Your culminating project in this class is a podcast—you will upload an audio file; there is no written component. The basics: the podcast should be 15 to 25 minutes long. You are responsible for ensuring whatever format you record in is compatible with Canvas (i.e., that I will be able to hear it). I believe .MP3 will work. You have a lot of flexibility with respect to how you approach the assignment—be creative and have fun!
You are required to choose a case of someone who has been wrongfully convicted or for whom there is extensive evidence of innocence, regardless of whether the person has been exonerated. It also is fine if you choose someone who is currently challenging his/her/their case on the basis of alleged innocence. Make sure you are able to find a lot of information about the person and his/her/their case. Once you have chosen the case, do some research (course materials and/or other materials that I did not include in the class readings/viewings) on the issues that contributed to the wrongful conviction. In most cases, there are multiple issues that created the wrongful conviction—be sure to address all of them. Then set up your podcast. How you do this is up to you. You can be the host and have a script for one or more “guests” (e.g., a lawyer involved in the case, the person who was wrongfully convicted, the person’s family or friends, an expert in the field, etc.) You can use different voices and read the parts or involve your family and friends. If you prefer to do all of the talking yourself, you can play whatever role you want and set up the podcast so it is at the part where you’re talking—for example, if you are playing the role of the person who was wrongfully convicted, you might say something like, “thank you, Sue, for hosting this podcast. I am happy to share my story, and I hope it raises awareness and helps others learn about some big problems in our justice system” [and then tell the story].
Make sure that your podcast integrates evidence and information related to the factors that contributed to the person’s wrongful conviction. The podcast is essentially a blend of a case study and a mini-research project. You do not need to worry too much about citations—a brief reference like, “according to [Whatever] Report” or “Several scholars have found…” to lend credibility to what you are saying and to demonstrate that you are discussing evidence-based information is fine. Please keep a list of your references just in case I have a question about something you say/cite. You will not turn them in, so the list does not have to be formal or in APA style or anything—just keep an informal list of what you read for this assignment in case I ask for source information. There is a rubric—look for it in the assignment description on Canvas.