Outline:
Introduction:
Today, it seems that our society is dominated by the influence of the media. The opinions expressed by popular or well known figures have an immense influence on the values and political ideology of the general citizenry.
THESIS: such commentary is valuable, however its prevalence is reaching a point of excess. Americans are so constantly bombarded with other's opinions, it becomes difficult for them to formulate ideas of their own, resulting in a generally uninformed, although highly opinionated, citizenry. This combination is counterproductive for democratic discussion and reasoning.
Paragraph 1:
- Biased commentators spew political rants, immensely influencing their viewers. These so called "political theorists" often hold extremest points of view and back up their opinions with questionable data or manipulated facts and statistics.
- Because these people seem informed and are on TV, many Americans believe the skewed data they provide.
- Out founding fathers believed one of the cornerstones of a democratic republic was an informed and educated citizenry. The influence of the media is often counterproductive for this.
- The preponderance of commentators and the increasing influence of opinionated media members has resulted in a decline in individual thought among the general citizenry. No longer are people researching current issues and formulating their own opinions. Instead, many are relying on the talking heads on CNN, Fox News or MSNBC to tell them what to think.
Paragraph 2:
- Media influence provides a vehicle for politicians to reach more people and expand their influence through televised speeches, debates and commercials.
- Pro: citizens watching speeches etc. can help them be more informed about a politician's platform
- Con: the opinions, policies and ideas often promoted by candidates running for election can be markedly different from those outlined in their platforms.
- i.e. candidate says he supports environmentalism in speech, using vague terms such as "alternative" or "green" energy. But in reality, his "alternative" is natural gas, or "clean coal" both of which are limited in supply and have similar environmental consequences as the burning of conventional fossil fuels.
- doublespeak
Paragraph 3:
- Despite its downfalls, the media has some positive influences as well
- It enables citizens who are passionate about causes to reach a much wider group of people
Conclusion:
Although the media can enable minority view points to be heard, the increasing preponderance of highly charged opinions generally does more harm than good for democracy. Although more information may be "out there" people are relying on others to tell them what to think instead of formulating their own ideas. This is counterproductive for a democratic society.
Sample 3A, Score 8:
This essay took a fairly neutral position on the value of such public statements. Strong ideas, and generally good diction (a few errors but nothing excessively distracting). This essay improved as it progressed.
Sample 3B, Score 6:
This essay seemed average but adequate. Discussed evaluating trustworthy v. untrustworthy sources, good examples (Rush Limbaugh)
Sample 3C: Score 4
This essay does not have a clear thesis so the student's opinion is fairly unclear. It uses colloquialisms and faulty or only tangentially related evidence. It is often unclear and confusing.
