COM3703 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (QUALITY ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025

This document contains workings, explanations and solutions to the COM3703 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (QUALITY ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025. For assistance whats-app us on 0.6.8..8.1.2..0.9.3.4... 2 QUANTITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS (35) To answer the questions below, you must refer back to the scenario in Assignment 01. 2.1 Discuss the concepts of reliability and validity and explain how you will ensure validity and reliability for the study. (6) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 2.2 Code the newspapers that you have chosen by placing your units of analysis into the categories. You must include a counting/tally sheet. The coding must indicate the categories and their respective units. (6) 2.3 Present the results that you have drawn from the coding of your newspaper in a table, chart, or graph. Refer to Wigston (2017:24-29). (10) Your table/graph/chart will be assessed as follows: • Title of table/chart/graph (2 mark). • General presentation of table/graph/chart (neatly presented; easily readable/interpreted/understood) (4 mark). • Y-axis (1 mark for labelling of axis; 1 mark for the unit of measurement) (Note that in the case of a pie chart, 2 marks will be allocated for the various categories/sections). • X-axis (1 mark for labelling of axis; 1 mark for the unit of measurement) (Note that in the case of a pie chart, 2 marks will be allocated for how the categories/sections are presented – clearly definable and sizes reflecting proportions represented by numbers/percentages allocated to the categories/sections). • Totals calculated correctly (2 mark). 2.4 Provide a brief narrative description of your findings in a table or chart. (5) 2.5 Explain how the two research questions that you have formulated in Assignment 01 were answered (2 marks per research question). (4) 2.5 Provide a narrative description of how the research problem was answered. (4) 3 MEDIA, LANGUAGE AND DISCOURSE (35) Select a newspaper article which reports on politics/political activities or about a politician/s and answer the questions that follow. The newspaper article that you choose should not be more than a year old. No marks will be awarded if the newspaper article is not attached. 3.1 In one paragraph, summarise (paraphrase) the contents of the article. Identify the main character/s (politicians) in the text. (4) 3.2 Who is quoted verbatim and whose words are paraphrased in the article? Provide examples from the text. (4) 3.3 According to the discursive practice of journalism, the selection of a topic follows particular criteria. In your opinion, what led to the selection of the news story covered in the article? Justify your answer. (4) 3.4 Is the article presented according to the inverted pyramid? Justify your answer. (4) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 3.5 Politics is regarded as a form of communication (Sonderling 2017:107). Critically discuss ‘politics’ or ‘political action’. (5) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 3.6 Provide examples of political action in your chosen newspaper article. Do not just list the examples but also motivate for their choice. (4) 3.7 Critically discuss the notion of ideology. (5) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 3.8 What ideology is evident in the text? Justify your answer. (3) 3.9 Who is the audience of the text? (2) 4 QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS IN MEDIA RESEARCH 35 To answer the questions below, you must refer back to the scenario in Assignment 01. As the owner of DStv subscription services in South Africa, Multichoice South Africa has recently launched a new channel on the DStv bouquet called CourtTV, which broadcasts various high-profile criminal court cases. The channel cost several millions to launch and is struggling to attract advertisers owing to concerns that viewers do not know the channel and are generally apathetic towards the channel. Multichoice South Africa has therefore contracted the South Africa Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) to conduct research to assess the knowledge of a particular section of viewers to ascertain whether they watch CourtTV, their attitudes regarding televised criminal cases, what they like to watch on television and so forth. As a researcher at SAARF, you are given the task of conducting this research among members of your community. (1) (2) 4.1 What will be the suitable unit of analysis for the scenario? 4.1.1 Explain the difference between target and accessible population. 4.1. 2 Identify the target and accessible population for the scenario. (2) 4.1.3 Discuss the two sources of error that may be associated with the study for the given scenario. (10) 4.2 Designing a questionnaire. 4.2.1 Write a letter of introduction which covers all the necessary aspects. (5) 4.2.2 Provide two close-ended questions that gather demographic information from the respondents. (4) 4.2.3 Formulate a multichoice question based on the scenario (also include the relevant response options). (3) 4.2.4 Formulate a rank-order question based on the scenario (also include the relevant response options). (3) 4.2.5 Formulate a Likert-type question and include the relevant response options. (3) 4.2.6 Formulate an open-ended question based on the scenario. (2) 5 MEASURING MEDIA AUDIENCES (35) 5.1 Define the concept of ‘watching’ in a television audience. (2) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 5.2 Nowadays most messages and programmes target a specific type of audience. Audiences are usually divided based on certain traits and characteristics. Discuss the variables that should be considered when segmenting an audience of a telenovela and provide reasons for your answer. (8) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 5.3 Social survey provides information on the behaviours, perceptions, opinions, and attitudes of respondents (Bornman 2017). Formulate a questionnaire to assess demographic information, audience preference, and overall audience attitude towards a reality television show of your choice. (10) 5.4 Critically discuss how social surveys are used to measure audiences. (5) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 5.5 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a social survey in audience measurement. (5) [25 per cent deduction for not referencing sources] 5.6 What additional measurement methods would you combine with the social survey for a comprehensive audience measurement? Provide a reason for your answer. (5)