History

Web Excursion

1. Search the Web for sites related to current media research or go directly to the communication Institute for Online Scholarship at www.cios.org or the Freedom Forum at www.freedomforum.org. Access one of the research reports posted on the site. In your opinion, how does the research compare with the historical studies cited in this chapter? Does it seem to be more/less meaningful, more/less specific, more/less sophisticated? When compared with the studies cited in this chapter, did the contemporary study break new ground? Why or why not? Write a brief summary of your findings.

Industry

Web Excursion

2. What is the state of media studies at your own college? Access your school's Web site and search for "media studies." Look under appropriate departments (Communication; Radio, Television and Film; Journalism) and under faculty interests. Now choose a second college you are familiar with and access their Web site in the same way. You might want to go directly to a college department such as the University of Florida Communications Research Center at http://www.jou.ufl.edu* or Ithaca's Center for Research on the Effects of Television at www.ithaca.edu/cretv/.* How do the colleges compare in terms of the types of media research being conducted?

Controversies

Web Excursion

3. One criticism is that media studies are not written for public comprehension. Search the Web for contemporary research reports or go directly to one of the sites listed in excursion #1. Find a report and analyze it. How would you present this report to the public? Acting as a journalist, write a brief article about the study.

*Some Web site addresses may change. When they do, please search for the Web site by name or topic on your favorite search engine.