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MCJ101
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Class blog, Week of
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Course syllabus
MCJ 101: Survey of Mass Communication (3 credit hours)
Spring 2007, MWF, 9 a.m.
| Instructor: David R. Davies, Ph.D. Associate Professor, School of Mass Communication & Journalism Phone: 601-266-6237 work | 601-261-2466 home Email: dave (dot) davies (at) usm.edu Office: LAB120 Office hours: 8 a.m. - noon M-F |
Text & required materials:
Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication, Fifth Edition
by Richard Campbell, Christopher R. Martin and Bettina Fabos
Course objectives:
By the end of this course, students will have demonstrated:
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An understanding of the historical and cultural processes that shape American mass media
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Strategies for investigating the organization, politics and economics of the mass media
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A grasp of the basic history of American mass media, including the newspaper, magazine, film, radio, television, public relations and advertising industries
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An understanding of the current status of the U.S. media industry and the role played by new technology
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An ability to be more discerning media consumers, more perceptive cultural critics and more actively engaged citizens in democratic life.
Grading:
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Quizzes, 50-150 points. (Five points a question)
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Occasional homework, up to 100 points.
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Media worker interview, 50 points.
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Research paper, 100 points.
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End-of-semester project, 100 points.
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Exams 1 & 2: 200 points each.
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Final exam, 250 points.
I determine your final grade by adding up your total points and dividing by the total points possible. I use the this scale: 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 65-69=D; 0-64=F.
Class rules
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I don’t accept classwork via email.
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Get to class on time. It’s important to be here for quizzes and whatnot. Besides, if you’re late, I will make fun of you.
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If I catch you cheating or plagiarizing someone else’s work, you get an F in the class.
Course outline:
Occasional homework will be added to this syllabus in the coming weeks.
Week of |
Monday |
Wednesday |
Friday |
| Jan 15 | Syllabus | ||
| Jan 22 | Overview |
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| Jan 29 | Radio Ch 4 |
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| Feb 5 | TV & cable Ch 5, 6 |
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| Feb 12 | Sound recording, Ch 3 |
Media worker project due | |
| Feb 19 | Mardi gras-No class Mon | Exam 1 | |
| Feb 26 | Newspapers Ch 8 |
(Last day to drop without academic penalty) | |
| Mar 5 | Culture of journalism Ch 14 |
Books Ch 10 |
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| Mar 12 | Spring break week |
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| Mar 19 | Magazines Ch 9 |
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| Mar 26 | PR Ch 12 |
Research paper due | |
| Apr 2 | Diversity | Exam 2 | |
| Apr 9 | Media research Ch 15 |
Good Friday-no class | |
| Apr 16 | Advertising Ch 11 |
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| Apr 23 | Freedom of expression Ch 16 |
End-of-semester project | |
| Apr 30 | Movies, Images Ch 7 |
Last day of class | |
Thursday, May 10, 2 p.m., final exam |
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Media worker interview: In coming weeks you will be e-mailed an mp3 file containing interviews with a media professional. Listen to the file and then write a succinct 600-word biography of your subject. Answer this question: What did you learn from this interview about your this profession that you didn't know already? What it is like to work in this line of media work? Due Feb. 16.
Research paper: Everyone will do a short research paper, at least seven pages. (1,750 words minimum) We'll discuss details in coming weeks. Due March 30.
End of semester project: Due April 27. Details to be announced in coming weeks.
Quizzes: You will have very short pop quizes on the readings.
Academic Honesty
The following is from the USM Undergraduate Bulletin:
“When cheating is discovered, the faculty member may give the student an F on the work involved or in the course. If further disciplinary action is deemed appropriate, the student should be reported to the dean of students. In addition to being a violation of academic honesty, cheating violates the code of student conduct and may be grounds for probation, suspension, and/or expulsion. Students on disciplinary suspension may not enroll in any courses offered by The University of Southern Mississippi.”
Students caught cheating on any aspect of this course will receive an F for the class.
ADA Syllabus Statement
If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies.
The University of Southern Mississippi
Office for Disability Accommodations
118 College Drive # 8586
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Voice Telephone: (601) 266-5024 or (228) 214-3232 Fax: (601) 266-6035
Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at 1-800-582-2233 (TTY) or email Suzy Hebert at Suzanne.Hebert@usm.edu.
Course blog
Monday: Intro lecture. Discussion of course purpose, lecture on Chapter 1.
Wednesday: More into. Discussion of culture. I referred to a USA Today article about KSFO, San Francisco. Click here to see the article. I also talked about the Fairness Doctrine and proposed the idea that it probably should be brought back! (See below.) Folks who were late had to sign the "late roster."
| Copyright 2007 Daily News Daily News (New York) Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service January 17, 2007 Wednesday SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ACC-NO: 20070117-BC-FAIRNESSDOCTRINE LENGTH: 536 words HEADLINE: Liberals seek to restore Fairness on the airwaves BYLINE: By David Hinckley, New York Daily News BODY: With Democrats mattering a little more in Washington these days, some Democratic liberals are pushing for the reinstatement of radio's Fairness Doctrine. Don't expect it to happen anytime soon, although Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and representatives Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Maurice Hinchey and Louise Slaughter of New York are backing legislation to reverse the 1987 FCC decision that killed it. Essentially, the Fairness Doctrine required broadcast licensees to devote a reasonable amount of airtime to the discussion of important public issues and to have both sides represented in that discussion. As spelled out by the FCC in 1949, the Fairness Doctrine also incorporated the Personal Attack Rule, requiring broadcasters to provide rebuttal time to anyone who had been attacked on the air. In general, progressives think the Fairness Doctrine is a good idea because it would prod broadcasters to balance what liberals see as a conservative tilt in radio. Conservatives consider the doctrine an inappropriate government intrusion that is needed less than ever in the booming satellite, cable and Internet media age. Rush Limbaugh has long lobbied against reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, calling it an attempt to dilute the popularity and influence his show has achieved in the free market. He calls reinstatement a "Hush Rush" campaign. Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers magazine, calls the doctrine "dangerous and unproductive" and bad for talk radio. "It did nothing except chill free speech," Harrison says. "It made it very difficult for stations to engage in free and open discussion of ideas. Talk radio owes its explosive growth over the last 20 years to the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine." Steve Rendall, senior analyst for the progressive media watchdog group FAIR, says talk radio's growth was "helped only a little" by the repeal of the doctrine, which he would like reinstated. "It's not a panacea," Rendall says. "But it would have value because it would make clear that broadcasters using public airwaves have a responsibility to present a range of views on critical issues." Whatever its merits, even proponents see little chance it will be reinstated. "Personally, I believe it was a good thing," says Dr. Kim Zarkin of Westminster College in Utah, co-author of the 2006 study "The Federal Communications Commission" (Greenwood Press). "But at this point, it would be like closing the barn door after the horse got out. There's almost no way to go back to it." Even if Congress votes to reinstate it, Zarkin notes, President Bush almost certainly would veto it. She also suggests that after 20 years without the doctrine, enforcement _ always random, like with jaywalking laws _ would be "nearly impossible. If you enforced it literally, you'd put big numbers of people out of work, because there isn't an Al Franken for every Rush Limbaugh." ___ (c) 2007, New York Daily News. Visit the Daily News online at http://www.nydailynews.com/ Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. LOAD-DATE: January 17, 2007 |