Summary of Requirements for Essay #1 (Media Studies 111B – Fall 2024)
Essay Topic:
Examine the role of the printing press as an agent of change, focusing on a specific area of human activity. Use at least three concepts from Elizabeth Eisenstein’s The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe.
Prompt Options (choose one):
-
Rulership, Governance, and State Power:
- Explain how a specific aspect of governance changed due to the introduction of print. Examples include public relations, censorship, propaganda, diplomacy, and more.
-
Political, Religious, or Cultural Activism:
- Explain how print enabled political, religious, or cultural movements outside governmental power. Focus on how individuals or groups used print to assert themselves.
-
Science, Exploration, and Knowledge:
- Analyze how print influenced knowledge, scientific exploration, or scholarship. Discuss the role of print in sharing, organizing, or synthesizing information in a specific field.
Structure and Requirements:
-
Outline (Due: September 12th):
- At least one page, single-spaced, including a tentative thesis, supporting arguments, evidence, and sources.
- Minimum of three published sources required for the outline.
-
Essay (Due: October 3rd):
- 1300-1600 words, 12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.
- Include a thesis statement explaining how print led to a specific change.
- Body paragraphs should provide and analyze evidence from historical examples, including at least three terms from Eisenstein’s work.
- Use at least five published sources in total.
- Proper source citations (MLA, APA, or Chicago) and a works cited page.
- Submit as PDF and include a shareable Google Doc link on bCourses.
Key Concepts from Eisenstein (use at least three):
- Dissemination
- Standardization
- Vernacularization
- Rationalization
- Systematization
- Typographical fixity
- Personal publicity, etc.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Clear thesis and argument (10%)
- Well-organized body paragraphs (50%)
- Proper evidence and source citations (20%)
- Logical organization and coherence (10%)
- Grammar, style, and readability (10%)