IS502 Media, Globalization and the East Asian Region
Summer 2014 syllabus
Class: M – Th 1:30-3:10 p.m.
Instructor:
Jae Kook Lee, Ph.D.
Email: JKL2@indiana.edu
Course Description:
This course is designed to provide information on contemporary issues in global
communication and on the driving political, sociological, cultural and economic forces
behind the everyday practice of the media around the East Asian Region and around the
world. The course covers subjects such as: the role of the media in globalization
processes; the philosophy and ideology of various mass communication systems; the
nature and content of international news; the imbalanced flow of information in the
world; the global flow of media entertainment and accusations of cultural imperialism.
The course will focus on the media industries in Korea, Japan, and China, outlining
developments in consumer culture, print journalism, advertising, television news, and
online media. The goal of the course is for students to understand and articulate the issues
in global communications and the role of the media as a participant in shaping societies,
especially in the East Asian context.
Requirements:
This is not a lecture course. I expect you to come to class having read and studied the
readings, and prepared to use them in class discussions. Your comments, discussion, and
questions will make up most of our class meetings. Attendance is expected and required.
Unexcused absences will result in failure of this course. This course consists of four
integrated components: (1) discussions and readings, (2) a midterm, (3) assignments &
class presentations, and (4) a final project. Satisfactory performance requires full
participation in all four parts.
Asian news briefing. Each class we will briefly talk about important/interesting current
issues in the East Asian Region. One student will be assigned to introduce an issue (or
event) of the day and provide some contextual information about the issue [event] to class.
Supporting materials such as slides and video clips will be helpful. 10 to 15 minutes.
Attendance. A sign-in sheet will be circulated at the beginning of class. It is your
responsibility to make sure that you are counted as present. I will give you a full credit
when proper documentation is provided for absence.
Participation. To earn an “A” for participation, students should (1) complete all assigned
readings prior to class (2) consistently participate in class discussion and activities and (3)
display an understanding of the readings and demonstrate an ability to creatively apply
course concepts.
Examination. A midterm exam will be given. It will be in-class, closed-book exam,
designed to cover both the readings and class content to assess whether students have
done the required work and understood the basic ideas.
Final project. This is an opportunity to explore in considerable detail some aspect(s) of
the media and culture of an East Asian country of special interest to you (excluding your
country of origin). As a group of three, you can choose a country you already know well
(but not much about its mass media) or a country you know nothing about (but want to
learn). The paper will follow the traditional format of a research paper and will
emphasize research methods and materials. In this and all other written requirements, the
techniques of writing (spelling, grammar, word usage, organization) and of scholarship
(sources, documentation, logic, evidence) will be emphasized along with content. The
length of research paper should be minimum 10 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font.
Final project presentation: Students will make in-class presentations on last days of the
semester. You are expected to introduce findings of your final project to the class.
Grading
The final grades will be determined by the sum of the scores from following components.
These components will be weighted according to the following system:
95-100
A+
80-84
Bo
65-69
D+
90-94
Ao
75-79
C+
60-64
Do
85-89
B+
70-74
Co
59-0
F
Grading
Midterm Exam
Class presentation
Final project
Attendance/Participation
Total
Percent
30%
10%
40%
20%
100%
Course Policies
Assignment deadlines and examination dates. Students are expected to write and
proofread their assignments in advance of scheduled deadlines. All assignments are due in
class.
Syllabus changes. This syllabus is subject to change with sufficient notice to students.
Policy on scholastic honesty. The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating,
plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed
to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also
includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a
postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of
essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of
the instructor. In this class, students are encouraged to work with other students if it helps
them master course material, but exams and assignments must represent an individual’s
own, original contributions. In the assignments, students will be required to summarize
other researchers’ work, and these summaries must be original and must acknowledge all
sources. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere
to them. Scholastic dishonesty damages both the student's learning experience and
readiness for the future demands of a work-career.
IS502— Media, Globalization and the East Asian Region
Dr. Jae Kook Lee, Instructor
Course Schedule, as of June 1 (Subject to change. Please consult regularly.)
Date
Topic of the Day
Reading
July 18
Orientation to the Class
July 22
A New Global Order
July 23
What is Globalization
July 24
Press Freedom Around
The World
*Freedom of the press 2012
July 25
Global Media Systems:
Theoretical Perspectives
and Models
Global News and
Information Flow
*Kamalipour, Ch. 2: Drawing a Bead on Global
Communication Theories.
July 30
Media Globalization
July 31
Global Media and Culture
Aug. 1
Global Media = Cultural
Imperialism?
*McPail, Ch. 14: Media Globalization in Asia;
*James Fallows, Win in China! Atlantic
Monthly, Volume 299, Issue 3.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/20
07/04/win-in-china/5700/;
*Amelia Gentleman, Chennai Journal, Tackling
a Society’s Boundaries, on TV and in Family.
The New York Times Asia Pacific. February 20,
2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/world/asia/
20chennai.html
*Kamalipour, Ch. 13: Communication and
Culture.
*Anokwa/Salwen, Ch. 13: Globalization, Media
Imperialism, and Dependency;
*Julian Dibbell, The Life of the Chinese Gold
Farmer,
http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/goldfarmers.
html;
Aug. 5
Beyond Cultural
Imperialism: Cultural
Hybridity
Asian Media Go Global:
Japanese Manga and
July 29
Aug. 6
*Tunstall, Ch. 10: The Rise of Big-Population
Nations and Their Media;
*Tunstall, Ch. 13: World Media Pecking Order.
*Bestor, How Sushi Went Global, Foreign
Policy. Nov/Dec 2000, 54-63.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/
article/162/27556.html
*Kamalipour, Ch. 6: Global News and
Information Flow
*Lent, J. (2004). Far Out and Mundane: The
Mammoth World of Manga.
Anime
Aug. 7
Cultural Counterflow:
Japanese Anime in the
United States
Aug. 8
Exam
Aug. 12
Media in China
Aug. 13
The Internet in China
Aug. 14
Hong Kong’s Journalism
Under Pressure
Final presentation
Aug. 15
Final presentation
*Debbi Gardiner, Anime in America. J@pan Inc,
January 2003, Issue 39.
http://www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=9
72
*Tunstall, Ch. 12, China: Capitalist-Communist
Media Stir-Fry;
*Reporters Without Borders (2005). Xinhua. The
World’s Biggest Propaganda Agency.
*Internet in China, The Economist, Jan. 2008;
The connection has been reset;
*Few in China complain about internet controls