University of Minnesota
Minnesotano Media Empowerment Project
mmediap@umn.edu
612-626-7904


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Media Analysis

What is Media Analysis and Why is it Important?

Media analysis provides groups with documentation, analysis, or copies of media content of particular interest to any one group. These kind of projects allow groups, organizations and/or populations to keep track of what is being said about them and is the first step in challenging mainstream media portrayals because it offers the kind of data that builds a strong argument towards change.

In our case, we are interested in determining the quality and quantity of coverage on Latinos in Minnesota.

Analysis will be key to understanding how the media is portraying the Latino community in Minnesota. It will give us an understanding as to the general tone—negative, neutral, or biased—of coverage and will also provide an understanding as to general patterns and often covered topics.

The Minnesotano Media Empowerment Project aims to develop analysis projects throughout different regions of the state to promote the development of a free, fair, ethical and critical media culture.

Projects

Our first project is underway!

In the Fall of 2006, thirty University of Minnesota students tracked 20 Minnesota newspapers. The cities included in this first monitoring project include: Minneapolis, St Paul, Mankato, Moorhead, Owatonna, St Cloud, Duluth, Rochester, Winona, Worthington, Winona, Austin, Willmar, Bemidji, Brainerd, Faribault, Fairmont, Grand Forks, and Hibbing.

Over 1100 articles were collected over a 10 week period, which included several weeks both before and after the November elections. Throughout the Spring of 2007, we will be sifting and analyzing the data.

The Department of Chicano Studies is working with media scholars at the the School of Journalism at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as well as The University of St. Thomas to compile a report based on this first project and will make the findings available to the general public in 2007.

Get Involved

Would you like to keep track of your local media sources?

The Minnesotano Media Empowerment would like to join you in your efforts to monitor newspapers and other media in your area.

We can offer workshops, trainings and other support to help you document what is going on in your community. We can work with you to determine what strategies would be most effective in your area and how to develop leadership around issues of media justice in your community.

If you are interested, please e-mail mmediap@umn.edu.