COM 150: Term paper topics

By now I think most of you have topics for your term papers. We mentioned several in class last week, and I posted a list to the blog last semester. Most of the suggestions there are similar to what I suggested in class.

But I promised to have some more suggestions in class Monday. Here are a few that have worked well for students in the past:

What's it like to work for Google? Like other Silicon Valley firms, Google puts a premium on creativity. (Including April Fool's Day pranks. Their theory is high-tech workers thrive on it, and they try to create working conditions that stimulate creativity. How do they go about it? How well does it work?

Robert Fisk and Osama bin Laden. Robert Fisk, a controversial Middle East correspondent for the British newspaper The Independent, interviewed bin Laden in 1997. Fisk's account of the interview is long, but it's well worth reading. How did he get the interview? What is his attitude as a journalist? How does he practice the craft -- i.e. what does he do to get a story? What are his professional ethical values? What did he learn from bin Laden?

Is the Billy Goat Curse a money-maker? Everyone -- at least Cubs fans -- knows about the "curse" when a goat was denied admission to Wrigley Field in 1945. How does it contribute to the Cubbies' image? How does it make money for the Billy Goat Tavern in downtown Chicago? Is it really a curse, or a brilliant marketing gimmick? You'll be surprised.

How does ________________ (*insert name of celebrity here) practice brand management? A brand is the image a corporation or a product has with the public. Is Brittney Spears a brand? Beyonce? P-Diddy? Name the artist or celebrity. Some are very good at it. Others aren't. Some might get better at it if they paid attention in rehab and keep the plug in the jug. Look at how they do -- or don't -- keep a consistent image with the public.