Research Paper Ideas

The following list is suggestive.  The most important factor is choosing a topic that is interesting to you.

• Should broadcasters be held accountable for indecency over the airwaves
• Do video games influence the behavior of young people
• Sources of news (e.g., television, newspapers, Internet) and who (gender, race, etc.) uses them and why
• The future of newspapers in American society
• Will the Internet make television news obsolete
• The political impact of talk radio
• In November 2008, French President  Nicolas Sarkozy called for a "three strikes and you're out" policy for people who illegally download music on the Internet.  Should American citizens be penalized for engaging in this kind of activity
• News media coverage of Democrat Obama and Republican McCain during the 2008 presidential campaign
• News coverage of 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
• Cameras in the Supreme Court (room)
• Young people and the news media
• News media coverage of global warming
• Press coverage of the Iraq war
• Is television still a viable source of information for Americans
• Does the news media provide objective or biased news coverage of politics
• Compare news coverage of the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War