Syllabus - Course Description

Catalog Description:

Overview of the history, structure, function and influence of print, electronic, and digital media and their support industries.

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to: 
1. Evaluate the historical development of the print, electronic, and digital media.
2. Analyze the economic, social, technological, and aesthetic impacts of the media on culture.
3. Critically analyze the ways in which the media have influenced mass consciousness.
4. Gather, identify, and interpret mass media overt and covert messages.
5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of media's impact on their daily lives.

Instructor Description:

You're starting on a journey through Modules/Units 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, journals and online text 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.

Several topics/issues/themes weave throughout this semester's class material: Artificial Intelligence, mis/disinformation, ethics, social media changes, privacy, and technology.

Topics and Scope

I. General Introduction to the Mass Media in Western and Non-Western Cultures
    A. The theory of mass communication
         1. The process of communication
         2. Media convergence
         3. Comparative media systems -- theories of the press
         4. Historical, economic and geographical influence on communication content and structure
         5. Cultural domination
         6. Differences between interpersonal and mass communication theory
    B. The history of mass communication
         1. Print as the first mechanical mass media
         2. The language of photography
         3. Electronic communication
         4. Digital communication
    C. The effects of mass communication
         1. The social effects of the media
              i. Cultural -- racial, ethnic, and gender perception
              ii. Individual -- personal needs, identity, and attitudes
         2. Audience fragmentation
         3. The aesthetic effects of the media
         4. The relationship between media and politics
         5. The strategies for critical awareness and visual literacy
         6. Overt vs. covert messages: identification and interpretation
II. Electronic Communications
    A. Radio
         1. History of radio
         2. The unrealized potential of radio drama
         3. Advertising and radio
         4. News and radio
         5. Education and radio
         6. Government and radio
         7. International radio
         8. Radio production techniques
    B. Television
         1. History of television
         2. Television genres
         3. Gender and racial stereotypes
         4. Film and television
         5. Advertising and television
         6. Journalism and the TV photo-essay
         7. Education and television
    C. Film
         1. History of film
         2. Film genres
         3. Synergy
         4. Branding
III. Digital Communication -- the Internet
    A. History of the internet's development
    B. Examination of uses
         1. Email, Instant Messaging, Skype
         2. Online communities
         3. E-Commerce
         4. News and information
         5. Entertainment downloading
         6. Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, and emerging social networks
    C. Impact on society
         1. "Global Village"
         2. Evolving language -- emoticons and online lingo
         3. Online education
         4. Telecommuting
         5. Social relationships
         6. Journalism and the internet
         7. Advertising on the internet
         8. Convergence: radio, magazines, TV, movies, music, ebooks
         9. Blogging
        10. File-sharing and piracy
    D. Wireless Web (mobile technology) and the Evernet
IV. Popular Music as Communication
V.  Legal Responsibilities of the Mass Media
    A. The five rights of the First Amendment
    B. The legal obligations of the mass media: privacy, pornography, copyright and freedom of information

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