Request for New Course
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
REQUEST FOR NEW COURSE
DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL: POLITICAL SCIENCE
COLLEGE:
CAS
CONTACT PERSON: EDWARD SIDLOW
CONTACT PHONE:
7-3113
CONTACT EMAIL:
ESIDLOW@EMICH.EDU
REQUESTED START DATE: TERM____WINTER_________YEAR___2012________
A. Rationale/Justification for the Course
A revolution has unfolded in the structure and operations of the mass media in the United States. The
previous domination by an elite media composed of ABC, CBS, NBC, the New York Times, and the
Washington Post has given way to a proliferation of new networks, cable outlets, chat-rooms, bloggers,
talk radio, Web sites, and tabloid shows. In this course, we will discuss how the media have changed
over the last century and a half. What do these changes mean for American politics? How should we
evaluate this revolution in communications? How can the media do better?
B. Course Information
1. Subject Code and Course Number:
2. Course Title:
PLSC 360
American Politics and the Media
3. Credit Hours: 03
4. Repeatable for Credit? Yes_______
No__x____
If “Yes”, how many total credits may be earned?_______
5. Catalog Description (Limit to approximately 50 words.):
This course examines the relationship between the media and American politics. We consider the various delivery
mechanisms of news and information, and the impact of that information on both citizens and policy makers. From the
earliest newspapers to the most contemporary digital information flow, the dynamic role of the media and its
relationship to politics provide the basis for this course.
6. Method of Delivery (Check all that apply.)
a. Standard (lecture/lab) X
On Campus
X
Off Campus
b. Fully Online
c. Hybrid/ Web Enhanced
7. Grading Mode:
Normal (A-E)
x
Credit/No Credit
8. Prerequisites: Courses that MUST be completed before a student can take this course. (List by Subject Code, Number and Title.)
Miller, New Course
Sept. 09
New Course Form
9. Concurrent Prerequisites:
Code, Number and Title.)
Courses listed in #5 that MAY also be taken at the same time as a student is taking this course. (List by Subject
PLSC 112/113
10. Corequisites: Courses that MUST be taken at the same time as a student in taking this course.
(List by Subject Code, Number and
Title.)
11. Equivalent Courses. A student may not earn credit for both a course and its equivalent. A course will count as a repeat if an equivalent
course has already been taken. (List by Subject Code, Number and Title)
12. Course Restrictions:
a. Restriction by College. Is admission to a specific College Required?
College of Business
Yes
No
x
College of Education
Yes
No
x
b. Restriction by Major/Program. Will only students in certain majors/programs be allowed to take this course?
Yes
No
x
If “Yes”, list the majors/programs
c. Restriction by Class Level Check all those who will be allowed to take the course:
Undergraduate
Graduate
All undergraduates__x_____
All graduate students____
Freshperson
Certificate
Sophomore
Masters
Junior
Specialist
Senior
Doctoral
Second Bachelor________
UG Degree Pending_____
Post-Bac. Tchr. Cert._____
Low GPA Admit_______
Note: If this is a 400-level course to be offered for graduate credit, attach Approval Form for 400-level Course for Graduate
Credit. Only “Approved for Graduate Credit” undergraduate courses may be included on graduate programs of study.
Note: Only 500-level graduate courses can be taken by undergraduate students. Undergraduate students may not register for
600-level courses
d. Restriction by Permission. Will Departmental Permission be required?
Yes
No
(Note: Department permission requires the department to enter authorization for every student registering.)
13. Will the course be offered as part of the General Education Program?
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Sept. ‘09
Yes
No
x
x
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New Course Form
If “Yes”, attach Request for Inclusion of a Course in the General Education Program: Education for Participation in the Global Community
form. Note: All new courses proposed for inclusion in this program will be reviewed by the General Education Advisory Committee. If this
course is NOT approved for inclusion in the General Education program, will it still be offered? Yes
No
C. Relationship to Existing Courses
Within the Department:
14. Will this course will be a requirement or restricted elective in any existing program(s)? Yes
No
x
If “Yes”, list the programs and attach a copy of the programs that clearly shows the place the new course will have in the curriculum.
Program
Required
Restricted Elective
Program
Required
Restricted Elective
15. Will this course replace an existing course? Yes
No
x
16. (Complete only if the answer to #15 is “Yes.”)
a. Subject Code, Number and Title of course to be replaced:
b. Will the course to be replaced be deleted?
Yes
No
17. (Complete only if the answer #16b is “Yes.”) If the replaced course is to be deleted, it is not necessary to submit a Request for
Graduate and Undergraduate Course Deletion.
a. When is the last time it will be offered?
Term
b. Is the course to be deleted required by programs in other departments?
Contact the Course and Program Development Office if necessary.
Yes
WI
Year
No
c. If “Yes”, do the affected departments support this change?
Yes
No
If “Yes”, attach letters of support. If “No”, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of support, if available.
Outside the Department: The following information must be provided. Contact the Course and Program Development office for
assistance if necessary.
18. Are there similar courses offered in other University Departments?
If “Yes”, list courses by Subject Code, Number and Title
Yes
No
x
19. If similar courses exist, do the departments in which they are offered support the proposed course?
Yes
No
If “Yes”, attach letters of support from the affected departments. If “No”, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of
support, if available.
D. Course Requirements
20. Attach a detailed Sample Course Syllabus including:
a.
b.
c.
d.
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Sept. ‘09
Course goals, objectives and/or student learning outcomes
Outline of the content to be covered
Student assignments including presentations, research papers, exams, etc.
Method of evaluation
Page 3 of 14
New Course Form
e.
f.
g.
h.
Grading scale (if a graduate course, include graduate grading scale)
Special requirements
Bibliography, supplemental reading list
Other pertinent information.
NOTE: COURSES BEING PROPOSED FOR INCLUSION IN THE EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL
COMMUNITY PROGRAM MUST USE THE SYLLABUS TEMPLATE PROVIDED BY THE GENERAL EDUCATION
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE TEMPLATE IS ATTACHED TO THE REQUEST FOR INCLUSION OF A COURSE IN THE
GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM: EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY FORM.
E. Cost Analysis (Complete only if the course will require additional University resources.
Fill in Estimated Resources for the
sponsoring department(s). Attach separate estimates for other affected departments.)
Estimated Resources:
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Faculty / Staff
$_________
$_________
$_________
SS&M
$_________
$_________
$_________
Equipment
$_________
$_________
$_________
Total
$_________
$_________
$_________
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F. Action of the Department/School and College
1. Department/School
Vote of faculty: For ____9______
Against ____0______
Abstentions ____0______
(Enter the number of votes cast in each category.)
Department Head/School Director Signature
Date
2. College/Graduate School
A. College
College Dean Signature
Date
B. Graduate School (if Graduate Course)
Graduate Dean Signature
Date
G. Approval
Associate Vice-President for Academic Programming Signature
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
Date
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New Course Form
PLSC 360
American Politics and the Media
M & W 12:30-1:45pm
Prof. Sidlow
Ofc. 1024 Hoyt Hall
Hours: M & W 8:30-9:20am
11am-12n, 2-3pm and by appt.
esidlow@emich.edu
Political behavior, at both the institutional and individual levels, is conditioned by a number of variables. Organized
political parties, interest groups, issues, candidates and the mass media are chief among them. The media has been a
significant player on the political stage since the earliest newspapers in the late 18th century and the nature of the media
and its impact on politics continues to evolve and grow.
In the digital age, a revolution has been unfolding in the structure and operations of the mass media in
the United States. The previous domination by an elite media composed of ABC, CBS, NBC, the New
York Times, and the Washington Post has given way to a proliferation of new networks, cable outlets,
chat-rooms, bloggers, talk radio, Web sites, and tabloid shows. In this course, we will discuss how the
media have changed over the last century and a half. What do these changes mean for American
politics? How should we evaluate this revolution in communications? How can the media do better?
Course Format: Students are expected to attend class and complete the reading assignments by the
assigned time. This course will feature a variety of instructional techniques, including lectures, videos,
readings, paper assignments, discussions, and Internet materials.
Assigned Books:
Mass Media and American Politics, Doris Graber, 2010, CQ Press, Washington D.C.
The Boys on the Bus, Timothy Crouse, 2003, Random House, New York.
AIR WARS: TELEVISION ADVERTISING IN ELECTION CAMPAIGNS, 1952-2008, DARRELL M. WEST, 2009, CQ
PRESS, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Renegade: The Making of a President, Richard Wolffe, 2010, Crown/Random House, New York.
Media Viewing: There are a number of media outlets to which you should devote attention.
Throughout the semester, you should read a daily newspaper. EMU has an arrangement with the
New York Times whereby you can order the paper for home delivery, on campus or off
(nytimes.com/student). You can also pick up the NYTimes for free in the Student Center) You
should also watch the evening news on television and explore politically-oriented Web sites. Pay
attention to what gets covered, how it gets covered, and what the differences are across media outlets.
Videos and Documentaries: There are a number of videos and documentaries that we will
incorporate in this class. These presentations will only be shown in class during our course meeting
time. You need to come to class to see these materials. Videos will not be lent out!
Paper Assignment One: Choose a current political controversy and compare mainstream news
coverage (such as New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, or CNN) to that of “citizen media” (such as
Instapundit, DailyKos, Hot Air, Powerline, Talking Points Memo, or Little Green Footballs). Write a
2,500 word paper in which you analyze how citizen journalism compares to the mainstream news. Who
does the best job? Make sure you define your criteria of what constitutes “good coverage.” Your paper is
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due when we meet for class on Feb. 2. The paper is worth 100 points. Late papers are penalized two
points per late day.*
Paper Assignment Two: Pick a political commercial that aired during the 2008 presidential
campaigns and write an in-depth, 2,500 word analysis of it. Answer the following questions: How was
the ad put together? What audience was it designed to appeal to? What image was the candidate
attempting to project? How effective was the ad likely to be? In the appendix to your paper, include the
ad text and a description of audio/visual aspects of the ad. Your analysis is due when we meet for class
on March 7. The paper is worth 100 points. Late papers are penalized two points per late day.*
Paper Assignment Three: Write a 2,500 word research paper on media coverage of a policy issue.
Choose a public policy issue that you care about (such as abortion, immigration, health care, education,
crime, poverty, the environment, or foreign policy) and write a paper assessing the job reporters did in
covering that issue. Describe how different media outlets (television, newspapers, radio, or the
Internet) reported that issue, evaluate the differences in coverage, and make specific suggestions as to
how journalists could do a better job covering that issue. Your paper is due when we meet for class on
April 6. The paper is worth 100 points. Late papers are penalized two points per late day.*
Final Exam: There will be a cumulative final exam in this class during our exam period which will
cover material we have gone over in the course: readings, lectures, audios, and videos. The final is
worth 100 points. It must be taken at the time scheduled by the Registrar: 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, April
13.
Grades
There are four 100 point written assignments allowing 400 points total for this class. The grading scale follows:
369-400=A
360-368=A348-359=B+
329-347=B
320-328=B312-319=C+
288-311=C
280-287=C272-279=D+
249-271=D
240-248=DSchedule of Subjects**
1/5-1/10 Introduction: The power of the media.
Begin reading the Crouse book now.
Graber Ch. 1-4
1/17- No class, Martin Luther King Jr. Observance.
1/19-1/26 Media roots. 19th and early 20th century.
Graber Ch. 5-7
1/31-2/7 The radio arrives.
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2/2- First Paper due.
2/9-3/21 Television and Campaigns.
West, Air Wars
Graber Ch. 7-10
2/26-3/6 Winter Break
3/7 Second Paper Due
3/23-3/28 The rise and fall of the media establishment.
3/30-4/11 Internet and Citizen Journalism.
Graber Ch. 12
Wolffe, Renegade
4/6 Third Paper Due
4/13 11:30 am Final Exam
* I do not accept emailed papers. The reason for this is quite practical. We do not necessarily use the same word
processing programs. When I did allow emailed papers, I always had difficulty opening some of them, and my
computer froze from others. Consequently, I expect to receive a hard copy of your papers, stapled in the upper left hand
corner of the title page, pages in order, no binders, folders, petrochemical plastic covers, etc. You will properly cite
material in your papers. Wikipedia is not an acceptable source.
** Dates are approximate and based on winter 2011 calendar.
The course objectives will be addressed through our examination of the political, legal and behavioral context of American media,
the evolving nature of how media is delivered, and the changing impact of mass media on elections and politics. Students will be
exposed to a variety of methodologies, from sophisticated empirical studies to contextual descriptive analysis, which will afford
the opportunity to see how political scientists systematically examine the impact of independent variables on political outcomes.
Students will write papers on three different aspects of the relationships between politics and the media, and write a
comprehensive final exam, which taken together, will test whether the goals noted above have been met. Successful completion of
these assignments will require that students display acceptable writing skills as well as the ability to master and synthesize some
sophisticated social science material.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Media Ownership and Regulation
Aufderheide, Patricia. Communications Policy, and the Public Interest: The Telecommunications Act of 1996. New
York: Guilford Press, 1999.
Bagdikian, Ben H. The New Media Monopoly. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004.
Campbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass
Communication. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
Compaine, Benjamin, and Douglas Gomery. Who Owns the Media: Competition and Concentration· in the Media
Industry. 3rd ed. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum, 2000.
Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest. 2nd ed.
Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press, 2006.
Einstein, Mara. Media Diversity: Economics, Ownership, and the FCC. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum; 2004.
Graber, Doris, Denis McQuaiJ, and Pippa Norris, eds. The Politics of News, the News of Politics. 2nd ed. Washington,
D.C.: CQ Press, 2008.
Krasnow, Erwin G., Lawrence D. Longley, and Herbert A. Terry. The Politics of Broadcast Regulation: 3rd ed. New
York: St. Martin's Press, 1982.
Price, Monroe E., and Stefaan G. Verhulst. Self-regulation and the Internet. The Hague: Kluwer Law lnternational,
2005.
Zarkin, Kimberly, and Michael J. Larkin. The Federal Communications Commission: Front Line in the Culture and
Regulation Wars. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006.
Press Freedom and the Law
benjamin, Stuart Minor, Douglas Lichtman, and Howard A. Shelanski. Telecommunications Law and Policy. 2nd ed.
Durham. N.C.: Carolina Academic Press, 2006.
Carter, T. Barton, Marc A. Franklin, and Jay B. Wright. The First Amendment and the Fourth Estate: Regulation of
Electronic Mass Media. 7th ed. New York: Foundation Press, 2008.
Carter, T. Barton, Marc A. Franklin, and Jay B. Wright. The First Amendment and the Fourth Estate; The Law of
Mass Media. 10th ed. New York: Foundation Press, 2008.
Dienes, C. Thomas, Lee Levine, Robert C. Lind. Newsgathering and the Law. 3rd ed. Newark: LexisNexis/Matthew
Bender, 2005.
Heins, Marjorie. Not in Front of the Children: Indecency, Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth. New York: Hill
and Wang, 2007.
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Lewis, Anthony. Freedom for the Thought That We Hate. A Biography of the First Amendment, New York: Basic
Books. 2007.
Sadler, Roger L. Electronic Media Law. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2005. ''
Singh, Tatindra. Cyber Laws: A Guide to Cyber Laws, Information Technology, Computer Software, Intellectual
Property Rights. E-Commerce, Taxation, Privacy, etc., along with Policies Guidelines, and Agreements. 3rd ed. New
Delhi: University Law Publishing Co., 2007.
Sullivan. Kathleen M., and Gerald Gunther. First Amendment Law. 3rd ed, New York, Foundation Press, 2007.
News Making and News Reporting
Callaghan, Karen, and Frauke Schnell, eds. Framing American Politics. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press,
2005.
Emery, Michael, Edwin Emery, and Nancy L. Roberts. The Press and America: An Interpretive History of the Mass
Media. 9th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000.
Glasser, Theodore L., ed. The Idea of Public Journalism. New York: Guilford, 1999.
Jamieson, Kathleen Hall, and Paul Waldman. The Press Effect: Politicians, Journalists. and the Stories that Shape the
Political World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public
Should Expect. 1st rev. ed. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007.
McChesney, Robert W. The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communication Politics in the Twenty First Century. New
York: Monthly Review Press, 2004.
Overholser, Geneva, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, eds. Institutions of American Democracy: The Press. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
.
Schudson, Michael. Sociology of News. New York: Norton, 2003.
Sheppard, Si. The Partisan Press: A History of Media Bias in the United States. Jefferson, N.C., McFarland, 2008.
Van Zoonen, Lisbet. Entertaining the Citizen: When Politics and Popular Culture Converge. Lanham, Md.; Rowman
and Littlefield, 2004.
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Weaver, David H., Randall A. Beam, Bonnie J. Brownlee, Paul S. Voakes, and G. Cleveland Wilheit, The American
Journalist in the Twenty-first Century. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum, 2007
Media as Policy Makers
Bausum, Ann. Muckrakers: How Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, and Lincoln Steffens Helped Expose Scandal, Inspire
Reform, and Invent Investigative Journalism. Washington, D.C.: National' Geographic, 2007.
Day, Louis A. Ethics in Media Communications. 5th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2006.
Fitzpatrick, Ellen F, Jacqueline Jones Royster, Jane Addams, Victoria Brown, and Victoria Bissell. Muckraking +
Southern Horrors and Other Writings. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008.
Lang, Gladys Engel, and Kurt Lang. The Battle for Public Opinion: The President, the Press, and the Polls during
Watergate. New York: Columbia University Press, 1983.
Miljan, Lydia, and Barry Cooper. Hidden Agendas: How Journalists Influence the News. Vancouver, B.C.: UBC Press,
2003.
Robinson, Piers. The CNN Effect: The Myth of News, F
and Intervention. New York, Routledge, 2002.
Robinson, Piers. The CNN Effect: News, Foreign Policy,
Sabato, Larry J., Mark Stencel, and S. Robert Lichter. Peepshow: Media and Politics in an Age of Scandal. Lanham,
Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000.
Seib, Philip M. The Al Jazeera Effect: How the New Global Media are Reshaping World Politics. Washington, D.C.:
Potomac Books, 2008.
Serrin, Judith, and William Serrin. Muckraking! The Journalism that Changed America. New York: New Press 2002.
Smith, Rebecca, and John R. Emshwiller. 24 Days: How The Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered Lies That
Destroyed Faith in Corporate America. New York: HarperBusiness, 2003.
Streitmatter, Rodger. Mightier than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History. Boulder:
Westview Press, 2008.
Media Influences on Attitudes and Behavior
Calavita, Marco. Apprehending Politics: News Media and lndividual Political Development. Albany: State University
of New York Press, 2005.
Comstock, George A., Erica Scharrer, and George A. Comstock. Media and the American Child. Amsterdam: Elsevier,
2007.
Entman, Robert M., and Andrew Rojecki. The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race in America. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2000.
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Grabe, Maria Elizabeth, and Erik Page Bucy. Image Bite Politics: News and the Visual Framing of Elections. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Graber, Doris A. Processing Politics: Learning from Television in the Internet Age. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 200 1.
Kubey, Robert, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Television and the Quality of Life: How Viewing Shapes Everyday
Experience. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1990.
Lupia, Arthur, and Mathew D. McCubbins. The Democratic Dilemma: Can Citizens Learn What They Need to Know?
New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Neuman, W. Russell, Marion R. Just, and Ann N. Crigler. Common Knowledge: News and the Construction of
Political Meaning. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.
Preiss, Raymond W., ed. Mass Media Effects Research: Advances through Meta-Analysis. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum,
2007.
Strasburger, Victor C., Barbara J. Wilson, Amy B. Tordan. Children, Adolescents, and the Media. 2nd ed. Los
Angeles.: Sage 2009.
Elections in The Internet Age
Adato, Kiku. Picture Perfect: Life in the Age of the Photo Op. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008.
Ceaser, James W. Red over Blue: The 2004 Elections and American Politics. Lanham, Md.:Rowman and Littlefield,
2005.
Hart, Roderick P. Campaign Talk: Why Elections Are Good for Us. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Hollihan, Thomas A. Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in a Media Age. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford, St. Martin's, 2009.
Just, Marion R., Ann N. Crigler, Dean E. Alger, Timothy E. Cook, Montague Kern, and Darrell M. West. Crosstalk:
Citizens, Candidates, and the Media in a Presidential Campaign. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Stromback, Jesper, and Lynda Lee Kaid, eds. The Handbook of Election News Coverage around the World. New York:
Routledge, 2008.
West, Darrell M. Air Wars: Television Advertising in Election Campaigns, 1952-2004. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ
Press, 2009.
Winograd, Morley, and Michael D. Hais. Millennia Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American
Politics. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
News From the Presidency and Congress
Arnold, R. Douglas. Congress, the Press, and Political Accountability Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004.
Cohen, Jeffrey E. The Presidency in the Era of 24-Hour News. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008.
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Fleischer, Ari. Taking Heat: The President, the Press, and My Years in the White House. New York: William Morrow,
2005.
Fritz, Ben, Bryan Keefer, and Brendan Nyhan. All the President's Spin: George W Bush, the Media, and the Truth.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 2004.
Kedrowski, Karen M. Media Entrepreneurs and the Media Enterprise in the U.S. Congress. Cresskill, N.J.: Hampton
Press, 1996.
Kerbel, Matthew R. Netroots: Online Progressives and the Transformation of American Politics. Boulder: Paradigm,
2009.
Kernell, Samuel. Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.; CQ Press, 2007.
Klein, Woody. All the Presidents' Spokesmen: Spinning the News; White House Press Secretaries from Franklin D.
Roosevelt to George W Bush. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2008.
Kumar, Martha Joynt. Managing the President's Message: The White House Communications Operation. Baltimore:
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007.
Pole, Antoinette. Blogging the Political: Political Participation in a Networked Society. New York: Routledge
Judicial Politics and Subnational Politics
Chiasson, Lloyd, Jr. Illusive Shadows: Justice, Media, and Socially Significant American Trials. Westport, Conn.:
Praeger, 2003.
Entman, Robert M., and Andrew Rojecki. The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race in America. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Fox, Richard L., Robert van Sickel, and Thomas L. Steiger. Tabloid Justice: Criminal Justice in an Age of Media
Frenzy. Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2007.
Haltom, William, and Michael McCann. Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2004.
Kaniss, Phyllis. The Media and the Mayor's Race: The Failure of Urban Political Reporting. Indianapolis: Indiana
University Press, 1995.
Lipschultz, Jeremy H., and Michael L. Hilt. Crime and Local Television News: Dramatic, Breaking, and Live from the
Scene. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum, 2002.
Rosenstiel, Tom, Marion Just, Todd Belt, Atiba Pertilla, Walter Dean, and Dante Chinni. We Interrupt This Newscast:
How to Improve Local News and Win Ratings, Too. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Surette, Ray. Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Images and Realities. 3rd ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2007.
Trend, David. The Myth of Media Violence: A Critical Introduction. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 2007.
Vermeer, Jan P. The View from the States: National Politics in Local Newspaper Editorials. Lanham, Md.: Rowman
and Littlefield, 2002.
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Media and Foreign Policy
Nossek, Hillel, Annabelle Sreberry, and Prasun Sonwalkar, eds. Media and Political Violence. Cresskill, N.J.: Hampton
Press, 2007.
Perlmutter, David D., and John Maxwell Hamilton, eds. From Pigeons to News Portals: Foreign Reporting and the
Challenge of New Technology. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2007.
Robinson, Piers. The CNN Effect: The Myth of News, Foreign Policy; and Intervention. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Seib, Philip. The AI Jazeera Effect: How the New Global Media Are Reshaping World Politics. Dulles, Va.: Potomac
Books, 2008.
Sylvester, Judith, and Suzanne Hoffman. Reporting from the Front: The Media and the Military. Lanham, Md.:
Rowman and Littlefield, 2004.
Current Trends in Media and Politics
Anderson, Bonnie M. News Flash: Infotainment and the Bottom-Line Business of Broadcast News. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2004.
Bimber, Bruce. Information and American Democracy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Coleman, Stephen, and Jay G. Blumler. The Internet and Democratic Citizenship: Theory, Practice and Policy. New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Davis, Richard, Diana Owen, David Taras, and Stephen Ward, eds. Making a Difference: A Comparative View of the
Role of the Internet in Election Politics. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008.
Ferguson, Charles. The Broadband Problem: Anatomy of a Market Failure and a Policy Dilemma. Washington, D.C.:
Brookings Institution Press, 2004.
McChesney, Robert W. The Political Economy of Media: Enduring Issues, Emerging Dilemmas. New York: Monthly
Review Press, 2008.
Mullen, Megan. The Rise of Cable Programming in the United States: Revolution or Evolution? Austin: University of
Texas Press, 2003.
Norris, Pippa. Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet in Democratic Societies.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
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Eaglemail
asarah@emich.edu
+ Font Size -
PLSC 360 course proposal
From : Angela Sarah <asarah@emich.edu>
Thu, Sep 15, 2011 08:16 AM
Subject : PLSC 360 course proposal
To : Angela Sarah <asarah@emich.edu>
----- Original Message ----From: "Geoffrey Hammill" <ghammill@emich.edu>
To: afleisch@emich.edu
Cc: "John Cooper" <jcooper@emich.edu>, "Edward Sidlow" <esidlow@emich.edu>, "Thomas Vosteen" <tvosteen@emich.edu>,
"Dennis Beagen" <dbeagen@emich.edu>, "Angela Sarah" <asarah@emich.edu>, "Diane L. Winder" <dwinder@emich.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2011 4:20:15 PM
Subject: Re: PLSC 360 course proposal
Prof. Fleischmann is accurate in his report on our meeting. All went well and we in EMFS have no objections to the course as
proposed. We discussed other possibilities for cooperation between EMFS and Political Science.
----- Original Message ----From: "Arnold Fleischmann" <afleisch@emich.edu>
To: "Diane L. Winder" <dwinder@emich.edu>
Cc: "John Cooper" <jcooper@emich.edu>, "Edward Sidlow" <esidlow@emich.edu>, "Thomas Vosteen" <tvosteen@emich.edu>,
"Dennis Beagen" <dbeagen@emich.edu>, "Geoffrey Hammill" <ghammill@emich.edu>, "Angela Sarah" <asarah@emich.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2011 12:41:43 PM
Subject: Re: PLSC 360 course proposal
Good afternoon, Diane. I was a few minutes late on June 3, but Ed Sidlow was already discussing his course proposal with Geoff
Hammill and John Cooper when I arrived.
John and Geoff had helpful suggestions regarding the course and cooperation between our departments. Ed will also use the
course as a way to promote CMTA programs. We were also reminded that our department had already responded favorably to
Henry Aldridge's request to include "Political Science in Literature & Film" (PLSC 320) as an elective option for some CMTA
programs.
Attached is the slightly cleaned-up version of the proposal that we used for discussion. You will be hearing from CMTA later
regarding the proposal for PLSC 360: American Politics and the Media.
Thanks,
Arnie
Arnold Fleischmann
Professor & Department Head
Department of Political Science
1002 Hoyt Tower
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
734-487-3113
afleisch@emich.edu
----- Original Message ----From: "Diane L. Winder" <dwinder@emich.edu>
To: "Geoffrey Hammill" <ghammill@emich.edu>
Cc: "John Cooper" <jcooper@emich.edu>, "Edward Sidlow" <esidlow@emich.edu>, "Thomas Vosteen" <tvosteen@emich.edu>,
"Dennis Beagen" <dbeagen@emich.edu>, afleisch@emich.edu
"Dennis Beagen" <dbeagen@emich.edu>, afleisch@emich.edu
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 2:04:15 PM
Subject: Re: PLSC 360 course proposal
Thanks, ya'll, for getting together to work things out/discuss. Does Dennis Beagen also need to be included? DW
----- Original Message ----From: "Geoffrey Hammill" <ghammill@emich.edu>
To: afleisch@emich.edu
Cc: "John Cooper" <jcooper@emich.edu>, "Diane L. Winder" <dwinder@emich.edu>, "Edward Sidlow" <esidlow@emich.edu>,
"Thomas Vosteen" <tvosteen@emich.edu>, "Dennis Beagen" <dbeagen@emich.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:42:14 AM
Subject: Re: PLSC 360 course proposal
I would be happy to meet with Prof. Fleischmann or Prof. Sidlow to discuss this course. I will be on campus Tues. and could meet
around a 12:30-1:30 meeting, Thursday before a 3:30 meeting or Friday around a 10-11 meeting.
----- Original Message ----From: "Arnold Fleischmann" <afleisch@emich.edu>
To: "Dennis Beagen" <dbeagen@emich.edu>
Cc: "Geoffrey Hammill" <ghammill@emich.edu>, "John Cooper" <jcooper@emich.edu>, "Diane L. Winder"
<dwinder@emich.edu>, "Edward Sidlow" <esidlow@emich.edu>, "Thomas Vosteen" <tvosteen@emich.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 3:19:45 PM
Subject: PLSC 360 course proposal
Dear Dennis,
We would appreciate it if you would run this proposal through your department for review. The proposal was tabled at the May 5
CAC Arts Subcommittee meeting. An earlier version was sent mistakenly with Track Changes markings. There might be some
overlapping content between this course and some in CMTA.
Media Research within Political Science
Research incorporating the media focuses somewhat more on political behavior than political institutions. Like many disciplines,
political science has spawned many subfields. That includes an organized "Political Communication" section with 370-440
members during the past year. That section, along with the Political Communication Division of the International Communication
Association, exercise leadership for the journal, Political Communication , which is issued quarterly by a major publisher
(Routledge): http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?issn=1058-4609&linktype=44 . This is in addition, of course, to articles
in our more general journals.
Media interest is broader than one organized section, however. For instance, many political scientists with media interests are in
the organized section on "Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Bahavior," which had 750-870 members during the past year. At
our last annual meeting, which had more than 7,000 registrants, there were 17 panels devoted to Political Communication:
http://apsanet.org/mtgs/program_2010/division.cfm?division=Z10D038 . Another eight panels covered "Information Technology
and Politics," while 23 panels were organized under "Public Opinion."
In addition, major presses such as Cambridge, MIT, and Princeton publish about the connections between politics and the media.
This focus is a key part of the University of Chicago Press series, Chicago Studies in American Politics, which includes News That
Matters: Television & American Opinion , by Shanto Iyengar of Stanford and Donald Kinder of U-M..
Institutional Comparisons
A course on media and politics has become standard in most departments around the country. Here are a few nearby examples. T
he University of Michigan actually splits media between two undergraduate courses: "Media and Public Opinion" (POLSCI 315) and
"Mass Media and Political Behavior" (POLSCI 484/COMM 484).
Wayne State offers "Mass Media and Politics" (Political Science 5050), which enrolls juniors and seniors, although graduate
students can also take the course:
Our modern print and electronic media have affected not only campaigns and elections but also how the institutions of
government operate. The course traces the evolution of the modern media and explores the ways in which they interact with and
shape the governmental process and the making of public policy.
Western Michigan offers an undergraduate course on "American Politics and the Media" (PSCI 3110):
An examination and analysis of the basic features of the mass media and their relationship to American politics from both a
political and historical perspective. Specific topics include the mass media as institutions in the American political system, media
influence on politics, regulation of the media, private and concentrated ownership, and the growth of new media technologies
such as cable, satellite and Internet.
Existing PLSC Courses and Instructor for the Proposed Course
At present, our majors get some exposure to the media in courses such as Campaigns and Elections (PLSC 357), Public Opinion
and Political Learning (PLSC 359W), and those dealing with Congress (PLSC 364) and the Presidency (PLSC 380). The proposed
course would shift from such incidental coverage to more focused treatment of the connections between the media and politics.
Professor Edward Sidlow designed the course. He is a long-time, award-winning teacher at EMU. Sidlow's teaching includes
courses on Congress and the Presidency. He has taught the proposed course once under a topics number. Sidlow's research
includes publications related to running for (and serving in) Congress, most notably two books from CQ Press: Challenging the
Incumbent: An Underdog's Undertaking (2007) and Freshman Orientation: House Style and Home Style (2004).
Bottom Line
We think this is a well-developed course that fills a gaping hole in our curriculum. While there might be some overlap with courses
in your department, it does not compete for General Education students. Nor would this class substitute for any in your
department. Other institutions seem to take an interdisciplinary approach to the media, and there might be such prospects
between our departments in the future.
Professor Sidlow and I will be happy to discuss this proposal with you and faculty members in your department, including before
the start of fall semester. Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Arnie