In my research essay, I chose to write about the political divide in America and how it was worsened by the media attention surrounding the 2016 presidential election. While writing this, I was able to improve my skills in articulating myself and, more specifically, using online databases to find evidence to support my thesis. My thesis was that while the media has been beneficial for politics, it has also been used to divide the country, and while researching my topic, I was able to find that fake new stories/misinformation online played a major role in shaping Trump’s image, many being in his favor. Hillary Clinton had less than half as many positive false news stories about her, but had a lot of negative, attention-grabbing news stories written about her (Garcia 5).

I do think I have to work on evaluating my sources and double-checking that they’re credible. For all the essays I’ve written this semester, I used a lot of studies, and I tried to stick to sources from the library database, trusting that they’re reputable. I used news sites sometimes if I needed certain points of view on a situation and I always make sure to pay attention to what intentions the company or author may have. I recognize the importance of making sure the evidence I use is credible, as to not accidentally spread misinformation. I have gotten good at citing my sources and making sure they stay organized. Sometimes I have trouble with formatting, but I’ll figure it out.

This semester has taught me a lot and something else I improved on is drafting and revising my essays. I found myself quite stressed about what to write at different times during the semester, so I tried to use a different method and write a whole bunch of material, then later I can revise it and erase the details I don’t need. I found this helpful particularly when writing my critical analysis essay but it’s important to break apart the paragraphs if they’re too long and keep a structured flow.

While reviewing my drafts, I also learned how to incorporate my peers into my writing by asking for their suggestions and how to critique others myself. I had trouble sharing my first draft since I’ve never used Microsoft Word, but after I had constructive conversations with Tiffany and Basma about our essays and I practiced reviewing their essays, thinking of improvements, criticisms, and compliments. In my research essay, Tiffany said I should revise some of my paragraphs and add a conclusion that will transition smoothly into the next paragraph (Garcia 2). I found this helpful because I didn’t notice how bluntly I was ending my paragraphs, and it was helpful to hear someone’s perspective on my writing.

I enjoyed reading other people’s essays in the class and it was interesting seeing the many different topics, perspectives, and writing styles. It can help inspire me to try something new in my own writing. It felt refreshing to read the writing of others, and sometimes it served as a reminder of the requirements for an essay and helped redirect me. While reading Tiffany’s critical analysis essay, I liked how she related her topic to a show and explained the connection. When writing my research essay, I felt inspired by her choice and decided to add a paragraph about the political rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, and how that directly led Hamilton’s death (Garcia 4).

I struggled with time-management during the semester, and I don’t think I got the opportunity to think deeply about my writing goals and audience expectations. I planned my essay and wrote an outline of what I wanted to talk about, but I didn’t clearly plan out my writing goals. On top of time-management, I will be working on this next semester and being more mindful of my goals and intentions in my writing.

I improved my writing skills writing skills overall during this school semester and I learned a lot of valuable tools that I will keep using. I also recognize that there are things I should continue to improve on such as thinking of my writing goals and analyzing my sources. I enjoyed this class, and it was fun learning more about the impact of media and how to write effectively.

Works Cited

Garcia, Venus. Broadcasting the Divide in America: Media, Morals, and Missing Middle Ground, pp 5, 2024.

Garcia, Venus. Broadcasting the Divide in America: Media, Morals, and Missing Middle Ground, pp 2, 2024.

Garcia, Venus. Broadcasting the Divide in America: Media, Morals, and Missing Middle Ground, pp 4, 2024.