5 Pages not including Title Page and Reference Page – APA7 Format/Citations
read over recent news coverage of a topic that relates to a subject discussed in this course. Find a reliable and reputable news source (e.g., cbcnews.ca, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, etc.), whether online or in print, that has been published since January, 2019. Be sure to select subject matter that is Canadian and discusses a Canadian story or issue. The events described in the news coverage should relate to one of the following topics:
a) The use of dangerous offender designation in sentencing
b) Racial profiling by police of Black and/or Indigenous persons in Canada
c) A Canadian case involving a confirmed or suspected false confession
d) Another topic (with approval of instructor)
As you write your paper, you should follow some general guidelines. Give a summary of the case facts, describing the circumstances and events surrounding the news story. You should provide enough detail that your audience understands what occurred (roughly 2-3 paragraphs). Identify a key issue in the case that relates to your psychology and law topic and discuss three academic research articles in detail that relate to this issue. What does psychological science have to tell us about this topic? Your academic articles do not have to be from Canadian academic journals but they should be published within the past 10 years. Please do not use the textbook or lecture slides as an academic source.
On the basis of the psychological science you have presented, provide a critique of the way the news media covered this story. This may be positive, negative, or a mixture of both. Do you think the news story was scientifically accurate? Did they present issues in a way that perpetuates misconceptions and outdated beliefs about this topic? Have they made arguments or suggestions that psychological science has shown to be false? Alternatively, have they presented this story with careful consideration of what we know about psychological science? What recommendations would you make for improving media coverage of this topic?
