COMM 410: International Communications
Summer 2013
College of Communications
The Pennsylvania State University
Instructor:
Cristina Mislan
Course will be conducted online via ANGEL & Yammer
Credits: 3.0
Prerequisites: 3 credits of one of the following: COMM 100, COMM 110,
COMM 118, COMM 150, COMM 180, COMM 251, COMM 260W, COMM
320, or COMM 370
How do we know what we know about the world? In what ways do we
know? This course will explore these questions by examining our
knowledge of international communications. We will study the global
mass media and the ways they function culturally and politically. We will
engage with class material that addresses how media industries,
representations and images, and powerful national organizations that
influence these media and government are related to the culture in which
we live.
As the PSU course schedule indicates, COMM 410 is designed to be a
complement to COMM 419, World Media Systems, which is a
“comparative study of modern media systems of mass communications in
selected foreign countries.”
COMM 410 will address some similarities and differences between
nations’ media systems, but it will be within the context of a larger focus
on the cross-border flow of media and its influence on culture, politics,
economics, technology, and globalization. We will think through and
discuss alternatives to our “common sense” sensibilities in order to
reflect on the larger implications of media practices, cultural beliefs, and
our relationships to them. It is essential that we understand ourselves,
identities, experiences and representations beyond the borders that
confine us. Furthermore, we also seek to answer: How do we understand
our place, and the place of others, in relation to all that global media
promises us?
Note: You may encounter ideas and thoughts you
may not agree with, but understand that this is
one of the central purposes of this course.
Sometimes, we need to feel uncomfortable in
order to step outside of our matrixes and enter
the realities of others. We seek to be challenged!
Graduate Instructor
College of Communications
Contact:
Email (preferred):
Angel
By appointment:
1. Skype (cmislan)
This syllabus contains the scheduling
information you will need to
successfully navigate this course. If
you have any questions regarding the
class schedule, please check the
syllabus first.
*If any changes are made to the
schedule, I will announce them via
email.
Specifically, during this course you will have a chance to critically explore questions, such as:
 Why do we in the United States know what we think we know about the rest of the world?
 Why is our worldview so different than that of citizens of other countries?
 What are the relationships between the political, economic and global and how is culture closely tied
with globalization?
 What is the relevance of international borders in light of rapid
advances in new communications technologies?
 What is the relationship between government and media?
 What role do the media play in world affairs, especially in foreign policy decision making and in
fostering international understanding?
One of my goals is for you to enjoy the course and its topics. To this end, I plan to make our online
experience as meaningful as possible, with a blend of text-based material, multimedia, interactive
discussions, and “guest speakers.” Each component of each week’s lesson will highlight core concepts that
are important for you to know. You will want to complete and participate in each component fully in order
to maximize your learning (e.g. read the assigned articles, complete thoughtful discussion posts, listen
to/watch any multimedia included, etc.).
I expect you to be vibrant, participating, asking questions, generating meaningful dialogue, and
interacting with me and each other in order to make the most out of this learning experience. You can
expect me to be reading your discussion posts, answering your questions in a timely manner, being
“present” in our class, and providing general guidance to the course as the semester progresses.
While online courses offer a sense of independence – allowing you to complete coursework in a way that is
flexible with your unique schedule – they also afford a sense of community, and it is my goal to foster a
sense of community within our class, particularly through the ongoing discussion board conversations. I
think it is important to strike a balance between independent learning and an online class community so that
each of you feels the freedom to work at your own pace but does not feel lost alone in cyberspace.
What You Will Be Able to Do After Completing this Course:
Through the readings and online discussions, you should develop the tools to become more sophisticated
critical thinkers of international media. You should learn to critically evaluate global issues and the policies
that are suggested as solutions. Throughout the course, you will be challenged to question how your views
of the world have been constructed through media and how these views may be shaped differently for
people in other countries.
I believe that studying international communications can be an eye-opening and rewarding experience.
Some of the ongoing rewards you will receive after completing COMM410 include:
1. Understanding the diversity of national and international audiences.
2. Understanding the present nature of international communications in light of the recent
history of the field and its beginnings during the 20th century.
3. Thinking creatively, independently, critically, and clearly.
4. Understanding communications theories relevant to international communications and being
able to apply them to concrete examples.
5. Writing in an interesting, organized, concise, clear, and grammatically correct manner
6. Demonstrating an understanding of the social, cultural, political, economic, and technological
framework that influences and is influenced by international communications.
7. Understanding how developed and developing nations relate to each other in the overall
global context.
Fle xi ble ≠ Easy
A common misconception about online courses is to mistake this inherent flexibility for ease. In other
words, online courses are easier or less time-consuming than face-to-face classes. On the contrary, online
courses require self discipline, self direction, motivation, and tenacity. This course includes an amount of
work comparable to the face-to-face versions of this course. If you chose to take the online version of this
course in order to take an “easier” version of COMM 410, then you may need to reconsider this choice. This
course will require work, but it will be worth it.
Required Readings and Films:
There is no required textbook for this course. All required readings will be available on ANGEL.
For some weeks, you will have films that you will need to watch and incorporate into your discussion posts.
These films are indicated in the Course Schedule and will be available online or the library at Penn State.
Current Events and News:
There are very often relevant current events and issues in the news during the course that tie in with core
concepts that we are discussing week to week. I encourage you to infuse your discussions with these
current news events throughout the semester. Some helpful, accessible sources include:
The New York Times and USA Today (available to PSU students in free hard copies on all
campuses and in digital edition via The NYT Academic Pass program on
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/researchguides/nyt.html)
Major TV and Radio news (MSNBC, CNN, FOX, NPR, BBC)
Political satire news programs such as The Colbert Report
Alternative news sources: Al Jazeera and Democracy Now
When choosing your news source, feel free to vary your choices. Do you usually have one, favorite news
source? Read/view another to get a different perspective. Read the same story in a variety of sources and
note the differences in coverage. Do programs like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report trivialize
important political and economic issues or do they make them more accessible? Discuss this in light of
relevant topics addressed on such programs.
Weekly Lesson Format:
Though each week’s theme and course materials/readings will be unique, starting Week 2, we will begin to
create a weekly rhythm to the lessons in order to help you both to stay current with the course material and
also schedule your activities and work related to this class.
It is very important to the learning process that we navigate the course together – particularly in the
Yammer discussions for each week, where we will grapple with the core concepts and respond to each
other’s ideas and insights – so it is important to keep up the pace, and it is important not to work too far
ahead.
Strategies for Success
I want you to succeed in this course, and I want you to enjoy it. To this end, here are some tips and
strategies for learning the material in a way that may alleviate stress and sustain long-term learning:
1. Read the assigned readings prior to the week we will be discussing them; take notes.
2. Prepare for the mini-assessments by reading the assigned articles and completing any activities
for the week.
3. Ask questions early and often.
4. Contribute to the discussion boards.
5. Be patient with the online process. Learning the concepts and getting acclimated to the online
environment may be stretching at times. Don’t give up, and seek help if you feel overwhelmed.
Some helpful website with tips for success are:
http://distancelearn.about.com/od/distancelearning101/a/studentsuccess.htm
http://studenomics.com/application/online-learning-success/
http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/orientation.shtml (this site includes links and videos regarding the use of
important ANGEL functions such as the dropbox, taking a quiz, using the discussion forums, and sending
email)
Graded Assignments
Active Participation (40% of the final grade)
Nine Weekly Mini-Assessments (10% of the final grade)
Two Major Assessments (Each exam is worth 10% of the final grade for a total of 20%)
Final Essay (30% of the final grade)
Extra Credit (3% toward final grade)
Active Participation (40%)
Participation for this course will primarily focus on your involvement in the weekly discussions in our
class Yammer group called COMM 410 Summer 2013.
Discussions
For 10 Weeks throughout the semester, beginning with Week 2, we will have class discussions in our
class Yammer group where we will be able to discuss the week’s concepts. I will post some questions
regarding your readings and other lesson materials, and you will need to post at least twice:
1) An initial post between 200 and 500 words responding to the questions themselves and
2) A response between 200 and 500 words to another course-mate’s response.
While you are required to post twice, please feel free to post more than that. Thoughtful conversations
between students could positively enhance this portion of your grade and also enhance the overall quality of
the dialogue here. This makes the Yammer discussions a more authentic platform for debating the core
issues each week.
I will participate occasionally in the discussions with you, but mostly in the form of brief comments and
further questions to individual comments (within threaded discussions) or to the class as a whole. Please feel
free to reply to my comments as well as to other course-mates’ comments. It is not my goal to usurp or
monopolize the dialogue occurring on the discussions, so I do not plan to direct these conversations; my
goal is for you as a class to lead in discussing the topics.
Your posts are required by Sunday at 9 p.m. Feel free to post earlier than these days and to post more often
than twice. I will accept late discussion board posts up to one week past the due dates for that week. For
every day that it is late (i.e. 1-24 hours late; 25-48 hours late, etc.) you will lose 1 point from the overall
point total. After 7 days, you will receive a zero for the discussion board for that week. No exceptions. On
Angel, you will be able to access a rubric for the discussion board posts.
About Yammer:
Overview: Throughout this course, we will use the social media tool Yammer for discussion. Yammer is a
private social network used at Penn State. Messages posted in private groups will only show up for members
of the group and cannot be seen by users who aren’t members of the group. Be assured that private groups
cannot be made public later.
Instructions:
1.
Keep an eye out for an email that you have been added to a group in Yammer. The email will
have a “Go to Group” button on it which will allow you to gain access to the group.
2.
Use your Penn State Access userid (email) to join Yammer. Do not use nicknames.
3.
Always click the name of the group to make sure that you post replies in the correct group.
4.
Add a picture and other information to personalize your profile.
5.
Change the default notifications to get alerts for replies the ways that you want.
6.
Follow files that you are interested in getting updated on frequently.
7.
Use the “Go to File” link to view the file and comment at the same time.
8.
Please feel free to “Like” posts that you agree with, but make sure that you say why you
like/agree with them.
For more information:

Help resources: https://yammer.zendesk.com/home

More information:
https://courses.smeal.psu.edu/angel_overview/using_yammer/2012/02/test.html
Mini-Assessments (10%)
There will be 9 weekly, time-sensitive mini-assessments during the semester. These mini-assessments
will be available in each week’s folder in the Lessons section of the course site.
Important: ***You have one opportunity to complete the mini-assessment. Once you have
started the mini-assessment you have 45 minutes to complete it. If the mini-assessment is not
completed within 45 minutes, it will be submitted as it is.
These mini-assessments will include five multiple-choice questions based on the week’s topics. Ultimately
they provide several benefits: They are a way of helping you to prepare for the two larger assessments; they
solidify information as you are receiving it; and they will help you to gauge how you are doing on a weekly
basis, which gives you plenty of time to speak with me if you need clarification on specific topics.
Major Assessments (20%)
There will be two major assessments during the semester. These assessments will be a combination of
multiple choice and short answer/essay questions. While the mini-assessments will focus on knowing and
understanding basic information presented each week, the major assessments will require you to synthesize
several weeks of course concepts and apply them.
These assessments will be available only during the weeks that they are scheduled (those weeks will not
have mini-assessments scheduled).
Important: *** You also have only one opportunity to complete the major assessment. Once you
have started the assessment, you have two full hours (120 minutes) to complete it. If you have not
completed the major assessment within 120 minutes, it will be submitted as it is.
Major Assessment and Mini-Assessment Make-Ups
The assessments MUST be taken at the scheduled times. The make-up of assessments is allowed only
with prior approval (notify me at least 48 hours in advance by email), or in the event of a proven,
documented University-approved excused absence, emergency, or special circumstance.
Final Essay (30%)
Your final essay for this course, worth 30% of your final grade, will consist of your answer to four or
five questions that I will give you a week before the due date. The essay will help gauge how well
you have grasped the important arguments and concepts regarding international communications. In
addition, I will be able to assess how well you have analyzed different arguments/ideas.
You will receive a rubric that will explain my expectations. More information about the final essay
will come later in the semester.
The final project will have three main sections:
1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion
You will be working on your essay during the last week of classes in the summer term. The due
date will be Thursday, August 8, 2013.
Grades
Active Participation
Mini-Assessments
Major Assessments
Final Essay
Extra Credit
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
95 – 100%
90 – 94.9%
87 – 89.9%
83 – 86.9%
80 – 82.9%
77 – 79.9%
73 – 76.9%
70 – 72.9%
60 – 69.9%
Below 60%
40%
10%
10% each/ 20% total
30%
3% toward final grade
Exceptional Achievement
Extensive Achievement
Acceptable Achievement
Minimal Achievement
Inadequate Achievement
I do not curve grades. I do, however, make every effort to be fair in grading, and I expect you to put forth
your best effort for each assessment, assignment, class day, and project.
I offer plenty of opportunities for extra credit. You will hear about these via email. So make sure to
watch for these opportunities. Each extra credit assignment will be worth .5%. Therefore, to reach the full
3%, you will need to complete at least 6 assignments.
If your grade is not as high as you would like it to be, remedy that early in the semester, when something
can be done, and not at the end, when it is potentially too late. Contact me if you have questions regarding
your grade, and I will be glad to talk with you.
Do not contact me about grade concerns on finals week. You have the entire semester to talk to me
about any concerns you may have.
Course Schedule
This course schedule will change (i.e. added or deleted content, thematic changes depending on
international climate, etc.). Please watch your email for announcements concerning updates to
the syllabus.
Weekly Lesson
Week One
May 14-17
Orientation &
Introductions
Read/Watch
1. Syllabus
2. Orientation to Comm 410 in ANGEL Week
One folder
3. Article: Tracey Ore, “Critical Thinking”’
4. Article: New Media TrendWatch
http://www.newmediatrendwatch.com/worldoverview/34-world-usage-patterns-anddemographics
5. Lesson: Definitions of International
Communications
6. Watch: TED Talk Chimamanda Adichie, “The
Danger of a Single Story” (18:49)
Week Two
May 20-24
Historical Context
of International
Communications
Week Three
May 27-31
1.
2.
3.
4.
Thussu: Chapter 1
Lesson: History, part 1
Lesson: History, part 2
Read and watch video: El Mozote Massacre in
El Salvador
http://www.politicalforum.com/mediacommentators/245677-new-york-timesjournalist-demoted-exposing-el-mozotemassacre-el-salvador.html
1.
Article: Review International Communications:
Shifting Paradigms
Lesson: International Communications Theories,
part 1
3. Lesson: International Communications Theories,
part 2
4. Watch the video interview with Johan Galtung
embedded in this week’s Lesson part 2
2.
Theories of
International
Communications
Assignments
1. Join the Yammer
group
2. Introduce yourself
to your classmates
in the
Introductions
Yammer Note
3. Complete the
Syllabus &
Orientation quiz
found in the
Week One folder
in ANGEL
See this document in
ANGEL for more
information about
Yammer.
1. Week Two miniassessment in
ANGEL.
2. Week Two
discussion in
Yammer.
Week Three miniassessment
2. Week Three
discussion in
Yammer
1.
Week Four
June 3-7
Theory of
International
Communications
Week Five
June 10-14
Political
Economy and
Neoliberalism
Week Six
June 17-21
Globalization and
Major Assessment
#1
Week Seven
June 24-28
War and Media
1. Week Four mini1. Article: Downing, “Drawing a Bead on Global
Communication Theories.”
assessment
2. Article: Lull, “Hegemony”
2. Week Four
3. Lesson: International Communications Theories,
discussion
part 3
in Yammer
4. Watch
1. Article: Mosco, “Overview of the Political
1. Week Five
Economy of Communication” pgs. 1-9
discussion in
2. Article: McChesney & Schiller, “The Political
Yammer
Economy of International Communications” pdf 2. Week Five
pgs. 1-25
mini3. Article: Klein, N. (2005) The Rise of Disaster
assessment
Capitalism:
http://www.naomiklein.org/articles/2005/04/ri
se-disaster-capitalism
4. Lesson: Power, International Influence and
Neoliberalism
5. Lesson: Political Economy
6. Watch: Life and Debt (Link to Be Provided)
1. Article: Stanford Encyclopedia, “Globalization” Major Assessment #1
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/globalization/
2. Article: Zembylas & Vrasidas, “Globalization,
information and communication technologies,
and the prospect of a ‘global village’
3. Lesson: Globalization
4. Watch: RSA Animate on the Internet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk8x3
V-sUgU
1. Article: Shah, “War, Propaganda and
the Media” (read every section)
http://www.globalissues.org/article/15
7/war-propaganda-and-the-media
2. Article: Bamford, “The Man Who
Sold the War.”
http://www.commondreams.org/headl
ines05/1118-10.htm
3. Lesson: Media, War and Propaganda
4. Watch: The Control Room (Link to Be
Provided)
Week Seven
mini-assessment
2. Week Seven
discussion
in Yammer
1.
Week Eight
July 1-5
Global Advertising
and Consumer
Culture
Week Nine
July 8-12
Global Health
Communications
Week Ten
July 15-19
Global Music
Industry
1. Article: Twitchell, “Adcult”
1. Week Eight mini2. Article: Arnould, “Global Consumer Culture”
assessment
3. Article: Adbusters, “We are an army of
2. Week Eight
zombies” (short)
discussion
https://www.adbusters.org/magazine/90/consum
in Yammer
er-zombies.html
4. Lesson: Global Consumer Culture
5. Watch: No Logo
https://streaming.psu.edu/media/?movieId=119
75
1. Article: Airhihenbuwa, “A Critical Assessment
of Theories/Models Used in Health
Communications for HIV/AIDS”
2. Article: Squires, “The U.S. Health System in
Perspective: A Comparison of Twelve
Industrialized Nations”
3. Article: Cultural Diversity: Health Belief
Systems
4. Lesson: Oral Rehydration Therapy
Week Nine miniassessment
2. Week Nine
discussion in
Yammer
1.
1. Week Ten mini1. Article: John Seabrook, “Factory Girls,”
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/
assessment
08/121008fa_fact_seabrook
2. Week Ten
2. Article: Lara Lee, “Hip Hop as Global
discussion in
Resistance” (make sure to watch videos that
Yammer
are embedded in article)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iara-lee/hiphop-as-global-resista_b_660608.html
3. Lesson: Globalization & The Political
Economy of the Global Music Industry
1. Article: Chalaby, “The making of entertainment 1. Week Eleven
revolution: How the TV format trade became a
miniglobal industry”
assessment
2. Article: Luther, “Representations of
Global Television
2. Week Eleven
Arabs/Arab Americans”
and Film Industries
discussion in
3. Lesson: Globalization, Television and Film
Yammer
Major Assessment #2
Week Twelve
No readings or lessons
July 29-August 2
Week Eleven
July 22-26
Assessment #2
Week Thirteen
August 5-7
Final Essays
No readings or lessons
Final Essay Due on
Thursday, Aug. 8
**This course schedule is designed to provide you with a clear and concise overview of course
topics and important academic dates for both course related activities and University deadlines.
Course Policies
These policies are important to me and to the smooth flow of the course. Please read these carefully and
do your best to adhere to them.
Netiquette
Please be respectful when commenting on your course-mates’ posts. The discussion board should
definitely be a place of debate and even dissent, but your arguments should always be constructive, based
on course information and other relevant data, and never, ever personal.
Please use proper salutations and grammar when emailing me or your course-mates. Feel free to call me
Nadia rather than Ms. Martinez, professor, etc.
A couple of helpful netiquette websites are:
http://email.about.com/od/emailnetiquette/tp/core_netiquette.htm
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity — scholarship free of fraud and deception — is an important educational
objective of Penn State. Academic dishonesty can lead to a failing grade or referral to the Office
of Student Conduct.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:







cheating
plagiarism
fabrication of information or citations
facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others
unauthorized prior possession of examinations
submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the
instructor and securing written approval
tampering with the academic work of other students
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedure requires an instructor to notify a student
of suspected dishonesty before filing a charge and recommended sanction with the college.
Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge,
the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee.
If a disciplinary sanction also is recommended, the case will be referred to the Office of Student
Conduct.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by
college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic
integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students
receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course,
please contact us.
The College of Communications policy and the AI form can be found at:
http://comm.psu.edu/about/academic-integrity-policy
http://comm.psu.edu/about/academicintegrity.pdf
Additionally, World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity;
respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in
which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity
is requisite to respect for oneself and others, and a civil community.
For More Information on Academic Integrity at Penn State
Please see the Academic Integrity Chart for specific college contact information or visit one of
the following URLs:


Penn State Senate Policy on Academic Integrity
iStudy for Success! — learn about plagiarism, copyright, and academic integrity through
an educational module
Turnitin a web-based plagiarism detection and prevention system

Note to Students with Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you
have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, contact the
Office for Disability Services (ODS) at 814-863-1807 (V/TTY). For further information regarding
ODS, please visit the Office for Disability Services Web site.
In order to receive consideration for course accommodations, you must contact ODS and provide
documentation (see the documentation guidelines). If the documentation supports the need for
academic adjustments, ODS will provide a letter identifying appropriate academic adjustments.
Please share this letter and discuss the adjustments with your instructor as early in the course as
possible. You must contact ODS and request academic adjustment letters at the beginning of
each semester.
All students in "Registration Not Complete" status must resolve issues on or before the 10th day
after classes begin. Students who do not complete registration by paying tuition and fees by this
deadline will not be able to remain in courses. University policy on completing registration can
be found at http://www.registrar.psu.edu/registration/completing_registration.html.



Accommodating Disabilities
Registration Status:
Procedures for Resolution of Problems
For procedures pertaining to a range of concerns and disagreements involving graduate
students and other members of the University community (e.g., faculty, staff, or
undergraduate students), please see the Procedures for Resolution of Problems (Appendix
II) website.
For information about additional policies regarding items such as Penn State Access Accounts;
credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals
please see the World Campus Student Policies Web site.
Technical Requirements
World Campus Technical Requirements
Operating
System
Windows 2000/XP, Vista, or Windows 7; Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
Processor
2 GHz or higher
Memory
1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive
Space
20 GB free disk space
We recommend the latest Angel-supported version of Firefox or Internet
Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criteria and for advice on
downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS
knowledgebase article: http://kb.its.psu.edu/cms/article/6
Browser
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled.
Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State web sites.
Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching,
older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work
with our courses.
Plug-ins
Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Apple Quicktime [Download from Apple]
Additional
Software
Microsoft Office (2003 or later)
Internet
Connection
Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer
DVD-ROM
Access to graphics-capable printer
Required
Sound Card,
Microphone, and Required
Speakers
Monitor
Monitor (Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution)
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you
will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any
changes.