processes and technology of communication on societal and global levels

Course Description

This course delves into the processes and technology of communication on societal and global levels accomplished through the print and electronic media. Content of communication studied ranges from journalism, entertainment, commerce, and advocacy to personal communication on the Internet. The dynamic changes that have taken place and are evolving today in mass media and mass communication will be considered along with predictions about the role of mass communication.

Policies

Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents:

• University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document.
• Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.

Course Materials

Rodman, G. R. (2010). Mass media in a changing world: History, industry, controversy (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Participation Participate in class discussion. 09/16/13 20
Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. [Refer to syllabus for Wk 2 Discussion Questions and submit your answers as attachments via your Assignment Page. Support your answers by quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing from the text book]. Be prepared to discuss questions in class.
09/16/13 20
Individual
Print Media Comparison Assignment Read and cite two articles in the University Library on a current event or issue. One article should come from a newspaper and the other from a magazine or journal. The key factor is that they come from the University Library, with accurate citations provided to allow anyone in class to find the articles.

Write a 700-word analysis of the similarities and differences between the coverage in forms of media. Include speculations about the reasons for the differences.

Format your analysis consistent with APA guidelines. 09/16/13 50
Learning Team
Web Excursion Assignment on Media Criticism Select a current media issue you find noteworthy from one of the following websites devoted to media criticism:

• www.alternet.org
• www.aim.org
• www.fair.org
• www.mrc.org

Write a 1,200- to 1,300-word paper that analyzes a current media issue from three perspectives:
• As an impact issue
• As a legal issue
• As an ethical issue
Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. [Refer to syllabus for Wk 3 Discussion Questions and submit your answers as attachments via your Assignment Page. Support your answers by quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing from the text book]. Be prepared to discuss questions in class.
09/23/13 20
Learning Team Instructions Complete a rough draft of the Final Learning Team Paper and Presentation assignment.
Compile a list of references.
Individual
Sex and Violence Paper
Write a 1,200- to 1,300-word paper analyzing the influence on young people under the age of 18 of sex and violence portrayed in movies, television, and video games. What is your opinion? What do research experts say about the effects on young people?

Find and analyze opposing conclusions by citing research experts in at least four references from peer-reviewed scholarly journals.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Power Point Presentation — Individual 09/23/13 150
Learning Team
Final Learning Team Paper Outline and References Prepare a 2- to 3-page formal outline covering initial preparation for the final paper. The outline must have a thesis, major topics, sub-points, key supporting evidence, and conclusions.CLICK HERE TO GET MORE ON THIS PAPER.....

Note: You are required to use ONLY the Outline template posted by the instructor in the Course Materials Section. (You can access Course Materials from the Main Forum; it is on the left side of the page.)

NO OTHER VERSION of the OUTLINE WILL BE ACCEPTED. DO NOT USE THE UOP ISSUED OUTLINE in the Center for Writing Excellence (CWE).

Complete an annotated reference list. The list shows work that is cited in the paper and must include at least three peer-reviewed scholarly journals per team member.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. 09/23/13 50

Week Four: Information, Persuasion, and Mass Communication
Details Due Points
Objectives 4.1 Analyze the impact of electronic news.
4.2 Assess the influence of the practice of public relations.
4.3 Critique the role of advertising in contemporary society.
Readings Read Ch. 11–13 of the text.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Participation Participate in class discussion. 09/30/13 20
Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. [Refer to syllabus for Wk 4 Discussion Questions and submit your answers as attachments via your Assignment Page. Support your answers by quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing from the text book]. Be prepared to discuss questions in class.
Write a 700- to 850-word analysis that addresses the following questions:

• Who was the target audience?
• What was the intended effect?
• Was the advertisement misleading or not and how?

Choose an organization, business, or corporation.

Search the organization’s, business’s, or corporation’s website for a recent press release. Titles might include words such as public relations, media relations, or news.

Write a 700- to 850-word critique depicting the effectiveness of a press release.

Include a short synthesis of the main differences between advertising and public relations.

Attach the press release and a copy of the advertisement to your paper.
• For Local Campus students, these are oral presentations accompanied by Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations.
Number slides for presentation 25 to 30 10/07/13 150

Optional Discussion Questions

Week One Discussion Questions

• Has media had an influence in your life? If so, in what ways? Consider the media you use, including print, broadcast, digital, and entertainment media.

• In what ways does mass communication differ from interpersonal communication?

• What is meant by convergence? Why is it important in mass communication?

• How did the telegraph and the Associated Press change the style of journalistic writing?

• What characteristics make American media unique and contribute to their dominance overseas?

• What are the reasons for corporate media growth? How do these reasons relate to media products?

• What is the difference between horizontal and vertical integration of media companies?

• Media conglomerates are getting bigger, with more media companies concentrating into fewer hands. Do you think this is a positive or a negative trend? Why?

• Why is the media’s relationship with government important? What forms does that relationship take?

• What are the different definitions of censorship? What is the legal definition?

• How do impact, legal, and ethical issues differ? How are they related?

Week Two Discussion Questions

• What are the major changes in form that books have taken through time?

• Many scholars believe we have moved from living in a print culture to living in an electronic media culture that is similar to an oral culture. They argue that people get their most important information from so-called conversations of radio and television. Do you agree or disagree?

• What were the keys to the success of the mass-market paperback?

• Do you think e-books are the wave of the future? Why or why not?

• When, if ever, is book censorship justified? Use examples to explain your answer.

• What role did the newspaper industry play in the American Revolution and the formation of the new nation?

• What was yellow journalism? From where did the name come?

• How are newspapers adapting to the Internet?

• What are the major support services on which newspapers rely? What does each provide?

• What are the three stages of media development? What occurs in each stage?

• What events toward the end of the 19th century enabled general interest magazines to become mass circulation magazines?

• How have magazines adapted to new media over the years?

• Compose a mission statement for your favorite magazine. Who does it seek to serve? In what way does it attempt to be unique?

• How do images cause controversy in the magazine industry today?

• Why are magazines expected to be even more diligent in terms of truth and accuracy than newspapers are?

Week Three Discussion Questions

• How and why did the movie industry change after the advent of television?

• How have movie audiences changed since the golden age?

• How reliable is anecdotal evidence that movie violence causes violence in real life?

• How does film censorship in the United States compare with censorship in other countries?

• What technological advances helped create the high-fidelity era of the 1950s?

• How does the blockbuster syndrome affect the music industry?

• Commercial radio became the norm in the United States, whereas many other countries adopted a government-owned model used for education and culture. How would America be different today if the U.S. government owned and operated radio?

• How does National Public Radio differ from commercial radio?

• What are the primary controversies in the radio industry today?

• Many early television programs came from radio. As these programs became visual, how did the family viewing experience differ? What effects did this have on families?

• How does syndication differ from network programming?

• Why do some consider television the most controversial of all media?

• What are the major components of the Internet’s architecture?

• Should the Internet be regulated? If you were in charge, how would you regulate it?

• What is the main argument against censorship on the Internet?

Week Four Discussion Questions

• Television added a visual dimension to news. How did this change the substance of the news? What were the pros and cons of this change?

• How did radio, television, and the Internet affect the way news is presented?

• Which is the most essential news value: audience interest, importance, or the story’s timeliness? Why?

• What are the different types of political bias of which news organizations are often accused? Should reporters forfeit political involvement, including party registration and voting? What would be the benefits and detriments of such a policy?

• What are the general activities of public relations professionals?

• What are the main tools used by public relations professionals?

• What is spin? How do public relations practitioners view it differently than critics?

• What are some public relations tactics critics consider to be of questionable ethics?

• How do modern advertising agencies differ from brokers?

• Researchers have shown that subliminal persuasion does not work, yet some critics insist the constant barrage of regular advertising keeps certain brand names in the consumer’s mind, making it seem natural to subconsciously reach for the brand on the store shelf. Do you think this is a form of subliminal advertising? Why or why not?

• What are some advantages and disadvantages of the various media for advertising?

• How do advertisers influence the editorial content of the media in which their ads appear?

Week Five Discussion Questions

• When did people become concerned about the effects of media? When did systematic research into media effects begin?

• Do industry professionals have the ethical responsibility to produce society-making media rather than segment-making media? Why or why not?

• What are some theories that have derived from the social science perspective? What are their main ideas?

• How do the findings of media research differ from conventional wisdom?

• What are some limitations of social science research?

• What is the industry’s typical response to the charge that violence in the media causes violence in society?

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