Communications 240 Mass Media and Society - Spring 2009
Rhode Island College        Thrs. 2:00 - 5 PM                                           
Professor Philip J. Palombo
Office: Whipple 214       Office Phone: 456-8044
Hours:  I am typically available before and after class
and Tuesday 12:30 - 1:30 and Thursday 11:30 - 12:30

Please feel free to book appointments by Email  Email: ppalombo(AT)ric.edu       URL:http://www.ric.edu/ppalombo/courses/240/com240s09.html

KEEP THIS SYLLABUS I expect you to refer to it in the future for answers to questions you will undoubtedly have. It spells out what YOU will need to excel in this course.

This course will help you to:

- learn about the concept of information society and its economic, political and social implications
- understand the essentials of communications media and information technologies and industries
- understand the process and effects of media convergence and be a critical consumer of media
- understand and be critically aware of the effects of communications media on yourself, other individuals, social institutions, and societies
- anticipate how communications media will affect your career in media or in other fields
- learn about possible careers in communications.

Required Text:
Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology, 2008 Update, 5th Edition
ISBN: ISBN-10: 0495100471 ISBN-13: 9780495100478

Readings Required:

Evaluation Criteria and Percentage of Grade:

Midterm  (multiple choice/short answer)     20%
Book report/experience papers                  40%
Discussion/participation/online participation 20%
Final Exam Online Tutorial Quiz Chapters 6-9 (multiple choice/short answer) 20%

The exams will be multiple choice and short answer. They will be not be cumulative; they will cover the first, second and third parts of the lectures and readings.  Make-ups are given only for documented medical emergencies and only when the instructor is notified before the test.

Book reports, projects, experience papers course discussion and online participation will supplement tests.  There will be several short "reaction papers" on various media and a book that will be suggested. Specific directions for these assignments follow. 

For participation, you will be graded on informed participation in class discussion, that is, discussion based on the text, assigned reading, newspapers and other information sources, as well as your own thoughts, and on attendance, which I will regularly take.

The topic and reading schedule follows.  We will spend roughly two class days per topic/chapter.  We will assign some supplemental readings in class as we go.  Please read the material before class, the grade on your informed participation will depend considerably on that.

Approximate Schedule

January 22    Course Orientation
Discussions will be based on: Straubhaar & LaRose; Media Now, amongst other sources
January 29    "The Changing Media" - Chapter 1 Straubhaar & LaRose
February 5         Media & Society - Chapter 2    Straubhaar/LaRose
February 12       Books and Magazines Chapter 3 Straubhaar/LaRose
February 19       Newspapers     Chapter 4  Straubhaar/LaRose
                       Newspaper References       
February 26    The Recording Industry Chapter 5  Straubhaar/LaRose
March 4               Screening:  MANUFACTURING CONSENT:
                            NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE MEDIA
March 12            Spring Break 
March  19       There will be a Mid Term Exam (Tutorial Quiz) Chaps. 1-5 
March 26        Radio    Chap. 6  Straubhaar/LaRose
April 2          Film and Home Video       Chap 7 Straubhaar/LaRose
April 9             Television                Chap 8 Straubhaar/LaRose
April 16            The Internet       Chap 9 Straubhaar/LaRose
April 23             Public Relations Chap 10 Straubhaar/LaRose
April 30              Public Relations Chap 10 Straubhaar/LaRose
May 7               Complete EXAM - Online Tutorial Quiz NOTE Chapters 6-9              

Assignments  Assignment 1 Due Date February 26.

Produce a 2 page report on your findings for EACH of these three exercises. (3) 2 page reports.

1>         Analyze 3 of these newspapers in both paper and electronic form. One must include New York Times or the Boston Globe, the second is USA Today and the third is a local daily such as: Newport Daily News, Woonsocket Call, Providence Journal, Westerly Sun and report on the differences in content and your experiences in reading or listening to the various "texts." Report on how you believe their content is developed. For instance, there is a story on Page 6 about a dog that has been beaten and tortured, where did this story come from? How did it end up on the pages of the National paper - and how does it differ online service?

2>            do a brief analysis of what FM and AM stations are available in the Providence market, what formats those stations use, and what musical genres they primarily play. Please do not LIST all of them. Now determine who owns the station and whether they are a local or national owner. Discuss the relative merits of radio and record stores vs. online music distribution systems.

3>            List the various and Broadcast and cable Television channels available in the Providence/New Bedford market and determine who owns each. Now characterize their target audiences. Who is CBS or WB aiming for, as opposed to ESPN or BET or Discovery? Now look at these owners nationally, how many operations do they own and operate? Try to determine what sort of percentage of the overall US market they reach.

BOOK REPORT ASSIGNMENT Due March 26

Choose one of the following books or you can propose another to the instructor, but you have to get approval for it.  The books are available in bookstores and the library has most of them.  If you are counting on getting it out of the university library, start early, and check local public libraries, as well. This report is 2 pages as well.

1. The main issues the book raises that are relevant to the class;
2.  Examples of the those issues from the book (but don't recapitulate the plot or narrative of the book);
3.  If fiction, the similarity of the story to the media and society we have now, and/or the likelihood of such kinds of         developments really taking place; If non-fiction, the applicability of the book's analysis to what you see in media and society;

4.  Your personal reaction to the book, whether you agree with the author's predictions or analysis and why.

Lawrence Lessig, Code, The Future of Ideas Free Culture Code 2.0 (Who is Lawrence Lessig?)
Katie Hafner, Where Wizards Stay Up Late
Howard Rheingold, Virtual Community, Smart Mobs
Douglas Rushkoff: Media Virus or Coercion, Get Back in the Box, Screenagers: Lessons In Chaos From Digital Kids
David Shenk, Data Smog
Bill Gates, The Road Ahead
Marshall McLuhan, Gutenberg Galaxy, Understanding media
Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death, or Technopoly
Cliff Stoll, The Cuckoo's Egg
Steven Levy: Hackers, Insanely Great, Artificial Life, Unicorn's Secret
Tracy Kidder, Soul of a New Machine
Nicholas Negroponte, Wired Columns, Being Digital
Sven Birkerts.  The Gutenberg Elegies: the Fate of Reading in an Electronic Culture.

The following options are science fiction novels --dystopias, which show negative futures stemming from current trends.  These raise relevant questions about where information and media technologies may take us.  However, several of them do contain sex and violence, so I want you to consider whether that will bother you before you decide to read them.  I want your decision to be your own informed choice.

William Gibson, Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Difference Engine
Bruce Sterling, Islands in the Net, Hacker Crackdown
Neil Stephenson, Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon
Vernor Vinge, True Names
John Brunner, Shockwave Rider
George Orwell, 1984

More Details To Follow