Introduction to Mass Communication (Culture and Media)
CMN 102/Art 179
Summer 2010
Dr. Daniel
Makagon
Office Hours: T/TH 5:00-5:30 and
by appointment
e-mail: dmakagon@depaul.edu
Course
Description and Objectives
This
course offers students a broad overview of the mass media with a particular
focus on how these media impact our everyday lives. Students will learn about
the historical contexts of media production and how economic forces, labor
practices, government regulations, and industry policies have shaped the media.
The course examines media texts as symbolic products, which carry meanings and
information through generic characteristics, narrative patterns, and other
formal properties. Students will learn how we use media on an everyday basis,
examining how diverse contexts of reception and use impact how we construct
meanings from media. Attention will be given to how concepts of race, class,
gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, and nationality inform each of these spheres
of media production, circulation, representation, and reception. Students will
develop critical frameworks for understanding how power operates across these
media spheres and how each is open to contestation and change.
Required Texts
All course readings are accessible
via a password protected Web site. You are required to print each dayÕs reading
and bring the article with you to class.
All course readings are available on-line at http://condor.depaul.edu/~dmakagon/student
Course
Assignments
Class
Participation 10%
____(pts.) X .10 = ______
Reading
Quizzes
30%
____(pts.) X .30 = ______
Media Presentation 30%
____(pts.) X .30 = ______
Final Paper (3-5
pages)
30%
____(pts.) X .30 = ______
Final Grade= ____________
You are
required to complete the reading assignments before you attend class. This will lead to more fruitful
discussion.
Reading
Quizzes
Quizzes
will allow me to gauge how well you understand the arguments made in the
readings. Unlike your papers and class discussion, where I am interested in
your opinions about the issues and the strength of the writerÕs argument(s),
the quizzes are designed for you to demonstrate your understanding of the
course readings. We will take a quiz at the beginning of each session.
Each
member of the class will join a group that will address a specific mass
communication medium (TV, cinema, radio, journalism, and advertising). The
group will create a presentation for the class that provides an overview of the
past, present, and future of the assigned medium. I will assign each group a
chapter to read about the medium but each group will need to seek out further
readings to help flesh out the intellectual frame for the groupÕs presentation.
In general, each group should consider the following issues:
Presentations will be 30
minutes long. That time should be split among group members so each member is
contributing (more or less) equally. The presentations should make use of
multiple media examples to help us understand the nuances of your assigned
medium. We have a computer in the room with Internet access, a TV/VCR, and an
overhead projector. I requested the room that we are in because the sound is
good and desks can be moved, which can help people sitting in different
locations see the screen better. We will have time for Q&A at the end of
each presentation.
Each student will submit an
abstract for each resource (minimum of 5 abstracts), including the shared
assigned reading (essays, books, Web sites, and other media), with at least 3
abstracts summarizing academic sources (journal articles or book chapters). A
sample abstract can be found in the folder where you access course
readings.
I will assign a grade based on
the quality of the presentation: depth of research, ability to blend
theoretical sophistication with quality examples of media texts, and an ability
to move beyond what we might already know about that specific medium (e.g.,
telling us that the Internet has changed your medium dramatically is going to
be something that we already know, but showing us how and why the Internet has
transformed your medium in novel ways would be more substantive and
enlightening for the rest of us). Your contribution to the project will also be
graded based on the quality of your abstracts. Finally, I will ask each member
of the group to submit a peer evaluation of every group member (including an
evaluation of your contribution). I will use these evaluations to adjust grades
slightly based on a group memberÕs contributions above and beyond what might be
expected (e.g., you found this person to be a group leader who shared readings
that might help other group members, designed a PowerPoint presentation for the
group, coordinated meetings, etc. or you found this person to be disruptive in
some way that hindered the groupÕs ability to collectively present to the class).
Again, ideally the group format of this assignment allows us to be more
economical with our time and more cohesive with our presentations while
avoiding the negative features that emerge in some group assignment contexts.
Thus, each person is graded individually but people who take on extra work
should be rewarded and people who hinder a groupÕs success should not be
rewarded in the same way.
NOTE: Each group has the right to kick out a
non-participating member. Any member kicked out of their group would likely
fail the class since this assignment is worth 30% of the final grade. The group
should exercise every
means possible for getting the group member to do his/her part. In the event
that the individual still does not participate, the group should speak with me
before kicking out the member.
Final
Paper
I will
provide a list of essay questions for the Final Paper. You will answer one
question (3-5 pages). The Final paper is due via email (or in hardcopy with
a SASE if you want written feedback) on August 19th at 6:30PM.
Course Policies
Attendance and Active
Participation are expected and
required.
Promptness is expected as a general rule. If you are
consistently late to class, your grade will be negatively affected.
You
are allowed one (1) unexcused absence in this class and two absences total if
at least one of those absences is excused. An excused absence is documented in
terms of medical illness/emergency, family illness/emergency, required by a
court of law, a religious holiday, or university business. If you miss more
than two class sessions, or if you have more than one unexcused absence, you
will receive an "F' in the class (even if the absences are excused).
Missing this many class sessions (more than 20% of the term) undermines the
integrity of the classroom experience. If you miss this much class because of
illness or a family emergency, you should meet with the Dean of Students to
discuss withdrawal options. Leaving before the class
ends or arriving more than 10 minutes late is an absence.
All
assignments are due on assigned days. There will be NO MAKE UPS. Documented illnesses or documented emergencies are
the only exception to this policy. Changes in work schedules, personal
celebrations (e.g., birthdays), or vacations are NOT considered to be
legitimate reasons for missing assignment deadlines or class meetings. If you
miss a quiz and have documentation for your absence then you will take the quiz
on the next date you attend class.
Students
with disabilities should provide me with documentation from the Office of
Students with Disabilities.
Cellular Phones: If you have a cellular phone or pager, turn it off or set
it to vibrate, and keep it in your backpack or purse. All cell phones must be
put away during the class session. I will confiscate cellular phones for the
remainder of the class session if you are sending or reading text messages or
using your phone to check email/surf the Internet.
Please
make sure my e-mail address is listed on your approved list if you are using a
commercial e-mail provider. Please make sure your email address is listed
correctly in the Demographic Portfolio in Campus Connect.
Plagiarism
I have
often found that plagiarism becomes tempting if students are feeling pressured.
Remember, when in doubt quote. If you are quoting someone else in your
presentation, you need to clearly identify the information as a quote and the
source. Similarly, when paraphrasing, you should clearly identify your source.
If you are quoting somebody directly in your paper then you need to list the
information within quotation marks and cite a page number. If you are
paraphrasing then you need to cite the person and a page number. Never copy and
paste entire documents into your paper and do not quote others to the point
where your ideas become indistinguishable from your source's ideas. There is no
reason to plagiarize given the resources available to you (e.g., opportunities
to meet with me; coaches in the writing center; my handout on writing for the
class; and DePaulÕs policy on academic integrity, which can be found at http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/). If you do plagiarize, you will automatically receive a
grade of "F" in this class. Moreover, the Academic Affairs office
will be contacted.
Writing Guidelines
All
papers must be typed, paginated, double-spaced throughout the entire essay, and
use a consistent style (e.g., Chicago, MLA, or APA). Use one-inch margins and
12-point font. Please include a title page that contains your name, the date,
the assignment, and any other information you feel compelled to include. Please
number your pages. Do not send me electronic copies of your work unless
specified above. Also, see the
syllabus addendum (available in the folder that contains pdfs for this class)
for a description of my grading policies and expectations as well as further
details about written assignments.
Contact
or visit the Writing Center for assistance with your writing: Lincoln Park at
802 W. Belden, 150 McGaw Hall, 773-325-4272. The Loop at 25 E. Jackson, 1620
Lewis Center, 312-362-6726. wcenter@depaul.edu.
Grade Scale
93-100 A, 90-92 A-, 88-89 B+, 83-87 B, 80-82 B-, 78-79 C+,
73-77 C, 70-72 C-, 60-69 D, 0-59 F
Tentative Course Schedule
DATE
READING ASSIGNMENTS
July 20
Course Introduction
Mass Culture/Mass Media
July 22 Dwight
MacDonald, "A Theory of Mass Culture"
July 27 Henry
Jenkins, "Congressional Testimony on Media Violence" (pp.
1-22)
Democracy and Mass
Media
July 29 David
Samuels, "On Message"
August 3 Marshall Berman,
ÒÔJustice/Just UsÕ: Rap and Social Justice in AmericaÓ
Mass Media Audiences
August 5 Maxwell McCombs and Donald
Shaw, "The Agenda Setting Function"
August 10 Daniel Makagon, ÒSonic EarthquakesÓ
Mass Media
Production
August 12 3 Group Presentations
August 17 2 Group
Presentations
August 19 Final
Papers Due via email (or in hardcopy with a SASE if
you want written feedback) by 6:30PM