ENG 102 Media Analysis Rubric Points 2 F Points 3 D-/D/D+ Points 3.5 C-/C/C+ Points 4 B-/B/B+ Points 5 A-/A/A+ Thesis & Focus Thesis, focus on single element of media, central idea, audience, purpose, digressions Lacks an identifiable thesis. Limited or no awareness of audience and purpose. Focus is unclear. Readers cannot discern the essay’s central idea. Thesis was attempted but unclear and/or inconsistently addressed. Focus might be unclear or muddled between more than one part of chosen media. Reveals limited awareness of audience and purpose. Central idea either lacking or inconsistently addressed. Thesis is identifiable, but perhaps too narrow, too broad, or otherwise problematic. Focus is clear, but might be muddled between more than one part of chosen media. Awareness of audience and purpose may be adequate but inconsistent. Central idea is perhaps too general and supported by irrelevant examples. Thesis is established and is consistently addressed throughout most of the paper. Focus is limited to ONE part of chosen media. Awareness of audience and purpose is sufficient. Central idea is clear and maintained in most of the essay. Thesis is clearly established and maintained throughout the entire paper. Focus is limited to ONE part of chosen media. Paper demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of audience and purpose. Central idea/focus maintained throughout. Support & Development Thesis support, thesis development, analysis of media, use of examples, logic, and reason No support of thesis with relevant facts, examples, reasons, or evidence. Body of essay fails to analyze chosen media. Topic development is flawed or non-existent. Support is minimal, logically flawed, and/or inaccurate. Body of essay analyzes chosen media very ineffectively. Topic development may have been attempted, but does not form conclusions and/or fails to exhibit clear reasoning. More support is needed. Some examples may be vague. Body of essay analyzes chosen media, perhaps ineffectively. Some irrelevant support may be present, but most evidence supports thesis. Support is sufficient but perhaps flawed in some way. Body of essay analyzes chosen media effectively. Examples are sufficient. Thesis is supported and developed in most paragraphs. Essay completely supports the thesis with logical arrangement of evidence. Body of essay analyzes chosen media very effectively. All assertions are supported and relate to thesis. Coherence & Organization Introduction, conclusion, body paragraphs, transitions, topic sentences No clear introduction, body, or conclusion. Little-to-no transitions. Demonstrates little-to-no understanding of organization. Many sentences within paragraphs do not relate to each other and/or the paragraph’s topic. May contain no discernable topic sentences. Introduction, body, and conclusion attempted but problematic. Few transitions. Perhaps numerous digressions. Mostly missing or problematic topic sentences. Demonstrates lit ...

1. ENG 102 Media Analysis Rubric
Points
2
F
Points
3
D-/D/D+
Points
3.5
C-/C/C+
Points
4
B-/B/B+
Points
5
A-/A/A+
Thesis & Focus
Thesis, focus on single element of media, central idea,
audience, purpose, digressions
Lacks an identifiable thesis. Limited or no awareness of
audience and purpose. Focus is unclear.
Readers cannot discern the essay’s central idea.
Thesis was attempted but unclear and/or inconsistently
addressed.
Focus might be unclear or muddled between more than one part
of chosen media.
Reveals limited awareness of audience and purpose. Central
idea either lacking or inconsistently addressed.
Thesis is identifiable, but perhaps too narrow, too broad, or
otherwise problematic. Focus is clear, but might be muddled
between more than one part of chosen media. Awareness of
audience and purpose may be adequate but inconsistent. Central
idea is perhaps too general and supported by irrelevant

2. examples.
Thesis is established and is consistently addressed thr oughout
most of the paper. Focus is limited to ONE part of chosen
media. Awareness of audience and purpose is sufficient. Central
idea is clear and maintained in most of the essay.
Thesis is clearly established and maintained throughout the
entire paper. Focus is limited to ONE part of chosen media.
Paper demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of audience and
purpose. Central idea/focus maintained throughout.
Support & Development
Thesis support, thesis development, analysis of media, use of
examples, logic, and reason
No support of thesis with relevant facts, examples, reasons, or
evidence. Body of essay fails to analyze chosen media. Topic
development is flawed or non-existent.
Support is minimal, logically flawed, and/or inaccurate.
Body of essay analyzes chosen media very ineffectively.
Topic development may have been attempted, but does not form
conclusions and/or fails to exhibit clear reasoning.
More support is needed. Some examples may be vague. Body of
essay analyzes chosen media, perhaps ineffectively. Some
irrelevant support may be present, but most evidence supports
thesis.
Support is sufficient but perhaps flawed in some way.
Body of essay analyzes chosen media effectively.
Examples are sufficient. Thesis is supported and developed in
most paragraphs.
Essay completely supports the thesis with logical arrangement
of evidence. Body of essay analyzes chosen media very
effectively.
All assertions are supported and relate to thesis.
Coherence & Organization
Introduction, conclusion, body paragraphs, transitions, topic

3. sentences
No clear introduction, body, or conclusion. Little-to-no
transitions. Demonstrates little-to-no understanding of
organization. Many sentences within paragraphs do not relate to
each other and/or the paragraph’s topic. May contain no
discernable topic sentences.
Introduction, body, and conclusion attempted but problematic.
Few transitions. Perhaps numerous digressions. Mostly missing
or problematic topic sentences. Demonstrates little
understanding of organization.
Identifiable introduction, body, and conclusion; yet one
significant weakness is present: undeveloped introduction,
undeveloped conclusion, illogical paragraph order. Adequate
transitions, perhaps some digressions. Some paragraphs may
lack clear topic sentences.
Demonstrates basic understanding of organization.
Clear introduction, body, and conclusion although
improvements could be made. Most paragraphs have clear topic
sentences. Essay establishes a clear plan of development.
Transitions are clear throughout most of the paper.
Demonstrates good understanding of organization.
Clear and effective introduction, body, and conclusion:
Introduction establishes the essay’s main idea, and conclusion
summarizes thesis and main ideas without merely copying and
pasting from the introduction. Clear and effective transitions are
present throughout the paper. Demonstrates excellent
understanding of organization.
Language & Style
Word choice, repetition, redundancy, awkwardness, article
misuse, wrong word form (their/there, etc.), typos/misspellings,
vocabulary
May contain more than 6 errors in word choice, wordiness,
redundancy, or awkwardness.
May contain more than 6 errors in inappropriate language for
academic audience.

4. Fails to demonstrate competent language use; sentences and
vocabulary are inappropriate, facile, and/or incoherent.
May contain 6 errors in word choice, wordiness, redundancy, or
awkwardness.
May contain 6 errors in inappropriate language for academic
audience.
Contains repetitive, incorrect, and/or insufficient sentence
structure and/or limited vocabulary.
May contain 4 – 5 errors in word choice, wordiness,
redundancy, or awkwardness.
May contain 2 – 3 errors in inappropriate language for academic
audience.
Demonstrates competency with language use but sentence
constructions and vocabulary may be limited or repetitive.
May contain 2 – 3 errors in word choice, wordiness,
redundancy, or awkwardness.
May contain 2 – 3 errors in inappropriate language for academic
audience.
Demonstrates sufficient knowledge and skill with varied
sentence construction and vocabulary. Unnecessary repetition is
minor.
May contain 1 error in word choice, wordiness, redundancy, or
awkwardness.
May contain 1 error in inappropriate language for academic
audience.
Demonstrates sophisticated knowledge and skill with varied and
complex sentence construction and vocabulary. Little-to-no
unnecessary repetition.
Grammar
Fragments, subject-verb agreement, verb tense errors, verb form
errors, run-ons, pronoun agreement
Contains more than 5 different grammar errors.
The identical 3 – 4 errors may be repeated throughout.

5. Contains 4 – 5 different grammar errors. The identical 2 – 3
errors may be repeated throughout.
Contains 2 – 3 different grammar errors. The identical 1 – 2
errors may be repeated throughout.
Contains 1 grammar error, which may be repeated throughout
the essay.
Contains either no grammar errors, or 1 – 2 different errors with
no repetition.
Punctuation & Capitalization
Comma errors, comma splices, apostrophe errors, capitalization
errors, semicolon errors, colon errors
Contains more than 5 different punctuation/capitalization errors.
The identical 3 – 4 errors may be repeated throughout.
Contains 4 – 5 different punctuation/capitalization errors. The
identical 2 – 3 errors may be repeated throughout.
Contains 2 – 3 different punctuation/capitalization errors. The
identical 1 – 2 errors may be repeated throughout.
Contains 1 punctuation/capitalization error, which may be
repeated throughout the essay.
Contains either no punctuation/capitalization error, or 1 – 2
different errors with no repetition.
Format
heading,
title,
margins, spacing,
length*,
underlined thesis
*Length for Media Analysis is 500 words minimum
Doesn’t meet formatting requirements:
Formatting may be missing four or more elements (either no
title, incomplete heading, inappropriate spacing or margins, or

6. thesis not underlined).
Length may not meet minimum requirements.
Doesn’t meet most formatting requirements:
Formatting may be missing three elements (either no title,
incomplete heading, inappropriate spacing or margins, or thesis
not underlined).
Length may not meet minimum requirements.
Meets some formatting requirements:
Formatting may be missing two elements (either no title,
incomplete heading, inappropriate spacing or margins, or thesis
not underlined).
Length may not meet minimum requirements (an essay that does
not meet length minimum will score no higher than 3 in this
category)
Meets most formatting requirements:
Formatting may be missing one element (either no title,
incomplete heading, inappropriate spacing or margins, or thesis
not underlined).
Length meets minimum requirements of 500 words.
Meets all requirements.
Formatting is appropriate in terms of heading, title, margins,
spacing, underlining thesis.

7. Length meets minimum requirements of 500 words.
Use of Research
& MLA
Source minimums, incorporation of sources (including use of
signal phrases), use of research to argue topic, MLA in-text
quote formatting, Works Cited list
This paper requires at least two sources: chosen media + one
other source.
Source minimum requirements are not met.
Research is insufficient, irrelevant, or inadequate.
Sources are not incorporated at all, or are done very poorly.
Five or more errors in documenting sources using MLA style
may be present.
Works Cited page either omitted or formatted very poorly. It
may be difficult or impossible to discern which sources are in
the list.
Source minimum requirements may not be met (Note: If source
minimum is not met, the essay will score no higher than 2 in
this category).
Research is superficial and/or sources are incorporated poorly.
No more than four different errors in documenting sources using
MLA style may be present. These identical errors may be
repeated.
Works Cited page may contain significant formatting errors, and
some sources may be omitted from the list.
Source minimum requirements (chosen media + one other
source) are met.
Research may be superficial, sources may be poorly

8. incorporated.
No more than three different errors in documenting sources
using MLA style may be present. These identical errors may be
repeated.
Works Cited page may contain significant formatting errors, but
all sources are listed.
Source minimum requirements (chosen media + one other
source) are met.
Fairly thorough research with mostly effective use of sources.
No more than twodifferent errors in documenting sources using
MLA style. These identical two errors may be repeated.
Works Cited page may contain minor formatting errors, but all
sources are clearly listed.
Source minimum requirements (chosen media + one other
source) are met. Thoroughly researches the topic, uses sources
effectively.
No more than one different error in documenting sources using
MLA style. This identical error may be repeated.
Works Cited page may contain minor formatting errors, but all
sources are clearly listed.
Last Name 1
First Name Last Name
English Composition II

9. Media Analysis
10 November 2014
The Power of Art
Art is a unique medium in which a person may freely express
his or her opinion without reprisal. The meaning of each piece
of artwork may be ambiguous or heavily apparent. Theater
specifically has long been a way in which an artist could
comment on contemporary issues such as politics, justice,
morals, and religion. In more modern times, movies have
largely taken the place of theater. Movies can present powerful
ideas to the public masses and even serve to inspire millions of
people. The film V for Vendetta is a heavily symbolic film that
chronicles the tale of a masked British vigilante. The film's
main character, only known as V, attempts to destroy the
totalitarian government and all those complicit in the
government's actions, but only at great cost to him. The film V
for Vendetta uses symbolism and allegories such as the “V”
logo, Guy Fawkes mask, and an art collection to effectively
expose a tale of the dangers of authoritarian government and
inspire opposition to authoritarian governments. Comment by
Author: Good use of the literary present. Please review
http://vanderbilt.edu/writing/manage/wp-
content/uploads/2013/06/Literary%20present%20tense.pdf
Comment by Author: This is a good, specific claim that
goes beyond “enhances the production.”
Please create a thesis for this essay that explains the element
used by the author--characters, sound effects, camera angles,
etc.--which helps to enhance or detract from your chosen
production or your selected production's message. For instance,
"In the movie The Lorax, the intentions and determinations of
Lorax, Once-ler, and Alocius O'Hare represent how present day
environmentalists must fight against profit-driven industries
that are harming the environment and depleting natural
resources in order to maintain Earth’s natural state."

10. Avoid obscurity in the thesis with clams such as “keeps the
movie interesting,” “enhances the production,” or “impacts
viewers emotionally.” Phrases such as these are too vague and
will lead to a lack of cohesion, direction, and flow in your
essay. Do the elements in the thesis work together to present a
specific message; help the movie accomplish a certain, specific
goal; or allow viewers to better understand the plot or theme? In
sum, how do three components work together collectively to
enhance or detract from the production or the production’s
message?
*Remember, the support rubric section is tied to the thesis
section. Without a clearly written and developed thesis, it is
difficult to determine if and to what degree your arguments and
content support your thesis. In many cases, the support section
will not score higher than the thesis score because the two
components work together to form a whole unit. Therefore, be
sure to spend ample time developing the thesis so that you earn
credit for strong support if and where applicable.
The first and most apparent use of symbolism is the continual
use of the “V” logo throughout the movie. The emblem is
symbolic of the contemporary anarchist “A” logo and represents
the character's distaste for his government. Anarchy has become
synonymous with lawlessness and disorder. However, as defined
by Immanuel Kant, a famous philosopher, Anarchy is Law and
freedom without power or force (qtd. in Sullivan 243). The
theme in the movie parallels the idea that the British public
desires law and freedom – without authoritarian force. The
totalitarian government is the polar opposite of anarchy; the
fascist state can achieve law and order only with brute force and
at the complete expense of the people's individual freedoms.
The “V” logo becomes more than just a simple figure; it
becomes the emblem of the fight against the totalitarian
government and draws heavy similarities to the anarchist “A”
logo in today's society.

11. Furthermore, the character V lives in a secret location filled
with a vast collection of art and religious works. The art is an
allegory for the oppressed culture of the people of Britain. In
the fictional fascist state, it is illegal to possess “unapproved”
literary works of art. The legality of art and literature is
symbolic of the oppression of the people and draws a strong
parallel to the great book burnings that took place in Nazi
Germany under the Third-Reich. The Nazi Party and its
supporters gathered in May of 1933 to burn over 25,000 “Un-
German” literary works (Elgot). The suppression of art is
symbolic of the oppression of its people. First comes the
suppression of art, and next comes the suppression of the
people. Without art, a culture has no voice of its own. The
restriction and oppression of art in film are heavily symbolic of
the oppression of an entire culture and people in the movie.
Without art, there is no personal choice or freedom for the
people of Britain. The character V is not just a protector of art;
he is also symbolically the protector of the people and their
culture. Comment by Author: As you revise your work, try
very hard to edit out most uses of the following phrases: there
are, there is, it is, it would be, there has been, etc.—especially
when these phrases come at the beginning of a sentence. These
phrases usually add bulk to your writing without adding clarity
or meaning, and they can make your point more difficult to
understand. Sometimes you can simply omit the phrase, and in
other cases you should try to begin the sentence with the
sentence’s subject. See below.
Weak: “There is controversy surrounding that prescription
drug.”
Strong: “The prescription drug has caused a lot of controversy
within the medical community because it renders most users
incomprehensible.”
Instead of making a vague statement using an expletive and then
possibly expanding on the idea in the next sentence, create one

12. strong sentence.
Here is a resource:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/572/04/
Comment by Author: Please avoid using air quotes. Air
quotes are those used to emphasize words or phrases in your
work. Simply omit them. Reserve quotation marks only for
encompassing direct wording (word-for-word passages) from
outside sources and around article titles. If you are using quotes
for the latter, be sure to include a citation.
Lastly, the now infamous Guy Fawkes mask worn by the
character V is heavily symbolic. The mask represents the will of
the people and their political dissent. The character V is not just
a representation of himself but of the people of Britain and their
will. The mask becomes symbolically, and nearly literally,
dawned by all who embrace his ideas. The mask is not an object
– it is an idea. That is the true power of the mask; any man can
be killed, but the idea can only be oppressed. However, the idea
always exists. The main character reinforces this idea. He
represents the idea of revolution and when V states, “Behind
this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask, there
is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof” (V for Vendetta). The
idea of revolution is a concept and concepts do not die with
individuals, groups, or ideologies. Ideas live within whoever
chooses to embrace them.
V for Vendetta is one of the most impactful and politically
charged movies of the Twenty-First century. The film uses
many symbolic political elements that are relatable to political
dissidents all over the globe. Consequentially, the mask has
become a worldwide symbol of political dissidence and has
been seen at political rallies in Thailand, Germany, The Middle
East, and the United States (Nickelsburg). The film successfully
uses the symbolism of the mask, the “V” emblem, and art to
comment on oppressive world governments past and present.
The film proves just how provoking art can be in even in the
modern world. The Guy Fawkes Mask has been dawned by many

13. people all over the world for many different reasons, but they
were all inspired by a single piece of art.
Works Cited
Elgot, Jessica. "Nazi Book Burnings Anniversary." The
Huffington Post UK. The Huffingtonpost.com Inc, 5 Oct. 2013.
Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Nickelsburg, Monica. "A Brief History of the Guy Fawkes
Mask." The Week. The Week Publications, Inc, 3 July 2013.
Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Sullivan, Roger J. Immanuel Kant's Moral Theory. Cambridge
England: Cambridge UP, 1989. Print.
V for Vendetta. Warner Home Video, 2006. DVD.
Writing Assignment: Media Analysis
You are required to submit the FINAL copy of this assignment,
but you may first submit an optional
DRAFT. This will allow you to receive qualitative feedback that
can inform your revision. You should

14. always avoid focusing solely on the grader’s DRAFT feedback;
use the feedback as a supplement to the
course lessons and your own revision ideas. Always expect to
revise beyond what the DRAFT grader
specifically notes if you want to improve your score.
For this media analysis, you will analyze how one part affects
the whole media production.
Note that you should select only a single piece of media; you
should not be discussing more
than one film, for example. You should choose one1 of the
following parts to explore:
genre.
Analyze how the camera’s use (camera angles, for
instance) affects the
overall production.
from the production.
themselves enhance or
detract from the production.
affects the overall
production.
media production.
und effects enhance or
detract from the

15. production.
how they affect the viewing
experience.
be chosen if the film you
chose is also in print form.) How are the book and film similar?
How are they
different? Which is better, and why?
Your purpose in this assignment is to explain how or why
something works; therefore, you
should not include a full summary of the media production.
Instead, you can provide context
where needed so the reader understands what is happening. The
body of the essay must
1 Please review the rubric and note that you will not earn full
credit if you analyze more than one of these
components.
focus on your analysis. You can use the ideas contained in the
Media Analysis lesson
presentation and the Writer’s Handbook link to help you.
As with all college writing, your essay should have a strong
thesis statement in addition to an
introduction, body, and conclusion.

16. Other than your chosen film, television show, and/or book, you
are required to cite at least
one other credible2 source for this essay. This resource from the
course will help you
understand more about evaluating sources. Moreover, if you use
specific information from
the media production and/or print source, such as a quotations,
you should include your
chosen media source on your Works Cited page, too. Use proper
parenthetical citations or
signal phrases, and be sure to include MLA documentation and
a Works Cited page for this
assignment (this resource from the course will help).
Review the rubric to see how your work will be assessed on this
assignment.
Thesis hints: You might use these guidelines in crafting your
thesis:
If you are analyzing elements in a production:
In (add your one chosen production), (add character 1), (add
character 2), and (add character 3) were
used to (add how they enhanced the production or explained the
production’s message).
OR
If you are comparing/contrasting a book and film:
(Add book) contained (add one aspect that made the book better
than the film), but (add film) used
(add one aspect that made the film better than the book) and

17. (add a second aspect that made the
film better than the book) to better capture the reader’s
imagination.
Here are more specific thesis guidelines:
If you are analyzing elements in a production:
In the movie The Lorax, the characters Lorax, Once-ler, and
Alocius O'Hare were used to show how
environmentalists are fighting against profit-driven industries
that are harming the environment and
depleting natural resources.
2 Please note: Basic dictionary sources, user-edited websites
(e.g., Wikipedia, eHow, etc.), and sites that house
databases of quotations are not considered “credible” sources.
You will lose points in the Research category of the
rubric if your sources aren’t credible.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/01/
https://s3.amazonaws.com/StraighterLine/Docs/MLA+Unit.pdf
OR
If you are comparing/contrasting a book and film:
Even though the characters were portrayed mostly the same
across the book and the movie in

18. Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, the setting in the movie was much
more detailed, which made the movie
a much better overall experience compared to the book.
The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:
Length: This assignment should be at least 500 words.
Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your
writing assignment with the
following information:
ent Date
Format:
-style source documentation and Works Cited3
-right corner of
each page
-spacing throughout
argins on all sides
.doc, .rtf, or .txt
Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.

19. 3 This resource may be helpful as you are making MLA
formatting decisions:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/