Select one of the following assignments to complete a newspaper or magazine analysis. Submit your findings to your teacher.

Statistics
Clip ten ads from newspapers and magazines that use statistics to sell a product.

1. Mount each ad on a piece of paper.
2. Write an analysis of the use (or misuse) of statistics by the copywriter.
3. Draw a conclusion for each one as to whether the statistics were used fairly.

Show the completed work to your teacher.

The Content of Newspapers
Make a chart that shows the number of column inches (a column inch equals the width of a single newspaper column by one inch deep) the paper devotes to each type of material listed below. Be aware that some papers have special sections one day a week to cover religious news, entertainment, or other special-interest material. They may also include extra sections weekly or occasionally for local sports or business in addition to the daily sports and business sections.

local news
national and international news
editorial opinion
religious news
sports
entertainment (art, music, movies, books, etc.)
features (comics, syndicated columns, recipes, etc.)
society news and gossip
filler material
advertising
Do you think the balance is a fair one? Write a paragraph about your findings and what you think should be changed.

Remember to document your newspaper source properly, using MLA format. Click here to review the MLA Style Guide.