I. ASCRC General Education Form Group VII Dept/Program Journalism Course # 100

Course Title Intro to Mass Com Prerequisite none Credits 3 II. Endorsement/Approvals Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office Please type / print name Signature Date Instructor Jerry E. Brown 9-25-08 Phone / Email 2227/jerry.brown@ umontana.edud Program Chair Carol Van Valkenburg Dean Peggy Kuhr III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course content to students’ future lives: See Preamble: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm

J100 is an introduction to concepts and methods of mass communication. It relates historical and cultural phenomena to developments in the media, and it emphasizes the importance of journalism to the principles of democracy. Content and ethics are stressed, as well as the systems whereby content is conveyed. The course is required of all journalism students and is offered as an elective to those students interested in the role of the media in society

IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm Students study the institution of the press, or the media, as it relates to social contracts and to the democratic process. The development of the institution through all means of mass communication forms the spine of the course. Data related to the various changes over the years, as media have converged, from newspapers to Internet. Successes and failures of the media are analyzed with respect to perceptions of the public and close scrutiny by analysts in the disciplines of political science, sociology, psychology and history.

V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning goals. Learning goals are met in the combination of studies of history and statistical analysis. Organizing principles are based on history and on the concepts that underpin the perception and functioning of the press. Is the message the media? Can complex issues, the understanding of which is critical to an informed electorate, be conveyed by electronic means? By the end of the course, students should be able to see how media vary and how they exist in concert, in an ever-changing environment.

See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm Organizational principles of the media and how they relate to the mission of the media in a democracy are stressed. So are the influences of the media on opinion, behavior and tastes, Theoretical concepts are united to practical application and perception.

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VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html

*Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.

The University of Montana School of Journalism Missoula, MT 59812

JOUR 100S - Introduction to Mass Media Syllabus – Spring 2008 (subject to change)

Scope: This is a survey course of the eight mass media—newspapers, magazines, books, television, radio, movies, music recordings, and now the World Wide Web—plus the media’s major “fuelers”—advertising and public relations. The course traces the historical development of mass media into the multi-billion dollar industries they are today. It also deals with serious issues facing the media today. JOUR 100S begins the core for pre-journalism and pre-RTV majors who plan to apply for admission to any of the four options of the UM School of Journalism’s professional program. The course has significant value to students of any major because you will become better informed media consumers.

Grading options: This course must be taken for a traditional letter-grade. No credit grading is not permitted. The Montana University System’s plus/minus grading system will be used in this class.

General Education Credit: As the S behind its number indicates, JOUR 100S fulfills one course and three credits toward completion of the university’s Social Science general education perspective.

Class meets Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:10-4:30, in GBB 106.

Frequency of Offering: This course is offered autumn and spring semesters.

Instructor: Jerry E. Brown, Professor, School of Journalism. Teaching Assistant: Kim Cosgrove, Graduate Student, School of Journalism.

Office: Don Anderson Hall 431Office hours The professor’s office hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9-11:30, and by appointment.

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I’m also available at other times by appointment. Office phone: 243-4747; email: [email protected]. Kim is best reached at [email protected].

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Required textbook: The Media of Mass Communication, 8th Edition, 2008 Update, by Prof. John Vivian of Winona State University in Minnesota. The UC Bookstore has this book on the shelves. You can also find this book on amazon.com. Read the assigned chapters before class. Textbook Web site: www.ablongman.com/vivian8e.

Examinations occur on September 27, October 25, and December 10. Midterm 1 covers the course up to that date. Midterm 2 covers the course since Midterm 1. The final covers the remainder of the course. Exams cover lecture material, including main points from the video clips shown in class, plus corresponding textbook chapters. Exams are machine-graded multiple-choice, plus some essay questions on the final.

Course Grading is on a point system. Maximum possible points: Attendance………………………………………………… 50 points First midterm exam ...... 100 points Second midterm exam ...... 100 points Final exam (Parts A & B) ...... 150 points TOTAL POSSIBLE ...... 400 points

A/A- 360-400 B+/B/B- 320-360 C+/C/C- 280-320 D 240-280 F Below 240

No student may pass the course without taking all three exams.

Attendance and participation: Come to class and stay for the entire class period. We cover vast amounts of material. A good portion of each lecture is video material that cannot be repeated. Most video clips shown in class are not available in the library. Several times during the semester I will give you short, topical writing assignments that will count toward your attendance grade. I will not announce the dates of these assignments in advance. You will have about ten minutes to complete the assignment. Be sure to write legibly and put your name on each assignment. During some lectures I’ll ask questions for which I expect answers and general classroom discussion. If you have questions, talk to me after class, visit during office hours, or email or telephone me personally.

Laptop Computers: GBB 106 is perfect for laptops although there are no AC plug-ins at your seats. Feel free to bring your laptop for taking notes.

Cell phones must be off or on vibrate while you are in class and must be off and totally out of your sight during examinations. Do not answer a call during class.

Academic Honesty I expect your honesty in presenting your own work for this course. Academic misconduct at The University of Montana is subject to an academic penalty ranging from failing the assignment to expulsion from the university.

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Students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. http://www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm/page/1321

Class-by-Class Topics and Assignments SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Tuesday Thursday

Aug 28 - Course Overview: Class requirements and Aug 30 - Media Literacy: Definition and proper use of the general goals of the course. Students fill out word media. Media categories and theories. Mainstream v. demographic form. Buy your textbook and read Ch 1. New Media. Media consolidation.

Sept 4 – Books: Read Ch. 2. Development of the book Sept 6 - World Wide Web: Read Ch 9. Newest of the publishing industry. Importance of writing. media. Fiber optics. Roadblocks on the information Comparative media power. Where do your textbook superhighway. Brief history of the Internet. Protocols that dollars go? Trade books. J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. make the Web work. The Internet’s “killer application.” The amazon.com phenomenon. Promoting a best seller. Hotmail/Microsoft. Browsers. The hot used-book market. Contributions of one of America’s historic major authors.

Sept 11 - Web News, Information, Blogs and Issues: Sept 13- Journalism and the First Amendment: Read Ch The Web as a commercially viable news distributor. 10 & 3. History and traditions of journalism. How and why Blogging as “citizen journalism.” Impact of blogging on the First Amendment was written and passed. What it does current events. Web issues: accuracy, porn, gambling, and does not guarantee. Legacies of Jefferson and Madison. hacking, censorship attempts, privacy

Sept 18- Newspaper History: The Penny Press. Sept 20- Photojournalism: Read Ch 22 online. Early Yellow Journalism. Comic strips. Interpretative photography. Civil War photographs. Development of reporting. Anaconda Copper’s pre-1959 control of photography as an industry/Eastman. Adams, Eisenstaedt, Montana newspapers. Some of today’s best papers. Bourke-White and other major photojournalists. War risks. Issues with today’s journalism. The story of Dan Eldon.

Sept 25- Magazines: Read Ch 4. Demassification. Sept 27- MIDTERM EXAM #1: Historic magazines. Improvement of literacy. Creation 100 multiple-choice questions. Bring a No. 2 pencil. We of Life, Time and Sports Illustrated. Women’s provide the answer card. magazines. Muckraking. Point of purchase issues. Top 50 American magazines.

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Oct 2 - Recording Industry: Read Ch 13 & 5. From Oct 4 - Recording Industry continued: The pivotal piano rolls to compact discs. Impact of jazz, blues and moment: Sam Phillips discovers Elvis. Crossing of racial rock and roll on the recording industry. Louis barriers confuses audiences. Elvis hits the movies. The Armstrong, Little Brother Montgomery, Chuck Berry Beatles phenomenon. Recording formats. MP3 and others set the stage for Elvis Presley. development. Napster. File sharing arguments.

Oct 9 - Motion Picture Industry: Read Ch 6. Oct 11 - Motion Pictures continued: AFI’s top 100 films Nickelodeons. Silent films. D.W. Griffith. Charlie of the 20th century. Turner colorizes classics. Analysis of a Chaplin. The MGM dream factory. Development of classic motion picture: scriptwriting, music, casting, acting, sound and color. Hollywood studio and star system. timing, luck. First cartoon

Oct 16 - Radio: Read Ch 7. Marconi. Sarnoff. Early Oct 18 - Television: Read Ch 8. Early pioneer inventors. stations. Comedy. Amos ’n’ Andy. Soap operas. The Technical standards. Famous WWII radio reporters become legend of Uncle Don. Radio as an information medium. TV news pioneers. Landmark TV programming. Audience Religion on radio. AM v. FM. Development of station fragmentation. Sports. formats in today’s radio. Chain ownership. Emergence of satellite radio.

Oct 23 - Television continued: Power of pictures. The Oct 25 - MIDTERM EXAM #2: legacy of Edward R. Murrow. Murrow vs. McCarthy. 100 multiple-choice questions. Bring a No. 2 pencil. We Harvest of Shame. Line between entertainment and provide the answer card. news (infotainment). Problems of 24-hour news channels. Bias charges

Oct 30 - Public Relations/Advertising: Read Ch 11 & Nov 1 - Advertising continued: Eras of advertising. The 12. Information/ education vs. persuasion/ propaganda. pioneer humorist. Controversy over children as ad targets. From outrageous press agentry to a communication Research and methodology of marketing to teens. Effective profession. Montana Power’s failed PR. Ivy Lee and slogans. Sex sells. Differences in international advertising. Edward Bernays. P.T. Barnum. Hill’s ten commandments of advertising.

Nov 6 - Media Research: Read Ch 14. Making news Nov 8 – Mass Comm Theory: Read Ch 15. More Marshall with polls. Editorial problems with polls. The McLuhan. Four levels of communication. Gatekeepers. mathematics of polling: Sample sizes and polling Lippmann’s pictures-in-heads theory. Two society accuracy. Computing TV ratings and shares. Challenges strongholds help explain mass communication theory. to Nielsen research.

Nov 13 - Media Effects on People & Society: Read Ch Nov 15 - Global Media: Read Ch 18 & online Ch 23. 16 & 17. Sex and violence in media. Real vs. acted Media and political systems. Cultural imperialism. How violence. Long-term studies of TV’s effect on children. Hollywood plays in the Muslim world. Al Jazeera, etc. McLuhan, Eron, Gerbner, Paglia, Znaimer and other Dubai, the emerging media headquarters of the Middle East. theories of media effects on society. Worldwide media empires. Rupert Murdoch, etc.

Nov 20 – TBA Nov 22- Thanksgiving- No class

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Nov 27 - Politics/Governance: Read Ch 19. Media’s Nov 29 - Media Law: Read Ch 20. Camera in the court effect on politics. Kennedy-Nixon debate. Politicians try arguments. Prior restraint. Libel definition and defenses. to manipulate media. Political conventions. Talk radio. Fault standards for public figures. Copyright issues. Acuff Investigations of political advertising accuracy. Rose parody case. Privacy issues.

Dec 4 - Media Ethics: Read Ch 21. Historic ethics Dec 6 – Review for Final traditions. Objectivity vs. fairness. Classic ethics cases. The CBS Texas document case. Embedded reporters. Conflict of interest. Advertiser pressure. Photo manipulation. Codes of ethics. More privacy issues.

Take-home PART B of Final Examination passed out in class. Scope of PART A of Final Exam explained. Students complete course evaluation forms.

Monday, December 10, 10:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. PART A OF FINAL EXAM. 100 multiple-choice question Bring a No. 2 pencil. We will provide the answer card. TURN IN TAKE-HOME PART B OF FINAL EXAM [printed, not e-mailed].

JOUR 100 Syllabus - Page 6

Tuesday Thursday

Aug 28 - Course Overview: Class requirements and Aug 30 - Media Literacy: Definition and proper use of th general goals of the course. Students fill out word media. Media categories and theories. Mainstream v demographic form. Buy your textbook and read Ch 1. New Media. Media consolidation.

Sept 11 - Web News, Information, Blogs and Issues: Sept 13- Journalism and the First Amendment: Read C The Web as a commercially viable news distributor. 10 & 3. History and traditions of journalism. How and wh Blogging as “citizen journalism.” Impact of blogging on the First Amendment was written and passed. What it doe current events. Web issues: accuracy, porn, gambling, and does not guarantee. Legacies of Jefferson and Madiso hacking, censorship attempts, privacy

Sept 18- Newspaper History: The Penny Press. Sept 20- Photojournalism: Read Ch 22 online. Early Yellow Journalism. Comic strips. Interpretative photography. Civil War photographs. Development of reporting. Anaconda Copper’s pre-1959 control of photography as an industry/Eastman. Adams, Eisenstaedt Montana newspapers. Some of today’s best papers. Bourke-White and other major photojournalists. War risks Issues with today’s journalism. The story of Dan Eldon.

Oct 9 - Motion Picture Industry: Read Ch 6. Oct 11 - Motion Pictures continued: AFI’s top 100 films Nickelodeons. Silent films. D.W. Griffith. Charlie of the 20th century. Turner colorizes classics. Analysis of Chaplin. The MGM dream factory. Development of classic motion picture: scriptwriting, music, casting, acting sound and color. Hollywood studio and star system. timing, luck. First cartoon

Oct 16 - Radio: Read Ch 7. Marconi. Sarnoff. Early Oct 18 - Television: Read Ch 8. Early pioneer inventors. stations. Comedy. Amos ’n’ Andy. Soap operas. The Technical standards. Famous WWII radio reporters becom legend of Uncle Don. Radio as an information medium. TV news pioneers. Landmark TV programming. Audience Religion on radio. AM v. FM. Development of station fragmentation. Sports. formats in today’s radio. Chain ownership. Emergence of satellite radio.

JOUR 100 Syllabus - Page 7

Oct 30 - Public Relations/Advertising: Read Ch 11 & Nov 1 - Advertising continued: Eras of advertising. The 12. Information/ education vs. persuasion/ propaganda. pioneer humorist. Controversy over children as ad targets. From outrageous press agentry to a communication Research and methodology of marketing to teens. Effectiv profession. Montana Power’s failed PR. Ivy Lee and slogans. Sex sells. Differences in international advertising Edward Bernays. P.T. Barnum. Hill’s ten commandments of advertising.

Nov 6 - Media Research: Read Ch 14. Making news Nov 8 – Mass Comm Theory: Read Ch 15. More Marsha with polls. Editorial problems with polls. The McLuhan. Four levels of communication. Gatekeepers. mathematics of polling: Sample sizes and polling Lippmann’s pictures-in-heads theory. Two society accuracy. Computing TV ratings and shares. Challenges strongholds help explain mass communication theory. to Nielsen research.

Nov 13 - Media Effects on People & Society: Read Ch Nov 15 - Global Media: Read Ch 18 & online Ch 23. 16 & 17. Sex and violence in media. Real vs. acted Media and political systems. Cultural imperialism. How violence. Long-term studies of TV’s effect on children. Hollywood plays in the Muslim world. Al Jazeera, etc. McLuhan, Eron, Gerbner, Paglia, Znaimer and other Dubai, the emerging media headquarters of the Middle Ea theories of media effects on society. Worldwide media empires. Rupert Murdoch, etc.

Nov 20 – TBA Nov 22- Thanksgiving- No class

Take-home PART B of Final Examination passed out in class. Scope of PART A of Final Exam explained. Students complete course evaluation forms.

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