News Synthesis

ENG 110: Third Formal Paper

Timeline:

Friday October 18th Synthesis Matrix due to blackboard

Wednesday Oct 16th and Friday October 18th Student Consultations by appointment
Monday October 21st Workshop and Rough Draft due
Friday Nov 1st: Final draft due to blackboard

A synthesis is a cohesive summary of a variety of sources and viewpoints

revolving around a particular issue.

Synthesis is a necessary tool to have in your writer’s toolbox because it allows you to integrate
outside information (sources) into your own work. For this assignment, you will follow a
controversial news issue. You will need to work with a variety of sources and points of view. The
goal is to be able to interpret the issue at hand and explain it without presenting any
personal bias or opinion. You will need to collect a solid data sample in order to see how the
story changes and explore the arguments presented from multiple viewpoints. You may chose a
topic that is “hot button” issue currently OR you can go back to previously released stories (for
example: 9/11, Trump’s Election, etc.) as long as you can find copies of the material (that is to say,
an event that has occurred after the rise of the internet, if you need assistance with this, please talk
to me as soon as possible).

Assignment Details:
1. Research multiple news sources, such as newspaper articles, magazine and newspaper
features, editorials, and blog posts from numerous perspectives.
2. Choose at least six (6) sources to use in your paper from a variety of viewpoints.
a. At least three (3) must come from official news publications and at least three
(3) must be written from different political viewpoints.
3. Save your sources because you must turn in a complete works cited page with your final
paper (failure to do so will result in a plagiarism charge).
4. Input the source information into the synthesis matrix.
5. Look for areas where sources overlap and/or differ. You will want to focus on these
areas.
6. After you have collected your sources and put them into the matrix, write a paper that
analyzes and synthesizes this information for your audience.

FORMATTING YOUR ESSAY: 1,500 words, 12-point font, doubled-spaced, Times

New Roman, one-inch margins all around. Please include an original title in the
center at the top of the essay. With a complete works cited page!

Grading: You will be graded based on your ability to do the following:

 Explain basic facts about the issue
 Write the arguments from all sides of the issue
 Integrate all sources into the paper
 Analyze the multiple viewpoints of an issue

Please follow the “Basic Format for Writing a Synthesis Paper” while writing your paper.
You must use In-Text Citations AND a complete WORKS CITED page in MLA format
 Fenwick

Basic Format for Writing a Synthesis Paper:

Introduction (Page 1)
1. What is the topic? Introduce it. Explain it.
2. What are the main issues regarding the topic? In other words,
what are people really arguing/debating about? This is where
you will identify the themes that you have listed as columns in
your matrix.
3. Provide any other background information if needed.

Body (Pages 2-4)

1. Synthesize all of the source materials.
2. Column by column, explain the viewpoints of the topic (not your
opinion!)
3. Use quotations and paraphrasing to discuss the relationship
between the source viewpoints: who agrees and how? Who
disagrees and how? Etc.

Conclusion (one paragraph)

1. Choice One: Write a traditional conclusion that summarizes the
entire paper for the reader one more time.
2. Choice Two: Write an opinion conclusion where you may
include your own thoughts/opinion/bias about your topic.

Works Cited Page

1. MUST include all six sources used in the paper with correct MLA
citations AND formatting
2. MUST be the LAST PAGE (on its own page, with a heading
“Works Cited” at the top)

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