The following should be helpful in preparing for the exam. It’s harder for me to help you if you come unprepared. Link to questions.

For those missing Thursday and/or Friday: I would recommend looking over a couple of lecture videos from another class (some videos I did during Covid), but covering similar material as we did in the first two weeks. One is on bias, and the other on news filtering). Different classes, so slightly different orientations, but you’ll recognize the familiar concepts (that can also be found in the week 1 and week 2 readings and lecture material). 

For makeups: Spend 60 minutes responding to the questions (Word file). 

The exam

Test will be about 20% multiple choice, 15% matching, with the rest as short answer, short essay and longer essay. You will have choices on the essay parts and short answer (e.g., I might ask you to answer 5 of 7 questions, or on the longer essay 1 of 2, and they will be covering important topics from class–not trivia). Also, keep in mind that we’ll be doing the exam over two days. The first day you’ll take it for an individual score, the second day in small groups (you can self-select).

You’ll have three options the second day: take the test in a group, decline to re-take the test (and settle for whatever grade you get on the first day), or take it as an individual. In any case, the second day can only improve your grade (it’s worth 25% of your adjusted grade). I’ll toss out group scores that lower a student’s grade.

Important concepts from week 1 would include media bias, the concept of disambiguation (we also talked about a Coke vs Pepsi analogy) and the ways that plays out in terms of stereotypes,  red and blue states (Jon Stewart’s critique would be useful to understand), Brian Patrick’s chapter on disambiguation, and even some of the basic journalism ethical standards that can be used as a point of reference for examining how news organizations operate. 

Week 2 covered the news filtering pressures (from Chomsky and Hermann’s chapter, but also lots of material on that main readings page (at the bottom). We also have talked a bit about how algorithms and A.I. can ‘filter’ information (through a confirmation bias lens). 

• Questions from wks 1-2 small groups

In Week 3 we started reading Cialdini, discussing heuristics and social proof, two important sets of tools for the propagandist or ‘compliance professional.’ 

• Questions from wk 3 small groups

In Week 4 we discussed various kinds of propaganda techniques, how they can ‘bait’ (and grow) an audience, and  how the 4 stratagems of persuasion operate (here applied to the US Govt. campaign in 2002-03 to invade and occupy Iraq, but also we watched the Frank Luntz bit specifically on message control–go to 39:15). 

• Week 4 Small group questions

Week 5 focused on PR (public relations), how the industry functions (e.g., Nelson’s article), and how techniques of persuasion are used (especially Patrick’s ‘Ten Commandments‘ of propaganda). If you want some practice, see how many techniques you can identify in the Rick Berman interview.

• Week 5 small group questions

I created this page, see if it doesn’t help you think about how to integrate these various concepts and actors as a way to create a narrative or story, rather than just memorizing disparate facts. 

Outline pages: Wk 1, Wk2 on main readings page), these are from another class, but go through similar resources (each is a lecture video, from the Covid era: bias; filtering)