Extra Credit Blog #11: Civic Engagement

*** This is an optional blog post for extra credit *** 

Due by Thursday, April 27 at 1 p.m.

I hope this will be a fun one. Write a blog post that encourages citizens to DO something for your candidate (vote, work a phone bank, volunteer, give money, etc.) Essentially you are writing an ad for your candidate and campaign. Tell people why they should do the thing you want them to do for this particular candidate/campaign. I would include persuasive messages from your candidate him/herself and enthusiasm. Humor is welcome, if that's the route you want to take. Basically, what is it about your particular candidate that people will care about and want to rally behind? Then use those things to get volunteers/voters/donors/etc.

Your blog posts should be approx. 500 words. They should include links, images, multimedia, etc. More information is provided in an assignment sheet on Blackboard.

Blog #10: Press Coverage

Congratulations on making it to your very. last. blog!

Conduct a Google News search about your candidate. You should find three (3) stories about your candidate: One from a “conservative” news outlet, one from a “liberal” news outlet, and one from a news outlet that seems to have little bias, in your opinion. (You need to find news stories, not editorial/opinion pieces. If you don’t know the difference – ask!) What types of stories are written about your candidate? What types of media outlets are covering your candidate the most? How do news stories from different outlets cover stories about your candidate differently? How do you see bias manifested in the stories themselves? (Give concrete examples.)

From what you can tell, who is generating the news -- your candidate and his/her people or the media? Why do you think that? If you were advising your candidate, what types of news stories would you be pitching to reporters?

Your blog posts should be approx. 500 words. They should include links, images, multimedia, etc. More information is provided in an assignment sheet on Blackboard.

Blog #9: Agenda-Setting

Spend some time doing an analysis of your candidate's webpage's "Issues" page/section/etc. Based on the layout of the page, amount of information, etc., argue about which issues are on your candidate's main agenda and why?

Next, look at one of the candidate's opponents in his/her own party. How is the agenda similar? How is it the different? What do you think the reasons are for these differences/similarities? (Hint: You may want to look at the "Issues" or "Platform" information for your candidate's political party as well.) 

Finally, do a quick Google News search for the top one or two issues. How is the media covering these issues? Who do you think is setting the agenda: the media, the electorate, or the campaigns? Why would you say that?

Your blog posts should be approx. 500 words. They should include links, images, multimedia, etc. More information is provided in an assignment sheet on Blackboard.