Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

BACKGROUND

The last several weeks of the course explore emerging communication technologies and how they impact our understanding of identity, privacy, intimacy, and capital. The internet and its various offspring have forced us to reconsider whether or not a person can also be a brand, who or what can be bought and sold as a commodity, the kinds of connection upon which a relationship can be built, and whether or not citizenship precludes a right to control one’s visibility. Consider the following questions:

In what ways does the Internet fulfill and fall short of its democratic promise to give everyone a voice? What are the costs associated with that promise?
Should Facebook or Amazon have the right to sell user data to third parties?
What is the social cost of opting out of social media altogether? Does it outweigh the risks associated with participating in these platforms built on exposure?
Is it possible for a young adult to live a fulfilling life absent an online presence?
Can someone really find love online? Is virtual connection enough to sustain that love?
As citizens, do we have a right to be invisible or untraceable? Who should decide what becomes of our digital footprints?
Whereas history may have offered straight-forward answers to these questions, the future offers no such certainty.



OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this assignment is for you to explore Internet Communication Technologies (ICT) in contemporary social life through a single podcast episode OR a research paper. If you choose the podcast option you will brainstorm, research, plan, and produce an 8-10-minute episode. If you choose the research paper option, you will write a 3,000-3,500 word essay. In order to create a compelling paper or podcast, you will need to narrow your focus to a single theme or set of questions; you have creative freedom here, as long as your topic falls within the parameters of ICT. Importantly, a podcast is not simply an essay that you record orally. You will only succeed in this option if you embrace the storytelling techniques that distinguish podcasts as a medium.



REQUIREMENTS

1. Outline: Due April 16 [Submit via CANVAS by 11pm EST | NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED]

The outline is a one-page, single-spaced, typed memo that includes the basic elements of your project. Your outline should include the following:

Theme: What is the ‘so what’ of your research paper or podcast? What topic will you focus on and why is it relevant?
Research: What sources of evidence will you draw on to support your argument or conclusions? Will you reference research literatures and incorporate them via voice-over narration? Will you include interviews from experts? Do you need to gather statistical data or other publicly available information to tell your story? You will be asked to submit a bibliography with your final submission that includes all of the sources you used. For a RESEARCH ESSAY: You are expected to include at least six scholarly sources in your bibliography. For a PODCAST: You are expected to include at least three scholarly sources in your bibliography.
Podcast Only: Production Plan: What are the logistical and technical needs for your podcast? What kinds of sound will you need to help you tell your story and engage your listener? What is your deadline for completing interviews and narration, and acquiring other miscellaneous sound files? 
For Research Paper: The essay should be uploaded to Canvas as a pdf. You may use the citation format of your choice (e.g. APA, MLA...). Don't forget to include a bibliography listing all sources that informed your essay. You must include at least six scholarly sources.