Category: Communications and Media

Length: 500–600 words (2 pages, double-spaced, not including references page)
Weight: 10% of your final course grade
Instructions
For this assignment, you are a teacher or librarian interested in children’s literature, or a writer of adult books who is now considering writing a book for children, or someone in another related occupation. You keep this blog to track and share your professional development and expertise.
Write a blog entry about your first explorations into this topic, based in personal experience and observation as described below, and helped by reference to at least three unit readings to frame your ideas and help to answer questions or shape your interests. You may use an informal or conversational tone, but do provide citations and bibliographic information.
First, thinking of yourself as a child, choose a certain book that captivated you. Read it again and comment on your response: whether the narrative is as you recalled, what narrative elements may have changed or been enhanced in memory, and what aspects of its framing in society now strike you. See, for example, Shirley Brice Heath’s What No Bedtime Story Means: Narrative Skills at Home and School , about culture and class factors. Next, observe a child engaging in a book and ask them why it is appealing, note how they relate the main features of the narrative, and comment on the level of narrative competence that they exhibit. Here you may want to use one of the frameworks discussed in Nancy Marshall’s Using Story Grammar to Assess Reading Comprehension  or in another of your course readings.
For all assignments, please use APA  style for citations and references.
Before you complete this assignment, please read the section on Plagiarism  on AU’s Write Site.

Final papers (6-8 pages) should engage two texts on the syllabus (Simone Browne’s “Race and Surveillance” and Hito Steyerl’s “Mean Images”.), and demonstrate a close reading of the required materials and exhibit a method of critical analysis. 
The paper should include an
original title conveying the argument of focus of your paper
an introductory part laying out your central argument
body paragraphs that develop your argument in a logical and organized manner
a conclusion restating your argument
“Works Cited”page
Papers should adhere to standard format (Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced, one inch margins, no spaces between paragraphs, first line of paragraph indented) and follow the Chicago Manual of Style.
Some notes:
Pre-historical age
The language model
Surveillance technologies, both historical and contemporary, not only enforce but also produce societal norms and biases, effectively shaping and perpetuating systems of racial and social classification.
Technology as a continuation of historical biases:
Both authors suggest that contemporary technologies are not neutral but are imbued with historical biases. For Browne, surveillance technologies have adapted but continue to target and marginalize based on race. For Steyerl, AI algorithms perpetuate and sometimes amplify biases present in their training data.
Classification
The Role of society in shaping technology:
Browne’s analysis of racializing surveillance shows that technology is a tool that reflects societal biases. Steyerl’s discussion on the role of AI in generating “mean images” mirrors this, highlighting how societal views are embedded within and propagated by technological systems. 
It is dynamic, where one structures another, and the other determines.
A potential claim that intersects the concerns of both authors could be: “Surveillance technologies, both historical and contemporary, not only enforce but also produce societal norms and biases, effectively shaping and perpetuating systems of racial and social classification.”

Questions from the Readings assigned from the PDF-book text (AAC: Ch 7, “The Language of Advertising”)
Questions to Respond to, in a half-to-full page writeup in TOTAL (i.e., NOT a half-to-full page writeup for each), answering your choice of TWO below:
What are the two main functions of advertising language?
In which type of advertising is advisable to use the interior monologue technique?
What is the role of the scientific language in advertising?
Why is describing a product’s benefits inaccurately problematic?
What is the concept of “resounding non-statements” referring to?
What is the role of figurative language in advertising?

“The Matrix” Final Paper project guidelines COMM 102- Introduction to Mass Media Fall
Length:  6 to 8 pages  
Deadlines:  March 29 – subject decision and initial works cited/references. You should submit a brief explanation of your choice of topic and present an initial bibliography of at least 6 sources, four of which should originate from print publication. You can use the course textbooks as a resource.
May 3- Final submission. I will NOT accept any late papers. I will also enable Turnitin so DO NOT plagiarize or will receive a 0 for the assignment. 
Details:
You will complete a study of a single media product- i.e. a TV show, an album, a film, a book, but not an entire medium. It is your choice (I choose the Metrix).  This is your chance to demonstrate what you have learned during the semester and apply this knowledge to your favorite movie, a show you dislike, or a book you find interesting. You must find out how the media product originated, is made, marketed and received. This is your opportunity to display your media literacy skills through the examination of a single product.  You should demonstrate your cumulative knowledge of the course and you should give consideration to the ways in which your text/product illuminates the complex field of mass media. The first half of your paper should demonstrate consideration of:
· Ownership structures and synergy
· Promotion and advertising of your text
· Target demographics and product placement
The second half should focus on:
· Impact as a cultural text; cultural storyteller
· The creation of meaning/Media effects
· The question of power-Who has it?  
This paper is worth 140 points.  
Here is the breakdown of possible points for each category:
15 points- Ownership, structure, synergy
10 points- advertising, promotion
15 points- target audience, product placement
20 points- cultural values
20 points- cultural storytelling
20 points- meaning making theory, effects
10 points- power
10 points- grammar
20 points- in-text citations

Your next multimedia assignment is to watch/make notes on your classmates’ final presentations and record a 5-6 minute video-narrated presentation (e.g., VoiceThread or powerpoint) that synthesizes three of the presentations to make a focused analytical point. You may not choose your own presentation. The academic literacy skills involved in this assignment (summarizing, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating) are extremely important in academic and professional communication. Your audience for this multimedia assignment is professors and fellow students in the academic community; assume that your audience has not seen the presentations so they are unfamiliar with their content, although they have a general understanding of internationalization on U.S. college campuses.
You need at least three slides (no more than five) to accompany your synthesis presentation. One of these slides should graphically represent the core relationship among the three presentations you choose to synthesize.
Suggested approach to this assignment:
Step one: Review the presentation recordings and select the three you want to focus the synthesis on (posted under “Presentation videos”)
Step two: Identify ONE core element/key point that relates or connects all three (that connection becomes the “thesis” or main argument of your response). Note that each presentation does not need to make exactly the same point; in fact, they may have one aspect in common but approach it differently.
Step three: Make note of specific supporting information from each presentation to evaluate its connection to the key point you identified
Step four: Outline your synthesis and make sure it includes the following points (hint: parts 3 and 4 are the most important and should take more time compared to the other parts):
An introduction indicating the broad theme of all of the presentations and introducing each of the sources you are using (in this case, this means naming the three presenters and their topics)
A brief summary of each presentation’s main point(s)
Your own main point about the connection among the three presentations (this is like your own “thesis” for the synthesis based on the “key point” you choose to focus on for your synthesis)
Thoughtful analysis of how each presentation addressed the key point you have selected to focus on, including relevant supporting ideas from each presentation (it should be clear that you watched each presentation and thoughtfully and critically made connections to its ideas)
A clearly identified and thought-provoking conclusion (Hint: Think about the significance or implications of the main point you have made)
Step five: Design your slides following the best practices for visual communication and slide design that we learned about this semester. And then draft your speaking notes, paying attention to your use of genre-appropriate language structures. Then record your video-narration using your chosen software. If you use VoiceThread, make sure the slides are set to automatically advance. Pay attention to vocal delivery techniques and eye contact to make sure your delivery is effective and clear.

Media ecology was developed as a theoretical paradigm during the mass media era but
remains valuable as a way to critically analyze and understand ‘new’ media. Using our
readings related to this topic (McLuhan, Postman, Ong, Innis, Carpenter, Carr), write a
critical reflection on how the digital revolution has impacted our media ecology.
You may focus on a particular type of media content (some examples are listed below)
or think more broadly about how the digital world is different than the media landscape
which preceded it. As you compare/contrast today’s media with older forms of media,
you may also refer to our readings related to those mediums (print, radio, film,
television) to strengthen your argument.
This is intended to be a fairly open-ended question; you are welcome to choose one
specific aspect to focus on but be sure to incorporate at least four of the readings along
with your own critical reflections.
Possible topics:
Digital media-related phenomena (e.g. binge-watching, live tweeting)
Politics
Education
Dating/Relationships
Social media platforms
Videogames and gaming
Entertainment franchises (e.g. Marvel, Star Wars, Game of Thrones)
Sports
Specific apps (e.g. Spotify, Uber, Venmo). Overall, the response should be about 1000 to 1500 words (4 to 6 pgs.). Double-
spaced, 12pt. font, 1” margins with page numbers, and your name. APA- style citations
and works cited. 

This assignmnets contains four parts. Each part is attached to a chapter. I have attached the instructions for thw whole assignment in a general form as well as for each part in detail. I have also attach pictures of the four short chapters. 

Scenario
The company you work for uses numerous mediums to communicate to current clients, potential clients, and vendors, including direct mailings and email. However, you have noticed that the social media           presence of your organization is minimal.
Though you’re new to the company, you’ve helped your previous employers produce effective                     communication strategies to increase clientele. To bring this to light, you decide to write a memo to your boss that provides a list of ways to create a more prominent social media presence targeting potential      clients.
Instructions
For this project, you can pick what kind of products and/or services the company sells, as well as their      primary target audience. This is important because you’ll need to decide which social media platform will be the most appropriate for that situation.
Choosing one specific social media platform as your focus—YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or      LinkedIn—write an interoffice memo in Microsoft Word that touches on how this medium could be used,    noting the different visual persuasion delivery methods. The memo should include the following:
How this medium could be used, and the motivations behind the medium.
How this medium differs from the others (direct mail and email).
Why your chosen social media platform should be used to leverage potential clients.
Briefly mention what products and/or services the company sells.
Explain the pros and cons of your chosen platform.
What visual techniques could help influence and persuade potential clients to choose your  organization.
Write a memo using Microsoft Word. Your final memo should be 2–3 pages in length.

Scenario
You work for a marketing organization that has taken on a new client. The new client is a holding                 company for numerous chain restaurant brands. This client has recently decided to consolidate three of  its similar existing offerings into one brand to create efficiencies. It wants to take the things that three         restaurants do best and combine them into one brand.
The client wants to apply the same approach to its visual communications for the brand. Your task is to   distinguish the most effective visual elements of the existing restaurants’ logo graphics and suggest how they might be able to be remixed into a new logo.
Remember, this is NOT about which restaurants you like best. This is about dissecting the logo graphics     for the restaurants based on what you learned in this module.
Instructions
Choose three (3) chain restaurant logos from the United States and download their logos from the web.
The restaurants must be the same type of cuisine (e.g., American, Italian, Mexican, Thai,          Chinese, etc.).
The restaurants may be regional or national chains.
Download the logo graphics.
Insert the three (3) restaurant logo graphics into a Microsoft Word document.
Compare and contrast these logos addressing the following:
Logo symbols/symbolism
Depending on your chosen restaurants, you may need to briefly research their history to understand the symbolism in their logos.
Logo color scheme
You may need to consider the competition to understand why a certain restaurant uses certain colors.
Logo font style
What kind of messaging does the font style communicate? How can you tell?
Your final report should be 2–3 pages in length and follow proper APA writing guidelines. It must        include research from three (3) or more sources with proper APA formatting for reference and           in-text citations.

DEI Statement
[WLO: 3] [CLOs: 1, 3, 4, 5]
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review the following:
Chapter 14 of your textbook, and review all previously assigned chapters
The Start Here: A Primer on Diversity and Inclusion (Part 1 of 2)Links to an external site. webpage
The How to get serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace: Janet Stovall: TEDLinks to an external site. video
The Finding Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in PolicingLinks to an external site. article if you will write your DEI statement on a police department
The 50 Diversity in the Workplace Statistics to KnowLinks to an external site. webpage
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the WorkplaceLinks to an external site. report
The Advice for the Week 3 and Week 5 Papers video
COM370: Advice for the Week 3 and Week 5 Papers TranscriptDownload COM370: Advice for the Week 3 and Week 5 Papers Transcript
In addition, read four additional scholarly sources for your assignment. You can find these on your own or from the List of Recommended Readings Download List of Recommended Readings.
The United States is becoming increasingly diverse, and many companies and organizations employ a global workforce and serve multiple communities. Therefore, being aware of varied perspectives is an important part of a corporate or general organizational plan. Whitfield (2023) offers many statistics about the importance of diversity in the United States and in the workforce. These statistics include that diversity in management leads to increased revenue and that women and underrepresented ethnic groups continue to face challenges at work regarding discrimination, harassment, and unequal opportunities, compared to their male or White counterparts. Having a DEI plan is also helpful for a workforce that regularly engages with a diverse clientele, such as police departments (Russo & Rzemyk, 2022). Review How to get serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace: Janet Stovall: TEDLinks to an external site. to get inspired about the many benefits of taking action around this issue.
Because of awareness around these issues, the Pew Research Center (2023) report found that more than half of those surveyed said their workplace had some kind of DEI training. Even at UAGC, consideration of DEI is a central element of all course revisions. If you’d like to more learn more about the concept, visit the following webpage to learn more it: Start Here: A Primer on Diversity and Inclusion (Part 1 of 2)Links to an external site.. As you read, think about how it relates to intercultural communication.
Based on growing attention to this issue, for the final assignment for this class, you will create a DEI statement for a hypothetical workplace with an international workforce and set of clients OR a police department in a diverse community. You will share this DEI statement via a written paper. You must share a rationale for your choices in your statement as you go. Therefore, the paper will be written as a memo to your supervisor, as if you are requesting approval from your manager(s). You will engage with key course themes in the List of Themes for DEI Plan Download List of Themes for DEI Planas you create your content. Be sure to address culture, perception, and verbal and nonverbal communication.
You will be creating the DEI policy statement, but it will be a multi-page endeavor. You must share your rationalizations for each section and links to course themes.
Here are a few sample documents to give you an idea of what you will be producing: DEI Commitment StatementLinks to an external site.. Here are some examples: 7 DEI Statement Examples and a Guide to Writing Your OwnLinks to an external site..
In your final paper,
Define culture and its relevance to communication generally and intercultural communication specifically.
Define intercultural communication and how it informs your DEI statement.
Create a DEI statement, including a headline, a one-paragraph statement and rationale, and a conclusion about who in the organization is doing what and why. Review The Who, What, and Why in Your DEI Statement Download The Who, What, and Why in Your DEI Statementresource to learn more about how to approach the who, what, and why.
Apply the five required themes to the DEI statement (from the A List of Themes for DEI List Download List of Themes for DEI List)
Apply the five selected themes to the DEI statement (from the B-D List of Themes for DEI ListDownload List of Themes for DEI List
To learn more, please select the brain icon  to review additional advice that can help with this information. 
Illustrate how intercultural communication competence informs the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement. For more information, please refer to The ABCs of ICC Download The ABCs of ICCresource.
The DEI Statement final paper
must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA StyleLinks to an external site. as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft WordLinks to an external site. resource.
must include a separate title page with the following in title case:
title of paper in bold font
Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page.
student’s name
name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus)
course name and number
instructor’s name
due date
must utilize academic voice. Review the Academic VoiceLinks to an external site. resource for additional guidance.
must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph.
Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
For assistance on writing Introductions & ConclusionsLinks to an external site. and Writing a Thesis StatementLinks to an external site., refer to the Writing Center resources.
must use at least four scholarly, peer-reviewed, or credible sources in addition to the course text. You can find potential articles you can use: List of Articles Download List of Articles.
The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible SourcesLinks to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source.
To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, review this Quick and Easy Library ResearchLinks to an external site. tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your PaperLinks to an external site. guide.
must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. Review the APA: Formatting Your References ListLinks to an external site. resource in the Writing Center for specifications.