Here's a list of topics with short descriptions from past semesters to give y'all an idea of what others have done. Once you and I settle on your topics, I'll post 'em for all to see. And, as you'll see, you can tackle any issue involving the movement of messages — news, advertising, public relations, propaganda, censorship, perceptions, etc.

Blogging in China. The Chinese government has imposed tight controls on blogging, but it continues to have an effect on the news agenda of Chinese media.

TOMS Shoes and Cause Marketing. TOMS Shoes is a profitable, social synthetic business that effectively reaches consumer and sells shoes through the use of cause marketing, a strategy tht is successful when properly integrated with the business model and philosophy.

Missing White Woman Syndrome. The racial disparity in U.S. media coverage, known as “missing white-woman syndrome,”not only affects the missing woman's chances of survival, but also affects society as a whole by devaluing certain members of society. The cases of Natalie Holloway, an 18-year-old who went missing in Aruba, and Latoyia Figueroa, a missing young black woman spotlighted by a blogger in Philadelphia, will be the focus of the comparison.

Media coverage of emerging political crises in Pakistan. The U.S.-backed power sharing forumla between former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and serving President ahd Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf. An in-depth comparison and contrast between Pakistani and U.S. media coverage.

“Outer” Mongolia and the media. How is Mongolia portrayed by international media and how has coverage "contributed" to see Mongolia as part of China or far Far East or “outer” planet. .

The influence of two prominant Catholic writers, George Weigel and Father Richard J. Neugaus. The way they craft arguments against the growth of Islam and how those arguments in the media contribute to a negetive view of Muslims within the Catholic religion and other Christian faiths.

Women's issues in Kenya. Social taboos, discrimination as it lies in the law, including a situation in which a woman had difficulty in getting permission to bury her husband's body because she is of a different ethnic group.

Family planning policy and the Chinese media. The government controls the message being sent by the media, but other message are getting through to the Chinese people. So, what do the Chinese people really think about the government's family planning policy that mandates only one child per couple?

International sports figures and the media. The international craze of covering Hideki Matsui of the Yankees and Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Red Sox.

Welsh media and its influence. Why is the Welsh media not more of a force with which to be reckoned? Why is Wales seemingly dismissed as a backward little country nobody really cares about? How does this relate to the presence of lack of Welsh-language media?

Josh Rushing, a former military spokesperson, now with Al Jazeera. He priminately figured in “Control Room,” a documentary that spotlighted the discord between official military media perspectives and thos of Al Jazeera reporters.

Media perspective on the excavation of the al-Aqsa mosque. Word choices from different media outlets in coverage of, specifically, the excavation.

Zapatistas and the Mexican media. The Zapatistas, and how the Mexican media have portrayed them and how they have been recieved by the Mexican public at large.

Emerging new media in China. The role of mobile technology, specifically mobile phones, and how it has or could change Chinese society.

RCTV and freedom of speech in Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez's decision not to renew the license for private television station RCTV caused an uproar, sprurring public protests. This has caused a struggle of purpose -- support of free speech vs. support of the party.

YouTube and presidential candidate debates. Compare and contrast of the July 23 CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate with traditional television debates. A content analysis of that particular debate, and find out differences and similarities, and analyze the procedure YouTube used to select viewers' questions.

Citizen journalists in South Korea. OhmyNews is an organization that has more than 43,000 citizen journalists. It (and they) were instrumental in Roh Moo Hyun's narrow victory in the presidential election. When opponents tried to impeach Roh two years later, OhmyNews again rallied the people in his support.

Drugs and the Mexican media (specifically in Nuevo Laredo). Journalists who investigate drug trafficking often receive death threats, get kidnapped or are killed. The editor El Manana, a Nuevo Laredo newspaper, was stabbed to death in March 2004. Because of it, the newspaper has limited its coverage of organized crime.

Public relations and the China Olympics. The country faces many public relations challenges, including some activist groups dubbing the event the “Genocide Olympics.” This also causes concern for major sponsors, such as Coca-Cola, Adidas and McDonald's.

Veils and liberty: U.S. media images of Muslim women. An examination of how images in U.S. media tend to portray a negative image of the region, the religion and its peoples.