Paper #2

Crisis Communications

 

Your second paper will be based on an exchange between Edison and Westinghouse in response to Western Union lineman John Feeks’ death as well as on Jonnes’ account of the case and contemporary press accounts. You will do a preliminary prewriting discussion board post based on your reading in Jonnes. You will then read what Edison and Westinghouse wrote after Feeks’ death in the North American Review and write a revised draft due for peer review on October 25.

Crisis Communications

Finally, you will write a revised 3 to 4 page letter (typed and double spaced with in-text cites and a works cited page) taking a historically informed position on the case based on what you have learned from Jonnes, the Edison/Westinghouse exchange, and the New York Times article “Death in the Wires” from October 12, 1889.

Crisis Communications

You have three options in writing the paper:

• One option is to write a letter supporting either Westinghouse’s or Edison’s position. If you take this approach, imagine you are either Westinghouse or Edison–or one of their associates–and write a supporting letter to a paper or journal defending your technical choices and business interests.
• A second option is to imagine that you are an “objective” observer from a group like the New York City Board of Electrical Control trying to sort through both Edison’s and Westinghouse’s positions and come up with an analysis of what happened and recommendations for future action.
• Finally, you have the option of writing from the future; if you take this approach, base your analysis and recommendations on subsequent history as well as the other sources listed above.

 

In each case, you can use the essays by Edison and Westinghouse as a model. Remember that you are not writing for engineers or business associates, so will need to explain the technical issues you cover. You should discuss the advantages and dangers of Alternating and Direct Current as well as the events that provoked the exchange. Crisis Communications
You must cite all of the following: Empires of Light, Edison’s letter, Westinghouse’s response, and The New York Times article “Death in Wires.” Not doing so will result in the return of your paper without a grade. Crisis Communications

 

The first draft of your paper is due on Tuesday, October 25 for peer review. It should be at least three pages double spaced and include a reference page. The final draft of your paper is due over Blackboard by the time class starts on Tuesday, 11/1 (change from syllabus).