6.15 Assignments

ASSIGNMENT 1
Select a specific (1) science (2) environmental and (3) health controversy in your country. Give the background for each controversy, outline the arguments of each side, and critique the media’s coverage of the issues. List key resources you would have used if you were reporting on the story, and catalogue selected readings for each issue.

ASSIGNMENT 2
You hear a radio report that two out of some 2000 school children in your locality died after a being vaccinated with an imported cholera vaccine used in your country for the first time. Do you smell a controversy here? List the key steps you would take to investigate and report.

ASSIGNMENT 3
Telemedicine is assiduously promoted as a means to bring high-class health care to rural areas. Those who can provide this technology are satellite operators, medical instrument maker, software producers and corporate hospitals. Do you see any potential for an investigative story here? (Are the targeted people really benefitting?) If so how will you proceed? List your selected readings, the people you would interview, documents you would consult and places you would visit for visit.

ASSIGNMENT 4
Monitor the following websites and blogs for tips on potential controversies
[ http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/science/ ]
[ ww.nanopolitan.blogspot.com ]
[ http://www.sciencecommunication.org/ ]
[ http://world-science-blog.blogspot.com/ ]
[ http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/bloggers/dinesh-dsouza/ ]
[ http://ksjtracker.mit.edu ]
[ http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/ ]
[ http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1978 ]
[ http://www.noplacetohide.net/ ]


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