HCC's Comm 1307
Intro to Mass Communication in the Electronic Environment
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About
This is the online syllabus for Comm 1307 – Spring
2012 – Alief Campus
Posted on January 11, 2012
Instructor: Geoff Roth (to find out more about me – click on “About”)
Credit: 3 (3 lecture) Pre-requisites: Students must be placed into college-level reading
(or take GUST 0342 as a co-requisite) and be placed into college-level writing (or take
ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite).
(NOTE: THIS IS THE BASIC SYLLABUS FOR COMM 1307. THIS SYLLABUS IS A
LIVING DOCUMENT LOCATED AT HTTP://COMM1307.WORDPRESS.COM AND
WILL BE UPDATED AS THE SEMESTER PROGRESSES)
The modern media landscape has changed dramatically just in the past few years, but is
still rooted in the history of how media has developed in the United States.
In this course students analyze communication theory and mass media in 21st century
society. Students also survey history, operation, and structure of the American
communication system. They identify major legal, ethical, and socio-cultural issues,
study basic communication theory, and the interrelations between media and the
individual, media and society, and media and the future. Career potential and job
prospects in today’s and tomorrow’s electronic culture are examined. This course is the
pre-requisite for students pursuing degrees in communications or journalism.
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The Basic Stuff
Posted on January 11, 2012
Here’s some basic info you need to know about this class.
The course # is Comm 1307 and the CRN is 84764
The course meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 12:30 pm in Room C101 on the
Alief campus.
Classes start on 1/17/12 and end on 5/13/2012
The best way to reach me is via email. My email address is geoffrey.roth@hccs.edu
Course Resources
Required Text: Campbell, R., Martin, C. R., Fabos, B. G. (2010). Media and Culture.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
ISBN-10: 1-4576-0281-4, ISBN-13: 978-1-4576-0281-8 (E-book)
NOTE! : We will be using the online version of the required text. This is good for
two reasons.
1) The online version allows me to edit and add material to make the course more
relevant
2) Renting the online version for the semester is a lot cheaper than having to buy the
book
Click on the E-book URL below to go to the website where you can purchase the online
access for the semester
Electronic Resources
E-book URL: http://ebooks.bfwpub.com/mediaculture8e.php
Companion web site link:
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/mediaculture8e/#t_661902____
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Goals and Learning Objectives
Posted on January 10, 2012
Bottom line – what we will are striving to accomplish in this course:
COURSE GOALS:
Students will be able to articulate the relationships and influences of culture and the mass
media to advance toward development as professionals in careers related to journalism.
Students will develop an informed critical perspective to participate in a debate over
media culture as a force for both democracy and consumerism. They will come to know
that part of this perspective entails a concrete understanding of media history, the
structure of media industries, and their major players. Students will be encouraged to
think beyond the simple facts and consider how the media influence and are influenced
by culture. Students will be asked to become cultural critics of media, connecting their
own consumption of media to the larger issues of citizenship and democracy. Students
will develop what is refered to as “Media Literacy” – understanding how to critically
analyze information that is presented in the media.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Mass Media and the Cultural Landscape:
By examining contemporary and historical trends, students will review mass
communication using a critical approach. The Internet and other new media technologies
will also be studied.
Sounds and Images:
Students will explore the impact of sound recording and popular music, radio and the
origins of broadcasting, the visual power of television on popular culture, cable
broadcasting, and the motion picture industry.
Words and Pictures:
Students will review the role newspapers have had on the rise of modern journalism, the
impact of magazines and their survival through specialization, and the power of print
through books.
The Business of Mass Media:
Students will have an opportunity to analyze the impact of advertising on the commercial
culture, methods of framing the message through public relations, and media economics
in the global marketplace.
Democratic Expression and the Mass Media:
Through extended case studies analyzing coverage of current events such as the 2012
Presidential Election and The Economy, students will address the culture of journalism
on values, ethics, and democracy. They will also review media effects and cultural
approaches to research as well as legal controls on freedom of expression.
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HCC POLICIES
Posted on January 9, 2012
HCC Policy Statement: Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision,
hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the
Disability Services Office at their respective college at the beginning of each semester.
Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability
Support Services Office.
If you have any questions, please contact Central College ADA counselors Jaime Torres
or Martha Scribner in the Ability Services Department in LHSB Room 106 at 713-7186164 or the District Disability Office at 713-718-5165.
To visit the ADA Web site, log on to www.hccs.edu,
Click Future Students
Scroll down the page and click on the words Disability Information.
http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/future-students/disability-services
HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty
You are expected to be familiar with the College’s Policy on Academic Honesty, found
in the catalog and student handbook. Students are responsible for conducting themselves
with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary
proceedings may be initiated by College System officials against a student accused of
scholastic dishonesty. “Scholastic dishonesty” includes, but is not limited to, cheating on
a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
Cheating on a test includes:
• Copying from another student’s test paper;
• Using materials during a test that are not authorized by the person giving the test;
• Collaborating with another student during a test without authority;
• Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part
the contents
of a test that has not been administered;
• Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written
work offered for credit.
Violations: Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of “0” or
“F” on the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for
probation or dismissal from the College System. A recommendation for suspension or
expulsion will be referred to the College Dean of Student Development for disciplinary
disposition.
Students who wish to appeal a grade penalty should notify the instructional supervisor
within 30 working days of the incident. A standing committee appointed by the College
Dean of Instruction Workforce will convene to sustain, reduce, or reverse the grade
penalty. A majority vote will decide the grade appeal and is final.
Official HCC Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Students are responsible for material
covered during their absences, and it is the student’s responsibility to consult with
instructors for makeup assignments. Daily attendance will be monitored, including
tardies.
Although it is the responsibility of the student to drop a course for non-attendance, the
instructor has the authority to drop a student for excessive absences. A student may be
dropped from a course for absenteeism after the student has accumulated absences in
excess of 12.5 percent of the hours of instruction (including lecture and laboratory time.)
For example, for a three credit-hour lecture class meeting three hours per week (48 hours
of instruction), a student may be dropped after six hours o absences (four classes.)
Administrative drops are at the discretion of the instructor. If you are doing poorly in the
class, but you have not contacted your professor to ask for help, and you have not
withdrawn by the official withdrawal date, you will receive the grade you earned.
Course Withdrawals-First Time Freshmen Students-Fall 2007 and Later (Six drop
rule)
Effective 2007, section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code applies to first-time in
college freshman students who enroll in a Texas public institution of higher education in
the fall semester of 2007 or thereafter. High school students currently enrolled in HCC
Dual Credit and Early College are waived from this requirement until they graduate from
high school.
Based on this law, HCC or any other Texas Public institution of higher education may not
permit students to drop after the official day of record more than six college level credit
courses for unacceptable reasons during their entire undergraduate career.
Course Withdrawals
Be sure you understand HCC policies about dropping a course. It is the student’s
responsibility to withdraw officially from a course and prevent an “F” from appearing on
the transcript. If you feel that you cannot complete this course, you will need to withdraw
from the course prior to the final date of withdrawal. Before, you withdraw from your
course; please take the time to meet with the instructor to discuss why you feel it is
necessary to do so. The instructor may be able to provide you with suggestions
that would enable you to complete the course. Your success is very important. Since a
“W” indicates that the hours were not attempted, it is the student’s responsibility to
understand the consequences of withdrawing from a course. A grade of “W” could affect
a student’s eligibility to receive financial aid and/or student visa. If you do not withdraw
before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you are making in the class as your
final grade. Students are able to withdraw online using Student Self Service.
Grade of “FX”
A grade of “FX” will be given to students who stopped attending class. The Department
of Education now requires that a distinction be made between an “earned” grade of “F”
(i.e. for poor performance) and a grade of “F” due to a lack of attendance.
Early Alert Program
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an
Early Alert process by which your professor may “alert” you and HCC counselors that
you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance.
It is your responsibility to visit with your professor or a counselor to learn about what, if
any, HCC interventions might be available to assist you – online tutoring, child care,
financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your
academic performance.
Repeat Course Fee
The State of Texas encourages students to complete college without having to repeat
failed classes. To increase student success, students who repeat the same course more
than twice, are required to pay extra tuition. The purpose of this extra tuition fee is to
encourage students to pass their courses and to graduate. Effective fall 2006, HCC will
charge a higher tuition rate to students registering the third or subsequent time for a
course. If you are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning
passing grades, confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your
study habits, reading and writing homework, test taking skills, attendance, course
participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available.
HCC Grading Information:
Grading percentile: the official HCC grading rubric is as follows:
90–100 percent A Exceptionally fine work; superior in presentation, visual
observation, comprehension and participation
80–89 percent B Above average work; superior in one or two areas
70–79 percent C Average work; good, unexceptional participation
60–69 percent D Below average work; noticeably weak with minimal participation
Below 60 percent
F Clearly deficient in presentation, style and content with a lack of participation
FX Failure due to non-attendance
The grade of “I” (Incomplete) is conditional. It will only be assigned if at least 80% of
the course work is complete. Students receiving an “I,” must make an arrangement with
the instructor in writing to complete the course work within one semester. After the
deadline, the “I” becomes an “F.” All “I” designations must be changed to grades prior to
graduation. Changed grades will appear on student record as “I”/Grade
(example: “I/A”). The grade of “I” is rarely given and only in unusual circumstances.
The grade of “W” (Withdrawal) appears on grade reports when students withdraw from a
class by the drop deadline. Instructors have the option of dropping students up to the
deadline. After the deadline, instructors do not have that option — not even when
entering final grades.
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Grading for this class
Posted on January 9, 2012
Grading for this class will be based on a point system that will add up to 100 points that
correspond with the 100% grading scale listed above.
The grading breaks down as follows:
Four quizzes during the course – 5 points each totalling 20 points
Midterm project/paper: 30 points
Final project/paper – 40 points
Attendance/Class participation – 10 points
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About
This is the online syllabus for Comm 1307, Introduction to Mass Communication in the
Electronic Environment, for the Spring 2012 semester at HCC’s Alief campus.
This course is being taught by Geoff Roth, who is the Executive Producer at Fox 26 in
Houston. Besides a long career in television news, Geoff has also served on the faculty in
the journalism department at Hofstra University, and helped develop the Careers section
of AOL.com.
Week 1 – 1/17 and 1/19
Posted on January 8, 2012
1/17/12
* Introduction to the class. Review course syllabus and discuss goals for the course.
* Self introductions. Introduce yourself to your fellow classmates. Talk about what media
you use to keep informed and to be entertained.
* Short lecture on the evolution of the media in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Reading Assignments for next class:
Media and Culture: Chapter 1
For our ethics discussion:
The Lowes Advertising Controversy (click on title for link to article)
1/19/12
Lecture: Overview of Chapter 1 – Media and Culture, Media Literacy
Class Discussion: Ethical Dilemma #1 (Each week we will look at a case of the media
being questioned over issues of fairness, accuracy, and ethics and discuss this case issue)
The Lowes Ad Controversy
Reading Assignment for next class:
Media and Culture: Chapter 2
Weekend Project:
Pick one day and keep a log of all forms of media you used to get information and
entertainment
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Week 2 – 1/24 and 1/26
Posted on January 7, 2012
1/24
Lecture: The Internet & It’s Impact on the Media
Class Discussion: The Internet & Accuracy
The Internet & Privacy
Class Review: Media Logs
Reading assignment for next class:
Ethics Discussion: Facebook & Privacy (click on link for the article)
1/26
Ethics Discussion: Facebook & Privacy
Lecture: The Internet and Information Overload
Reading assignment for next class:
Media & Culture: Chapter 3
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Week 3 – 1/31 and 2/2
Posted on January 6, 2012
1/31
Lecture: Sound Recording and the Record Industry/ Impact of the Digital Revolution
Class Discussion: where do you get your music?
Reading for next class: The Long Tail (click on link to read the article)