Syllabus for MRTS 1310

Perspectives on Broadcast, Cable & Internet Technologies

(Summer 2017)

Monday - Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.

Room 184, RTFP

Instructor: Russ Campbell, Principal LecturerOffice: RTFP 274

Phone: 940-565-2537

Email:

Advising: Tuesday & Thursday, 2:00 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Other times by appointment.

First, if you are having difficulty with this course, at any point during the semester, please talk with me. My contact information is listed above, and is made available for you to use. Please do not hesitate to contact me, if you have questions. Please note. In general, out of concern for privacy and confidentiality related to the discussion of student grades I will not discuss grade specifics via email. If you have gradeconcerns or have questions that require more than a brief response, please contact me in person or by telephone.

During the hours shown as advising hours above, other duties may, upon occasion, require me to be away from the office. With this in mind, please call before you come by whenever possible. I make note of this for your benefit, so you won't make a wasted trip.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to provide an overview of the ever-changing world ofelectronic media, encompassing broadcast, cable, social media and Internet-based content distribution platforms. Included in this overview will be an examination of the development of the electronic media from historical, physical, social, legal, ethical, and economic perspectives.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this course, students will:

  • Have an understanding of the common historical pattern of invention, experimentation, adoption, disruption, innovation, monetization, and adaptation associated with the emergence of electronic media technologies.
  • Know specialized terminology and concepts related to the field.
  • Have a foundation for further study of the social impacts, legal and ethical issues, economic practices, and audience measurement methodologies related to electronic media.

COURSE CONTENT

  1. Material assigned as reading from the text, BROADCASTING, CABLE, THE INTERNET, AND BEYOND: An Introduction to Modern Electronic Media, 7th Edition by Joseph R. Dominick, Fritz Messere, Barry L. Sherman.

This will include expansion on the text, but it will also include things not appearing in the text. Anything is fair game, from material provided on Blackboard (see number 2 below), to anecdotes, to topics brought up in class by class members, etc.

  1. Blackboard. Links to text, video and other materials will be provided on Blackboard to further illustrate and expand on topics discussed in class. It is expected that you will check Blackboard on a daily basis. Also, PowerPoint outlines for each chapter will be provided. Additionally, one or more lectures and associated quizzesmay be administered on Blackboard. When this occurs, instructions will be provided on how to access these elements. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me directly. Blackboard can be accessed using any computer workstation with Internet access including those that are available in the general access computer labs.
  1. Tests. There will be 3 major tests, numerous pop quizzes, and a final exam.

GRADING AND ATTENDANCE POLICY

Grading. As stated in the above course outline, there will be three major tests, a number of pop quizzes, and a final exam. The values attached to the individual elements are as shown in the grade calculation table on page 4.

Test Day Absences. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are absent on the day of a major test, to be eligible for consideration to take a make-up test,you must talk to the instructor ONTHE TEST DAY to advise of your particular situation. Simply sending an email, text or leaving a voice mail IS NOT sufficient. Upon your return to class, you must provide a bona fide doctor's excuse or other documentation confirming the reason for your absence. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a score of zero for any missed test.

In the event you are allowed to take a make-up test, it will be given on the next possible weekday. Make-up tests may be oral, multiple choice, or essay at the discretion of the instructor.

THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR MAKING-UP POP QUIZZES. IF YOU MISS A CLASS OR ARE LATE FOR CLASS AND A POP QUIZ IS IN PROGRESS, OR HAS CONCLUDED, YOUR GRADE FOR THAT POP QUIZ WILL BE ZERO. Please note. The lowest pop quiz grade is automatically dropped by the grade calculation formula.

Drop Policy.The instructor will not do automatic, administrative drops for non-attendance. If a student decides not to complete this course for any reason, it is the student’s responsibility to be aware of all pertinent drop dates and deadlines published in the university’s academic calendar and to complete all paperwork and obtain necessary signatures in a timely manner.

Absences for University-sanctioned activities. If you are a member of a UNT athletic team, musical group, or other university-sanctioned activity that requires you to miss class, please furnish the appropriate written permission before your absence.

Absences related to personal travel. Please do not purchase airline tickets or make other plans that conflict with test date, assignment due dates, or the final exam. Missing an exam or assignment because of personal or business travel will not be considered an excused absence.

Any questions concerning these policies should be directed to me in class. If YOU have a question about it, most likely someone else does.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION

The MRTS Department cooperates with the Office of Disability Accommodation to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students (cf. Americans with Disabilities Act & Section 504, Rehabilitation Act). If you have a disability for which you will require accommodation or if you have not registered with ODA, we encourage you to do so. Please present your written Accommodation Request to the Instructor on or before the 12th class day.

PLEASE READ: ACADEMIC DISHONESTY, including but not limited to cheating and plagiarism. Please refer to the University of North Texas Undergraduate Catalog detailing matters of academic dishonesty. This is brought forth here to state that each student must do their own work, including that on pop quizzes, tests, and written assignments.

Acceptable Student Behavior:

Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at

The Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) is a requirement for all organized classes at UNT. This short survey will be made available to you at the end of the semester, providing you a chance to comment on how this class is taught. The feedback it provides is designed to help improve overall teaching practices. SPOT is considered an important part of your class participation.

Mobile Device Policy. The Department of MRTS prohibits the use of personal mobile devices during class, unless otherwise allowed by the individual Instructor. If no exceptions are contained in a course syllabus, then the department policy remains in effect until changed by the Instructor.

Personal mobile devices are defined as anything and everything from cell phones to smart phones to personal handheld computers. All devices should be turned off before entering the classroom or laboratory area. Portable Laptop Computers may be used in the classroom if the student sits on the back rows.

Any student using a personal mobile device during class may have 5% deducted from their overall course grade for EACH occurrence.

GRADE CALCULATION TABLE

ELEMENTS / GRADE / X / VALUE / POINTS TOWARD FINAL GRADE
TEST 1 / X / 17 %
TEST 2 / X / 17 %
TEST 3 / X / 17 %
PQ AVG. / X / 17 %
ARTICLE
REVIEW / X / 15%
FINAL EXAM / X / 17%
FINAL GRADE

POP QUIZ GRADES:

# 1 ______# 2 ______# 3 ______# 4 ______# 5 ______

# 6 ______# 7 ______# 8 ______# 9 ______# 10 ______

#11 ______# 12 ______#13 ______

TOTAL OF POP QUIZ SCORES DIVIDED BY TOTAL NUMBER OF POP

QUIZZES = AVG. OF POP QUIZZES

THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

In a class like this, I have learned, over time, that it is best to put in writing certain ground rules concerning the classroom environment. To that end, I have prepared what amounts to a contract which outlines, on one hand, what you can expect of me, and on the other, what I expect of you.

If after reading this, you have questions or concerns, please bring them to my attention. Otherwise, it will be assumed that you agree to abide by these guidelines.

THE CLASSROOM CONTRACT

As your instructor I agree to:

  • be on time for class.
  • be willing to spend at least five minutes after class on any day for individual questions or discussion.
  • answer any questions about class matters to the best of

my ability.

  • accept written or oral questions before or after class and respond in class.
  • discuss in class any suggestions received, and to incorporate suggestions whenever possible.
  • silence my cell/smart phone and electronic devices and not use them in the classroom during class time for other than approved class related activities.
  • dismiss class on time.

As a class member you are expected to:

  • be on time for class.
  • cease talking when class begins.
  • refrain from talking to seatmates during class (including video presentations).
  • remain seated and attentive until dismissed, and to refrain from preparing to leave until dismissed.
  • enter through the back entrance if you arrive late.
  • exit through the back entrance if you have to leave the classroom while class is in progress.
  • silence your cell/smart phone and electronic devices and not use them in the classroom during class time for other than approved class related activities(Note: Audio or video recording is prohibited without prior permission. Electronic devices may not be used for any purpose during tests or quizzes).
  • submit written questions if you do not wish to speak in class.

WRITING THE ARTICLE REVIEW

This assignment requires that the student read and review an article found in a professional periodicalor scholarly journal. Normally, these types of publications are published on a regular basis and are written by scholars and/or recognized professionals in a particular field for others who work in or study the discipline.

Select an article based on the "topic assignment" assigned to your group (see attached article review assignments and due dates). Find more than one. Scan briefly through the article to evaluate its worth. Select the article that both meets the assignment criteria and is interesting to you.

Please note that the primary purpose of this assignment is not to obtain your opinion on a given subject. Rather, it is designed to collect a factual representation of the data provided by the author(s) in the particular article you choose. The end result should give the reader a more than basic understanding of the article's content. Your opinion or personal expression concerning the contents of the article is important, but should be limited to the last item called for by the format.

Format and other requirements for the article review assignment:

1.If the article you wish to use does not appear in one of the following industry-related periodicalsoracademic journals, you must get prior approval from the instructor: Advertising Age, Adweek, AEJMC News, American Journalism Review, Atlanta Review of Journalism History, Atlantic Journal of Communication, Broadcast Television, Broadcasting & Cable, College Media Review, Columbia Journalism Review, Communication Law & Policy, Convergence: The Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Convergent Journalism, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, EBU Technical Review,Federal Communications LawJournal,Games and Culture, Global Media & Communication, Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television, Hollywood Reporter, IEEE Communications Magazine, InterMedia, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Journal of Communication, Journal of Communications Media Studies, Journal of Current Issues in Media & Telecommunications, Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Journal of Media & Religion, Journal of Media Business Studies, Journal of Media Economics, Journal of Media Practice, Journal of Media Research, Journal of New Communications Research, Journal of Popular Culture, Journal of Popular Film & Television, Journal of Radio & Audio Media, Journal of Radio Studies, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism Quarterly, Journalism Studies, Mass Communication & Society, Media Daily News, Media Studies Journal, Media, Culture & Society,Mediacaster, Mediawatch, MediaWeek, Multichannel News, New Media & Society, New Media Journal, News Media & the Law, Online Journal of Communication & Media Technologies, Pacific Journalism Review, Political Media Review, Politics & the Press: The News Media & their Influences, Radio Ink, Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, Radio World Magazine,Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, Television & New Media, TVNewscheck, Television Quarterly, Variety

2.The selected article must have a publication date that is no earlier than June 1, 2012.

3.The assignment must be typed using 12 point font, single-spaced, and have a word count ranging from 375 to 500 words including required paragraph headings.

4.As shown in the example below, the source of the article must be cited using APA style at the beginning of the paper. APA style guidelinesfor citations can be found here .

Note: A PowerPoint presentation giving an overview of how to complete the assignment is available in the “Handouts” folder on the class Blackboard site.

Example of Article Review Assignment:

Source—Brown, D. (2011). An Analysis of the Violence Content of the Radio Thriller Dramas -- and Some Comparisons with Television. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 49(2), 261-73

Purpose of the article—The purpose of this article was to determine the amount of violent content in radio thriller dramas targeted at both adults and children by using current television analysis procedures and to demonstrate the amount of violence in television shows.

Why Is the information important? —These studies add historical insights into the body of research dealing with broadcast violence and provide a means to examine this historical data so that it can be applied to the evolution of the media. We are then able to relate this information to social and behavioral outcomes.

Assumptions the author makes about the reader—The author assumes that the reader is familiar with the current television analysis procedures developed by Gerbner and the Cultural Indicators Research team.

Intended audience—The intended audience is scholars of broadcasting who are particularly interested in the historical aspects and sociological implications of broadcasting.

Key points—In order to be comparative, procedures must be adapted that are compatible with those used to assess television's violent content. Only then can the effects (if any) that radio violence has had on social behavior be determined. To further substantiate claims that radio violence has affected social behavior, one must determine the nature and the amount of the act of violence. By comparing radio violence content and television violence content, one can examine the evolution of the media.

The conclusions and recommendations of the author—The nature and amount of radio violence in old radio thrillers measured through using current television analysis procedures is similar to that found in present day television. Preliminary observations indicate that this radio programming possibly had effects on social behavior.

The author encourages the reader to examine further the relationships between radio violence content and television violence content. Further research is suggested to better correlate these two. For example, the method of content analysis should be able to provide historical inferences about the social effects of this radio violence content. Study on children's radio programs in greater depth is especially advised.

Personal comment—I found this article interesting because it supported the notion that aural stimuli can be just as powerful as its visual counterpart. I also found it surprising that the programming in the "good old days" had its share of violence.

Article Review Assignments for RTVF 1310

Following the instructions beginning on page 7, find an article which falls under ONE of the subject categories listed below and prepare an article review. The article review assignment is due on the date indicated below and must be turned in by that date through the Turnitin assignment will appear in the Article Review Assignment folder on Blackboard.

LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THE DATE OF THE FIRST CLASS MEETING FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL DUE DATE AND UPON RECEIPT WILL RECEIVE AN AUTOMATIC 10 POINT DEDUCTION. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THAT DATE.

Assignment due: June 22, 2017

Subject Categories:

  • History of broadcasting, cable, or the internet (people, events, controversies, etc.)
  • New media/broadcasttechnologies and innovations (HD-Radio, HDTV, Wi-Max,VOD, etc.)
  • Broadcast Television Networks
  • FCCMedia Bureau
  • Business of Broadcasting, Satellite, and Cable, Internet
  • Broadcast or Online Programming (network, syndication, programming strategies, trends, etc.)
  • Legal and/or Ethical Issues in Media
  • Social Implications of Broadcasting
  • International Broadcasting

Class Schedule

June / 5 / First Class Day Chapter 1 - History of Broadcast Media
6 / Chapter 1 - Continued
7 / Chapter 1 - Continued/Chapter 2 - History of Cable, Home Video & Internet
8 / Chapter 2 - Continued/Chapter 3 - Audio and Video Technology
12 / Chapter 3/Chapter 5 - Television Today
13 / Test 1 (Chapters 1, 2, 3) Chapter 4 - Radio Today - Online Lecture Assigned Chapter 5 - Continued
14 / Chapter 5 - Continued/Chapter 6 - The Internet and New Media
15 / Chapter 6 - Continued/Chapter 7 - The Advertising Market Place
19 / Chapter 7 - Continued/Chapter 8 Radio Programming
20 / Chapter 8 - Continued
21 / Test 2 (Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7) Chapter 9 - Television Programming
22 / Chapter 9 - Continued
26 / Chapter 9 - Cont./Chapter 10 - Rules & Regulations - Part A (pp. 225-237)
27 / Chapter 10 - Part A - Cont./Chapter 11 - Self Regulation
28 / Chapter 11 Cont./Chapter 10 - Rules & Regulations - Part B (pp. 250-263) Online portion assigned
29 / Test 3 (Chapters 8, 9, 10A, 11) Chapter 10 Part B - Cont.
July / 3 / Chapter 12 - Ratings and Audience Feedback
4 / Independence Day - No Class
5 / Chapter 12 Cont./Chapter 13 - Effects
6 / Chapter 13 - Cont.
7 / Test 4 - Final (Emphasis 10B, 12, 13) - This is a Friday!!!!!

Revisions may be made to this schedule as needed. It is the individual student’s responsibility to keep current regarding any schedule changes for test dates or other assignments.