Writing in the 17 February 2009 edition of salon.com, Gary Kamiya observes, "Journalism as we know it is in crisis. Daily newspapers are going out of business at an unprecedented rate, and the survivors are slashing their budgets. Thousands of reporters and editors have lost their jobs. No print publication is immune, including the mighty New York Times." This crisis has frequently been labeled "the death of newspapers." Should we mourn the death of newspapers as we have come to know them? Should we celebrate their passing? Or in the immortal words of Mark Twain, should we recognize that the "reports of [this] death have been greatly exaggerated?"

For Paper 4, you are to write an argumentative essay on the topic of the death of newspapers. For an argumentative essay, you first need to define your topic clearly and narrowly. So to begin this paper, you will need to stake out a specific topic within the larger subject of the death of newspapers: obviously,you could argue this death is true and should be mourned or celebrated; you could argue that newspapers are actually healthier than ever. Alternatively, you could argue whether the demise of newspapers will impact news literacy in the United States. You could argue the cause of the death of newspapers: economics or the internet? Or you could argue that newspapers are not dead but simply evolving. Once you have selected your specific argumentative topic, you will need to take a position on that topic, which will be your argumentative thesis.

Argumentation is an inherently dialectic form of writing and thinking. The writer rigorously examines a topic, carefully considering both the "pros" and "cons" of the subject. At the same time, through this dialectical exploration, the writer also aims to persuade the readers of the validity of her/his position. Thus your argumentative essay will include arguments (reasons in support of your position), objections (the beliefs of the opposition), and rebuttals (replies to the objections that nullify the objections). To fulfill the dual aims of exploration and persuasion, your argumentative essay must be well researched, and each argument, objection, and rebuttal must be fully supported.

To prepare you to enter this argumentative area, read the three articles listed below for class Wednesday, 28 October 2009. You may also want to visit some of the journalism-related sites on the Resources for News page.

Your final version of paper #4 should be approximately five (5) pages. If you have any questions about this assignment, please raise them in class so that we all may benefit from the answers. I am happy to meet with you at any time to assist you in developing, drafting, and revising your paper. Please feel free to arrange a conference with me.

Required Readings for Paper 4
The Death of the news Solon.com 21 October 2009
http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2009/02/17/newspapers/

Out of Print. The New Yorker. 21 October 2009
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/31/080331fa_fact_alterman

The Death and Life of Great American Newspapers. The Nation. 18 March, 2009
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090406/nichols_mcchesney

Additional Reading
Newspaper Death Watch
http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/