of mass media.
Modern psychological challenges in the context of mass media.

Politics and Mass Media

Such research topics in media and communication allow you to choose a niche related to politics and even individuals. For example, you can focus on collecting information about politicians and their impact on the digital information field. A research paper on contemporary dictators and media manipulation techniques can be especially interesting.

Mass media as a subject of political speculation.
Why is political debate a way to influence the masses?
Disadvantages of mass media during political elections.
New trends in propaganda in the political environment.
The popularization of politicians through the mass media.
Political change through the lens of news channels.
Does the mass media influence the rating of politicians?
The importance of mass media in the lives of voters.
The role of mass media in the formation of the political image.
The ethereal debate of politicians.

Entertainment and Education

This section of mass media research topics will allow you to focus on educational and entertainment topics. For example, you can create your paperwork based on a show. Any media project with an educational or entertainment bias is suitable for this. You can also focus on what impact a particular digital product has had on the public.

The impact of National Geographic on the education of an entire generation.
Entertainment programs as a method of attracting an audience.
Basic methods of education through mass media.
The influence of entertainment shows on the formation of TV channel ratings.
Main factors of popularization of entertainment shows on TV.
Modern talk shows and their impact on social culture to new trends in educational television programs.
How has television changed in the context of educational programs?
New trends in entertainment channels during the quarantine period.
The main entertainment show of the last decade.
The secret to the success of the Oprah show.
Entertainment aspects of modern TV channels.
The role of mass media in modern entertainment trends.
Analysis of information and entertainment TV programs.
The means and modern trends and TV shows with educational content.
The role of education in modern mass media.

Teenagers and The Media

Media essay topics like these are especially relevant as they show the relationship between teenagers and the digital space. For example, you can choose modern information resources or social networks in the context of influencing a young audience. Research like this can reveal trends and patterns that are especially relevant to teenagers.

Children bloggers and the media space.
The impact of social culture on teenagers.
Modern music trends in the media space.
Analysis of teenagers' dependence on media popularity.
New Instagram trends and stages of mass media promotion.
Media culture and its impact on teenage preferences.
Teenage preference in media culture.
Does mass media influence the development of modern children?
Nuances of Media broadcasts for teenagers.
The daily media marathons for teenagers.
The impact of adolescent culture on social media.
New journalistic staff among teenagers.
Main factors of using teenagers in mass media.
The nuances of creating a positive image of teenagers in the mass media.
Analysis of modern youth TV channels.

Mass Communications Law

When choosing media research paper topics, you must be prepared to rely on legal facts and legislation. The fact is that mass communications law allows us to consider any aspect of journalism and telecommunications through the prism of legislation. You can choose a narrow topic to cover all aspects and details in your research work.

Legislative aspects of cigarette advertising regulation.
The influence of advertising on the popularization of products.
Legislative loopholes and their application in the media.
Legal formalities in the context of mass media.
Influence of mass media on amendments to the constitution.
Journalistic ethics and law.
Legal aspects of television censorship.
Legal opportunities to create exclusive news.
Freedom and journalistic ethics.
Legal collection of information.
Legislative aspects of communication technologies.
The impact of social media on the US legislative framework.
The main reasons for the modern divergence in journalism.
Legitimate aspects of the existence of a journalistic agency.
Formalities and legal norms of mass media.
Major aspects of legal news channels.
The selection of legal topics for informational publications.
The analysis of the legal framework in journalistic investigations.

Media Bias Research Paper

These media research paper topics are especially relevant because bias is very common in news sources worldwide. You can choose any information precedent that relates to bias towards a certain topic or event in the world. A lot of news outlets have published false or biased facts so that you can concentrate on that.

The BBC's role in shaping public opinion about certain news.
The impact of American representation in contemporary culture.
The provocation and shock content in modern mass media.
The responsibility of the media for bias on the air.
The reputation he had for her loss of TV channels during political elections.
Ecology and events as a major factor in misinformation.
The media and their impact on public opinion about migrants.
Political bias as an element of political struggle in the mass media.
The philosophy of television news.
The major social warnings during terrorist attacks.
The bias as the main problem of modern TV channels.
The role of politics in media bias.
Analysis of bias and aggressiveness of modern TV channels.
Sociological polls as a method of prejudice against certain political persons.

Media Violence Research Paper

These media research paper topics are very relevant, as you can find many examples of violence in today's information space. One of the areas for your research may be the media's attitude to the violence and a specific approach to public awareness. There are many examples when the media space deliberately promoted the topic of violence, so it should not be difficult for you to find it.

Violence as the main topic in the mass media.
Cultivating violence in the context of contemporary news.
The role of TV news channels in the influence of social intolerance and.
Racism and preconditions of information bias and.
How do TV channels influence the formation of social opinion?
The main aspects of disinformation in the social space.
The main nuances of creating a wrong opinion about certain aspects.
Modern trends of media violence in the context of the epidemic.
Nuances of social movements in the mass media.
Reasons for increased cruelty in the media.
The main reasons we carried in the information environment.
Investigative reporting of violence and press releases.
The main factors of increasing violence in news stories.
The street violence as a source for news publications.

Journalism and News Research Topics

These digital media research topics are suitable for those who want to focus on journalism and news agency research. You can compare approaches to shaping media news or on the nuances of journalism. There are many TV channels, web resources, or radio stations with news, so choosing a topic will not be difficult.

The influence of journalists on the news coverage of the event.
The main trends of the modern information space.
Research on the influence of journalists on news bias.
Information blocks in modern TV channels.
Reasons and popularization of disinformation in the mass media.
Journalists and their influence on many factors of the social environment in the mass media.
Technical nuances and main features of the profession of a journalist.
Relevant news in the context of journalistic ethics.
The main nuances of the study of journalistic disinformation.
The main factors of journalistic ethics and news sources.
Analysis of news in the context of modern trends.
The main norms of journalistic ethics point research structure of the interview.
Journalism as a factor in the development of society.
Correct aspects of social media interviews.

Social Media Research Topic

Media analysis essay topics like these allow you to delve deeper into the digital space's social nuances. For example, you can write about social media and its impact on modern life. This can be especially relevant in the context of modern media search.

Stages of creating news stories.
Social media and their role in modern society.
The nuances of the development of information channels.
The main factors for the identification of social media.
Nuances of methodical work in the media sphere.
The main parameters of social activity for creating informational reasons.
Social media research methodology.
Data analysis and formation of news publications.
Social media as the main tuning fork of modern society.
Nuances of analytical aspects of social media.
The influence of social trends on the specifics of the information space.
The main trends in social inequality.
Social news analysis and terminology.

Social Media Marketing

Such media studies research topics allow you to write about modern marketing gimmicks and their impact on society. You can choose a specific topic related to a specific site, TV channel, or general media space. Be sure to include real examples detailing your overall media marketing strategy.

The role of marketing in the modern information space.
Social media, as the main economic factor in the United States.
Stages in the evolution of television marketing campaigns.
Modern advertising as an engine of mass culture.
Mass media and technical aspects of marketing.
Analysis of social media in the context of advertising campaigns.
Identification of mass media as a source of information.
Marketing prerequisites for the development of social media.
Analysis of the overall popularity of mass media in the context of marketing campaigns.
Nuances of modern marketing using the example of mass media.
Marketing realities of modern information stands.
The role of the information space on the formation of social activity.

Journalism Ethics

Very often, the media forget about moral norms and publish false information. Journalistic ethics can be a good topic for your research paper. There are many examples of deliberately false information and examples of substitution of facts. This can be extremely interesting for detailed research.

The importance of journalistic ethics in modern society.
The basic aspects of honest media.
What are journalistic ethics and honest research?
Basic tenets of journalistic ethics in modern media
The need to create an institution of journalistic ethics
Disinformation as the main problem of journalistic investigations.
Honest news and journalistic ethics.
Foundations of social equality and ethical standards of journalism.
The main nuances of the ethics of journalistic interviews.
The main advantage of journalistic ethics in local news sites.

How to Write a Research Paper on Media Topics?

Any research paper should start by choosing a topic that is relevant to you. You should choose the media area where your competence can manifest itself the most. You have to create a complex paper with statistical data and concrete confirmation of your statements. This is especially true when you choose a biased research paper.

The second aspect is the technical requirements for the design and structuring of data. You should adhere to the general guidelines, provide links to information sources, and confirm all your statements. Then your research paper will have weight and will bring you high marks.

If you are not sure about the expertise of your data, then you can use our services. We'll help you create the research paper that gets the highest marks. Thanks to our extensive experience in this area, we can guarantee expert work and high results.

An Inspiration List

CNN Politics
Media Bias Ratings
Media Bias/Fact Check
Social media - Statistics & Facts
Social Media Stats Worldwide
Business Media

Everything begins with an idea!

Media Essay Topics

For clarification purposes, media is a range of platforms and systems that make it easier to convey a message to the right audience. Media is made of physical and internet-based systems such as fax, television, billboards, telephones, radios, magazines, internet, and newspapers. It’s through these platforms useful information such as promotional messages, news, educational information, music, and movies are passed from the conveyor to the listener.

Media encompasses of all useful platforms and channels that aid the seamless transmission of information to people. The wide range of media platforms makes it easier for people across all parts of the world to get informed on time. Media is categorized into print and broadcast channels. The internet is also a popular form of media that aids in the rapid supply of contents such as movies, news, educational, promotion, and music.

Broadcast media is categorized into TV and radio. Radios and TVs are the most common, reliable, and affordable means of media, readily available to all. Print media is categorized into magazines, reports, journals, books, and newspapers. Both broadcast and print media has been streamlined and improved by the advancement of technology. People can now access digital magazines, books, newspapers, journals, and reports. They can as well listen to radios and watch TV online.

What role has the media played in reducing crimes?
The most common types of media outlets: The pros and cons of each
How the media affects socio-economic dimensions
Scary media techniques that should be revised
The role the media plays in increasing violence among the youth
How bias media affects the moral and attitudes of the citizens?
The effect mass media has on a country’s economy
The effect mass media has on a society’s social norms
What differences are there between traditional media and social media
Characteristics of an outdated mass media outlet
The role the newspaper plays in mass media
The many ways in which the mass media violates the rights of individuals
How mass media aids in combatting different situations?
How the media negatively affects a country’s economy?
The role the media plays in spreading social and political awareness
How mass media affects students?
The adverse effects of biased media on a society
The effects of media violence on social violence
The role the media played in the Yugoslavia war
The effect of technological advancement on the media economy
The many different political functions of the media
How the media aid shape the thoughts of the average citizen?
The impact of social media campaigns in the society
The differences between mass media and digital media
What impact does the media have on public opinion
How different media outlets delay data transmission?
The negative impact of media consolidation
The relationship between politics, power, and media
Does the media play a part in curtailing the passage of sensitive information?
How the media affects the human image or reputation?
The use of media to expose the wrongdoings of a government

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Eduqas A-Level Media Studies Past Papers

The Eduqas A-Level (A680U) and AS Level (B680U) Media Studies past exam papers section of Revision World. You can download the papers and marking schemes by clicking on the links below.

June 2022 Eduqas A-Level Media Studies Past Papers (A680U)

A-Level Media Studies - Component 1: Media Products, Industries and Audiences (A680U10-1) Download Paper - Download Mark Scheme

A-Level Media Studies – Component 2: Media Forms and Products in Depth (A680U20-1) Download Paper - Download Mark Schem e

November 2020 Eduqas A-Level Media Studies Past Papers (A680U)

November 2020 Eduqas AS-Level Media Studies Past Papers (B680U)

AS Media Studies - Component 1: Investigating the Media (B680U10-1) Download Paper - Download Mark Scheme

AS Media Studies – Component 2: Investigating Media Forms and Products (B680U20-1) Download Paper - Download Mark Schem e

June 2019 Eduqas A-Level Media Studies Past Papers (A680U)

June 2019 Eduqas AS-Level Media Studies Past Papers (B680U)

June 2018 Eduqas AS-Level Media Studies Past Papers (B680U)

AS Media Studies – Component 2: Investigating Media Forms and Products (B680U20-1) Download Paper - Download Mark Schem e

For other A-Level Media Studies past papers click here .

Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge international as & a level media studies (9607).

Syllabus overview

Cambridge International AS and A Level Media Studies offers learners the chance to develop an understanding and appreciation of the place of media in our everyday lives. The syllabus enables learners to take a hands-on approach to the subject.

Through the coursework components - the Foundation Portfolio for AS Level and the Advanced Portfolio for A Level - they create their own media products from planning through to execution. Learners also consider and analyse examples from existing media, examining production processes and technologies and the effects they achieve.

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

-->2021 - 2023 Syllabus update (PDF, 166KB)
-->2024-2026 Syllabus update (PDF, 139KB)

Syllabus support

-->Support for Media Studies (PDF, 613KB)

Syllabus updates

We have updated this media studies syllabus as part of a wider review of Cambridge International AS & A Level and made some changes in line with the feedback we received from teachers, subject expert panels and universities. The updated syllabus is for examination in 2022, 2022 and 2023.

How has the syllabus changed?

We have added a subject content section to make it clearer what needs to be taught. This details skills and understanding relevant to the whole course, as well as showing what should be studied at AS Level and at A Level.
Representation.
We have added a list of command words and their meanings to help learners know what’s expected of them in the exam.

How has the assessment changed?

The assessment objectives (AOs) have been revised and updated and the weightings changed.

Component: 1 Foundation Portfolio:

The number of marks available in Component 1 has changed to 50 marks.
Collaborative work has been removed: creative critical reflection must be produced and presented individually.

Component 2: Media texts and contexts:

The number of marks available in Component 2 has changed to 50 marks.
In Section A of Component 2 the TV Drama is no longer limited to being American.

Component 3: Advanced Portfolio:

The number of marks available in Component 3 has changed to 50 marks.
The Creative critical reflection section has been replaced with an essay of around 1000 words (including guiding questions) focusing on evaluation of the Component 3 process and outcome.

Component 4: Critical Perspectives:

The number of marks available in Component 4 has changed to 60 marks.
Section A is no longer an evaluation of the candidate’s own work in the Foundation Portfolio and the Advanced Portfolio. Candidates must now answer two questions from a choice of three focusing on media regulation, postmodern media and power and the media.
Section B is synoptic and now includes one compulsory question.

When do these changes take place?

The updated syllabus is for examination in June and November 2021, 2022 and 2023. Please see the 2021-2023 syllabus above for full details.

Coming soon

We are developing a wide range of support to help you plan and teach the 2021-2023 syllabus.

Look out for suggested resources and a coursework handbook that will be available from April 2019 onwards through School Support Hub .

Endorsed resources – coming soon

Media Studies for Cambridge International AS & A Level

Enable learners to develop a critical understanding of international media as they approach the Cambridge International AS & A Level Media Studies syllabus (9607). Students engage with key topics, from production processes to media regulation, while developing critical thinking and analytical skills. Unpack the pedagogy and get a comprehensive understanding of the assessment through the robust support in the digital teacher’s resource, with a particular focus on guidance for skills development, project-based learning, and differentiation.

Read more on the Cambridge University Press website

Important notices

From 2020, we are changing our policy on the resubmission of moderated coursework. You will no longer be able to resubmit moderated coursework for a future series. Find out how this will impact Cambridge International AS and A Level Media Studies (9607)

For some subjects, we publish grade descriptions to help understand the level of performance candidates’ grades represent.

We paused the publication of grade descriptions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary changes to the awarding standard in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

As the awarding standard has now returned to the pre-pandemic standard, we are working to produce up-to-date grade descriptions for most of our general qualifications. These will be based on the awarding standards in place from June 2023 onwards.

Check the Submit for Assessment page and the samples database for information and guidance on submitting moderated and examined work using Submit for Assessment.

School Support Hub

Teachers at registered Cambridge schools can unlock over 30 000 teaching and learning resources to help plan and deliver Cambridge programmes and qualifications, including Schemes of work, Example candidate responses, Past papers, Specimen paper answers, as well as digital and multimedia resources.

Schemes of work

Example responses, past papers, specimen paper answers.

Stay up to date

Past papers, examiner reports and specimen papers
Published resources

Media Studies Quiz Questions And Answers

Get ready for this Media studies quiz. The quiz has difficult, and medium-level questions on Media studies for you. Do you think you can take this challenge? Are you well-prepared on this subject? If yes, then wait no more and dive into this quiz. If you manage to get more than a 70 percent score, you will not be less than an expert—best of luck with your test. Now, let's get started with the Q & As. This will serve a

The term "media" is defined as ...

Picture or image

Means of communication

A current style

A study of signs

Rate this question:

The term "signs" is defined as ...

Something that comes with an accepted meaning

A visual movement that explores themes and techniques drawn from popular mass culture

means of communication

The term "mass media" means ...

Means of communicating to a large group of people

Popular culture is ......

Ability to interpret and analyze the media

Means by which a message is communicated

Artifacts, institutions, customs, hobbies that represent the accepted values of society

The study of signs

A medium is ...

How long is the average news story.

None of the above

What percentage of Canadians rely on TV news for information?

Why do news stations include visual images in their news stories.

It is easier to watch than reading

It makes the story easier to believe

It's more fun

It's cheaper

When we learn something new we do things which are _______

Organize and adapt

Organize and discredit

Assimilate and adapt

Assimilate and discredit

By the time the average child leaves elementary school, he or she will have witnessed more than ____ assorted acts of violence.

100 000 000

How many commercials advertise food?

In the movie "simone," the name simone means _____.

Simultaneous one

Simulation one

Stimulated ovary

What are the 2 kinds of photos that exist today?

Pornographic, family photos

Celebrity photos, family photos

Paparazzi, digitally altered

Which actress is famous for protesting her digital alterations on the cover of GQ magazine?

Kate Winslet

Gwen Stefani

Lindsay Lohan

Britney Spears

Which company launched a campaign to challenge today's stereotypical view of beauty?

All forms of media will reflect the values of its creators and _______.

Politicians

_________ values are most often presented in media and advertising.

Lower class

Middle class

Like many art forms, the music suggests much about the ______ in which it is created.

According to pink, what epidemic exists among teenagers today.

Hypocritical culture

Overtly sexual culture

Mindless culture

According to a panel discussing racism on the Oprah show, why don't we get to see the humanity of black women?

Media portrays only their body parts

Media only shows the humanity of white women

Media only focuses on white men

According to Marshall McLuhan, media such as radio, print, photographs, and movies which are LOW IN PARTICIPATION are known as

Timid giants

Marshall McLuhan is famous for coining the phrase:

15 minutes of fame

Don't go there

Talk to the hand

Global village

McLuhan suggests that each medium is a(n) ______________ of our senses

__________ is the paid use of the media to bring a product or service to an audience.

Advertising

The 4 jobs of advertising are:

Market, attention, image, persuade

Attention, image, reassure, buy

Reassure, attention, personality, persuade

Attention, image, reassure, persuade

Statistics and factual information that is used to prove the superiority of a product is known as _________

Glittering generalities

Weasel words

Doublespeak

Facts and figures

_____________ is the exploitation of fears and insecurities to sell a product

Hidden fears

Avant-garde

Magic ingredients

Testimonial

Magic Ingredients is the propaganda technique which __________

Uses vague, imprecise language

Uses words to suggest a positive meaning without actually guaranteeing it

The suggestion that some miraculous discovery makes the product exceptional

The suggestion that purchasing the product shows your love of your country is known as ____

Talking down to the audience to appear just like them is known as _______.

Plain folks

An attempt to turn negative evidence into something positive is an example of _______

Snob appeal

Diverting the attention of the audience by making them laugh or using clever visuals is known as _______

The vals group that are the survivors is known as _________.

Need-directed

Societally conscious achievers

The VALS group that is most likely to try acupuncture, buy a smart car, and drink herbal tea are known as ________

The vals group that is often conservative, religious, and "old fashioned" is known as _______.

Emulator-achiever

The VALS group that is considered "materialists" who want to buy name brands such as Gucci or Tiffanys are known as ________

Needs-directed

The VALS group that buys a Doge or drinks Pepsi and eats at McDonald's are ________

Emulator-Achievers

The VALS group that doesn't care about name brands and buys whatever is on sale is known as _______

The vals group that is often made up of teenagers who lack self-confidence and are discouraged about their prospects are __________.

Emulator-achievers

The VALS group who are often on welfare and rarely have money to take their family out for dinner are known as _______

Which company is responsible for the current image of santa claus.

Paramount Pictures

Walt Disney

Which music group was widely criticized for expressing their opinion about their government?

Pussycat Dolls

Spice Girls

Dixie Chicks

Rascal Flatts

Which pop icon said that there is an epidemic today of a mindless culture among teens?

Jessica Simpson

When discussing advertising, "brand image" refers to a product's _________

Spokesperson

Colors used

Personality

Which VALS group makes up 1/3 of citizens in the United States?

Change is the arch-enemy of ___________.

Emotional appeal

The agenda for all media productions is to make money, therefore __________is important.

Audience appeal

An advertising team

Which ingredient is NOT included in the formula to construct emotional appeal in an ad?

Which color should you never use in an advertisement for food, which color is the most popular among 75 % of children and is often associated with royalty.

Quiz Review Timeline +

Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.

Current Version
Mar 22, 2023 Quiz Edited by ProProfs Editorial Team
Jun 10, 2009 Quiz Created by Romyn

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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