The purpose of this assignment is to examine a notorious false rape accusation, and direct students to examine the evidentiary basis for feminist claims of an esclating rape epidemic.
Tawana Brawley Case
Bias, Prejudice and Evidence
in Newspapers and Magazines
Due Date: Second class in November or April. Mark Value: 25 %. Points required for each mark level listed in the Course Regulations. Word Limit: 2000 words. Not included in the limit: quotations, table of contents, and article identification. A higher limit is available to students with averages over 80%; written permission required:
Regulations: Reports must be: Legible, preferably computer word-processed, or legibly hand-written, and stapled together. Write on the right side of the page. Number all pages sequentially. Remove all errors completely. Include a title page, a table of contents, introduction, conclusion and a bibliography. Write in grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. Photocopies of your highlighted media articles should be mounted on the left page opposite your analysis of the article, with the quotations numbered or lettered sequentially. Identify every article and quotation with its author, title, source, date, page, and place. Articles must be photocopied legibly, without extraneous other articles. Articles longer than one page should open as centerfolds. List your report word total in the table of contents. Over - length reports will be marked to a higher mark standard. Include the instruction sheet for the term paper or report as the last page. That sheet will be checked for each instruction followed or omitted. Late assignments will loose 10% for up to one week late. Later reports will not be accepted without an approved absence form from the school medical officer or registrar. Follow the "Regulations for Term Papers and Reports," in the front of this package. Instructions in "How to Detect Bias in the Print Mass Media" by J. Asher offer a useful guide for all reports. Examine the sample papers available from the teacher as models for your report.
Students who work in small groups may earn higher marks. Your teacher will schedule library classes to help students learn research skills. Students will need about $5 in change for the photocopiers. Make photocopies of your table for practice, before filling the final copies.
Do not hesitate to ask the librarians for help. Please thank them. Do not write in or mark the index volumes.
A. Assignment:
Students will examine media articles on a notorious
rape and race case. The media should be examined for evidence,
bias and hysteria; not only for the events and evidence of the
case. [Bias is shown by any attempt to
persuade someone contrary to
evidence, or without all of the relevant evidence.] Examine all the articles for bias
techniques, as explained in How to Detect
Bias in the Print Mass Media. This
section will provide most of your mark.
Do not recount the details of the Brawley case, nor the lawyers'
maneuvers.
1. Examine all the articles for evidence: medical, material; testimony from accuser, or witnesses;
2. Examine when this evidence was available to the media, and whether it was examined for credibility.
3. Examine all the articles for prejudices and beliefs about racism, sexual assault, and sexism.
4. Review: Not Guilty Ch. 6, and The Myth of Male Power Ch.14. These books offer statistics, theory and relevant examples on the credibility of sexual assault accusations.
B. Examine the five articles marked with a star (*) and at least three others, as required above in A1 to A4. Read: "Outrage..." NYT BR, first. The Grand Jury Report of 1988 Oct. 7 offers all the evidence. This GJ report cannot be examined for bias. Examine your articles in chronological order, as below.
The following articles are on Reserve, in one package. Some copies are available from the teacher for 3-hour or overnight loan, in exchange for a student card, as collateral. Penalty for late return -2% per day.
|
|
News Week |
1988 Feb. 29 |
"A Case of Missing Testimony" |
|
|
News Week |
1988 Mar. 14 |
"A
Deepening Mystery" |
|
* |
Ms. Magazine |
1988 April |
"A Crime of Race and Sex" |
|
|
New York Magazine |
1988 May 30 |
"The Selling of Tawana' |
|
|
News Week |
1988 June 27 |
"Is the Brawley Case a Hoax?" |
|
* |
Nation |
1988 July 2/9 |
"The Exploiters" |
|
|
New York Magazine |
1988 July 18 |
"The Brawley Fiasco" |
|
*2 |
The New York Times |
1988 Oct. 7 |
Grand Jury
report and analysis |
|
|
News Week |
1988 Oct. 10 |
"Tawana Brawley - A Case of Deceit?" |
|
* |
The New York Times |
1988 Oct 29 |
"Brawley
Case...Perceptions" public opinions |
|
* |
Nation |
1988 Oct.31 |
"Reversing Brawley" |
|
1 |
New York Times Book Review |
1990 July 29 |
"Outrage: ...Brawley Battlefield" |
C. New York Times articles, on microfilm: Report on the articles of 10 March and 9 October, 1988, and at least three other mid-size articles, according to the instructions on the opposite side of this page.
Ask the librarians for assistance. Please thank them afterwards. Bring at least $4 in change for the photocopiers.
... p. 2
p. 2 Tawana Brawley Case
D: "Outrage" : On Reserve. This book, written by six NY Times reporters, provides almost all of the evidence on the case, and offers the best guide for comprehension of this story.
Recommended pages: 11-25; 44-53; 62-65; 72-74; 101-105; 140; 180-1; 209-11; 253-55; 277-80; 287-95; 308; 318; 341-53; 365-70. = 75 pages, or about 90 minutes of reading time.
Encouragement: Three weeks have been allocated for this assignment because it cannot be completed in one week. Your teacher will be pleased to discuss the assignment during, before or after class, or during office hours; and recommend improvements on partial draft copies before the due date. The teacher will cover media bias techniques relevant for this report two classes before the due date. Note that the adjective for bias is: biased.
New
York Times Articles
E Choose articles that show media use of evidence, bias and
prejudice. Choose and analyze at least three of the articles in the horizontal row for your family initial;
or the column above or below if you do not find adequate information. Choose one article before, and one after the
Grand Jury report of 7 October. Do not
choose articles on the legal maneuvers of the lawyers and advisers. For help in analyzing articles, consult: J.
Asher How to Detect Bias in the Print
Mass Media and your textbooks as guides.
Report on mid-size or large
articles. Search in the New York Times Index volumes under 'Assaults' for the appropriate page & column, as shown in class.
Identify every
article and quotation with its source, date, page, and place. (e.g.: NY Times 30 p.13, bottom left).
New York Times articles on the Tawana Brawley Case
|
A |
1987 14 Dec. |
1988 2 March |
1988 20 May |
1988 2 July |
1988-89 27 Sept. |
1989-91 11 June |
A |
|
B |
1988 24 Jan. |
3 March |
21 May |
9 July |
28 Sept. |
14 Nov. |
B |
|
C |
27 Jan. |
7 March |
25 May |
11 July |
29 Sept. |
16 Nov. |
C |
|
D |
28 Jan. |
9 March |
26 May |
17 July |
30 Sept. |
1990 6 Jan. |
D |
|
E |
3 Febr. |
10 March |
4 June |
18 July |
7 Oct. |
9 May |
E |
|
F |
4 Febr. |
13 March |
6 June |
19 July |
8 Oct. |
12 May |
F |
|
G |
5 Febr. |
14 March |
7 June |
20 July |
9 Oct. |
10 July |
G |
|
H |
7 Febr. |
15 March |
8 June |
22 July |
11 Oct. |
11 July |
H |
|
I |
9 Febr. |
16 March |
9 June |
24 July |
12 Oct. |
29 July |
I |
|
J |
10 Febr. |
19 March |
10 June |
29 July |
13 Oct. |
31 July |
J |
|
K |
11 Febr. |
20 March |
11 June |
30 July |
29 Oct. |
26 Sept. |
K |
|
L |
12 Febr. |
23 March |
12 June |
31 July |
30 Oct. |
1991 10 May |
L |
|
M |
13 Febr. |
24 March |
15 June |
2 Aug. |
1 Nov. |
. |
M |
|
N |
16 Febr. |
5 April |
16 June |
3 Aug. |
1 Dec. |
. |
N |
|
O |
18 Febr. |
7 April |
17 June |
4 Aug. |
3 Dec. |
. |
O |
|
P |
19 Febr. |
9 April |
18 June |
5 Aug. |
1989 11 Jan. |
choose an |
P |
|
Q |
20 Febr. |
10 April |
20 June |
10 Aug. |
18 Jan. |
article |
Q |
|
R |
21 Febr. |
12 April |
21 June |
14 Aug. |
5 Febr. |
From |
R |
|
S |
22 Febr. |
20 April |
22 June |
16 Aug. |
12 Febr. |
A to L |
S |
|
T |
23 Febr. |
28 April |
23 June |
17 Aug. |
23 Febr. |
above |
T |
|
U |
24 Febr. |
29 April |
24 June |
18 Aug. |
1 March |
. |
U |
|
V |
25 Febr. |
5 May |
25 June |
29 Aug. |
2 April |
. |
V |
|
W |
26 Febr. |
6 May |
28 June |
30 Aug. |
8 April |
. |
W |
|
X |
28 Febr. |
7 May |
29 June |
31 Aug. |
28 April |
. |
X |
|
Y |
29 Febr. |
8 May |
30 June |
9 Sept. |
30 April |
. |
Y |
|
Z |
1 March |
14 May |
1 July |
21 Sept. |
24 May |
. |
Z |
Sample article annotation model here