Overview

The course will be a combination of lecture, debate/discussion and individual or group research. Significant exposure to reading, research articles and mass media programs and advertising will take place.

Learing Goals

1. To understand the relationship between the mass media and society
2. Appreciate the varieties of mass media theories and how they are used
3. To describe the impact of mass media on various social groups, for example, with respect to the development of children in the formative years, perception of roles, stereotypes, distinction between fact and fiction, commercial messages and program messages, etc.
4. To discuss the powerful influence of advertising
5. To analyze the accuracy of the images, roes, relationships and environments portrayed in the mass media
6. To understand the development and demise of powerful monopolies in electronic media broadcasting, cablecasting, and the video industry and alternatives of private ownership and independence.
7. To discuss mass media and contemporary ethical concerns (rape, contraception, sexuality, nudity, pornography, First Amendment rights, Maranda rights, police brutality, privacy, etc.)
8. To reassess the role of mass media and the democratic ideal, the political process and the election of leaders (political commercials, agenda setting, gate keeping).

Assessment Measures

10% -- Quizzes - in class participation - Media critics updates, other assignments, readings
20% -- Debate on media topic
30% -- Mid Term and Final (15% each)
40% -- Final Paper (Due Aug. 1)

Final Paper: In order to prepare a formal report on an important question in media and society, you need to understand what scholarly journals are available. We'll start with a brief overview of journals in class, and you'll browse journals in the library to find an interesting topic.

The first step will be to report briefly on a journal article on your page on this wiki. This counts under participation.

The second step will be to talk the concept over with the instructor. We're looking for a modern, narrow topic that can be usefully surveyed

The final paper should be formal academic paper, APA style, with:
-- Six to ten pages double spaced
-- 10 footnotes / sources (minimum) half of these from articles or printed books from library
Final paper is due Aug 1.

Policies regarding submissions

* All articles are non-fiction and intentended for mass media (newspapers, magazines, radio, television, web, podcast, etc).
* It is understood that all submissions for the class will be made public.
* All information must be original and accurate and published with the informed consent of sources.
* All information published must be on the record. No off-the-record or unattributed information will be acceptable.
* Students retain copyright, but must assign reproduction rights to the class website unless prevented from doing so by assigning copyright through contract with a commercial mass media publication.

Class policies

* Attendance policy: Attendance will be recorded but allowance will be made for the normal course of events. We assume that students signing up for this course actually are interested in the issues to be discussed. Overall, absense of more than 20 percent of the class will result in grade reductions.
* Late policy: Late completion of projects will result in reduction of grade by one letter grade per week.
* Disabilities policy: We are glad to work with all students to accomodate disabilities on a non-discriminatory basis. Students with special needs may be required to clear accomodations through the disabilities resource office of the university.
* Honor Code: By accepting admission to this university, each student makes a commitment to understand, support and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception.
* Plagiarism -- Students who directly copy entire bodies of work from anyone else, without attribution, will not pass the class and will also be reported to the Dean of Students office. Other ethical lapses to be dealt with as appropriate may range from sloppy uses of quotes (as in the case of John C. Merrill) to more significant problems that do not border on outright malpractice.