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Welcome to Media 4:

Introduction to Mass Communication

Summer 2024, Sections 8062 and 8142

Syllabus| Modules | Announcements

You're starting on a 6-week journey through Weeks/Units in order to reach your goal of understanding our current media landscape. To do this, you need to navigate through tasks concentrating on several topics per week. Your knowledge builds as your experience increases.

This course provides an overview of mass communications, including its history, theories, and impact on society. Students will explore various forms of mass media, such as print, broadcast, digital, gaming and social media, and examine the role of mass communication in shaping public opinion, culture, and democratic processes. Through lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities, students will develop a foundational understanding of the field of mass communications and its relevance in today's rapidly evolving media landscape.

In addition, this class is designed to provoke critical thinking about the structure, content, and effects of mass communication. In other words, we learn a lot about what we do every day – use, consume, and create media. For many of us, we greatly underestimate how entwined our lives are with mass communication.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Evaluate the historical development of print, electronic, and digital media.
• Analyze the economic, social, technological, and aesthetic impacts of the media on culture.
• Critically analyze the ways in which the media have influenced mass consciousness.
• Gather, identify, and interpret mass media overt and covert messages.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the media’s impact on their daily lives.

Course Outline:

There are 6 Modules (Weeks) in this course. Content has been modified to accommodate Independence Day.

• Complete the "Getting Started" Module, including familiarizing with course apps & sites

Module 1: Introduction to Mass Communications (Getting Started Module and Chapters 1 & 2)

• Overview of the course and its objectives
• Historical development of mass communications
• Theories and models of mass communication
• Theories of media effects
• Impact of media on public opinion and behavior
• Audience analysis and media research methods

Module 2: Media Business, Globalization, and Print Media (Chapters 3, 11 & 4)

• Global media flows and cultural imperialism
• International media systems and challenges
• Media and democracy in a global context
• Evolution of print media

Module 3: Digital Media, New Technologies, Gaming and Social Media (Chapters 9 & 10)

• Rise of digital media
• New technologies, new contexts
• Social media platforms and their impact
• Evolution of video games

Module 4: Broadcast, Audio and Visual Media (Chapters 6, 7, & 8)

• Introduction to broadcast media (Radio and Television)
• Recording technologies
• Musical influence on behavior and culture
• Development and Impact of Movies

Module 5: Journalism, Advertising, and Public Relations, and Law/Regulation (Chapters 5, 12 & 13)

• Functions and roles of journalism
• Ethical considerations in journalism
• Online journalism and citizen journalism
• Advertising and its techniques
• Public relations and its role in mass communications
• Ethics in advertising and public relations

Module 6: Mass Communication Law, Regulation, and Ethics (Chapters 14 & 15)

• First Amendment rights and limitations
• Legal and regulatory issues in mass communications
• Ethical considerations in media practices

Module Requirements:

• Textbook Reading - it is required that you complete the text reading for each level of the module before beginning the other tasks.
• Current Article Reading - these enhance text readings and contain current events/information.
  • Reading Quizzes - take an objective quiz at the end of each unit to see how well you learned the concepts.
• Instructor Lecture Viewing - more information, including videos.
  • Lecture Quiz Responses - answer objective questions about information presented in the video lecture
• Terminology Flashcards - read and review for possible Journal topics.
  • Online Journal - Using Padlet, each student creates a Journal post for every Unit.
  • Discussion Board - answer assigned discussion questions within a group and respond to other students.

Assessment Methods:

• Quizzes assessing knowledge of course materials
• Journals analyzing media messages and applying course concepts
• Participation in class discussions and activities

Getting Started

This course follows a module structure. Get started now by clicking on Modules in the course menu or the above link. If you are on a desktop computer and the course menu is not visible, click on the  to expand it.

Contact Me

Instructor: Linda Schoen

Email: media4tchr@gmail.com I respond to emails with 24 hours. You may also use the Canvas Inbox Links to an external site. to send me a message. I can receive texts and calls at 707-486-2761.

Zoom Sessions: Please choose one Introductory Meeting time and register.

Office Hours: Can be arranged remotely.

Begin the course by clicking on the Modules tab on the left side of the screen or the "enter" image above. If the Modules tab is not visible, click on the navigation icon to expand the Course Navigation menu.