SESSION SIXTEEN: LAP Presentations

Congratulations! You have now (almost) completed Introduction to Communication. Tonight, your final audio projects (StoryCorps or other) are due. To receive full credit for your project, it must include all items on the checklist. Tonight is also the final day to complete any late work, such as online journals or research papers. During tonight's class, we will wrap up any loose ends, examining our audio projects and planning our final party. The LAP Presentation is now the only remaining requirement. This will take place on the final night of class: January 9th, 2008.

On January 9th (from 6-8pm), we will hold a public presentation of our work. Please invite your friends and family (and bring lots of goodies!) to this event. We will share our audio portraits as a group, but each of you will be asked to give a brief (1-2min) introduction to your work. You can bring any photos or written work you would like to share as well.

Yvette St. Hilaire and her daughter Shannel at their StoryCorps interview (Nov. 07).

SESSION FIFTEEN: Lions for Lambs

Lions for Lambs (2007), directed by Robert Redford, stars Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. The film details the use of media (journalist Janine Roth, played by Streep) as a communication tool by government (Senator Jasper Irving, played by Cruise). In the film, Senator Irving invites Roth to report on a new war policy for Afghanistan, but Roth soon discovers she is not being asked to "investigate" a story as much as to "repeat" an already prepared statement.

The film's title is a derivation of Alexander the Great’s proclamation, "I am never afraid of an army of Lions led into battle by a Lamb. I fear more the army of Lambs who have a Lion to lead them" (Wikipedia). This idea is ever-present throughout the film, as young men are led (rather lambishly) into violence no one fully comprehends.

For next week... (12/19)
Project homework: Your final LAP is due next week.
Reading: Global Communications Media, pp. 495 – 527

SESSION FOURTEEN: The Conversation

The Conversation details the mental breakdown of a paranoid surveillance expert hired to spy on an adulterous couple. What happens when the spy believes he is the one being spied on? The Conversation was released in 1974 and was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Gene Hackman in a phenomenal performance as an "expert" with technology who begins to question his ethics. Is it enough to know how to use technology? Or, must we also know when (and when not) to employ its awesome power? Read more here.

For next week... (12/12)
Project homework: Work on LAP paper.
Reading: Media Ethics, pp. 465 – 492

SESSION THIRTEEN: Network

"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Howard Beale's rants appeal to a 1970's TV audience tired of ordinary, boring programming. When UBS executives discover they can "sell" Beale's anger, the station quickly gains a top position. But, this is one of many temporary successes (and failures) of a daily entertainment business. Nothing is certain. And, nothing lasts forever. Network premiered in 1976 and won the Oscar for best screenplay. Find a movie analysis here.

For next week... (12/05)
Project homework: Work on LAP interview.
Reading: Media Uses and Effects, pp. 391 – 429; Media Policy and Law, pp. 431 – 463

SESSION TWELVE: EXTRA CREDIT - Audio/Visual Rhetoric

NO CLASS ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST!
Mass communications can also be examined through the lens of rhetoric. Rhetoric is commonly considered the art of persuasion. While the term is most often used to discuss public speaking, rhetoric has rapidly evolved in the Twentieth Century to incorporate mass media techniques, such as photography and audio recording. Today, when audiences encounter a mass communication, such as a magazine advertisement or a public service announcement, the message often forms a subtle (or not-so subtle) argument. In other words, the message tries to convice the receiver (YOU) to agree with an idea or to do something (like buy the latest iPhone or vote for George W. Bush).

Mass communications use many techniques to persuade their audiences; these techniques (part of the art of rhetoric) generally use images and sound to evoke ethos, pathos or logos in viewers. Media literacy must teach us how to analyze (and critique!) these techniques, allowing us to make more informed decisions about the arguments being presented.

- EXTRA CREDIT JOURNAL -
Select any mass communication you have encountered during the past week. (A mass communication includes any communication presented to a mass audience, such as a subway poster, a radio or television broadcast, a magazine ad and so on.)

First, describe the communication using the SMCR model.

• Who sent the message?
• What is the message?
• What channel was the message sent thru?
• Who was the intended receiver?

Second, analyze your experience of the message using the concept of audio-visual rhetoric.

• What argument did the message make?
• What techniques did the sender you to persuade the audience?
• What function did the message serve?

SESSION ELEVEN: An Introduction to Public Relations

Tonight, we were lucky to have special guest Elsie Nwankwo of Cohn & Wolfe on hand to discuss the contemporary world of public relations. Ms Nwankwo introduced PR and discussed how PR differs from advertising. She presented four product phases important to a healthcare PR executive: 1) Preparing the market for a new product; 2) Releasing a new product; 3) Promoting a mature product; and 4) Retiring a "dead" product.

We thank Ms. Nwankwo for her visit.
If you have any questions or comments for Ms. Nwankwo regarding healthcare public relations today, please post them here.

Happy Birthday, Elsie!!

SESSION TEN: New Media

Although tonight's topic was new media, we spent the lesson discussing our StoryCorps documentaries. While this subject may seem unrelated to new media, it actually illustrates the interconnectedness that defines life in an "information society." The audio documents we create during our StoryCorps project will become part of a larger network of cultural information, social interaction and history. What could be more connected than adding to the Smithsonian's American Folklore Archive?

For next week... (Nov. 14th)
Writing Assignment: Journal 10 (below)
Project homework: Submit LAP questions (1pg) and background research (2pgs)
Reading: Public Relations, pp. 293 - 321; Advertising, pp. 323 - 355
Please come to class ON TIME next week. Guest Elsie Nwankwo, of Cohn & Wolfe, will present "PR 101: An Introduction to Public Relations Today."

- JOURNAL 10 - As you prepare for your StoryCorps interview, please take a moment to review the StoryCorps website. Select and listen to any audio segment posted on the site. How does the recording illustrate StoryCorps' motto that "listening is an act of love"?

Congratulations! You have just completed the last journal entry!!!
Now, it's time to work on our StoryCorps documentaries, proving that we too understand and practice the power of listening.

SESSION NINE: MUSEUM FIELD TRIP

For next week... (11/07)
Writing Assignment: Journal 9 (below)
Project homework: Final research paper (7-10 pages)
Reading: The Internet, pp. 255-291; The Communications Infrastructure, pp. 357-389

- JOURNAL 9 - DUE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH
Visit a museum of your choice. Respond to your visit by giving a brief summary, analysis and reaction, keeping the following questions in mind:

• Who created the museum? Why?
• What is the main message of the museum?
• Who is the target audience?
• Who is paying for the museum (ads, private sponsers, gov't grants, etc.)?
• What is left out of the museum? What biases are visible?

Here are a few helpful links to get your started:

• NYC Museums
• Museum of the Moving Image
• Lower East Side Tenement Museum
• American Museum of Natural History
• Ellis Island Immigration Museum
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museum of Modern Art

SESSION EIGHT: Visual Communications

This week, we move on to explore and to assess the meaning and the impact of visual representation. Beginning with a look at how moving images are created, we move on to think about the role of visual rhetoric in society today. Images (print, film and television) play a significant part in our understanding of ourselves, those we love (and hate) and the world around us. And, while every image "shows" elements of truth, it "hides" an equal amount. For example, if I take a close-up photograph of your eye, this image is a true representation of reality. It really is a picture of YOUR actual eye. However, you have two eyes, a mouth, a nose, two legs and so on... all real/true things that do not appear in the close-up photograph I have taken. The same can be said for every image I see on a magazine cover, in a film or on a news show. These images may give "some" truthful information about the world, but they don't show everything.

For next week... (Oct. 31)
Writing Assignment: Journal 8 (below)
Project homework: Work on research paper. Due November 7th.
Reading: Television, pp. 213 - 252

- JOURNAL 8 -

DUE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31st

After reading the article (Notes on the Construction of Reality in TV News Programmes), view and analyze a television news story (current or past). The segment you select can be broadcast on a Top 5 network, cable or Internet. Be sure to include the broadcast information (date, title, network).

• Who created the story? Why?
• What is the main message of the story?
• Who is the target audience?
• Who is paying for the story (ads, etc.)?
• What is left out of the story?

SESSION SEVEN: Women's Press Collective

This week, we had a great opportunity to witness grassroots media in action. Guests Lisa Daniels, Geneva Burch and Hector Lino spoke on behalf of WOMEN'S PRESS COLLECTIVE, a community of artists, organizers and activists using media to share their own experiences.

To learn more about Women's Press Collective, contact Lisa Daniels at 718-222-0405.

For next week...
Writing Assignment: Journal 7 (below)
Project homework: LAP contract (in class) and annotated bibliography (min. 3 sources).
Reading: Film and Home Video, pp. 181-211

- JOURNAL 7 - Find a radio program online (it can be a variety show, news program, music program, drama, etc. from any era). After listening to your program, describe its message AND the social function of its message (to disseminate information; to set an agenda; to entertain; to distract; to socialize; etc.). Be sure to include the source information for the show you selcted (eg. title, reporter, station, air date and time, URL).

Here are a few links you can use to help you:
Radio Lab
On the Media
Radio Lovers
National Public Radio
Public Radio Exchange
Mercury Theatre on the Air
Internet Archive of Radio Programs

EXTRA CREDIT: Select and LISTEN TO ONE of the six parts of Rick Karr's TechnoPop: The Secret History of Technology and Pop Music (NPR, 2002). Bring a summary of what you learned to class next week for extra credit on any late or missed journal entry.

The Life Arts Project: A StoryCorps Documentary

To complete the Life Arts Project requirements of COM105, all students must conduct an audio interview (I strongly recommend participating in a Storycorps interview!). In addition to the actual interview, students will finish all FIVE PHASES of the LAP: 1) select a subject; 2) prepare for the documentary; 3) complete the documentary; 4) complete the life arts project; and 5) present their work. Below is a checklist complete with due dates for each phase of the LAP.

To learn more about StoryCorps or to listen to sample interviews, check out the StoryCorps website. The site contains instructions on how to schedule your interview as well as a Question Generator to help you organize your LAP conversation. The StoryCorps reservation number is 800-850-4406.

IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR YOUR LAP, YOU MUST TURN IN THIS CHECKLIST ALONG WITH YOUR FINAL LAP ON DEC. 19TH. Simply click the image below for a printable view.

SESSION SIX: Sound Communications

This week, we begin our examination of the medium of sound. Sound communication includes music and radio, instrument and voice.

Edison's phonograph (1882) introduced the world to the wonder of mechanical sound reproduction, but his mechanical medium was quickly improved upon by the creation of electrical (1925) and digital (1982) media. Sound is a pivotal form of communication.

For next week...
Writing Assignment: Journal 6 (below)
Project homework: LAP proposal (1/2 page).
Reading: Radio, pp. 151 – 179

- Journal 6 - After reading the article Recordings and Surveillance Society, find one current example of the use of recording (sound and/or image) for surveillance. Who made the recording and why? What happened to the recording after it was made? How was the recording received, and how did it impact society?

SESSION FIVE: Newspapers

Before moving on to sound communications, let us linger for a moment with print. While newspapers used to be the dominate mass media, today print communications struggle to re-invent their channel. The prevalence of photojournalism and the addition of electronic versions are just a few forms of today's news "facelift." Let's examine the impact this has had on the journalism today by completing journal 5 (below).

For next week... (Oct. 10, 2007)
Writing Assignment: Journal 5
Project homework: LAP worksheet (in class).
Reading: Recorded Music, pp. 121 – 148

- JOURNAL 5 - After reading at least two of the articles below, describe the conflict between traditional journalism and blogging or "citizen journalism." React to the controversy by arguing for one of the two sides. How has blogging harmed or helped journalism today?

• How Blogging Changed Journalism - by Chris Mooney, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Kevin Sites and the Blogging Controversy - by Susan Mernit, Online Journalism Review
• Blogging, Journalism and Credibility - by Rebecca MacKinnon, The Nation
• Blogging as a Form of Journalism - by J.D. Lasica, Online Journalism Review

SESSION FIVE: IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE!!

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Gwen Tolliver-Luster, Director of the DC-37 Campus, School of New Resources. A prayer service will take place Wednesday, October 3rd, from 6pm to 6:45pm. The service will be held at Saval Auditorium on the 2nd floor of St. John's University at 101 Murray Street (across the street from the DC-37 Campus).

In lieu of this service, CLASS WILL BE CANCELLED for October 3rd. Please complete your journal 4 assignment online (as scheduled) and email your research paper bibliography to me at jenheuson@yahoo.com. Check the blog (above) for WEEK FIVE assignments. (Yes, you still have homework even though class is cancelled.)

SESSION FOUR: Books and Magazines

In this session, we strive to understand the evolution of print technology and its impact on society. Our focus is on the following questions: 1) How did print technology develop? 2) How has the content of print publications changed? and 3) What role did/do print media have in society?


FOR NEXT WEEK...
Writing Assignment: Journal 4 (see below)
Project homework: Research paper annotated bibliography in APA or MLA style (min. 3 sources).
Reading: Newspapers, pp. 87 – 118



- JOURNAL 4 -
Select a current news item and find two DIFFERENT print stories on the item. Include a reference of where you found each story. (Name of story/Author/Name of publication/Date)

• Analyze each news story using the SMCR model. (Eg. Who sent the story? What is the message? What channel is used to communicate? Who received the story?)
• Compare and contrast how the news item is depicted in each story. (Eg. How are the two stories similar? How are they different? Etc.)
• Critique the way the news item is covered in ONE of the stories. (Eg. What is censored or left out of the story? Is the story biased? Etc.)

SESSION THREE: Media and Society

Tonight's lesson examined the important connections between media and society through a discussion of three key questions: 1) How do media institutions work? 2) What is the relation between media and society? and 3) How do new media technologies spread in society? Media institutions today rely heavily upon media economics to sustain their influence upon society; understanding the significance of media marketing, the distribution of information and the desire for financial profit are essential to understanding media's role in the distribution of information and culture today.

There are a number of critical theories used to analyze media's role in modern society, including notions of political economy, semiotic analysis and functionalism, to name a few. Each theory relies heavily upon dissecting one or more of media's key functions: surveillance, interpretation, socialization, entertainment (and distraction), agenda setting, gatekeeping (censorship) and framing.

FOR NEXT WEEK...
Writing Assignment: Journal 3 (see below)
Project homework: Research paper outline (worksheet).
Reading: Books and Magazines, pp. 57 – 85
Bring a magazine to class next week.

- JOURNAL 3 - What are the social functions of the technology you have selected as your research topic? Which function is dominate? How has the technology been used to create and to distribute culture?

SESSION TWO: Communicating in the Information Age

Tonight, we began our investigation of communication technology by examining three crucial questions: 1) What is communication? 2) What tools aid communication? and 3) How have communication tools evolved? Communication is the exchange of information involving a sender, message, channel and receiver. This is known as the SMCR model of communication. Communication can take many forms including linguistic (language), nonverbal (body language), written text, sound, taste and sight. Almost anything can be a form of communication... the color of a shirt, the gait of a walk, the pitch of a word and so on. Communication forms change depending on the number and involvement of senders and receivers. The key forms are intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and mass.

Communication has evolved through four distinct social-historical time periods: pre-agricultural, agricultural, industrial and informational. During each of these periods, people communicated differently (and had different worldviews!) based upon the availability of communication technologies (or tools). A historical progression of communication could look like this: oral traditions (songs, folktales) -> written language (hand-copied books) -> mechanical (printing press, telegraph, photograph, etc.) -> digital (computers, internet). Today, we (in USA, Europe...) live in an information society. This means that the majority (50%) of our economy and workforce are involved in the buying and selling of information. Throughout the remainder of this course, we will attempt to discover what this fact means for our everyday lives (ethics, economics, politics, etc.)

FOR NEXT WEEK...
WRITING: Journal 2 (see below)
PROJECT: Research paper proposal (worksheet).
READING: Media and Society, pp. 29 – 54

- JOURNAL 2 - Using the communication technology you have selected as your research paper topic, discuss how the technology can be used for each of the following communication types: intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, large group and mass. For one of your examples, analyze the communication using the SMCR model.

SESSION ONE: Introduction

Our first class lingered on introductions and a review of the syllabus and course requirements - including online journals, a research paper, a life arts project and a final presentation. To view the course syllabus, schedule and project requirements, select the desired post from the Blog Archive section of the sidebar.

FOR NEXT WEEK...
READING: Preface and Chapter One, "The Changing Media"
PROJECT: Select a communication technology for your research paper.


Weekly journals must be posted to this site. Simply review the question below; select the "Comments" link; type your response in the text box - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SELECTED "Anonymous" - and click the "Login and Publish" button. And, voila, you're homework assignment is complete! Let's give it a try.

- JOURNAL ONE - What is communication?

Welcome to COM105!

Throughout this course, we will explore how communication technologies define and alter society, culture and community. Through an investigation of particular technologies, their histories and their social impact, we will gain a deeper understanding of the connection between media and society today. The evolution of a variety of media will be examined: including books, magazines, newspapers, recorded music, radio, photography, film, television and Internet. The myriad uses of media (advertising, public relations, storytelling, propaganda, documentation, education, etc.) will be explored as well.
To receive a passing grade in this course, students will be expected:

1. To purchase (and read!) the required course text Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology online or at Manhattan Books - 150 Chambers St.
2. To attend regular class sessions, field trips, guest lectures and film screenings.
3. To post 10 weekly online journal entries.
4. To complete a 7-10 page research paper.
5. To complete a Storycorps project for the LAP.
6. To give a final LAP public presentation.

SYLLABUS

THE COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE
SCHOOL OF NEW RESOURCES, DC 37 CAMPUS

COM105A - INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION

Fall 2007, Wednesdays 6:00-9:30 p.m.

Professor Jen Heuson

This introductory course presents a comprehensive survey of the communication field to beginning students by exploring the fundamental theories and contexts comprising the field. The seminar introduces students to communications theory and law; technological history; applied communications; communications arts. Through selected reading and a review of media samples, students will develop a basic understanding of the business, science, industry and aesthetics of communication. A Life Arts Project is required.

Course Objectives

1. Understand foundational communication theories. Define “communication” and outline its relation to technological evolution. Identify connections between society and media.
2. Explore how communication technologies define and alter society, culture and community. Examine the impact of emerging technologies on psychology and identity.
3. Recognize the historical development of communication technologies. Evaluate the evolution of print, sound, visual and new media, connecting each to their social impact.
4. Investigate a communication technology through writing and media critique.
5. Analyze readings, media samples and course lectures through weekly online assignments.
6. Document an oral history. Evaluate the interview and documentation process.

Course Requirements

• Students are expected to complete ALL required reading and assignments. Students will complete weekly journal assignments online.
• Students are expected to turn in a research paper in proper APA style with an annotated bibliography. Students will complete AND present a Life Arts Project.
• Students are required to attend and to participate fully in every seminar. Arriving late and leaving early will count against your final participation grade.
• Students are expected to attend all field trips, guest lectures and film screenings.

Required Texts

• Straubhaar, Joseph and Robert LaRose. (2006). Media now: Understanding media,
  culture, and technology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
• Hacker, Diana. (2007). A Writer’s Reference. (6th ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• A companion website is available here.
  

Grading

LAP 25%, Research Paper 25%, Online Journals 20%, Final Presentation 10%,
Class Participation/Attendance 20%

• Late assignments will be downgraded. The LAP will not be accepted late.
• The final presentation cannot be rescheduled. Students MUST attend to pass this class.
• Students who miss a class will be expected to complete the reading and view material screened for that week. Students will be allowed two excused absences. Each additional absence will result in a grade reduction of one letter regardless of reason.
• Students who do not attend field trips, guest lectures or film screenings will be counted absent. Missing such events will count toward the allotted two absences.
• Students are expected to be in the classroom when class begins, at the top of the hour, and to stay for the entire period. Students who leave early will be counted absent.
• The use of cellular phones is prohibited in class.

SCHEDULE

SESSION ONE: Introduction, September 5th
Discuss course syllabus – objectives, schedule, assignments, grading and text. Review writing requirements, and introduce online class journal. Ensure students can log on and post entries. Introduce research paper and Life Arts Project. Discuss definitions of “communication.”

SESSION TWO: Communicating in the Information Age, September 12th
Review contemporary communication technologies. Define “information age” and introduce media literacy and communication theories. Compare and contrast communication approaches.
- DUE SESSION 2 (9/12) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 1
Project homework: Select a communication technology for research paper.
Reading: Preface, pp. xvii – xx; The Changing Media, pp. 3 – 27

SESSION THREE: Media and Society, September 19th
Examine the connection between media and society. Evaluate the role of communication media in politics, culture, education and identity. Critique a number of media examples.
- DUE SESSION 3 (9/19) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 2
Project homework: Research paper proposal (worksheet).
Reading: Media and Society, pp. 29 – 54

SESSION FOUR: Print Communications, September 26th
Look at the history of print communications and examine the impact of print media on society, culture and psychology. Examine modes of representation unique to print technologies. Compare and contrast print examples, exploring the changing role of print in society and culture.
- DUE SESSION 4 (9/26) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 3
Project homework: Research paper outline (worksheet).
Reading: Books and Magazines, pp. 57 – 85

SESSION FIVE: NO CLASS - PRAYER SERVICE for DR. LUSTER, October 3rd
Please attend a prayer service for Dr. Gwen Tolliver-Luster in the Saval Auditorium on the 2nd floor of St. John's University at 101 Murray Street (across the street from the DC-37 Campus). The service will be held from 6-7pm.
- DUE SESSION 5 (10/03) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 4
Project homework: Research paper annotated bibliography in APA style (min. 5 sources).
Reading: Newspapers, pp. 87 – 118

SESSION SIX: Sound Communications, October 10th
Review the impact of audio communications and their significant connection to culture, society, politics and identity. Examine the transformation of music and oral history through the introduction of recording and radio technologies. Explore the significance of radio narrative.
- DUE SESSION 6 (10/10) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 5
Project homework: LAP worksheet.
Reading: Recorded Music, pp. 121 – 148

GUEST – Storycorps, TBA
Investigate methods used to document oral histories today. Review interview techniques and dialogue/monologue approaches. Students will schedule an audo interview (I suggest participating in Storycorps) for their LAP.

SESSION SEVEN: GUEST – Women’s Press Collective, October 17th
Explore alternative approaches to print communication. Analyze the political significance of print technologies through the dissemination of ideology and the construction of power.
- DUE SESSION 7 (10/17) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 6
Project homework: LAP proposal (1/2 page). Schedule LAP interview.
Reading: Radio, pp. 151 – 179

SESSION EIGHT: Visual Communications, October 24th
Look at modes of representation in a variety of visual media, including painting, photography, film, video and television. Examine the impact of visual communication today and explore notions of iconography, realism and rhetoric.
- DUE SESSION 8 (10/24) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 7
Project homework: LAP contract and annotated bibliography (min. 3 sources).
Reading: Film and Home Video, pp. 181 – 211

SESSION NINE: FIELD TRIP – Museum of Television and Radio, October 31st
Visit New York’s Museum of Television and Radio. Explore the history of television and radio broadcasting through a number of examples. Review radio technologies.
- DUE SESSION 9 (10/31) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 8
Project homework: Work on research paper.
Reading: Television, pp. 213 – 252

SESSION TEN: GUEST – Hill & Knowlton, November 7th
Learn what it takes to work in public relations today! Discuss how products, ideas and people are given a public face. Evaluate the framing of reality by image consultants and technologies.
- DUE SESSION 10 (11/07) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 9
Project homework: Submit final research paper (7-10 pages).
Reading: Public Relations, pp. 293 – 321; Advertising, pp. 323 – 355

SESSION ELEVEN: New Media, November 14th
Evaluate a brief history of new media technologies, including Internet and telecommunications.
- DUE SESSION 11 (11/04) -
Writing Assignment: Journal 10
Project homework: Submit LAP questions.
Reading: The Internet, pp. 255 – 291; The Communications Infrastructure, pp. 357 – 389

SESSION TWELVE: Media Uses & Effects, NO CLASS November 21st
Evaluate the impact of communication media on daily life and its uses in shaping public opinion.
- DUE SESSION 12 (11/21) -
Project homework: Work on LAP interview.
Reading: Media Uses and Effects, pp. 391 – 429

SESSION THIRTEEN: Behind the Scenes – Network TV, November 28th
Examine what goes on behind-the-scenes of a major network television studio.
Screening: Network. Dir. Sidney Lumet, 1976. (121 min.)
- DUE SESSION 13 (11/28) -
Project homework: Work on LAP interview.
Reading: Media Policy and Law, pp. 431 – 463

SESSION FOURTEEN: The Ethical Uses of Technology, December 5th
Examine the ethics of audio/visual recording in the first film about surveillance technologies.
Screening: The Conversation. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. 1974. (113 min.)
- DUE SESSION 14 (12/05) -
Project homework: Work on LAP paper.
Reading: Media Ethics, pp. 465 – 492

SESSION FIFTEEN: 15 Minutes of Fame, December 12th
How far would you go to guest star on your favorite late night variety show?
Screening: The King of Comedy. Dir. Martin Scorsese. 1983. (109 min.)
- DUE SESSION 15 (12/12) -
Project homework: Work on LAP paper.
Reading: Global Communications Media, pp. 495 – 527

SESSION SIXTEEN: LAP Presentations, December 19th
Evaluate LAP interviews and reflect upon the process of documenting oral history today.
- DUE SESSION 16 (12/19) -
Project homework: Final LAP due (7-10 pages and audio cd).

SESSION SEVENTEEN: Library Day, NO CLASS January 2nd
Evaluate and critique media examples and arguments encountered throughout the course. Prepare for public presentation of audio work.
Project homework: Prepare public LAP presentations.

SESSION EIGHTEEN: Public LAP Presentations, January 9th
Produce and attend a public screening of class life arts projects!!
- DUE SESSION 18 (01/09) - LAP presentations (2-3 minutes).

Screening material listed includes only full-length viewings. We will also examine numerous radio, magazine, news, television and film clips. Many segments will be screened in class, but you will sometimes be required to view media online.