I NTRODUCTION TO C OMMUNICATIONS AND M EDIA S TUDIES
Fall 2013
Course #: 10599
Class: Mon. & Thurs. 8:30-9:45 am
Classroom: Lowenstein 307
Office Hour: Mon. 9:45-10:45 am
Professor: Michael D. High
Email: michael.high@stonybrook.edu
Office: Lowenstein 422
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the major approaches, theories and perspectives in the study of communication and media. We will focus primarily on intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, and organizational communication, and how media issues like representation, ideology, economic influence, and audience reception affect these communication perspectives. Through readings, lectures, and the construction of a wiki course page, students will learn the foundation necessary for advanced study in this field.
Learning Objectives:
1.
Introduce students to current issues in communication and media theory.
2.
Introduce students to the study of media history.
3.
Encourage students to analyze communication from multiple theoretical perspectives.
4.
Encourage students to become increasingly media literate by becoming more intelligent consumers and producers of media content.
5.
Develop oral communication skills through in class discussion.
6.
Develop writing skills through summary and webpage construction.
Required Texts:
West, Richard and Lynn Turner. Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application .
4 th Ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. ISBN: 978-0073385075
Williams, Kevin. Understanding Media Theory . 2 nd
ed. London: Hodder Arnold Publication,
2003. ISBN: 978-0340719046.
We will be working with the textbooks each class and you must read the assigned chapter for each class.
There are several different editions of the textbooks, and you are welcome to use any of them, though you are responsible for accounting for any differences between editions.
You do not need to bring the textbooks to class.
Recommended Texts:
A College Dictionary
Course Requirements:
Attendance/Participation Policy — This lecture based course demands constant attendance. You are allowed two unexcused absences from class. After that you will lose 2.5% of the 15% total attendance grade for each missed class. Excused Absences are for medical and family emergencies only. In case of emergency, contact me as soon as you can and bring some form of documentation to the next class (doctors note, ER receipt, something). Do not offer to get documentation after an absence; get it beforehand and bring it with you to class. Tardiness and early departure will add up to absences. As well, if you are sleeping during class, texting, or not

participating you will not receive credit for being in class. If you miss class you are responsible for contacting another student to find out what you missed while you were absent. You can have half of the Attendance/Participation grade reinstated for contributing throughout the semester.
Quizzes—To ensure that students are reading and absorbing the material, there will be pop quizzes over the semester. Quizzes will test whether or not students read the chapter assigned for that day. The lowest two quizzes will be dropped and all quizzes will have a onepoint/question curve. Quizzes are given during the first ten minutes of class. If you are late to class or absent quizzes cannot be made up.
Wiki—Our Class wiki is at http://comm1010-01.wikispaces.com/ . Over the course of the semester, you will build a wiki that covers all of the relevant material from the course readings and lectures. This will help you to retain the information and function as a study guide for the midterm and final exam. In order to do this as group and get credit, you will each write a wiki page and make at least one revision and one addition to someone else’s page. See prompt for more details.
Midterm and Final— The midterm will be comprehensive for all lectures until Oct. 14 th
. The final will cover all material from the midterm until the end of the course.
There is no extra credit for this course. In order to do well in this course, you need to read the chapter each class, come to class, work on the wiki, and review for the midterm and final.
Grade Breakdown:
Attendance
Quizzes
Wiki
Midterm
Final
Tentative Course Schedule:
15%
20%
15%
25%
25%
Grade Scale:
A+ 100 – 97
B- 82.9 – 80
A 96.9 – 93
C+ 79.9 – 77
A- 92.9 – 90
C 76.9 – 73
B+ 89.9 – 87
C- 72.9 – 70
B 86.9 – 83
D 69.9 – 60
F Below 60
Week 1
8/29 Introductions; Syllabus; Course Overview
Week 2
9/2 NO CLASS: Labor Day
9/4 Monday Schedule : Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and
Application (ICT) “Thinking About Communication: Definitions, Models, and
Ethics”
9/5 ICT:
“Thinking About the Field: Traditions and Contexts”
Week 3
9/9 ICT:
“Thinking About Theory and Research” and “As We Begin…”
9/12 ICT:
“Symbolic Interaction Theory”
Week 4
9/16 ICT: “Coordinated Management of Meaning”
9/19 ICT:
“Cognitive Dissonance Theory”

Week 5
9/23 ICT:
“Expectancy Violations Theory”
9/26 ICT: “Uncertainty Reduction Theory”
Week 6
9/30 ICT: “Social Penetration Theory”
10/3 ICT:
“Social Exchange Theory”
Week 7
10/7 ICT:
“Relational Dialectics Theory”
10/10 Midterm
Week 8
10/14 NO CLASS: Columbus Day
10/17 ICT
: “Communication Privacy Management Theory”
Week 9
10/21 ICT:
“Groupthink”
10/24 ICT:
“Structuration Theory”
Week 10
10/28 ICT:
“Organizational Culture Theory”
10/31 ICT: “Organizational Information Theory”
Week 11
11/4 Understanding Media Theory ( UMT ): “Mass society and modernity: early media theory”
11/7 UMT: “Schools of thought: developing approaches to media theory”
Week 12
11/11 UMT: “The censorship of money: theories of media ownership and control”
11/14 UMT: “Inside the image factory: theories of media organisation and media work”
Week 13
11/18 UMT: “Telling it as it is? Questions of media representation”
11/21 UMT: “Ways of making you think: theories of ideology and meaning”
Week 14
11/25 UMT: “Effects, what effects? Power and influence of the media”
11/28 NO CLASS: Thanksgiving Recess
Week 15
12/2 UMT: “The audience strikes back: new audience and reception theory”
12/5 UMT: “Living in the global village: new media theory”
Week 16
12/9 NO CLASS: Reading Day
12/11 9:30 am - Final Exam

Important Dates:
10/14 Last day for designating a course Pass/Fail
11/1 Last day to withdraw from a course without incurring a WF
University Statement On Academic Integrity:
A University, by its nature, strives to foster and recognize originality of thought, which can be recognized only when people produce work that is theirs alone and properly acknowledge information and ideas that are obtained from the work of others. It is therefore important that students must maintain the highest standards with regard to honesty, effort, and performance.
As a Jesuit, Catholic University, Fordham is committed to ensuring that all members of the academic community strive not only for excellence in scholarship but also for integrity of character. In the pursuit of knowledge and personal development, it is imperative that students present their own ideas and insights for evaluation, critique and eventual reformulation. As part of this process, each student must acknowledge the intellectual contribution of others.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: plagiarism, cheating on exams, false authorship, and destruction of library materials needed for a course. The University
Academic Integrity Policy gives definitions and instances of violations of academic integrity, the procedures used to arrive at a judgment, possible sanctions, and the process of appeal. This policy will be enforced rigorously and without discrimination.
For further details, consult the Academic Integrity Standards, on the University Website: http://www.fordham.edu/academics/handbooks__publicati/undergraduate_academ/undergraduat e_ai_pol/standards_of_ai_72295.asp
Disabilities Support Services:
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all students, with or without disabilities, are entitled to equal access to the programs and activities of Fordham University. If you believe that you have a disabling condition that may interfere with your ability to participate in the activities, coursework, or assessment of the object of this course, you may be entitled to accommodations. Please schedule an appointment to speak with someone at the Office of Disability Services (Rose Hill - O’Hare Hall, Lower
Level, x0655 or at Lincoln Center – Room 207, x6282).
The Office of Disability Services (ODS), headed up by Carolyn Mooney
(mooney@fordham.edu), works with students, faculty, and staff to ensure appropriate services for students with disabilities. Fordham University will make reasonable accommodations, and provide auxiliary aides and services to assist otherwise qualified students who self-identify as having a disability in achieving equal access to its programs, services, and facilities.
It is essential that students who ask for accommodations have registered with the Office of
Disability Services. Until a student self-identifies as having a disability and presents an academic accommodation letter written by ODS on ODS letterhead, faculty should not provide any academic accommodations to that student.
ODS staff abides by specific confidentiality standards when working with students with disabilities, but they can and do answer many kinds of questions that faculty have regarding

accommodations and ways to work with students with disabilities without breaching confidentiality. They look forward to your call!
Phones and Laptops:
The use of mobile phones, tablets, and laptops in class disrupts discussion. Unless you can demonstrate a need they are prohibited.
Email:
I answer all emails. If you email me and do not receive a response in two days then I did not receive your email and you should send it again.
Department Facebook Page:
All students are encouraged to “friend” and “like” the Department of Communications and
Media Studies Facebook page and to check it regularly for department updates: www.facebook.com/FordhamCMS .