COM 396: Mass Media Capstone

COM 396: Mass Media Capstone Fall 2016 W 5:30-7:20 Aug. 22-Oct. 15

Dr. John McHale Office: Fell Hall 451 Email- [email protected] Office Hours: M 4-6; W 3-5; M 3-4 when possible Phone: [O] (309) 438-7969

When emailing, please include COM396 and the purpose of your email in the subject line

Capstone goal: A culminating capstone experience for Mass Media majors, producing a professional portfolio and defending the knowledge and skills acquired.

Intended Student Outcomes: Reflective and Synthesizing Job Preparation Materials  Demonstrate ability to write effectively for  Complete a professional portfolio mass media in several different styles  Create targeted and adjustable resume and  Reveal skills pertinent to an area of cover letter specialization in the mass media field  Gain experience with job interviews and  Effectively merge understanding of mass presentations media theory with one’s own work  Defend one’s creative and content  Synthesize the learning across the expression in an interview setting curriculum of the Mass Media major

Schedule …. Subject to change, as announced on Reggienet (RN)

8-24 Week 1: Current Issue Discussion Introductions, establish goals Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interview Strategies Assign Reflective Paper Discuss Employment Research

8-31 Week 2:

Bring to class: Current resume

Team Work

9-7 Week 3: Current Issue Discussion Team Work Computer Lab: Mass Media Comprehensive Exam and Work on Portfolios Discuss Reflective Paper Discuss Employment Research

DUE: Resume and Cover Letter, Draft

Prepare: - Research about the website you’d like to use - Files to place on portfolio

9-14 Week 4: Discuss Reflective Paper Discuss Employment Research

Team One leads current issue discussion Team Two leads current issue discussion

Interviewing

9-21 Week 5: Team Three leads current issue discussion Team Four leads current issue discussion

Prepare: - Your ‘elevator’ pitch - DUE: Resume and Cover Letter, Final

9-28 Week 6: DUE: All Portfolio Materials

10-5 Week 7: Executive Presentations/Interviews Capstone wrap up

10-12 Week 8: “Finals” week … DUE: Reflection Essay Due by 5 pm on Wednesday, May 4. Submit on Reggienet Messages

Readings Each week, we’ll begin class with a 10 minute recap reviewing the week in media-related news. I expect you all to be able to contribute to this discussion and work to connect concepts learned in mass media courses as well as your own personal perspectives as mass media communicators / producers Sources to check out every week (if you’ve got a good source for media news, please share!) www.onthemedia.org www.adweek.com / www.adage.com www.nytimes.com/pages/business/media www.tvweek.com http://online.wsj.com/public/page/news-media- http://deadline.com/ marketing.html www.variety.com www.broadcastingandcable.com buzzfeed, digg, reddit, salon, etc. etc. etc.

Course Work Products 20 Team Presentation 10 Resume and Cover Letter, Draft 10 Resume and Cover Letter, Final 10 Complete Capstone Portfolio 10 School of Com Mass Media Comprehensive Exam 15 Executive Presentation/Interview 20 Reflection Paper 5 Professional Presence

Team Presentation: In groups of four, your goal will be to select one major media-related current event OR a persistent issue in media (e.g. will radio die? How is social media changing ‘X’? How is Netflix changing the media industry and how we watch TV? Etc.) that intersects with concepts, theories, and/or case studies learned in your mass media courses (e.g. Intro to Mass Media, Broadcast History, Mass Media: Cultural Criticism, Mass Media: Theory and Effects, Mass Media Law, Policy & Ethics, or any of your major-specific courses), and present to the class 1) a brief about the story 2) connections to specific concepts / theories in classes and 3) lead a discussion about this story with the class. The presentation should be about 30 minutes, with half the time allotted to leading a group discussion about your selected story-of-the-week. Full details and expectations will be discussed on the first day of class. Since three groups are presenting on the same day, you must coordinate and ensure you’re not talking about the same main feature story.

Resume, Cover Letter, and Portfolios: These assignments will be discussed in class, but are pretty straightforward. Bring what you’ve got so far to the first day of class and we’ll build from there. If you don’t have a resume yet, start one now.

Comprehensive Exam: This is an exam we’ll take in class and no need to study for it.

Executive Presentation: This is an opportunity to interact in advocacy of your employment.

Reflection Paper: This critical assignment is detailed below.

Professional Presence: Timely attendance and active participation are expected. Please attend on time, ready to participate, and refrain from using your phone and/or laptop during class time unless it’s a part of the activity.

Policies

Assignment Due Dates: Deadlines are firm and non-negotiable, as they would be in the professional world. Clear deadlines are essential to the fair treatment of students who do complete assignments on time. Assignments are happily accepted early. Late assignments may be accepted within one week of the original deadline for partial credit (50%) if caused by an excused absence due to dire illness, death in your immediate family or a university-documented activity.

Attendance: As a condensed class, each class period is the equivalent of a third of the course (three weeks of classes in the regular semester). Each unexcused absence is an automatic letter grade reduction.

Academic Integrity: Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A student’s placement of his or her name on any academic exercise shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student’s own thought, effort and study. Students who have questions regarding issues of academic dishonesty should refer to the University regulation that outlines unacceptable behaviors in academic matters. It is the student and faculty's responsibility to uphold the principles of Academic Integrity. Academic Integrity is an important part of this University and this course. Academic Integrity is required of you as the student and myself as the instructor. Academic Integrity should be used in preparation of this course, in class time, regarding exams, and with regard to written assignments. In certain circumstances (such as cheating or plagiarism) faculty may be required to refer a student(s) to Community Rights & Responsibilities for a violation of Illinois State University's Code of Student Conduct. (Quoted from “Community Rights and Responsibilities at Illinois State University”.)

Special Needs or Accommodation: If you need to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability, contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD) to register and establish a record of your situation. Please speak with me privately regarding any course adaptation or accommodations you may require.

Severe Weather: In the event of severe weather, the ISU’s website, http://ehs.illinoisstate.edu, will inform us if school is closed and I will send an email. If weather is severe the day of class but the university is not closed, I will email no later than 12 pm if class meeting is canceled but there will still be an online component in place of an actual face-to-face class meeting.

Communication 396: Capstone Dr. John McHale Reflection Paper Assignment

Paper Topic: How could I achieve my dream job? Thing about what you would most like to be doing in ten years. Find a professional who has such as career, research, and outline how they achieved. Try to interview them. With your ultimate goal in mind, what steps could you take in the next ten year to work towards your dream job? Papers should be between 5-8 pages and should cite at least 5-8 outside sources (in addition to our text). Please do not exceed 4 sources from the internet. The paper should be well organized. Please craft an appropriate introduction and conclusion. I would suggest using between 3 and 8 major main points in your paper and developing them with evidence, arguments, and examples. I would recommend that you consider including factual information from credible sources in your paper. Information about the indicative example career should be documented. Please format the paper according to an accepted set of style guidelines. I prefer APA, but other formats such as MLA or Chicago are acceptable. Most importantly, please be consistent with your use of style guidelines. Papers must be typed (or word-processed). Grading Accuracy and readability are such essential parts of writing. All out-of class assignments will be graded in the following way: Spelling and punctuation errors (such as misspelling a source’s name, providing an incorrect address, writing run-on sentences, using sentence fragments when a full sentence is required, using inaccurate information) will result in an 8-point deduction from the overall grade for each error. Misspelled proper names will incur a 16 point deduction. Clearly, you will want to edit and re-edit your work before turning it in for a grade. If editing is not your strong suit, find a partner either in this class or a roommate/friend who is willing to read the piece. The things we care the most about are those into which we put the most effort.