POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN DIGITAL MEDIA

(PGDIDM)

ASSIGNMENTS
July 2021 & January 2022 Cycle

MNM-011
MNM-012
MNM-013
MNM-014
MNM-015

SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND NEW MEDIA STUDIES

INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
MAIDAN GARHI, NEW DELHI-110068
 PGDIDM ASSIGNMENTS
Dear Learner,

We have explained in the Programme Guide that you need to submit one Assignment in each
course (MNM-011, MNM-012, MNM-013, MNM-014, and MNM-015). Before attempting the
assignments, please read the detailed instructions provided in the Programme Guide carefully.

The last date of the submission is given against each of the assignments. Please note that you
have to submit these assignments to the Coordinator of your Study Centre within the
stipulated time for being eligible to appear in the term-end examination.

You must mention your Enrolment Number, Name, Address, Assignment Code and Study
Centre Code on the Assignment's first page. You must obtain a receipt from the Study Centre
for the assignments submitted and retain them. It would be advisable to retain a photocopy of the
assignments with you. After evaluation, the assignments have to be returned to you by the Study
Centre. Please insist on this and keep a record with you. The Study Centre will send the marks
obtained by you to SED at IGNOU, New Delhi.

Guidelines for doing Assignments - Attempt all questions given in each Assignment as
instructed. You will find it useful to keep the following points in mind:

Planning: First, read the study material carefully, attend teleconferencing sessions and
interactive radio counselling sessions conducted for the programme; if required, you can obtain
details from Study Centre/Regional Centre) and then read the assignments carefully. Please go
through the units on which they are based. Make some points regarding each question and then
rearrange them logically.

Organisation: Draw a rough outline of your answer. Be analytical in your selection of the
information for your answer. Give adequate attention to the introduction and the conclusion.
Make sure that the answer: [1] is logical and coherent; [2] has a proper flow of information in
sentences and paragraphs; and [3] written correctly, giving adequate consideration to your
expression, style and presentation.

Presentation: Once you are satisfied with your answer, you can write down the final version for
submission, writing each answer neatly.

With best wishes,

Dr. K S Arul Selvan
Programme Coordinator
[email protected]
 COURSE MNM-011 DIGITAL MEDIA

Assignment 1
(Due Date: April 30 / September 30, 2022)
(Please check the University website for the latest update on the due date)

Assignment Code: MNM-011/July 21/Jan22

Marks: 100

Note: Answer all the questions; they carry equal marks.

1. Using your Facebook account, log in to http://business.facebook.com. On the left-side panel,
select the Insights link. It will take you to the page where you choose the fourth option - Audience.
Under the Audience page, go to the Potential Audience - which will show the current Indian user
profile. Using the Filter option, choose any five-country individually, identify the socio-
demographic profiles of Facebook users [age, gender, location and interests]. Compare the profiles
of these countries with Indian user-profiles and write your observations. The word limit is
400-500.
2. With the help of an online research tool, you may identify any two countries and collect details
about these countries' Policies/Regulations/Acts on Information Technology/Internet/Digital
Media. Compare and contrast the efforts of these two countries to govern the emerging online
platform. [Potential websites - www.itu.int or www.policyreview.info etc].
3. "A core characteristic of social movements is that they bring together people and organisations
around a central idea or goal providing a sense of collective identity." Select any social media-
based hashtag campaigns. With the help of suitable search tools, explore that particular hashtag
activism, and write the characteristics of this campaign. The word limit is 400-500.
4. Read this document - Jenkins, H. (2009). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture:
Media education for the 21st century (p. 145). The MIT Press.[https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/
handle/20.500.12657/26083/1004003.pdf]. Contextualise the core theme of this document in the
Indian context and list five suggestions of distinctive roles for Schools, after-school programs, and
parents to encourage and nurture 21st Century participatory media skills among youths. Give
tentative implementation strategies for your suggestions.
5. Go to International Telecommunication Union's ICT-Eye portal [ICT Data Portal - https://
www.itu.int/net4/itu-d/icteye#/]. On the left panel, select Compare and Query options. Under the
"Compare" option, identify five countries of your choice; among that, India must be one. The
Portal gives you four charts. Interpret and compare the data. Under the "Query" option, select five
countries in the Rows: Economies [India must be one in that selection], select any five years under
Columns: Years, and now select indicators under Slice: Indicators, one by one. Tables are created
for each indicator (totally, there are six indicators). Based on the outputs, give your interpretations.
Attach a printout of screenshots for the Compare and Query exercises with your assignments.

Note: This course is offered through Govt of India's e-Learning portal SWAYAM
[https://swayam.gov.in]. The interested Learner can complete the entire course
through SWAYAM.
 COURSE MNM-012: DIGITAL JOURNALISM

Assignment 02

(Due Date: April 30 / September 30, 2022)

(Please check the University website for the latest update on the due date)

Assignment Code: MNM-012/July 21/Jan22

Marks: 100

1. Identify the five most unique environmental topics affecting India. Explain how each one
has (a) local implications and (b) international implications. State in each case to whom
you would turn to for information. Convert one such case into a story pitch. (Word limit
400-500).

2. Scrutiny the online Indian news space for a week and figure out an emerging topic. Write
a backgrounder for that topic after taking due efforts of the relevant journalistic research.
(Word limit 400-500)

3. Based on various secondary sources, write an audio news script about any newsmaker of
2020/2021. Create a podcast based on your audio script, and share it through your Google
Drive. Submit your audio script along with the Google Drive sharable link. The podcast
duration is around 2-3 minutes.

4. Using the data.gov.in portal/similar online sources, create 6-8 infographics on recent
developments on any given news scenario with regional/national/international relevance.
Write a video script for these infographics [30 seconds script for each infographic].
Record your script with the help of your mobile. With the use of any online video editing
App, combine your infographics and voiceovers. Export your video and upload it into
your Google Drive. Submit your video script along with your infographic [include
sharable Google Drive link of your video with your Assignment].

5. Many ideas for features come directly from news stories. They could include news
backgrounders, profiles, interviews or many other categories. Read the news pages of
your online news website. Find five news stories that give you ideas for features. Explain
what type of feature you would write in each case. Write a story pitch for anyone such
case. (Word limit 400-500).

Note: Learners can submit the assignments of MJM022 through SOJNMS’s Lab
Journal - www.medialit.in/thevoices [for queries contact the Programme
Coordinator - [email protected]]!
 COURSE MNM013 - MEDIA, INFORMATION AND EMPOWERMENT

Assignment 03

(Due Date: April 30 / September 30, 2022)

(Please check the University website for the latest update on the due date)

Assignment Code: MNM-013/July 21/Jan22

Marks: 100

Note: Answer all the questions; they carry equal marks.

1. ‘Press always take the form and colouration of the social, political structures within
which it operates’ - contextualise this statement within your state/regional media system.
Give suitable examples.

2. ‘Media works as a conduit between the public and the powers that be’. Closely observe
an Indian NEWS PORTAL of your choice for a fortnight. Observe their coverage from
the perspective that ‘the news media is expected to keep a close watch on the
government, business and other institutions. And trace the news portal’s efforts to air
public concerns on that coverage.

3. Go news.google.co.in Portal and identify any ten leading stories in the period of a
fortnight. For each news story, find the answer to the following questions - 1] Who is the
intended reader?; 2] Who benefits from the story?; 3] What is their benefit?; 4] How
many sources are used in the stories and their socio-demographic profiles [gender,
position, relationship with the story etc.]?.

4. Read the document - A freelancer’s guide to reporting on climate change [available in this
link -https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yf1yTlrQFsaKpqMXmmbDg-E22pHNJS3m/view].
Collect recently published five environmental news through a simple online search.
Critically analyse these stories with the help of this guide.

5. Read UNWOMEN’s Guidelines for Gender and Conflict Sensitive Reporting document
[ available here https://drive.google.com/file/d/
1P7hU8WJKf5P7jeIG5TeLyBKTKHkTqri2/view?us]. Closely observe an Indian news
portal of your choice for a fortnight. Give your observations.

Note: This course is offered through Govt of India's e-Learning portal SWAYAM
[https://swayam.gov.in]. The interested Learner can complete the entire course
through SWAYAM.!
 COURSE MNM-014 - CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO OF DIGITAL MEDIA
Assignment 4

(Due Date: April 30 / September 30, 2022)

(Please check the University website for the latest update on the due date)

Assignment Code: MNM-014/July 21/Jan22

Marks: 100

Note: Answer all the questions; they carry equal marks.

1. Write a well-researched report on digital journalism startups in India. As part of your case
study, you may select two DJ startups and explore their management background, editorial
setup, news coverage areas, presentation techniques, and unique characteristics. The word
limit is 500.

2. It is evident from the data that there is an underrepresentation of women roles in ICT. Many
efforts have been underway to neutralise the gender imbalance of Internet access. This
backdrop explains the interrelationship between 'women empowerment, SDG and ICT.' The
word limit is 500.

3. Identify TEN digital tools offered as an open-source category [free to use without any
subscription]. Use those digital tools and write a review on each tool. The word limit is 500.

4. Identify a recent instance of ethical violation on the Internet and discuss how it could have
been prevented. The word limit is 500.

5. Trace the developments and amendments in the Indian Information Technology Act, 2000. The
word limit is 500.
 COURSE MNM-015 - MEDIA RESEARCH METHODS
Assignment 5

(Due Date: April 30 / September 30, 2022)

(Please check the University website for the latest update on the due date)

Assignment Code: MNM-015/July 21/Jan22

Marks: 100

Note: Answer all the questions; they carry equal marks.

1. Identify a scale/measurement of any communication settings through simple online research

tools. Based on the identified scale/measures, create a questionnaire through Google Forms.
Share your Google Form with [email protected] [indicate your enrolment number in the
subject line]. Take the printout of your Google Form and submit it to your study centre.
[Possible resources - https://www.ccam-ascor.nl/research-measures and http://
jamescmccroskey.com/measures/]

2. Develop a research proposal based on any theoretical frameworks discussed in the course
MNM011. Write your research statement, aims and objectives [minimum of two aims and four
objectives], and research design. Research design should give details about the nature of
required data, how it will be collected and from where it will be collected? The word limit is
500-600.

3. Identify ten research articles on any one of the topics discussed in the course MNM011.
Analyse and write reviews for these articles in terms of their theme, sub-theme, conceptual
framework, methodological design and significant findings. Give citation details of these
articles as per APA style. The word limit is 500-600.

4. Undertake a short online ethnographic study. Identify/join any online community, and be part
of this community for two weeks as a non-participant observer. Observe and record what is
going on in this community [if there is not much activity, you can use archival messages/posts
of previous weeks]. Write your observations in a short report format. The word limit is
500-600. Attach screenshots of your observations of your identified online community.

5. Identify ten Internet memes on COVID/Pandemic. Analyse these memes through semiotics
and interpret the verbal and visual signs and symbols. Write the report based on your analysis
and interpretations. Include all the identified memes in your report. The word limit is 500-600.