Journalism 1101, Intro to Mass Media
Fall 2013
Class Meeting Times: Tues-Thurs, 12:30-1:45 p.m.
Classroom: Conger 325
Instructor: Tom Grant
Instructor’s Office: 3rd Floor, Branch Student Center
Contacting Instructor:
E-mail: tgrant@abac.edu
Phone: 229-391-4957
Instructor Office Hours: MWF 9-11:50 a.m., Tu-Th 9-11 a.m., or by appointment.
Important dates:
Aug. 16 – Last day to drop class without a “W”
Oct. 3 – Mid-term grades
Oct. 4 – Last day to drop class with a “W”
Dec. 12 – Final paper due at 10:15 a.m.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
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Understand the nature of journalism and the qualities that separate journalism
from other forms of information.
Understand the basic concepts of news literacy and know how to distinguish truth from
fiction in print, broadcast and online.
Understand that “news matters” and appreciate the importance of current news events.
Describe the historical development of printed, electronic, visual and computer-mediated
communication.
Identify the major theories and pivotal ideas in the study of mass media.
Understand the contributions of women and members of minority groups to the evolution
of the mass media.
Explain relationships between media organizations and audiences.
Analyze past and current controversies in mass media.
Recognize career opportunities in journalism, broadcasting, advertising, public relations
and digital media.
Course Structure:
Each class will open with a quiz about your readings, class discussions, postings under
discussion on WebCT, and current events in the news and in media industries. We will also
discuss current events. The purpose of discussing the news is two-fold. First, to demonstrate that
news events matter and have a direct impact on the life of students. Second, to demonstrate that
the issues we discuss in class are not simply the dry history of mass media, but have real
meaning in today's media world. The purpose of the quiz is to make sure that you have read the
materials for the day and are fully prepared to engage in discussion, as well as to keep track of
your attendance.
Class lectures may be simple oral presentations or Power Point presentations with multimedia.
Notes and PowerPoints will be posted on WebCT following their presentation in class.
While the course covers all media disciplines taught in Journalism and Mass Media, there is a
clear emphasis on journalism and news literacy. In part, this is because the instructor is a
journalist and brings that background to class. More importantly, journalism is at the core of all
media disciplines.
Course Policies:
Academic integrity is expected of all students. Two areas of concern are:
Cheating, including copying another student’s quiz or exam answers or allowing another
student to copy your answers.
Plagiarism, which is the copying of someone else’s words or ideas without giving proper
acknowledgment. Students are expected to work independently on all assignments and to
cite their sources whenever necessary or appropriate.
The penalty for academic dishonesty in this class is zero points on the assignment or exam on
which the violation is discovered. Students also may be subject to college discipline.
Attendance:
Because the importance of attendance cannot be overemphasized, roll will be recorded. You will
take a quiz at the beginning of every class session. At the heart of the course will be in-class
discussions, writing assignments, and quizzes. Participation in discussions, assignment reviews
and topical lectures is essential to acceptable performance.
If you miss a class without a legitimate excuse, you will lose any quiz and attendance points
for that day. Because quizzes and attendance account for 40 percent of the class grade,
those who fail to attend class cannot expect to pass.
Absences will not be excused unless the absence is due to participation in official university
activities or programs, personal illness, family illness and care or other compelling
circumstances. Excused absences must be documented (e.g. with a doctor’s note or a copy
of a newspaper obituary, or letter from your coach or advisor). All students, including
those participating in athletics, are required to notify the instructor in advance of each
planned absence.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you miss a class, you must arrange with the professor to write a
paper to replace the quiz for that day. If you miss one quiz, you must write a one-page paper to
make up the quiz.
It is the responsibility of students who have an excused absence to acquaint themselves with the
material covered and to make arrangements with the instructor to makeup assignments. Absence
from class is not an excuse for turning in a late assignment. Late assignments are assessed a 10
percent deduction. This is the entry course to a professional program for media practitioners
who are expected to understand and comply with deadlines. Students are to meet deadlines.
Email:
All students are required to check D2L regularly. Reminders of assignments, changes in the
schedule and links to related Web sites will be distributed there. A discussion will be posted
following each class. The discussion will often include questions for the upcoming quiz.
However, if you wish to contact me, please use email and sent it to tgrant@abac.edu. I do not
check D2L emails.
Texts:
Because I know you do not all read your emails on a regular basis, you will be required to
provide your cell phone number to the professor so that he can text you with important messages,
if necessary.
Class Etiquette:
Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, beepers and other devices during class. Class participation
is critical. You will be addressed directly with questions and must pay attention to the instructor
and others in the class. Distracting side conversations will be discouraged. Students found
napping will be asked to leave. Everyone in the classroom, including guests, must be treated with
attentive respect.
Quizzes:
A quiz will be given in class each day. There will be no mid-term or final exam. However, you
will have essays due on a weekly basis and a final essay will be assigned.
Essays:
Students will write an essay each week. The essay will be due on Thursday. The topics are
assigned in the assignments list, though they may be changed at the instructor’s discretion. The
paper is intended to encourage critical thinking and emphasize writing skills. The paper will
generally be two pages, but length may vary. If two pages are assigned, you will be graded down
for turning in less than two pages. They should be submitted triple-spaced in 12-point Times
New Roman types. The extra spacing allows for me to make notes. References in APA style will
be required for most papers. Essays will be graded on spelling, punctuation, grammar, content,
format and references. Be precise and careful.
Essays may be rewritten. Rewritten essays are eligible for 90 percent credit. The original graded
essay must be turned in with the rewritten essay. Please complete your rewrites promptly. The
deadline for rewrites is set as Dec. 5 in the assignments list, but may be modified at any time at
the discretion of the instructor. Please do not abuse this privilege.
Extra credit:
You may have extra credit opportunities, possibly including the opportunity to attend an out-ofclass speaker, panel or program and write a one-page paper summarizing the speaker’s main
points, usually due the next class session after the talk. Exact deadlines will be announced in
class.
Extra credit assignments are not graded but assigned a single point total that is added to the final
grade calculation. Extra credit may help tip the balance when a student’s final point total is close
to the next higher grade but do not count on extra credit to move you up one full grade.
Grading formula
Quizzes – 30%
Attendance and participation – 10%
Essays – 60%
Course Resources:
Media Essentials: A Brief Introduction, by Richard Campbell, Christopher Martin and Bettina
Fabos, 2011.
Companion website: http://bedfordstmartins.com/mediaessentials
Students will be held responsible for the content of textbook readings, even those not discussed
in class. Quiz questions will be drawn from the text as well as classroom lectures.
Manuscript Format: All papers must be produced on a word processor. All papers are
expected to follow APA format. APA format requires typed, double-spaced papers with oneinch margins, and 12 pt. font. However, as noted above, I require triple-spaced papers. I expect
the font to be Times New Roman, which is the font used in the syllabus. In the upper left margin
of the first page arrange identifying information in this fashion:
Your name
Grant
JRNL 2101
Date
Identify each additional page by placing your last name and the page number in the upper right
margin. Ex: your name 2 (Smith 2). Do not fold; staple all pages. Bring your own stapler. Do
not include a cover sheet. One page means one full page of writing, not half a page or threequarters of a page. One page of 12-point triple-spaced type will have approximately 225 words.
Help with study skills: To earn a good grade in the course, students should attend class every
day and keep up with the reading. If you have problems understanding the course content, please
visit me during my office hours. The Academic Assistance Center is staffed by faculty as well as
student consultants. You can go to the Academic Assistance Center for additional assistance with
every phase of the writing process. I strongly encourage you to do so. However, the Academic
Assistance Center is not a proofreading service, and tutors will not “fix” problems for students. It
is free for all ABAC students.
Special Needs: Students requiring classroom accommodations or modifications because of a
documented disability should discuss this need with the instructor at the beginning of the semester.
Students not registered with Student Support Services should contact the Student Support Services
office in Conger Hall.