Archaeology & the Media
ANT 435
Spring 2009

Guidelines for Critiques of Media Reports/Films

Critique Requirements:
You are to complete 10 (ten) of these during the course of the semester.  For each critique you will choose a topic about media coverage of some particular aspect of archaeology that interests you.  You can even pick the same subject for more than one critique, but you must pick different media sources (see below).  An example would be the recent news on the discovery of Homo Floresiensis (popularly known as the 'Hobbit' people) found in Indonesia.  A number of news media outlets have reported on this particular story.  Stories on continued looting of archaeological sites in Iraq and problems with protecting those sites is another example of archaeology recently in the news.  Just make sure you pick topics/stories that interest you for your critiques - your choice!

Each critique is to be double-spaced typed and somewhere between 2-3 pages in length (maximum!).  Points will be deducted, however, if your critiques fall short of the 2 page minimum.  Make sure you use different sources of information (National Geographic for one, New York Times for the next, National Public Radio for your third critique, Discovery Channel for another, etc.).  Also, try to use sources that are no more than 10-15 years old, at most.  Remember, we want to examine current media portrayals of the field of archaeology, not historical portrayals of the field.  So it's best to try to use really current news stories on archaeology, and there are plenty that are out there now.  See critique format requirements following the schedule below.

 

Schedule for Submitting Critiques:

Content of Critiques:
What should one look for when they're reviewing a media portrayal of archaeology?  Why is it important to ask these kinds of questions about media reporting on archaeology?  Check out these components of the media reports you choose to critique:

• Use of certain language, phrases, wording
  Is there a tendency for overly dramatic wording?  How about the use of adjectives or superlatives ('significant,' 'remarkable,' etc.) and is their use justified, in your mind?  Why or why not?  Are there hints of sensationalism or glamourisation of the subject matter?  How?  On the other hand, does the verbal description/discussion of the topic seem fairly objective or neutral in tone?  In what ways does certain kinds of language set the overall tone of the report/film?
   

• Information content
  Based on your knowledge of archaeology, does the information presented seem to be accurate or correct?  You might have to consult some of your archaeology texts or other scholarly sources (available in the Archaeology Lab) to check or evaluate the information content of your report/film.  If you are critiquing an written article, internet report, or television news report then aside from textual or verbal information, what kinds of graphic information is presented?  Why do you believe these images were chosen?  In what ways did they add to (or confuse?) the report?  What information did they convey that wasn't presented in verbal or written form?
   

• Sources of information
  What sources of information are used in the report/film?  In what ways was the information obtained?  If 'experts' were consulted, who are those experts?  To the extent you can determine this, what are their professional (or other) qualifications or credentials?  In what ways did these sources explain, clarify, augment or confuse your understanding of the topic covered?
   

• Other aspects of reporting
  What other aspects of reporting on your topic can you critique?  Challenge yourself to find other components of media coverage you can critically evaluate! 

Critique Format Requirements:
Make a title page for each of your critiques.  This page is NOT included in the overall page length of the critique!  The title page should look like this:

Title of Critique
Example: A Critical Review of Channel 6 News Report (January 22, 2009) on Archaeological Shipwreck Sites in Coastal North Carolina

Critique Number

Your Name

Date

Noteworthy Pointers:

• Proof read your papers before you turn them in

• Give full citations of all media sources you use (url for web sites, volume and date of publication for printed articles, etc)

• Insert page numbers at the bottom (preferably center or right corner) on each page after the title page

• Summarise your main impressions of the article you've critiqued in a paragraph at the end of your paper

• Be sure to comment on the visual components (images), if there are any, of the pieces you critique (see above)

In the body of your paper make sure that you address each component of each of the points above for full credit.