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Fi = 520-syllabus-2008
Communication 520: Social Roles of Mass Media
Professor Peter Clarke
Spring, 2008
Details.
Meeting: 6:30 to 9:20 p.m., Mondays, Room ASC 204.
Office hours: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mondays, Room 303C.
Contacting me: voice (213) 740-0940; .
Overview.
We examine how media businesses shape symbolic worlds--people's conversations, their personal identities, their views of politics and power, narrativeentertainments, the marketing of goods and services, and other realms of life. Materials emphasize the American experience, but many international students take Comm 520, find relevance to their own cultures, and do top quality work. Our explorations pursue five themes, four of which rest on required texts. The books are fun and informing, and also illustrate different ways to study social roles of mass communication. The fifth theme, crossroads between music and individuals’ identities and social life, requires you to search for materials that bear on a genre of music that you select.
Themes are:
1) Strengths and shortfalls in reporting the "news": journalism as a force that frames people’s consciousness and serves as a lightening rod for social values. Read Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism (Three Rivers Press, 2007), plus short, selected readings by William Langewiesche, I.F. Stone, and Nicholas Lemann that I will duplicate and distribute to class members at cost.
2) How financing and social mores in Hollywood intersect to shape our visual entertainments. Edward Jay Epstein, The Big Picture (Random House, 2006).
3) Do advertising and commercialism promote mediocrity and public anxiety, while, paradoxically, making people comfortable? Read James B. Twitchell, Adcult USA (Columbia University Press, 1996), plus a reading by Lawrence Weschler that I will duplicate and distribute to class members at cost.
4) The epidemiology of influence and the creation of both large and niche consumer markets. Read Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point (Little Brown, 2002) and
Chris Anderson, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More (Hyperion, 2006).
5) The functions, latent and manifest, that musicperforms in people’s lives. You will choose a genre of music that interests, read articles that you find about that music, and write a short paper following a topical outline I provide.
Note: You may find it convenient to order books from an online provider. Most are available in paper editions.
Students' work in the course consists of five papers (average length, 7-9 typewritten, double-spaced pages each, plus references and attachments), and one short written assignment in class on January 28. There are no examinations. Later sections of this syllabus describe the topics that papers and the in-class activity address, and explain grading of this work and the overall course grade. Please note that papers are due on the dates and at the locations indicated, and in hard copy, not electronic form. Late or misdirected submissions will not be accepted--unless there is a documented medical reason, or you have made prior arrangements with me.
Class meetings and due dates will follow this schedule:
January 14Introduction to the course;
start of section on news reporting
January 21Martin Luther King Day; no class
January 28News reportingIN-CLASS WRITTEN
ASSIGNMENT
February 4News reporting
February 11News reporting
February 18Presidents’ Day; no class
February 25Stakeholders in visual1st PAPER DUE IN CLASS
entertainment
March 3Stakeholders in visual
entertainment
March 10 Stakeholders in visual
entertainment
March 17 Spring break; no class
March 24Adcult2nd PAPER DUE IN CLASS
March 31Adcult
April 7 Adcult
April 14Contagion of influence3rd PAPER DUE IN CLASS
April 21 Contagion of influence
April 28Contagion of influence4th PAPER DUE IN CLASS
May 25th PAPER DUE IN MY
MAILBOX
Written assignments.
I will elaborate on written assignments in class and hand out more detailed instructions than you see here. Each paper includes specific sections that contribute numerically to your grade. Organize your submission into these sections.
In-class written assignment, January 28--6 points. I will distribute materials about this on January 14.
First Paper--14 points. The Elements of Journalism advances claims about the features of news coverage and of journalists that are essential for a democratic society to function. Review this book, as one might for a thoughtful magazine that writes about contemporary social and political issues. You may express yourself as either critical of Elements, or in support of the authors’ arguments, or a mixture of these. Whatever the case, support your point of view with examples and evidence.
Draw your examples and evidence in the following way. Identify at least three incidents of journalistic performance since 1990 to which Elements refers. Search media watch sites onlinefor background about these incidents. One of the sites you use for the three incidents should be CJR. Butyou may also addbackground from pewcenter.org, pointer.org, campaigndesk.org, mediamatters.org, dailyhowler.com, aim.org, or mediaresearch.org. Check with me if you find yet other sources you would like to use.
Incorporate this background as examples and evidence that your review uses. Attach hard copies of materials you find about the incidents at the online sources.
Second Paper--20 points. How does each stakeholder in a film try to maximize its revenues and profitability (not necessarily the same things)? Cover these participants: distributor, producer, director/writer, star with celebrity status, theater owner, and studio or independent maker. Explain common strategies pursued by each, giving examples. For each stakeholder, describe its ideal movie (content and/or form), in keeping with that participant’s economic and personal interests. In addition to the book, go online to Epstein’s site and Google such terms as “profitability” and “movies OR films”.
Third Paper--20 points. Read AdcultUSA, jotting notes about the defining characteristics Twitchell claims for Adcult. Observe ways that the urge to sell, and to define one's self through consumption, have penetrated virtually every region of American culture--even "sacred" precincts like the church, the academy, liminal episodes such as death, etc. Then, visit and analyze two museum exhibits (I’ll distribute more details about this assignment in class), drawing parallels and distinctions between the promotion and consumption of artistic works and of consumer goods.
Fourth Paper--20 points. Gladwell and Anderson see different opportunities in the marketplace. One analyst concentrates on how to establish “winners” and the other on capacities for “diversity”. Start by summarizing Gladwell’s arguments, and then by reviewing Anderson’s (5 points). Compare and contrast--those are two verbs--their points of view (5 points). Review the evidence they cite in support of their points of view (5 points). Choose a realm of marketing of interest to you, explaining why this seems important. Then, summarize for your management the lessons you glean from Gladwell and from Anderson about understanding the marketing challenges and opportunities that your managers should keep uppermost in mind (5 points).
Fifth Paper--20 points. Choose a genre of music that interests you--whether hip-hop, classical, country and western, jazz, gospel, musical theater, a variant of world music, or something else (see Wikipedia for scores of options). You will search published materials using the library’s bibliographic tools and online services and write a report that answers these five questions: 1) what auditory forms distinguish your genre from others? 2) what audiences (age, social class, ethnicity, etc.) does your genre attract? 3) what are the apparent, but also latent psychological and social functions that your genre serves? 4) how is your genre distributed in live performance and in machine reproduction? and 5) what profit and non-profit entities, and flows of revenues, sustain production and innovation in your genre? (4 points for each section)
More about grading.
Each written assignment is worth the points you see above toward your total course grade, which is based on 100 points. The course's letter-grades will be awarded according to the following schedule:
A+96-100
A91-95
A-86-90
B+81-85
B76-80
B-71-75
C61-70
D 0-60
The University's record keeping fails to distinguish A+ from A for graduate students, but those who reach the heights can take personal satisfaction in their achievement. I will award extra points for contributions to class discussions. I NEVER penalize someone for asking a "stupid question" (there are not many of these, really), or for voicing a confusion, disagreeing with me, or challenging a course reading. So, speak up! You have nothing to lose.
Here’s one final word about written work. Proof your papers carefully--for clarity of expression, lucid organization, grammar and spelling, and bold assertions that you have neglected to support with examples or other evidence. Whether English is your first, most comfortable language or not, you may find it helpful to use services of the University's writing consultants in Taper Hall. Make appointments ahead of time so that they can review your papers with you. Clumsy, disorganized writing and sloppy grammar will cost you credit, as will the failure to use evidence when advancing a point of view.
Take advantage of modern word processing. Edit your work, extensively, before submitting it.
Academic integrity statement.
The AnnenbergSchool for Communication is committed to upholding the University's Academic Integrity code as detailed in the SCampus Guide. It is the policy of the School of Communication to report all violations of the code. Any serious violation or pattern of violations of the Academic Integrity Code will result in the student's expulsion from the Communication major or minor.
ADA compliance statement.
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.
Please explain why your disability will interfere with submitting course work in a timely fashion.