Sources to kick-start your brainstorming for the video projects

Selecting a good topic for the video projects can be a challenge, but there are many things worth pursuing.  For example, all of these topics are unique and narrowed, and there is ongoing debate about them in at least some forum: 

• Societal expectations that everyone should go to college
• Yucca Mountain nuclear storage facility proposals
• The “CSI Effect”: How forensic investigation dramas distort evidence standards for jury trials
• Societal ramifications of unscheduled but potentially harmful drugs (like Salvia divinorum)
• Effects changes in the Motion Picture Rating System have had on perceptions of acceptable media content
• Language proficiency assessment for Arabic speakers in the military
• Psychology of alien abduction reports
• Immanent domain abuses
• Rise in unclaimed bodies at morgues

 To find a salient topic, consider browsing sources that provide in-depth discussion of contemporary issues, rather than relying on sources with mass market appeal.  Here are a few of those I find helpful when looking for timely topics:

http://www.theatlantic.com/  Excellent discussion of a wide variety of contemporary issues, with authors across the (mainstream) political spectrum.

http://www.slate.com/  Online-only publication, similar in many ways to The Atlantic.  Generally varied authorial perspective; left-leaning positions are slightly more represented.

http://www.salon.com/  Similar to slate.com, but slightly more pop culture driven.  (A bit more of the “what people want to hear” rather than “what informed citizens should know.”)  Still, some thorough discussions of serious contemporary social issues.

http://www.thenation.com/ If you prefer your news and commentary from the left.

http://www.nationalreview.com/ If you prefer your news and commentary from the right.

http://www.ted.com  Great selection of short video presentations from experts on a variety of topics.  The TED conferences that produce these videos are especially popular with early adopters, innovators, futurists, and people who just like learning things.

http://chronicle.com/ The Chronicle of Higher Education does what it says, and is a must-read for anyone looking to understand current trends in academia today.

http://www.pcmag.com While a lot of this is similar to what you’d find on Ars Technica or Gizmodo, PC Magazine has a nice Opinion section that often addresses the cultural ramifications of technology.  I especially appreciate the snarky John Dvorak.

http://www.hbr.org  The Harvard Business Review is a great source for accessible commentary on Corporate America, including issues in management, leadership, business strategy, and the economy.