FORMAL ASSIGNMENT #2
COMMENTARY ON MASS MEDIA DEPICTION OF COMMUNITY

PURPOSE: In the profile, the writer used a person from a given community in order to illustrate a larger issue facing the community. For the purposes of the Commentary, writers are continuing to make arguments about larger community issues, except instead of using a person as a launching point, they are instead using an artifact from the media to illustrate whether or not a community is well-represented in popular culture. A definition of a commentary is“a genre of writing that uses analysis and interpretation to find patterns of meanings in events, trends, and ideas. The purpose of commentary is not to simply report on things but to give readers a way to make sense of them” (Trimbur 283).

ASSESSMENT: The writer should choose a pre-existing commentary about their chosen community as a starting point. This can be a clip from a mass media news program, a satirical television show, a song with a clear “social” message, a form of entertainment that also makes an argument, or a form of social media centered around a particular issue. The most important criteria to look for is that this commentary makes a clear argument. For example “Who Gets to Be a Superhero” analyzes African-American superheroes in comic books. You would begin your paper by analyzing this commentary for its rhetorical effectiveness and then move onto an argument about whether or not the community is accurately depicted, using outside sources to support your point.

REQUIREMENTS: The commentary should be written in a standard, academic tone throughout. 1st and 2nd person should be used sparingly.In addition, this paper must quote fromat least three sources (the initial commentary and two supporting sources)and cite them correctly.
The commentary should be at least 5 full pages,not including the Works Cited, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font, with 1” margins. A paper that does not meet these requirements will not earn a grade more than “C.”

Due Dates:
First Working Draft for Peer Review: Monday, February 22, 2016.
Bring printed copy and cover sheet to class.

Second Draft: Friday, February 26, 2016.
Upload to SafeAssign before class.

Revisions: Any time before Friday, April 8, 2016
Paper copy only