JOUR90027 Chap.11 The Media Report: Comparing Two Countries
The Media Report: Comparing Two Countries
Assignment 1, worth 30%, asks for a 1,500-word evidence-based report comparing two countries' newspaper coverage of one recent global crisis, structured like a journal article rather than an essay. This chapter sets out the structure and word guide, the sampling rules on countries, outlets, dates and story numbers, what the FAQ settles about citations, translation and formatting, and the five marking criteria.
It works a model research question and approach paragraph, and covers the 20% group presentation in Weeks 2 to 6, which rehearses the report's analysis of two articles. It also flags two details on the presentation page worth confirming with your tutor: when the annotated bibliography is due and the date from which coverage counts.
What this chapter covers
- 01
The report as a journal article: sections and word guide
- 02
Sampling rules: one crisis, two countries, eight to twenty stories
- 03
Eligible sources: branded daily mainstream outlets only
- 04
Writing the research question and justifying the approach
- 05
The five marking criteria and the rubric bands
- 06
The group presentation and annotated bibliography
Worked example · free
Justifying a two-country sample
- 1Explain why these two countries give contrast and depth, and confirm neither is your home country.
- 1Justify the outlets as comparable in type and market position.
- 1Justify the window by a news peg, keeping it within two weeks.
- 1State how the sixteen stories were selected, inside the eight-to-twenty range.
- 1Name the theory that will guide the coding, from Weeks 1 to 7.
Key terms
- Research question
- A research question is the single question the media report sets out to answer, which the assignment asks you to state clearly in one sentence.
- Approach section
- The approach section is the part of the report that identifies your sources and evidence, explains why they were chosen and defines the theories you will use.
- Story appendix
- The story appendix is the list of every news story you examined with a working URL, which does not count toward the word limit.
- Annotated bibliography
- An annotated bibliography is a list of sources each followed by a short summary, submitted after the group presentation.
- Agency copy
- Agency copy is a story supplied by a news agency such as Reuters, AP or AFP, which the media report may not use as evidence.
The Media Report: Comparing Two Countries FAQ
How long can the media report be?
The target is 1,500 words. The FAQ says roughly 1,250 to 1,750 words avoids a penalty, while the General Assessment Guidelines ask for work within 10% of the limit, so 1,350 to 1,650 words satisfies both. In-text citations count; the reference list, appendix, figures and tables do not.
Which news sources can I use?
Branded, daily, mainstream publications from two countries, neither your home country. Aggregators such as Google News, stories selected by influencers and agency copy such as Reuters, AP or AFP are excluded, and Wikipedia cannot be cited.
Can I use non-English newspapers?
Yes, if you translate the quotations and frames you analyse so the reader can follow the argument. The FAQ asks you to reference any translation software you use to read foreign sources; the subject's AI rules still forbid using such tools to produce your own writing.
Is there a sample report?
No. The FAQ explains there is no sample report because each student's analysis of the news sources is unique, and teaching staff do not read drafts. The Academic Skills team is the recommended source of support.
What do the marking criteria reward?
Five criteria: a choice of crisis and countries that shows understanding of Cottle's thesis of global crisis, research grounded in sufficient evidence, scholarly engagement with a theoretical framework, critical thinking that links theory and stories, and correct referencing with a complete appendix of working URLs.
Assessment move
Choose your crisis and countries by the end of Week 4 and collect stories as they are published, saving URLs as you go. Use your presentation to test the analysis of two articles, then widen the sample. Draft the approach section first and check every rule against the assignment page before analysing.
Leave a day to compile the appendix and references in APA, because the referencing criterion includes working URLs for every story. Reread the rubric's top-band wording before your final edit and check that your analysis section makes clear connections between theory and stories.
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