Hunter College Department of Film and Media Studies. Media 180 Introduction to Media Studies Fall 2012

Transcription

1 Hunter College Department of Film and Media Studies Media 180 Introduction to Media Studies Fall 2012 Lectures: Mon., Wed., 12:10-1:00 p.m. (HW 615) Sections: , 140, & 154 Lecturer: Robert Henry Stanley Office: 425D HN; address: Office hours: M & W 4:05-5:35 PM Discussion Section Instructors: Stephanie Rabins ss.rabins@gmail.com Section 96: M 10:10-11:00(HW1143) Section 99: M 9:10-10:00(HHW1143) Section 102: W 10:10-11:00 (HNC111) Section 154: W 9:10-10:10(HNC111) James Wagstaff andrewwagstaff.fm@gmail.com Section 101: M 10:10-11:00(HNC114) Section 140: W 11:10-12:00(HNC111) Kelly Spivey spiveykelly@gmail.com Section 100: W 10:10-11:00(HN504) Section 97: W 11:10-12:00(HN504) Angela LaSalle angela.a.lasalle@gmail.com Section 95: M 10:10-11:00(HNC113) Section 98: M 9:10-10:00(HNC113) Course Description: The media of mass communication are pervasive and ubiquitous and their influence is obviously profound. The development of books, newspapers, magazines, broadcasting and movies, and the growth of the World Wide Web and instantaneous global communication by means of orbiting satellites, have left few spheres of human existence untouched. This course provides an introductory understanding of the nature and functions of the communications media and the influences that they have on us as individuals and as a society. Particular attention is given to the social, political, economic and cultural factors that shape mass communication. 1

2 Each Monday and Wednesday (12:10-1:00 p.m.) we will meet for a common lecture session in 615 HW, where general themes will be introduced and developed. Lecture titles and related readings are included in the class schedule that follows. Once a week you will also meet in the discussion sections for which you have registered. Your section instructor will review the assigned readings. You should carefully study the assigned reading prior to the scheduled date so that you will be able to participate in class discussion and follow the lecture. (The times and locations of the discussion sections are listed in the Hunter College Schedule of Classes.) Readings: The required textbook for this course is Ralph E. Hanson s Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, 3rd. Ed., (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2011). It is available for purchase at the Hunter College Bookstore. The full-color e-book format of this text is also available for purchase at a cost of $45 at: You are also expected to read the assigned book excerpts posted on the Blackboard site for the course (bb.hunter.cuny.edu). Attendance, Punctuality, and Participation: Class participation is an essential part of this course. You should come to class prepared to discuss and analyze the assigned reading. Attendance is required at both the lectures and the discussion sessions. Frequent lateness (more than twice), poor attendance, or inadequate participation will adversely affect your final grade. You are permitted one unexcused absence. For each additional unexcused absence two points will be taken off your final grade point average. If you anticipate being absent from class, please notify your discussion instructor via at the earliest opportunity. Whispering, sleeping, text messaging, ing, web browsing or the like while someone is lecturing or leading a formal discussion is not only highly distracting but also extremely rude. If you engage in any of these activities during lecture or discussion, you will receive an alert from your discussion instructor. If such behavior persists, you will be marked absent or asked to drop the course. To avoid problems, please turn off ALL electronic devices for the entire time you are in class. The use of laptop computers is not permitted during the lectures or the discussion sections. 2

3 Examinations, Assignments, and Evaluation: There will be four quizzes in the discussion sections during the semester (two before the midterm and two after). There will also be a midterm examination in the lecture hall, and a final examination during Final Exam Week. In addition, there is a short paper (see addendum for details). Your final grade in the course will be determined as follows: Midterm Examination 20% Final Examination 20% Average of the four (4) quizzes (you may drop your lowest quiz grade if you have no more than one unexcused absence) 20% Writing Assignment 20% Class Participation 20% You may only makeup a quiz or an exam if you have a legitimate excuse acceptable to your discussion instructor. Late papers will not be accepted unless you are seriously ill or otherwise physically incapacitated. Topics, Readings, Assignments, and Examination Schedule 8/27(M) 8/29(W) 9/3(M) 9/5(W) Course Overview Read Hanson, Preface, pp. xxi-xxxiii, and Ch. 1, Living in a Media World, pp. 2-37; and What is Culture? on the Blackboard site. Mass Communication: Key Terms and Concepts Review the reading assignment for 8/27(M) Labor Day College is Closed Measuring Media Influence Read Hanson, Ch. 2, Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media Interact, pp , and L. Mlodinow, Chapter 7, Sorting People and Things, Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, on the Blackboard site 3

4 9/10(M) 9/12(W) 9/17(M) 9/19(W) 9/24(M) 9/26(W) 10/1(M) 10/3(W) 10/8(M) Research Approaches in Perspective Review the reading assignment for 9/5(W) Printing, Books and Cultural Change Read Hanson, Ch. 4, Books: The Birth of the Mass Media, pp ; and R.H. Stanley, The Rise of Print Culture on the Blackboard site. No classes scheduled Books as Mass Communication Review the reading assignment for 9/12(W) News and the Emergence of Popular Newspapers Read Hanson, Ch. 6, Newspapers: Reflection of a Democratic Society, pp No classes scheduled The Advent of Movies Read Hanson, Ch. 8, Movies: Mass Producing Entertainment, pp Movies in the Postwar Era Review the reading assignments for 10/1(M). College is Closed No Classes 10/10(W)* Popular Music and the Music Industry Read Hanson, Ch. 7, Sound: Music and Talk Across the Media, pp *Classes follow a Monday schedule 10/15(M) Rise of Radio Review the reading assignment for 10/1(M), and read the excerpts from R. H. Stanley, Television s Roots in Radio on the Blackboard site 4

5 10/17(W) 10/22(M) 10/24(W) 10/29(M) 10/31(W) 11/5(M) 11/7(W) 11/12(M) 11/14(W) 11/19(M) Radio Programming Review the reading assignment for 10/15(M) as well as the excepts from R. H. Stanley, Television s Roots in Radio on the Blackboard site Radio Today Review the reading assignment for 10/15(M) as well as the excepts from R. H. Stanley, Television s Roots in Radio on the Blackboard site ***MIDTERM EXAMINATION*** (12:10-1:30 PM, in the lecture hall) Television as a Cultural Force Read Hanson, Ch. 9, Television: Broadcast and Beyond, pp , and the excerpts from R. H. Stanley, On Television on the Blackboard site Cable Television Review the reading assignment for 10/29(M) Internet & World Wide Web Read Hanson, Ch. 10, The Internet: Mass Communication Gets Personal, pp Mass Communication in the Internet Age Review the reading assignment for 11/5(M) Paper Assignment Look at the campaign ads from at least five different presidential elections on the American Museum of the Moving Image s The Living Room Candidate website Mass Media and the First Amendment Read Hanson, Ch. 13, Media Law: Free Speech and Fairness, pp Legal Restrictions on the Mass Media Review the reading assignment for 11/14(W) 5

6 11/21(W) 11/26(M) Legal Restrictions continued. Read the comprehensive summary of U.S. copyright law at Copyright & the First Amendment Review the reading for 11/21(W) and read "Internet Pirates Will Always Win," New York Times, August 5, 2012 at 11/28(W)** Media Business & Ethical Concerns Read Hanson, Ch. 3, The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long Tail, pp , Ch. 14, Ethics and the News, pp **Papers are due IN LECTURE; please submit to discussion instructors. 12/3(M) 12/5(W) 12/10(M) 12/12(W) 12/19(W) Growth of Advertising Read Hanson, Ch. 11, Advertising: Selling a Message, pp ; and Ch. 14, Advertising, pp Advertising Appeals Review the reading assignment for 12/3(M) Public Relations in Perspective Read Hanson, Ch. 12, Public Relations: Manufacturing the News, pp ; and Ch. 14, Ethics in Public Relations, pp Public Relations continued. Review the reading assignment for 12/10(M) ***FINAL EXAMINATION*** (11:30-1:30 pm, in the lecture hall) 6

7 Writing Assignment Due in Lecture, 11/28/12 Analysis of two TV ads from the same presidential election campaign: With the advent of television, presidential candidates have increasingly relied on the tools of fictional filmmaking (script, visuals, sound, editing, and performance) to distill major campaign themes into a few powerful images and sounds. Drawing upon the materials available on the American Museum of the Moving Image s The Living Room Candidate website, select a presidential campaign and analyze one commercial used by the Republican and one used by the Democratic candidate to communicate a specific message either about a key campaign issue or some perceived weakness of the opponent. Compare and contrast the approaches taken in the two commercials, looking at their similarities and differences. What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of each commercial? In conducting your analysis, your task is to examine how each television advertisement aims to convince the viewer to vote for the candidate. It is crucial to place the ads in the proper historical context and then to evaluate their effectiveness based on the following criteria: (1) emotional appeals, (2) persuasiveness, (3) accuracy of factual claims, and (4) cinematic style. Complete the assignment in the following steps: 1. Select two presidential advertisements. Visit the American Museum of the Moving Image s The Living Room Candidate website: Select one (1) presidential election year. Select and analyze one (1) televised advertisement by the Republican candidate and one (1) by the Democratic candidate during that year. 2. Offer a brief description of each advertisement, noting their similarities and differences. Be sure to provide the title of the ads. The titles of the commercials should be surrounded by quotation marks: (i.e., Country I Love ). Explain in detail what images are seen and what sounds are heard in each ad. Clarify whether the combination of images and sounds in each ad work together to create a coherent narrative about the candidates. And what central issue are the ads addressing? Is it a public issue (i.e., taxes, foreign affairs, abortion, health care, etc.)? Or are the ads focused on the perceived strength of the candidate and/or the weakness of the opponent? In several cases, the ad might focus on one particular issue and 7

8 try to make a case for why one candidate would be the superior choice or why the other would be lacking with regard to the matter at hand. 3. Place the ads into the proper historical context. You should engage in historical research in order to understand the meaning of the ad. Ads sometimes address general themes that are relevant in any election year, but often ads are focused on timely issues or on the perceived personality traits of a candidate. If one candidate was perceived as weak on defense and the opposing candidate tried to capitalize on that in an ad, it is crucial that your essay includes data to establish how there was a widespread public perception about the candidate s position on military affairs. If an ad accuses a political opponent of being affiliated with a disreputable organization or corrupt businessman, it is your task to offer background information on this organization or person. This helps clarify why the association could be damaging to the candidate. 4. What are the emotional appeals of each ad? Does the ad aim to elicit a particular type of feeling from the audience (i.e., hope, fear, humor, etc.)? What images or sounds are used to help draw out this emotional reaction? For instance, does the ad use images of children to elicit an emotional response from the viewer? The emotional appeal can often distract viewers from more substantive issues. Remember that not all ads necessarily make an explicit emotional appeal. 5. Do the ads make a persuasive argument? First, does the ad identify a central issue? If so, does the ad make a rational argument for the advancement of its candidate s policies? How well developed is the candidate s central message? *** Whereas the emotional appeal aims for a visceral reaction from the audience, the persuasion of an ad is an attempt to convince the viewer through logic and reasoning. 6. Do the ads present any factual claims about its candidate or the opponent? Are these claims specific or vague? My opponent voted against the No Child Left Behind Act is a specific claim that could easily be verified. An ad where a candidate says my opponent is against education reform is a vague statement that could mean a variety of things since people of different political ideologies have different meanings for what constitutes education reform. Are these claims 8

9 presented with references to reliable sources? Even if the ad includes multiple references, do not assume the information is necessarily true. Engage in additional research to determine the veracity of the claims made in the ad. 7. How does the cinematic style of each ad help enhance the appeal of the candidates? How are the images and sounds used to help communicate a political idea? Does the music help compliment the message in the ad? Is the video edited in a way that reinforces the candidate s message? How do such visual elements (ie. camera position, lighting, composition, use of color, use of still footage and/or moving images) contribute to the meaning of the ad? Overall, do the aesthetic choices used by the makers of each ad strengthen the emotional appeal or persuasiveness of the ad? The end result of your research and analysis should be a well-organized, insightful four-to-five-page paper that adheres to the seven-point outline form above. The paper should be typewritten, double-spaced, with 12-point font and 1- inch margins. You should footnote all of your sources, including, where available, links to articles, advertisements and other sources of information. You should include at least four quotations taken directly from the sources you ve selected. Your direct quotes should be no more than a sentence or two and come from at least four separate sources. Moreover, you should consult at least five PRINT sources sources that, even if they are retrieved from an online database, also exist in print. (You may not use the assigned readings in this paper.) Be sure to use a proper style for citing your sources and for your bibliography or list of cited works you are welcome to use MLA (in-text citation), APA (in-text), or Chicago (footnotes), so long as you use it correctly. If you have never learned how to use a proper citation style or if you are not sure if you are using your chosen style correctly, take advantage of Hunter College s substantial library resources or visit the writing center. RESOLVED, that the Hunter College Senate requires that the following statement be included on all syllabi: Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic 9

10 Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures. 10