A Final Presentation Assignment And Rubric in Journalism 620
Professor Lindsay Palmer - Journalism 620: International Communication
The Assignment (worth 20% of your grade):
For your last assignment in this class, you and a partner will design a proposal for your own global news network, and then give a presentation on your network to the class. You will essentially be “pitching” this network to your classmates, and they will be acting as though they are potential funding partners. You will provide the class with a visual component that demonstrates 1) how you will brand your network, 2) an explanation of how you will fund your network, 3) an explanation of whether or not your network will be truly “global,” 4) an example of the types of programming you will provide, and 5) a detailed account of your network’s ultimate mission. PLEASE NOTE that you must incorporate at least THREE of the course readings into your presentation, including direct quotes and page numbers.
The Guidelines:
- You must present this to the class in the form of a Power Point or Google Slides presentation
- Your presentation must be no shorter and no longer than 15 minutes, NOT counting the Q&A, which will last between 5-10 minutes, depending on the time we have.
- You will present on the day for which you signed up, and you cannot reschedule this under any circumstances.
- You must integrate at least THREE of our course readings into your presentation
- You must go into sufficient detail on each of the 5 required elements:
- BRANDING: Think about the other networks we’ve analyzed in class. How have they branded themselves? What colors, images, and font types do they use to paint a picture of themselves for the world? What types of promotional materials have they generated? Do this type of branding for your own network.
- FUNDING: Will your network be fully state-funded? If so, will it rely on government subsidies, licensing fees, or some other model? Will your network be commercially-funded? Donor-funded? A hybrid? Remember that your funding structure should match your mission statement.
- REACH: Where would you like your network to be broadcast? Which countries, and why? Can you think of any obstacles you might face if you try to air your content in certain countries (answering this question will require a bit of outside research). How would you respond to those obstacles? MOST IMPORTANTLY, make a case (using our class readings to support your claim) of whether or not your network will be truly “global.”
- PROGRAMMING: What type of news content do you wish to air on your network? Hard news that replays every couple of hours? Talk programs? In-depth investigative reporting? Also, what types of stories do you think will be most important to cover?
- MISSION: This is perhaps the most important part of your presentation. Write a short (1-paragraph) mission statement that explains the goal of your network. It would be a good idea to look at the mission statements of other global news networks, to help you think this through. MAKE SURE that the rest of your proposal reflects the mission you have presented to the class. In other words, if you want to avoid infotainment and corporate-style news reporting, perhaps you don’t want your network to be funded solely by advertising.
- You must incorporate at least three of our course readings into your presentation, explaining how these readings helped you conceptualize a particular element of your news network. Include direct quotes and page numbers.
Final Presentation Grading Rubric
An “A” presentation should…
- Satisfactorily address EACH of the five elements outlined in the assignment:
- Branding
- Funding
- “Global” Reach
- Programming
- Mission
- Incorporate at least three of our course readings, explaining why they are relevant and including direct quotes and page numbers.
- Not go significantly over or under 15 minutes
- Explain how branding, funding, programming, and reach all correspond with the network’s mission
An “AB” presentation will display one (and only one!) of the following weaknesses:
- Satisfactorily address all but one of the five elements outlined in the assignment
- Incorporate 1-2 of the course readings, but not the required three, OR, fail to explain why the cited readings are relevant.
- Not adequately draw the connection between the network’s mission and the network’s branding, funding, programming, and reach
- Go significantly under 15 minutes
A “B” presentation will display two (but no more) of the following weaknesses:
- Satisfactorily address all but one of the five elements outlined in the assignment
- Fail to incorporate any course readings, OR, fail to explain why the cited readings are relevant.
- Not adequately draw the connection between the network’s mission and the network’s branding, funding, programming, and reach
- Go significantly under 15 minutes
A “BC” presentation will display three (but no more) of the following weaknesses:
- Satisfactorily address all but one of the five elements outlined in the assignment
- Fail to incorporate any course readings, OR, fail to explain why the cited readings are relevant.
- Not adequately draw the connection between the network’s mission and the network’s branding, funding, programming, and reach
- Go significantly under 15 minutes
A “C” presentation will display EACH of the following weaknesses:
- Satisfactorily address all but one of the five elements outlined in the assignment
- Fail to incorporate any course readings, OR, fail to explain why the cited readings are relevant.
- Not adequately draw the connection between the network’s mission and the network’s branding, funding, programming, and reach
- Go significantly under 15 minutes
A “D” presentation will be underdeveloped, incoherent, and display each of the above weaknesses. Students will only receive an F if they fail to do the assignment, or if they are found to have plagiarized any part of the assignment.
