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Home , Entertainment journalism, Gay Talese

JOUR 381: , Business and Media in Today’s Society 4 units

Fall 2019 — Mondays — 6:30-9:50 p.m. Section: 21224R Location: ANN L116

Instructor: Mary Murphy Office: ASC 301G Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1-3 p.m., or by appointment. Contact Info: [email protected] Make sure you put J381 in the slug and body of email

Teaching Assistant: Contact Info: Office Hours:

I. Course Description This course examines the symbiotic relationship of the entertainment business and the media; press coverage of the entertainment industry; Hollywood’s relationship with media and diversity on-screen and off. This course will serve as an introduction to the business of entertainment and its relationship to the media that cover it and the society that consumes it. Top Hollywood executives, creator and stars will provide insider information and understanding of how the media affects what they produce and how what they produce affects the media. Students will gain behind the scenes knowledge of , television and TV news companies, who owns and runs them, what products they make, and how digital and print media participate in the process. The transition from legacy media to new media will be emphasized in each class.

II. Overall Learning Objectives and Assessment Students will leave this course with an understanding of who runs the entertainment industry, how it functions, how movements like #OscarsSoWhite, #MeToo and #TimesUp have changed the industry and the role played in investigating the changes in both entertainment and news. We will explore the different roles that new and old media play in what succeeds and what fails. Students will gain a critical appreciation for the complex and often compromised relationship between the industry and minorities and the reporters who cover it.

Homework will cover all areas of multi-media . During the semester students will be expected to deliver content in long form and short form journalism.

III. Description of Assignments Grades for this course will be based on performance and participation, and determined by in-class quizzes, completion of reading and writing assignments, and contributions to in-class discussions, a video project, a mid- term examination, a final exam.

Social Video: Students will be assigned to groups to produce a social video that will be shown in class and pitched to the media center.

Oral Presentation: That same group will present an oral presentation (at the end of the semester). Students will present to 3 Hollywood executives, who will serve as judges (a la American Idol or Shark Tank).

All students MUST PARTICIPATE IN BOTH THE GROUP PROJECTS.

IV. Grading Breakdown a. Breakdown of Grade

Assignment % of Grade

Class Participation 10%

Homework Writing Assignments 20%

Final Exam 20%

Midterm Examination 25%

Final Project 25%

TOTAL 100% b. Grading Scale 95% to 100%: A 80% to 83%: B- 67% to 69%: D+

90% to 94%: A- 77% to 79%: C+ 64% to 66%: D

87% to 89%: B+ 74% to 76%: C 60% to 63%: D-

84% to 86%: B 70% to 73%: C- 0% to 59%: F

Grading Standards: All assignments will be edited on a professional basis and you will be judged first on the accuracy, fairness and objectivity of your stories. You will then be evaluated for writing style, factual accuracy, originality and the ability to meet deadlines.

“A” stories are accurate, clear, comprehensive stories that are well written and require only minor copyediting (i.e., they would be aired or published). Video work must also be shot and edited creatively, be well paced and include good sound bites and natural sound that add flavor, color or emotion to the story.

“B” stories require more than minor and have a few style or spelling errors or one significant error of omission. For video, there may be minor flaws in the composition of some shots or in the editing. Good use of available sound bites is required.

“C” stories need considerable editing or rewriting and/or have many spelling, style or omission errors. Video stories are mediocre or unimaginative, but passable. Sound bites add little or no color - only information that could be better told in the reporter’s narration.

“D” stories require excessive rewriting, have numerous errors and should not have been submitted.

“F” stories have failed to meet the major criteria of the assignment, are late, have numerous errors or both. Show that the student did not do the homework reading and research. Your copy should not contain any errors in spelling, style, grammar and facts. Any misspelled or mispronounced proper noun will result in an automatic “F” on that assignment. Any factual error will also result in an automatic “F” on the assignment. Accuracy is the first law of journalism. The following are some other circumstances that would warrant a grade of “F” and potential USC/Annenberg disciplinary action:

• Fabricating a story or making up quotes or information. • Plagiarizing a script/article, part of a script/article or information from any . • Staging video or telling interview subjects what to say. • Using video shot by someone else and presenting it as original work. • Shooting video in one location and presenting it as another location. • Using the camcorder to intentionally intimidate, provoke or incite a person or a group of people to elicit more “dramatic” video. • Promising, paying or giving someone something in exchange for doing an interview either on or off camera. • Missing a deadline.

Make-up Exams: No make-up exams will be offered except by prior arrangement.

Extra Credit: Extra-credit assignments, indicated by this syllabus, will be available for students who want to improve their marks.

V. Assignment Submission Policy: All assignments are to be printed out and handed in at class time and sent to Blackboard. Lacking prior discussion and agreement with the instructor, late assignments will automatically be given a grade of F.

Assignments must be submitted in person in class on the due date. No late assignments will be accepted. Students may use their computers for the midterm exams, which are to be emailed to the professor during class. Any mid- term submitted after class will receive an automatic F.

VI. Required Readings and Supplementary Materials There is no textbook for this course but there is a course reader. Students will be asked to read a substantial number of handouts, and will be quizzed on their contents. Students will also be urged to read from a number of outside sources, including but not limited to The Los Angeles Times "Calendar" and "Business" sections, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as sites such as Variety.com, TheHollywoodReporter.com, Buzzfeed.com, Deadlinehollywood.com, ET.com, People.com, Dailymail.com and TheWrap.com. Students will be expected to be current with Entertainment news and will be given a weekly news quiz on events in the entertainment world.

There are two course readers to draw from:

1. “Boffo! “By Peter Bart

2. “Out-Foxed: The Inside Story of America’s Fourth Television Network “By Alex Ben Block. 3. The Golden Age of Bailing: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/07/opinion/the-golden-age-of-bailing.html

All readings must be read by the date published on the syllabus. Students will be expected to discuss the readings in class.

VII. Laptop Policy All undergraduate and graduate Annenberg majors and minors are required to have a PC or Apple laptop that can be used in Annenberg classes. Please refer to the Annenberg Digital Lounge for more information. To connect to USC’s Secure Wireless network, please visit USC’s Information Technology Services website.

VIII. Course Schedule: A Weekly Breakdown THE SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON NEWS EVENTS AND THE PROGRESSION OF THE CLASSES. Make sure you put J381 in the subject line of your emails.

WEEK 1: August 26, 2019

What is so important about Hollywood’s impact on the global community?

Is it George’s Clooney’s love life? “Suits” star Meghan Markle’s Royal Wedding? The shameful hypocrisy of Harvey Weinstein, or Bill Cosby? Hardly! Hollywood is the great Xerox machine of all pop culture. The ideas pour in and Hollywood dispatches them around the world. The entertainment industry creates America's number one export product-- bigger than aerospace, automobiles or agriculture --dominating the world with its movies, music, TV shows, videos, computer games, Internet sites, and streaming. Revenues run to the hundreds of billions of dollars. Companies are valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. What are these companies? What do they sell, and how do they sell it? Who owns them? Who runs them? What are the current power shifts? This introductory session will cover the landscape of the entertainment industry, and the global reach of the products it creates.

We will discuss the most important entertainment stories of the summer and the impact they have on the culture.

HOMEWORK: Be sure to get the course reader at the USC Bookstore. Based on the book “Out-Foxed” describe the key figures in the formation of network television who shaped our view of . How difficult was it for Rupert Murdoch to attempt to launch a Fourth Network? 400 words.

READINGS: In “Boffo” read the chapters on the making of the controversial film, “Birth of a Nation.” These are available on Blackboard. Be prepared to discuss readings in class.

WEEK 2: September 2, 2019

Labor Day, No Class

WEEK 3: September 9, 2019

Who Founded Hollywood?

The entertainment industry was traditionally a maverick male dominated industry; operating outside the corridors of American power, separate from the traditional corporate machinery. Now the movie studios and TV Networks are owned by conglomerates like Comcast (Universal Pictures, NBC and E! News, Hulu, DreamWorks ) and Twenty First Century Fox ( Twentieth Century Fox , Fox 2000, Fox Searchlight, FX and Fox News Channel, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post) . We’ll look at the history of Hollywood movie studios and begin an examination of how corporate ownership affects the entertainment we consume and the press that covers it. In both lecture and documentary we will explore where these companies came from, the role of immigrants, and the lack of roles for women and people of color that is still of critical relevance today. In the beginning, all the Hollywood studios were created by Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution. They were all men. What was it like then, and how does it compare to the tumultuous world of Hollywood now?

Form documentary groups.

SPEAKER: Jess Cagel, Editor in chief, People Magazine...Alex Ben Block , author of OutFoxed,

SCREENING: “Hollywood An Empire of Our Own.” The documentary tells the story of European Immigrants whose Movie studios and films created what we now call “The American Dream.”

READINGS: Homework: Read Pages 1-139 in the Course Reader “Out-Foxed by Alex Ben Block. This section of the book details the formation of the Fourth Network, Twentieth Century Fox TV and the history of network TV from the early days of NBC in 1952 to the creation of ABC and CBS and the Dumont Network in 1955.

HOMEWORK 1: What does it mean to our culture that these studios were founded by immigrants?

HOMEWORK 2: Write a 100-word autobiography, including the one thing about you that you think is the most interesting. Include a paragraph at the end about what you want to get out of this class? Be prepared to read in class.

WEEK 4: September 16 2019

Television and the Impact of Television

We will look at the impact of television on pop culture here and abroad—much of the world sees America through its television exports. HBO’s Game of Thrones average audience is 18 million Americans. More than 16.5 million watched the second season of Stranger Things on Netflix. Shows on broadcast networks like ABC, NBC, CBS have persuasive cultural and political power around the globe. NCIS is shown in over 200 countries, Scandal was one of the top TV series in South Korea, sit-coms like Modern Family are a hit in South Africa. Network serials, reruns like Law & Order are popular in Hungary. The Simpsons draws a large audience in Argentina. And the casting of JLO in Shades of Blue spoke to the growing global audience. These shows have cult followings. Viewers spend weekends binging on shows like Stranger Things, online groups form around shows like Empire, the stars of Scandal live tweet throughout the show. There are viewing parties for The Bachelor. Why and how do we form media communities around these shows?

HOMEWORK: Take your journalism out of the classroom and into your home or neighborhood. Write a 300-word text piece, or shoot and edit a 1-2 minute digital piece about a television show that has impacted a friend, family member or neighbor—and why. Write a one- paragraph text piece on the ways you access your favorite shows: Is it on your phone, your tablet, your computer, or a TV? What percent is streaming?

SPEAKER: Robert Greenblatt , Chairman of Warner Media

Documentary Groups 1 & 2

WEEK 5: September 23, 2019

Post-Emmy Analysis

Be prepared to discuss the Emmy Awards, the developments, surprises and upsets, coverage of the news, red carpet, fashion, impact of political movements like #MeToo, #TimesUp. Are they still relevant? Analyze TV coverage and on-line media coverage. How did and Instagram react during and post awards?

Class will be introduced to new TV series, and expected to do critique of the shows.

READING: “Out-Foxed” pp 100--163

DOCUMENTARY GROUP 3 & 4.

WEEK 6: September 30, 2019

The interaction of Hollywood executives and Hollywood publicists and the image they curate.

The publicist’s role is to promote a project or a star and the producer’s role is to create an original, unique binge- worthy product. We will study the relationship between the two and the changing role of marketing and publicity in Hollywood. A handful of powerhouse agencies now controls media access to the top stars, directors and producers, and in effect control the story of Hollywood. We study the unusually peculiar relationship between the press and the publicity machinery.

SPEAKERS: Simon Halls founder of (SLATE PR), Len Amato, President HBO Films

HOMEWORK: 500-word assignment on how coverage of Hollywood shapes the way the world views America and American values

READINGS: “The Second Biggest Star in a Remote little Berg somewhere in Germany”, by Tom Junod, Esquire Magazine profile on Matt Damon. This is a great article about how celebrities deal with each other. http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/interviews/a23291/matt-damon-interview-0813-full/

EXTRA CREDIT: Read Lillian Ross' 1953 book Picture, about the making of the film "The Red Badge of Courage." Write a 400-word essay on the relationship between the reporter and the filmmakers.

DOCUMENTARY GROUP 5 & 6.

WEEK 7: October 7, 2019 MIDTERM EXAM - ATTENDANCE REQUIRED

WEEK 8: October 14, 201

What is the Hollywood Press?

How has it adapted to the changing times. How did it evolve from legacy journalism to ?

Entertainment reporting has been one of journalism's fastest-growing segments. The last two decades have seen a mushrooming of print, broadcast and Internet outlets for stories about film, TV, music and celebrities. With growth have come media monopoly, cross-ownership, and resulting changes in journalistic standards. For decades TV and print legacy news outlets did not spend much time on Hollywood. Then came Entertainment Tonight in 1981— defying the belief that viewers would not want to watch news about celebrities. How wrong they were! Soon there were copycats like Access Hollywood and Inside Edition and Extra. Entertainment television became a 24/7 industry with the launch of E Network and the TV Guide Network. Every TV station in the nation started to hire entertainment reporters. Celebrity culture dominated the news cycle- even the lauded evening news broadcasts put celebrities at the top of the show. Are we becoming The United States of Entertainment?

SPEAKER: Meg James, Los Angeles Times, and Brooks Barnes, New York Times

HOMEWORK: What late night show best speaks to the political climate in the United States today? How do late night shows like SNL, The Daily Show, Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel impact the politics of the Millennials and Generation Z? 400 words.

DOCUMENTARY GROUP 7 & 8.

WEEK 9: October 21, 2019

Scandal and scandal management. A London snoops on Britain’s Princes William and Harry and what developed was the biggest scandal in modern journalism, involving the media empire of Rupert Murdoch and the prestigious British police force, Scotland Yard. We will investigate media coverage of current scandals, like Kathy Griffin and the bloody Trump head (Did she go too far?) as well as top Hollywood scandals of the past, from Fatty Arbuckle and Lana Turner to Hugh Grant to Mel Gibson. Hollywood's stars can't seem to stay out of trouble. The press rushes in, along with the police. The publicists have already arrived. Headlines and spin control follow. We analyze Hollywood's response to scandal, and how TMZ changed the game. How does the media cover the stars, the personalities and the scandals? Celebrity coverage, for better or worse, makes up the bulk of entertainment reporting. In this session we'll study examples of very good and very bad print celebrity profiles, and try to figure out the difference between them. We will also turn a selective eye on the gossip , the bloggers and the tabloids. These journalists working at the fringe of the news business generate much of what you know about the celebrities. If someone famous is having a baby, getting a divorce or going into rehab, the news was probably broken here. We look at the wildly competitive gossip business, and the increasingly blurry line between the tabloid press and the straight press.

SPEAKER: Harvey Levin

READINGS: Boffo: The Making of the Godfather: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/03/godfather200903 Avengers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM2NP4qHS_8&vl=en Hunger Games: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/movies/the-hunger-games-books-become-a-movie- franchise.html https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/game-of-thrones-ending-season-5-producers-interview-1201469516/

DOCUMENTARY GROUP 9 & 10 WEEK 10: October 28, 2019

The Development of Narrative in Hollywood.

How Hollywood transforms novels and comics into hit movies. From The Godfather, to Harry Potter to Hunger Games, Game of Thrones and The Avengers.

SPEAKER: Peter Bart, Paramount Executive and former Editor in Chief, Variety, The Godfather

DOCUMENTARY GROUPS 11 & 12

WEEK 11 : November 4, 2019

How junkets corrupt The junkets and the junketeers: How Hollywood sells itself. Every weekend of their year, hundreds of film critics are flown to Los Angeles by the movie companies to stay in expensive hotels, eat lavish meals, watch new movies and interview their stars and directors. Several times a year, hundreds of TV critics come to Los Angeles to be similarly seduced by the networks and cable companies. The tacit understanding: The networks provide this service in exchange for anticipated good reviews. How ethical is this cozy relationship? How does this arrangement affect the consumer?

SPEAKER: Chris Harrison

READING: “ Has a Cold,” by Gay Talese, Esquire Magazine. “Radical Chic & Mau Mauing The Flak Catcher,” by .

DOCUMENTARY GROUP 6

WEEK 12: November 11, 2019

Telling a Story: The Pioneers This week we will focus on narrative story-telling by examining the magazine stories written in the era of . In the 1970’s writers like Tom Wolfe and Gay Talese transformed journalism from a dried fact-based investigation to a combination of narrative story telling with fact based reporting. Some of these pieces became movies-like Aaron Latham’s “Urban Cowboy,” Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff, reporter Charles Portis “True Grit” and Jimmy Breslin through his New York Times Video. We will examine the “new journalism” of the 70’s and the “new, new journalism” of today, which relies heavily on multi-media elements of text, video, and code.

READINGS: "I Was A Virgin Junket Whore," Brian Howard, Philadelphia City Paper.

WEEK 13: November 18, 2019

New Journalism, the rise of every voice

How social media has become the driving force of modern journalism. Final Summation and Prep: Summation of Course Reader and “Boffo”

SPEAKERS: Gold Derby Team

WEEK 13: November 25, 2019 Preparation and pitches for Final Project

WEEK 14: December 2, 2019 ATTENDANCE MANDATORY FINAL ORAL PRESENTATION

WEEK 15: December 9, 2019 Study Day

WEEK 16: December 16, 2019

Final Exam Period: December 16, 2019, 7-9 p.m. Final exam

IX. Policies and Procedures Additional Policies Students will attend all class sessions and complete all class assignments except by previous agreement with the instructor. Students will complete outside reading, research and writing assignments prior to class sessions and by stated deadlines. Class sessions run Monday evenings from 6:30 to 9:50 p.m. Class will be held in ANN L101 and will always start on time.

Internships The value of professional internships as part of the overall educational experience of our students has long been recognized by the School of Journalism. Accordingly, while internships are not required for successful completion of this course, any student enrolled in this course that undertakes and completes an approved, non-paid internship during this semester shall earn academic extra credit herein of an amount equal to 1 percent of the total available semester points for this course. To receive instructor approval, a student must request an internship letter from the Annenberg Career Development Office and bring it to the instructor to sign by the end of the third week of classes. The student must submit the signed letter to the media organization, along with the evaluation form provided by the Career Development Office. The form should be filled out by the intern supervisor and returned to the instructor at the end of the semester. No credit will be given if an evaluation form is not turned in to the instructor by the last day of class. Note: The internship must be unpaid and can only be applied to one journalism class.

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems a. Academic Conduct Plagiarism Presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words - is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards (https://policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b/). Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct (http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/).

USC School of Journalism Policy on Academic Integrity The following is the USC Annenberg School of Journalism’s policy on academic integrity and repeated in the syllabus for every course in the school:

“Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found plagiarizing, fabricating, cheating on examinations, and/or purchasing papers or other assignments faces sanctions ranging from an ‘F’ on the assignment to dismissal from the School of Journalism. All academic integrity violations will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Affairs & Community Standards (SJACS), as per university policy, as well as administrators.”

In addition, it is assumed that the work you submit for this course is work you have produced entirely by yourself, and has not been previously produced by you for submission in another course or Learning Lab, without approval of the instructor. b. Support Systems Student Health Counseling Services - (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1 (800) 273-8255 – 24/7 on call suicidepreventionlifeline.org Free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-4900 – 24/7 on call engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm.

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) | Title IX - (213) 740-5086 equity.usc.edu, titleix.usc.edu Information about how to get help or help a survivor of harassment or discrimination, rights of protected classes, reporting options, and additional resources for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and applicants. The university prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following protected characteristics: race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristic which may be specified in applicable laws and governmental regulations.

Bias Assessment Response and Support - (213) 740-2421 studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support Avenue to report incidents of bias, hate crimes, and microaggressions for appropriate investigation and response.

The Office of Disability Services and Programs - (213) 740-0776 dsp.usc.edu Support and accommodations for students with disabilities. Services include assistance in providing readers/notetakers/interpreters, special accommodations for test taking needs, assistance with architectural barriers, assistive technology, and support for individual needs.

USC Support and Advocacy - (213) 821-4710 studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa Assists students and families in resolving complex personal, financial, and academic issues adversely affecting their success as a student.

Diversity at USC - (213) 740-2101 diversity.usc.edu Information on events, programs and training, the Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, Diversity Liaisons for each academic school, chronology, participation, and various resources for students.

USC Emergency - UPC: (213) 740-4321, HSC: (323) 442-1000 – 24/7 on call dps.usc.edu, emergency.usc.edu Emergency assistance and avenue to report a crime. Latest updates regarding safety, including ways in which instruction will be continued if an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible.

USC Department of Public Safety - UPC: (213) 740-6000, HSC: (323) 442-120 – 24/7 on call dps.usc.edu Non-emergency assistance or information.

Annenberg Student Success Fund https://annenberg.usc.edu/current-students/resources/additional-funding-resources The Annenberg Student Success Fund is a donor-funded financial aid account available to USC Annenberg undergraduate and graduate students for non-tuition expenses related to extra- and co-curricular programs and opportunities.

Breaking Bread Program [undergraduate students only] https://undergrad.usc.edu/faculty/bread/ The Breaking Bread Program is designed to provide individual undergraduate students with an opportunity to meet and have scholarly discussions with faculty members outside of the normal classroom setting. Through this program, students and faculty enjoy good company and great conversation by literally “breaking bread” over a meal together and USC will pick up the tab! Your meal event can take place anywhere outside of the normal classroom setting. Your venue can be a restaurant or eatery on or off-campus.

X. About Your Instructor Mary Murphy is a veteran multi-media who has been on the staffs of The Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, Esquire Magazine and TV Guide. She has also written for The New York Post, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, USA Today and mytime.com. From 2011-13 Murphy appeared nightly on the CBS syndicated shows, Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, giving a historical perspective on Entertainment and Entertainers. She has also been a frequent guest on such TV shows as CNN Showbiz Tonight, NBC's Today, ABC's Good Morning America, and the syndicated show Inside Edition. Her book for Taylor & Francis called “The New News: The Digital revolution in across America,” will be published next year. Murphy is currently working on a book about the history of entertainment journalism.