THE BASICS:
Turn your paper into Turnitin.com. The Turninit login and password information for our class is in the Syllabus.
In your paper, all information from other sources must be attributed, and exact quotes must be both attributed and in quotation marks. (Unattributed information is considered plagiarism, and will result in a failing grade for this paper.)
Your paper should be a minimum of 2,000 words. It should be single-spaced with a double space between paragraphs, and Parts 1, 2 and 3 should be clearly labeled.
RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC: EIGHT-YEAR CAREER PLAN
Choose a dream job for yourself in the media. If you don't already know your dream job, select one from the "Industry" section of one of the chapters of the Rodman textbook, or through an Internet search. Your chosen job must be related to the mass media or mass communications field. Remember that careers in mass communication are competitive, and best prepared candidates will be more successful.
PART 1:
Create a year-by-year timeline, starting with 2011, describing in detail what you will do to work toward your goal. Each year should be at least one paragraph long. As a guide for what to include, use the suggestions in the "Breaking into a Media Career" box in the "online boxes" page of the Rodman Web site (Chapter 1), which consist of:
- extracurricular activities
- coursework
- internships
- off-campus work
- networking
"Breaking into a Media Career" is under Ch. 1, 4th item down.
Use specifics. For example, don't simply say, "In fall 2012, I will transfer to a four-year university." Instead, name two or three potential universities, include the date you will turn your application in, tell what your will be majoring in, what classes you plan to take, etc. Don't simply say, "In 2013, I will get an internship." Instead, name two or three specific employers or organizations where you will apply for internships, how you found out about the internships, and describe the process you will need to go through to get the internship.
PART 2:
Discuss ethical issues that might come up that are inherent in the career you have chosen using concepts from Rodman, chapter 15. Include:
- conflicting loyalties (duty to personal conscience, duty to one's organization or firm, duty to one's profession or art, duty to society),
- conflicts of interest
- accountability
PART 3:
Include a bibliography, in MLA style, of the sources you used for your research. You should have at least six sources, including Rodman. The Web site: http://www.citationmachine.net can help you with the MLA format.
RESEARCH. This essay will require you to do a lot of research, which you can do on the Internet, using search tools and library databases (such as EbscoHost and Infotrac), and by interviewing people. Sources that might be helpful include:
- University and internship-related sites
- The Web sites used during the Internet Search Project (especially what you learned about using the library databases such as Ebscohost, Infotrac, Proquest and LexisNexis for research)
- The Web sites listed in the Industry Web Excursion section at the end of each chapter of the Rodman text
- The Web site http://www.assist.org, which has information on classes that are required for majors at public universities in California
- The optional class book "Career Media Guide," especially the chapters "Preparing for a Career in Media," "Getting Started in Your Search," "Succeeding Once You're In (Your Internship or First Job," and "Seize Your Entrepreneurial Spirit." There are copies of this book on reserve in the library.
- The Video Excursions (tours) of media organizations that are available on the textbook Web site (http://www.mhhe.com/rodman3). Under the student area, look under the Chapter sections for the "Media World" link to the "Media Tours." (Note that there are not media tours for every chapter.)
NOTE: If you can't imagine a career in mass communications for yourself, then do this same exercise as if you were a consultant for client who wanted your advice (since you now have expertise in the mass communication industry) about a career in mass communications. 
