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Seminar in Media Communication and Society:
Media Framing and the Construction of Reality
JAMS 661, Section 001
Spring 2017
Curtin Hall 303
TTH 9:30-10:45 a.m.
(DRAFT)
David S. Allen
576 Bolton Hall
e-mail:
Phone: The department no longer provides office phones to faculty. In an emergency, students can leave a message with the departmental main office, 414-229-4436.
Office hours: TBD
Course Objectives
The goal of this class is to provide students with a framework for analyzing the role the media play in their lives and how media help shape reality. While researchers have long understood that media are not all-powerful, it is generally recognized that media do play some role in shaping societal attitudes and beliefs. That role is reflected in the questions that are part of public life: Are police officers helping or hurting society? Is terrorism a threat to domestic life? Is the economy strong or weak? Are pit bulls really a threat to children? Is Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers underpaid? Are video games destroying the attention spans of children? Is the newest iPhone essential to live modern society? These and many other questions fill our daily lives.
This class will examine the media’s role in shaping answers to those types of questions by looking at two related concepts: the social construction of reality and media framing. The social construction of reality suggests that our reality is something that is shaped through our joint experiences and beliefs. Rather than reality being something that exists independent of citizens, the social construction of reality sees reality as something citizens create. Media framing is one of many factors that contributes to that construction. The way that media present or cover an issue helps shapes perceptions.
Traditionally, much of media research focused on how journalism framed issues and in turn constructed reality. With the decline of large journalistic organizations, however, researchers have looked at how different media play a role in framing reality. Everything from entertainment media to advertising has joined journalism in the study of media framing. As a result, this class will examine a range of media in the attempt to better understand how media frames influence the construction of reality.
With those general parameters in mind, this course has several objectives: (1) introduce students to the theoretical construct of the social construction of reality, (2) help students understand how media framing influences the social construction of reality, (3) produce and present original student media-framing research on a topic of the student’s choice, (4) and to begin considering how we, as members of "the public" and creators of content, rethink the role media ought to play in a democratic society.[1]
Texts and Readings
There is no required text for this class. There are a number of required readings and all are available on the course D2L site. They are:
Altheide, David L. (1997). “The News Media, The Problem Frame, and the Production of
Fear.” The Sociological Quarterly, 38, 4: 647-668.
Bennett, W. Lance (2012). “News Stories: Four Information Biases That Matter.” Chap.
in News: The Politics of Illusion, 9th ed., Boston, MA: Longman, 35-75.
Bennett, W. Lance (2012). “How Politicians Make the News.” Chap. in News: The
Politics of Illusion, 9th ed., Boston, MA: Longman, 111-152.
Berger, Peter L., and Thomas Luckmann (1966). “The Foundations of Knowledge in
EverydayLife.” Chap. in The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. New York: Doubleday, 19-34.
Entman, Robert M. (1993). “Framing: Toward a Clarification of a Fracture Paradigm.”
Journal of Communication, 43, 4: 51-58.
Gamson,William, David Croteau, William Hoynes, and Theodore Sasson (1992).
“Media Images and the Social Construction of Reality.” Annual Review of Sociology, 18: 373-393.
Goffman, Erving (1979). “Gender Commercials.” Chap. in Gender Advertisements,
New York: Harper Colophon Books, 24-33, 37-38, 40-41, 48, 57, 60, 68.
Griffin, Michael (2004). “Picturing America’s ‘War on Terrorism’ in Afghanistan and
Iraq.” Journalism, 5, 4: 381-402.
Hallahan, Kirk (1999). “Seven Models of Framing: Implications for Public Relations.”
Journal of Public Relations Research, 11, 3: 205-242.
Hertog, James K., and Douglas M. McLeod. “A Multiperspectival Approach to Framing
Analysis: A Field Guide” Chap. in Framing Public Life, eds. Stephen D. Reese, Oscar H. Gandy, Jr., and August E. Grant. Mahway, NJ: Erlbaum (2001), 139-161.
Iyengar, Shanto (1991). “Framing Effects of News Coverage.” Chap. in Is Anyone Responsible? How Television Frames Political Issues. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 11-16.
Martins, Nicole, Dmitri C. Williams, Kristen Harrison, and Rabindra A. Ratan (2009).
“A Content Analysis of Female Body Imagery in Video Games.” Sex Roles, 61: 824-836.
Rothmann, Jacques (2013). “‘Send in the (gay) clowns’: Will & Grace and Modern
Family as ‘sensibly queer,’” Acta Academica, 45(4): 40-83.
Schudson, Michael (1989). “The sociology of news production,” Media, Culture and
Society, 11: 263-282.
Tuchman, Gaye (1973). “The Technology of Objectivity: Doing ‘Objective’ TV News
Film,” Urban Life and Culture, 2, 1: 3-26.
Tucker, Lauren R. (1998). “The framing of Calvin Klein: A frame analysis of media
discourse about the August 1995 Calvin Klein Jeans advertising campaign,” Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 15, 2: 141-157.
Examinations
There will be one exam--a midterm. The exam will be a combination of short-answer and essay questions. (For the exam date, see the attached schedule.) No make-up exams will be allowed unless approved and scheduled prior to the announced exam dates.
Writing Assignments
Undergraduates
Students will be required to produce a research paper (about 15 double-spaced pages) during the semester and then share their findings with the class. More information will be distributed at a later date, but the research paper must be a paper that examines how some part of the media frames an issue in an attempt to construct reality. We will approach the research paper as a process, producing pieces of the paper throughout the semester. The various writing projects that will be due during the semester are: a description of the project (introduction), a review of relevant literature and research, a description of the methodology you will use, and a final paper containing your findings. (See the attached schedule for due dates.) Following this process will allow me the opportunity to provide you with feedback at every stage of the project, which I hope will result in a much stronger final product. As you can see from the attached schedule, I have also scheduled time during the semester to meet with you individually to work on your research project.
Please note that I consider deadlines to be just that--deadlines! It is imperative that papers be turned in by the announced deadline, unless I have approved a delay. No late assignments will be accepted unless approved prior to the due date.
Graduate Students
Graduate students taking this course for graduate credit are also required to complete a research paper. The graduate-student paper will differ from the undergraduate paper in length and level of analysis. Graduate students will be expected to produce a paper that is about 25 double-spaced pages. Graduate students should meet with the instructor early in the semester to identify a research topic and readings.
Class Discussions
One of the primary objectives of this class is to provide you with a framework for critiquing the media. Rarely, however, is an adequate critique achieved in isolation. The exchange of ideas and views is essential if we are to understand the role the media play in the construction of reality. Generally, we will try to concentrate on one topic a week. (See attached schedule.) It may be necessary to adjust the schedule as the semester progresses. It is assumed that students will have read the week’s assigned readings prior to class meetings. Students will be responsible for information contained in the readings and class lectures.
One of the goals of this class is to move the discussion of media theory from the abstract to the practical. For us to achieve that goal, class discussion is essential. That means I expect more from you than questions, although questions are welcome at anytime. I want your opinions, your ideas, and your comments. I expect you to bring possible discussion topics to class. As you interact with media, look for examples that link your experiences with what we are discussing in class.
All students will be asked to lead class discussions at some point during the semester. This will require students to bring to class several questions/issues based on the reading for that particular class.
Attendance
Attendance will be taken on a daily basis. If you are not in class at the beginning of class when attendance is taken, it is the responsibility of the student to make sure that his or her attendance has been recorded.
Missing too many classes will have consequences. Points will be deducted based on the following:
0-4 classes missed = 0 points
5-8 classes missed = -20 points
9-12 classes missed = -40 points
13-16 classes missed = -60 points
17 or more classes missed = -80 points
As you can see, you are allowed to miss up to four classes with no consequences. Please use these wisely. Appropriate documentation will be required to excuse any absences after four missed classes. Please talk with me about what constitutes appropriate documentation.
Special Accommodations
Students who need special accommodations are encouraged to talk with me as soon as possible. They should also contact the Student Accessibility Center. More information is available at this link: .
Students will be permitted to make up assignments missed because of religious observances when (a) there is a scheduling conflict between the student's sincerely held religious beliefs and taking the examination or meeting the academic requirements; and (b) the student has notified the instructor, within the first three weeks of the beginning of classes of the specific days or dates on which he or she will request relief from an examination or academic requirement.
Academic Misconduct
It is essential that all work submitted for this class is your own and/or contains proper attribution. UWM’s academic misconduct policy is as follows: “The university has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others’ academic endeavors.”
I will refer cases of academic misconduct to the College of Letters & Science with a recommendation for disciplinary action. A more detailed description of Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures can be found in Regents Policy, UWS Chapter 14 and UWM Faculty Document #1686. Please do not let this happen. If you have questions about this policy, please contact me.
Incompletes
A notation of "incomplete" may be given in lieu of a final grade to a student
who has carried a subject successfully until the end of a semester but who, because of
illness or other unusual and substantiated cause beyond the student's control, has been
unable to take or complete the final examination or to complete some limited amount of
term work. An incomplete will be granted only after the student and instructor have agreed upon a date by which the missing work will be completed.
Points
Points will be awarded based on the following:
Midterm100 points
Project description20 points
Literature review100 points
Methodology50 points
Final paper 200 points
Presentation20 points
Leading class discussion20 points
Total510 points
Letter grades will be awarded based on final point totals. Grades will generally be awarded based on the following:
A = 100-95 percent
A- = 94-90 percent
B+ = 89-87 percent
B = 86-83 percent
B- = 82-80 percent
C+ = 79-77 percent
C = 76-73 percent
C- = 72-70 percent
D+ = 69-67 percent
D = 66-63 percent
D- = 62-60 percent
F = 59 percent and below
Class Schedule
Week Subject and assignments Reading1-22 / Introduction / No assigned readings.
1-29 / The social construction of reality and media theory / Berger & Luckmann; Schudson
2-5 / Understanding Media Framing / Gamson, et al.; Entman
2-12 / Framing as a methodology / Hertog and McLeod; Hallahan
2-19 / News and politics
(Project description due in class on Thursday, Feb. 22.) / Bennett, “New Stories”; Tuchman
2-26 / Media framing of fear and victimhood / Altheide; Iyengar
3-5 / Images and news frames
(No class on Thursday, March 8; I will meet with students individually to discuss the literature review.) / Griffin
3-12 / Review
(Midterm exam on Thursday, March 15.) / No assigned readings.
3-19 / Spring break
Class Schedule (cont.)
Week Subject and assignments Reading
3-26 / Advertising and framing
(Literature review due in class on Thursday, March 29.) / Goffman; Tucker
4-2 / No class; work with students outside of class to refine research design and papers. / No assigned readings.
4-9 / Public Relations and Framing
(Methods paper due in class on Thursday, April 12.) / Bennett, “How Politicians Make the News”
4-16 / TBD
4-23 / Entertainment and games / Martins, et al., Rothmann
4-30 / Research presentations / No assigned readings.
5-7 / Research presentations / No assigned readings.
Final papers due by noon, Monday, May 14
Media Work Reference List
The following are some works that might be helpful in your projects and final papers. Feel free to make use of them.
Altheide, David. Creating Reality: How TV News Distorts Events. Beverly Hills: Sage,
1976.
Altschull, J. Herbert. Agents of Power. New York: Longman, 1984.
Angell, Norman. The Press and the Organisation of Society. London: The Labour
Publishing Co., Inc., 1981.
Arno, Andrew, and Wimal Dissanayake, eds. The News Media in National and
International Conflict. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1984.
Bagdikian, Benjamin. The Media Monopoly. Boston: Beacon Press, 1983.
Bantz, Charles R., Suzanne McCorkle, and Roberta C. Baade. “The News Factory.”
Communication Research, 7 (January 1980): pp. 45-68.
Bennett, W. Lance. News: The Politics of Illusion, 8th ed. New York: Pearson (2009).
Berkowitz, Dan. “Refining the Gatekeeping Metaphor for Local Television News.”
Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 34 (1990): pp. 55-68.
Berkowitz, Dan. “TV News Sources and News Channels: A Study in Agenda-Building.”
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 64 (summer/autumn 1987): pp. 508-513.
Boczkowski, Pablo J. News At Work: Imitation in an Age of Information Abundance.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press (2010).
Bogart, Leo. Press and Public: Who Reads What, When, Where and Why in American
Newspapers, 2d ed. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1989.
Boorstin, Daniel. The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America. New York:
Atheneum, 1972.
Breed, Warren. The Newspaperman, News and Society. New York: Arno Press, 1980.
Breed, Warren. “Social Control in the Newsroom: A Functional Analysis.” Social
Forces, 33 (1955): pp. 326-355.
Cannon, Lou. Reporting: An Inside View. Sacramento: California Journal Press, 1972.
Cater, Douglass. The Fourth Branch of Government. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.,
1959.
Cenite, Mark, Benjamin H. Detenber, Any W.K. Koh, Alvin L.H. Lim, and Ng Ee Soon.
“Doing the Right Thing Online: A Survey of Bloggers’ Ethical Beliefs and Practices.” New Media & Society, 11, 4 (2009): 575-597.
Cenite, Mark, Michelle Wanzheng Wang, Chong Peiwen, and Germaine Shimin Chan.
“More Than Free Content: Motivations of Peer-to-Peer File Sharers,” Journal of Communication Inquiry, 33 (July 2009): 206-221.
Chan, Joseph M., and Chi-Chuan Lee. “Journalistic ‘Paradigms’ of Civil Protests: A
Cast Study in Hong Kong.” Chap. in The News Media in National and International Conflict. Eds. A. Arno and W. Dissanayake (Boulder: Westview Press, 1984): pp. 183-202.
Chan, Joseph Man, Zhongdang Pan, and Francis L.F. Lee. “Professional Aspirations and
Job Satisfaction: Chinese Journalists at a Time of Change in the Media,” Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 81 (Summer 2004): 254-273.
Charity, Arthur. Doing Public Journalism. New York: Guilford, 1995.
Clayman, Steven E., and Ann Reisner. “Gatekeeping in Action: Editorial Conferences
and Assessments of Newsworthiness.” American Sociological Review, 63 (April 1998): pp. 178-199.
Cohen, Bernard. The Press and Foreign Policy. Princeton: Princeton University Press,
1963.
Coleman, E. Gabriella (2012). Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Corzine, Harold. The Gay Press. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International,
1977.
Cotter, Colleen. News Talk: Investigating the Language of Journalism. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press (2010).
Craft, Stephanie, and Wayne Wanta. “Women in the newsroom: Influences of female
editors and reporters on the news agenda.”Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 81 (Spring 2004): pp. 124-138.
Darnton, Robert. “Writing News and Telling Stories.” Daedalus, 104 (1975): pp. 175-
194.
Davison, W. Phillips. “Diplomatic Reporting: Rules of the Game.” Journal of
Communication 25 (Autumn 1975): pp. 138-146.
Diamond, Edwin. The Tin Kazoo: Television, Politics, and the News. Cambridge: MIT
Press, 1975.
Downie, Leonard, Jr., and Robert G. Kaiser. The News About The News: American
Journalism in Peril. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.
Drumwright, Minette E., and Patrick E. Murphy. “How Advertising Practitioners View
Ethics: Moral Muteness, Moral Myopia, and Moral Imagination.” Journal of Advertising, 33 (Summer 2004): pp. 7-24.
Deuze, Mark. Mediawork. Malden, MA: Polity (2007).
Epstein, Edward J. News from Nowhere: Television and the News. New York: Random
House, 1973.
Ettema, James S., and Theodore L. Glasser. Custodians of conscience : investigative
journalism and public virtue. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.
Fallows, James. Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy.
New York: Vintage, 1997.
Fischman, Wendy, Becca Soloon, Deborah Greenspan, and Howard Gardner. “From
Cocoon to Chaos in Journalism.” Chap. in Making Good: How Young People Cope with Moral Dilemmas at Work. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (2004): pp. 24-58.
Fishman, Mark. Manufacturing the News. Austin, University of Texas Press, 1988.
Gans, Herbert J. Democracy and the News, Oxford University Press, 2003.
Gans, Herbert. Deciding What's News: A Study of CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly
News, Newsweek, and Time. New York: Vintage Books, 1980.
Gieber, Walter, and Walter Johnson. “The City Hall ‘Beat’: A Study of Reporter and
Source Roles.” Journalism Quarterly 38 (1961): pp. 189-197.
Gilens, Martin, and Craig Hertzman. “Corporate Ownership and News Bias: Newspaper
Coverage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.” The Journal of Politics, 62
(May 2000): pp. 369-386.
Gitlin, Todd. The Whole World is Watching. Berkeley: University of California Press,