The purpose of this project is to enable students to demonstrate their knowledge of important international business concepts and apply research, analytical, and communication skills. Students will demonstrate their ability to choose relevant sources, summarize key information, provide a critical analysis, and use proper citation in their portfolio consisting of topics concerning one or more of the international business issues presented in the textbook. Students will be expected to show development of research and critical thinking skills by completing an analysis of articles related to course content. Each portfolio must include 5 essays based on articles related to topics in international business, with no more than 2 articles relating to any one chapter in the textbook. Each essay of the portfolio should include a short summary of the article, a thesis statement, and a short analysis demonstrating how the article relates to specific issues in international business. For the portfolio, a minimum of 2 different sources must be used. Any print, audio, or audiovisual source will be accepted. Students must describe articles that are not print-based in detail – for example, if you include an interview, you must describe the circumstances under which the interview took place. Include a copy of each article. NOTE: Reviews that only summarize an article and do not provide any critical analysis will be given a mark of 0. Steps: 1. Choose a recent article (less than 6 months old) from any source 2. Read the article 3. Consider how the article is related to current topics in Int’l Business 4. Summarize the article (approx 250 words) 5. Create a thesis/position/direction for the analysis based on Step 3. 6. Write the essay 7. Follow steps 1 – 6 for 5 different articles Details: The first paragraph of each essay should be a brief summary of the article. The last sentence of this introductory summary should be your thesis – one sentence which introduces/states the approach you are taking in the analysis. The primary result of an analysis should be to inform readers fully about differences, options, drawbacks, or challenges so that they can make an informed decision about the issue. A critical analysis should be clear and concise; it should reveal the writer’s thinking about the items undergoing analysis; it should demonstrate that the writer has provided supporting evidence for each position or option. For example, if you agree with the premise of the article, you might want to write your views giving reasons for your support, and, if possible, include data (facts/figures) from outside sources. Each critical review should be between 1 – 2 pages, double spaced, depending on the size/length of the article. Note – each article analysis is a stand-alone essay. The full assignment consists of 5 article analyses.
The following are considered mainstream media sources: In Canada: CBC News and Global News, in the US, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and in the UK, BBC. Print media sources are The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Edmonton Journal and most of the main local newspapers (eg. Calgary Herald, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen). Mainstream media should be presenting “objective” news. In recent years, however, personalities, opinions and “op-eds” have become a bigger part of the news story, so it’s not always clear if there is bias in the reporting. For American news the website allsides.com lists news stories based on their political leanings (left – center – right).
Many websites and YouTube channels claim to be “alternative media” but not all are news sites. Many self-proclaimed “alt-news” sites are a combination of critiques, opinion posts, and social commentary, and not necessarily objective news sites. Also, many alternative media sites have a specific bias towards certain ideologies not necessarily political (eg. WakingTimes tends to take a spiritual approach to the world news). These sites are probably not going to provide information that is relevant or appropriate for an Introductory International Business course. Some sites are admittedly bias – Fox News and Breitbart in the US and Rebel Media in Canada are conservative or “right-wing,” The Young Turks and Mother Jones are liberal, or “left-progressive.” Other news sources – including mainstream media sources – are biased in their presentation of some stories, but don’t admit it. It is up to you – the reader or listener – to determine whether or not a balanced story has been presented.
For the Portfolio assignments in INTB 300 I recommend checking a variety of media sources in North America and abroad. Some of the sites that might offer objective or alternative viewpoints are listed and linked below. When reading news sources or listening to news broadcasts, recognize that there may be media bias which is why it is always a good idea to weigh the facts and check alternative or secondary sources.
Newspapers/News Sites
The Japan Times
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
China Daily (US edition, Asia edition, Europe edition)
The Guardian (UK)
RT (formerly Russia Today)
Al Jazeera (from Qatar)
Press TV (from Iran)
Reuters (Canada)
The Economic Times (India)
The (Hindi) Business Standard (India)
The Straits Times (Singapore)
Magazines
The Economist, Canadian Business, Forbes, Fortune, African Business,
Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Alberta Venture, Bloomberg
Websites/Blogs
Foundation for Economic Education (fee.org)
Center for Research on Globalization (globalresearch.ca)
The 4th Media – just another voice (news/truth website from China)
Allsides.com – American news from left, center, and right perspectives
Video-based media (including YouTube)
RT (on youtube)
ZeeBusiness (India)
AfricaNews (Sub-saharan Africa)
France 24 (available in English, French, and Arabic)
China Global Television Network (CGTN website , CGTN youtube) Note the American and African versions on the right sidebar of the YouTube site
Also, don’t forget to check Global Edge for specific country information and news sites.
