|
![[icon]](GIF/class-icon.gif){kind=icon}
![[icon]](../../images/icons/prize-icon.gif){kind=icon}
Grading| SCALE | ||
A |
90 -
100 |
|
AB |
85 -
89 |
|
B |
75 -
84 |
|
BC |
70 -
74 |
|
C |
60 -
69 |
|
D |
50 -
59 |
|
F |
0 - 49 |
There are 100 points available in this course:
- An in-class four-minute oral presentation summarizing an article from your reader, which we will digitally record and email back to you for self-critique - 10 points.
- Three 1000-word (four-page) written papers of increasing complexity, including outlines, drafts, and final versions - 10 points each (30 points total).
- Ten quizzes based on lecture, readings, or current events - one-half point each (5 points total).
- Five short online research assignments to be emailed to your TA when completed - 1 point each (5 points total).
- Three in-class, closed-book exams, involving both short answer and essay questions, based on readings and lecture - 35 points.
- Participation in class discussion section - 10 points.
- Constructive peer review of other student drafts of papers, posted on the wiki - 5 points.
Discussion
sections
J201 relies on many instructors: the professor plus nearly a dozen paid graduate teaching assistants (TAs). Each TA manages two discussion sections of 18 students a piece (the professor only manages one).
Each of these discussion sections has its own wiki, where students can assemble and present the materials relating to their polished paper drafts and peer reviews. This is also where TAs will list their office hours.
We encourage students to communicate with us through email; however, please compose your email as if you were writing a short letter or office memo, and not as if you were text-messaging a friend. You should plan on a next-business-day turn-around on emails.
NB: TAs will meet with the professor each week on Monday at 11am after lecture.
Greg
Downey (professor)
gdowney@wisc.edu
Section 301 (honors section)
Amy Becker
abbecker2@wisc.edu
Lisa Bu
bu@wisc.edu
Stephanie
Edgerly edgerly@wisc.edu
Jill
Hopke
jehopke@wisc.edu
Abhiyan
Humane
ashumane@gmail.com
Larisa
Puslenghea
puslenghea@wisc.edu
Manisha
Shelat
shelat@wisc.edu
Doug
Shore
dshore@wisc.edu
Davita
Veselenak
veselenak@wisc.edu
Bryan
Wang
mwang24@wisc.edu
Rachel White
rwhite3@wisc.edu
![[icon]](../../images/icons/book-icon.gif)
Textbook
and reader
There is one textbook for this course: Wayne
C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams,
The craft of research, 3rd ed. (2008). This is a
research and writing guide which you will find useful in any university
class involving writing. The
list price of this book is $17, and it will be made available
at the University Bookstore.
In addition to this textbook, you will read key articles on mass communication selected by the instructor. We have produced a xeroxed (non-profit) "reader" containing these articles, available from ASM Student Print (on the third floor of the new University Square building, at 333 East Campus Mall, right next to Vilas Hall) for about $25. You can expect roughly 50 pages of reading (two articles) each week.
UW-Madison students may also download any of the required or optional readings as PDF files (you will need your standard UW NetID login and password to enter). However, all students are expected to bring a paper copy of each week's readings to discussion section. Buying the prepared course reader is really your best value.
NB: These articles were not chosen to be “unbiased” texts or to be the final word on media in society. Rather, I have picked these articles with three goals in mind: they are readable and interesting while still scholarly; they are relevant to current events; and, often, they are polemical in that they argue for a particular interpretation of the world which you may choose to agree with or to disagree with.
![[icon]](../../images/icons/news-icon.gif)
Newspaper
subscription
Even though nearly every major news organization now has an online presence, for J201 we require that you subscribe to either a local or a national newspaper in print form over the course of the semester, so that you build a daily habit with this traditional medium for entertainment, strategic communication, and journalism. (I'm afraid our own venerable student newspapers, the Badger Herald and the Daily Cardinal, do not count for this requirement.)
We have secured a special student rate with both the New York Times and the Wisconsin State Journal for students in J201:
- New York Times 13-week subscription: Monday through
Friday subscription
is $29.25 total, or choose Monday through Sunday subscription for
$80.60 total. (These subscriptions will be billed.)
- Wisconsin State Journal 16-week subscription: Monday through Sunday (plus free Capital Times on Wednesday) is $20 total. (These subscriptions will need to be paid in advance.)
To sign up for either or both of these newspapers, contact Jim Freemann at paper@tds.net or 608-516-6381 (cell) with your address and paper preference. You may mention that you are a J201 student in Professor Downey's class.
Important: After you have subscribed, if you need to speak to customer service about your subscriptions, don't email your professor or TA! Instead, use these contact numbers:
- New York Times 1-888-NYTCOLL (698-2655)
- Wisconsin State Journal (608)-252-6363
Speech
assignment
Practicing oral communication skills is an important part of a Comm-B course. In J201 you will perform a prepared in-class speech on one of the articles from your course reader. Your TA will assign you a student number from 1-18 during your first discussion section, which you can use to figure out which article you will be presenting by scanning through the course schedule to the right. The presentation will be worth 10 points.
Your speech should be a summary and critique of one of the articles your class is discussing from the course reader that week. You will start the class discussion by making a four-minute oral presentation on the article. You will also need to hand in a written outline of your presentation to your TA.You should devote the first part of your presentation (2 minutes) to identifying the main arguments of the reading, outlining the author's claims, reasons, and evidence. You do not have to go into great detail (since all students will have read the article) but you do have to provide an accurate summary. The second half of your presentation (2 minutes) should deal with your reaction to the reading. You need to make your own claim and your reason for that claim, providing evidence to support it. Like a good paper, your talk needs a short introduction (introduce yourself and name the article/author) and a satisfying conclusion.
Do not read your presentation! You may speak from simple notes that keep you on track, but allow the words to emerge spontaneously and conversationally. A good strategy is to practice your presentation in front of a mirror, a tape recorder, or a friend.
While you are making your presentation, your TA will designate a
fellow student to record you on a little digital video camera. Later,
your TA will email this video back to you (no one else will receive
a copy). You are required to view your performance and perform
a self-critique: reply to your TA with one way that you could improve
your delivery next time. After that you may delete this video
(or post it to YouTube for
assured, instantaneous, global fame).
Evaluation criteria for your presentation
All TAs use the same oral presentation grading sheet and grade your speech according to both content and delivery.
Content
- Do you accurately capture what the author (or previous speaker) was saying?
- Is your own claim clear?
- Is your evidence for your claim convincing?
- Have you turned in a written outline of your talk?
Delivery
- Have you kept to the time specified?
- Do you project enough for everyone to hear you?
- Does your inflection and emphasis help convey your meaning (as in normal conversation)?
- Are you, like, avoiding the use of slang and, basically, all those crutch phrases like "like" and "basically"?
- Do you seem to be enjoying yourself (even if you aren't)?
Writing
assignments
You will write three 1000-word (four-page, double-spaced) papers for this class, each tied to the class readings and each requiring some outside investigation. Even though these papers are short, they should still each have the three basic components of an academic essay:
- An introduction which clearly states a thesis (and please underline that thesis).
- A body which develops the thesis, with one argument per paragraph.
- A conclusion which not only restates the thesis, but leaves the reader with something more.
For each assignment, first you write a polished draft and post it
to your discussion section wiki. Then you receive TA and peer
feedback, and only after this feedback do you write a final draft,
turning it into your TA in printed form.
Paper one: Debating effects
During the first two weeks of class, you were assigned four readings which discussed the purposes, promises, and problems of mass communication in broad terms. In lecture and discussion we developed some examples of contemporary media products which might exemplify these different aspects of the media. In particular we looked at arguments about what kinds of "effects" media have on individuals, on particular social groups, and on society as a whole, including the circumstances under which those effects might or might not happen, and the potential short-term and long-term consequences of those effects.
Your goal in this first paper is to pick any mass communication product that you consume or have consumed in the past — a book, a web site, a television show, a genre of music, a video game, a type of sporting event, whatever — and make an argument about whether or not it has had any kind of "effect" on you. In making your argument, you must use at least two authoritative articles which focus on the effects of media on individuals or society.
An "authoritative article" comes from your reader, from the "optional readings" listed on this web site, and/or from an outside source which you find through the library. Articles in peer-reviewed academic journals or chapters from academic books are nearly always acceptable; longer, analytical articles from well-established newspapers or news magazines are often acceptable as well. Wikipedia articles or articles from random weblogs generally are not considered "authoritative". When in doubt, ask your TA.
You may wish to develop a thesis along the lines of "media product X has had (or has not had) the effect Y on me [claim] because of A, B, and C [reasons]." Then your paper should explain and support (with evidence) your claim and reasons.
You will want to make sure to describe and address at least one counter-claim, together with its reasons and evidence, which might undermine your thesis.
Unlike other writing assignments you may have had at UW-Madison, it is perfectly acceptable to write this paper in the first person (using "I").
Please note that this paper cannot rest simply on your opinions. In defending your claim and reasons, you must draw explanations and evidence from the authoritative articles you use.
Paper two: Analyzing advertising
Pick any advertisement you like and use at least two authoritative articles (from your reader, from the "optional readings" listed on this web site, and/or from an outside source) to analyze the purpose and effectiveness of that advertisement, paying attention to both its context (the media product it appears in) and its target market.
In choosing the articles to help you analyze this ad, remember: you don't have to agree with the authors of the articles you use, but you have to show that you understand how those authors would interpret the advertisement you've chosen.
Your paper should answer the questions: What is the advertisement and where was it placed? What is it's intended function? How do you know this? And how well does the ad perform that function?
You may want to staple a xeroxed copy of your advertisement along with the printed rough draft that you hand in to your TA.
Paper three: Evaluating reporting
Pick any current news story you like, and read how that story is covered by two different news properties (such as two different daily newspapers or two different weekly newsmagazines). Then use at least two authoritative articles (from your reader, from the "optional readings" on this web site, and/or from an outside source) to analyze the coverage by each outlet.
Beware: This assignment is not as simple as it seems. A "news story" is rarely confined to a single news report. This means reading more than just one article from each news outlet in order to follow the coverage of the story over time. For very long stories, like a war or a presidential election, you will need to pick a manageable sub-story or event to focus on for your paper.
Pay close attention also to the kind of news coverage you are reading. Are these breaking news reports or later news summaries? Are they "analysis" articles from a particular point of view, or attempts at "objective" reporting? Are they opinion pieces? Press releases? Coverage purchased from other news organizations (like the Associated Press)?
Your paper should answer the questions: What is the news story? How do the different outlets cover the story? Which outlet covers the story better? And why do you think this?
Guidelines for polished (wiki) drafts
When you post your polished draft to the wiki, simply paste the text directly from your word processor into the wiki page. Then format the text on the wiki to meet these criteria:
- Underline your thesis statement.
- Clearly separate your paragraphs either through indentation or a blank line.
- Include a short bullet-point outline with your draft. (You may want to reverse-outline your paper.)
- Proofread your draft!
Remember to print out one copy of your polished draft on paper to turn in to your TA. It should be four pages, double-spaced. Also include your outline!
Guidelines for final (printed) papers
When you print your final four-page paper for submission to your TA, make sure to follow these guidelines:
- Underline your thesis statement.
- Use one-inch margins on all sides
- Double-space all text.
- Indent all paragraphs; no extra blank lines between paragraphs.
- Use 12-point Times, Times Roman, or Times New Roman font.
- Number your pages.
- Put your name and your TA's name on the first page.
- Turn in a one-page outline with each draft.
- Turn in a one-page list of references with each draft (APA style).
- Staple all pages (no paperclips or corner folds).
- Proofread your final paper!
Instantly boost your writing grade!
- “Simplify, simplify, simplify!” Use clear, direct, and concise wording.
- Do not be redundant. Do not say things twice in a different way just to add words.
- Present your arguments in the paper in the same order that you lay them out in the thesis. (Your outline can help you here.)
- Review your Craft of Research writing textbook.
- Did we mention proofreading?
Never, never, never do!
- When referring to a work of nonfiction, never use the word “novel” – this implies a work of fiction and will cause your TA to wince uncontrollably.
- Never begin your conclusion with “In conclusion” or “To conclude” or “By way of concluding, ready or not, here I go” ...
- Never use slang in your writing, daddy-o; that is meg bad.
- Never try to entertain your reader with asides, puns, and witty comments (unless you are writing a course web site).
Citing outside sources
In each paper you are expected to use scholarly articles (from your reader, from the optional readings on this web site, or from your own literature search) to support your arguments. You need to cite these outside articles whenever you use an idea, quote, or fact from these sources. We recommend APA style when citing sources in J 201 papers:
- In the text of the paper, use the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number, like this: (Gitlin, 2002, p. 10)
- In the list of references at the end, organize alphabetically by author last name, like this: Gitlin, T. (2002). Media unlimited: How the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives. New York: Henry Holt and Co.
- For all the details on APA style see this summary and sample paper from the Writing Center.
If it is not your idea, cite it. Failure to properly cite outside sources is plagiarism and academic dishonesty and may be grounds for failing both the assignment and the course.
And please remember, wikipedia entries and random blog posts do not count as "authoritative articles" (though they may point you to more authoritative resources).
Evaluation criteria for all papers
All TAs use the same written grading sheet covering the following criteria:
1. Following instructions. Does your paper follow the instructions of the assignment? Was it turned in on time? Does it conform to our formatting guidelines?
2. Grammar and style. Do you avoid grammatical, spelling, and usage errors? Do you have any run-on sentences or non-sentences? Are your sentences clear and concise? Are references in correct APA style?
3. Thesis and structure. Does your introduction contain a clear thesis (underlined)? Does your conclusion end with a compelling idea? Do arguments and examples build logically in between, following your outline?
4. Use of sources. Does your paper demonstrate that you understand the examples and arguments from the articles you use? Does your thesis deal with the central arguments rather than peripheral issues?
5. Arguments and evidence. Do you support your thesis with compelling evidence and arguments? Do you counter at least one possible argument against your answer?
6. Creativity and difficulty. Finally, remember that we appreciate papers which find exemplary outside sources, represent an unusual challenge, take on a unique case, or come up with a creative point of view.
Finding scholarly articles
In order to find an authoritative outside source, you should use the resources available at our campus libraries. You may want to start with our own superb Journalism Reading Room, on the 2nd floor of Vilas Hall.
The JRR web site also has quick links to many online mass communication resources. For example, you can search for academic journal research articles in the ProQuest Research Library or in UW-Madison QuickSearch for Articles. Your TA may suggest other research techniques in class. And the library hosts a series of online tutorials called "CLUE" which can introduce you to ways of finding books and journal articles here on campus.
Getting help from the Writing Center
Our campus is lucky to have a top-notch and easily-accessible Writing Center which is free for all students to use. The Writing Center is located on the 6th floor of Helen C. White Hall (the same building as the College Library). You should all feel free to get assistance from the Writing Center staff on any of your three papers. Visit them online too.
Peer
reviews
Your TA will divide each section into three groups of six students for peer reviews. You will review the polished paper drafts of the other students in your peer review group, and they will each review your polished draft.
Peer
reviews are to be posted on your discussion
section wiki in the "comments" area below the polished
draft of each student you are reviewing. Each
review should include both things the author did well and things
the author still needs to work on. Which does the student need
to work on more, writing style and grammar or argument and evidence? Strive
for a 250-word comment, not just a brief sentence.
These peer reviews will not be anonymous, so you should take care to offer constructive criticism (the same kind you would like to see someone offer on your paper).
Exams
Each of the three units in the class ends with a closed-book exam to test your grasp of key terms and concepts.
The first part of each exam will consist of several terms which
students must both define and give the significance of in a few sentences. For
example, if the term is "Internet,"
a definition might be "A global network of computers which communicate
using the shared TCP/IP protocol." But the significance might
be "As both personal and mass communication move to the Internet,
existing media companies are both facing competition from new market
entrants and exploiting new opportunities for consolidation and profit."
The second part of each exam will consist of one or more conceptual questions which you must answer by writing an essay in a blue exam book which we provide for you. For example, one question might be, "Define what you think the phrase 'public interest, convenience, and necessity' does (or should) mean, with respect to an important social purpose of the mass media; then pick one mass communication medium which you think serves that public interest well, and explain why and how it is able to do this."
One week before each exam, a review sheet will be handed out with sample short answer terms and essay questions to help guide you in your test preparation. Students should prepare to identify all terms and answer all essay questions, as the instructor will choose which ones actually appear on the exam at the last minute. Please note that the terms and questions which actually appear on the exam may differ slightly from what is on the study guide.
During exam weeks there will be no discussion section, no readings, and no other assignments due.
-
First midterm exam (10 points total) Five terms to identify and give the significance of (1 point each) plus one essay question covering the first third of the course (5 points).
-
Second midterm exam (10 points total) Five terms to identify and give the significance of (1 point each) plus one essay question covering the strategic communication part of the course (5 points).
- Final exam (15 points total) Five terms to identify and give the significance of (1 point each), one essay question covering the journalism part of the course (5 points), and one more essay question covering the whole semester (5 points).
Discussion
quizzes
Ten times during the semester, at your TA's discretion, you
will have a one-question, one-half-point quiz during the first
five minutes of your discussion section. Quiz questions may cover
three areas: (1) basic material from the lectures since the
last section, to make sure that students are attending
lecture and taking notes; (2) basic material from the readings,
to make sure that students are keeping up with their
two weekly articles; or (3) basic current events, to make sure
students are reading their daily newspaper. These quizzes
are not meant to be tricky or difficult; they are simply meant
to verify that you are keeping up with the class as you should. If
you arrive for discussion section late and miss a quiz, you lose
the half-point for that quiz.
Online
assignments
Five times over the course of the semester you will be assigned to do some online research, quiz, or other activity. You may email the results of this activity to your TA. Each of these short assignments is worth one point.
Discussion
participation
This
10-point grade will be assigned by your section TA, based on both
the amount and quality of your participation in weekly discussion.
Points may be taken off, for example, for unexcused absences, regular
tardiness, and disrespect of other students. We encourage students
to also demonstrate participation by commenting on our course-wide
weblog, but
this is not a substitute for in-class participation. If
you never speak up in section, you cannot expect to receive full
points for participation.
Extra
credit
J 201 offers extra credit for
participation in research studies run by faculty and graduate students. 
You
can participate either as a research subject or as an attendee at
presentations about the methodology of the studies being conducted
this semester. (You
will only earn credit for the same experiment once.) You
will receive one-half point for each study you participate in,
up to a total of two-and-a-half points.
At the end of the semester you need to turn in a typed list of each study you participated in, including the date of participation and one sentence describing the study. (We will compare your list against our master list of experiment participants.)
Each
research study will be listed on the course
weblog. They
will likely not be announced in class; it is your responsibility
to follow the weblog and watch for them.
![[icon]](../../images/icons/about-icon.gif)
Special
needs
Persons with disabilities are to be fully included in this course. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations to enable you to fully participate. I will try to maintain confidentiality of the information you share with me. To request academic accomodations, register with the McBurney Disability Resource Center.
![[icon]](../../images/icons/warning-icon.gif)
Academic
honesty
Academic honesty requires that the course work a student presents to an instructor honestly and accurately indicates the student's own academic efforts. If you are unsure about what qualifies as academic dishonesty, consult the Academic Misconduct Guide for Students.
Two points in particular to keep in mind:
- copying or paraphrasing material from books, articles,
or web pages without proper quotation and citation is plagiarism
- copying or paraphrasing material from fellow students is plagiarism
Any plagiarism may be sufficient grounds for failing a student in the entire course.
Classroom
respect
The
UW-Madison is committed to creating a dynamic, diverse and welcoming
learning environment for all students and has a non-discrimination
policy that reflects this philosophy. Disrespectful behaviors or
comments addressed towards any group or individual, regardless of
race/ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religion, ability, or any other
difference is deemed unacceptable in this class, and will be addressed
publicly by the professor.
Military
call-ups
We recognize that those students serving in the armed forces may be called to active duty at any time. The university has posted guidelines for students who are called to duty detailing options for withdrawing from, dropping, or completing courses. In general, students called to military service may receive credit for this class if leaving after the midway point of the course, at the discretion of the instructor, based on the student's earned grade up to the time of departure.
Sustainability
In
an effort to reduce our waste production, we will not be handing
out paper syllabi in J201 and students will submit rough drafts of
papers to their discussion section wiki
for online peer review.
News |
Folks, grades are now posted for J201. Thanks for a fine semester! Please keep in touch, if you are so inclined, and keep reading the news!  |
Calendar under construction |
Mass communication and entertainment |
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Welcome week
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S We don't expect you to have read these articles before your first section, but we include them here because they provide useful skills background for the entire course.
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S The optional readings are available online at our download repository. The login and password are your normal UW netID and password (just like for your email).
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Media audiences and media effects
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S Starting this week, make sure to have your readings done by the time you get to section.
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
Please note that the Wednesday of the second week of class is generally the last day to drop without a "DR" on your transcript. (You can still drop through the ninth week of class but there will be that notation on the transcript.) |
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Media structures and media systems
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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From print culture to screen culture
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Digital and interactive mediaMon 16 Feb: Digital convergence - content, technologies,
institutions D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Brooks
Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, "Was Clarence Darrow a creationist? How
to be sure," in Unspun: Finding facts in a world of disinformation (2007),
153-177; 25
pages. 
Mon
26 Jan: Defining media audiences
Mon 02 Feb: Media marketplaces and monopolies 
Mon
09 Feb: Print media - Books, libraries, and literacy
First Midterm ExamMon 23 Feb: Review for exam in
class Students requesting special accomodations with a McBurney visa may take the exam in alternate room TBA from either 9:30am - 10:45am or 9:55am-11:15am. D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N S C A N C E L L E D |
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Strategic communication in politics & economics |
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Advertising
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Public relationsMon 09 Mar: Public relations D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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SPRING BREAKNo class or section. Please drink responsibly! Please note that the Friday of the ninth week of classes is generally the last date a student may drop a course. |
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Political persuasion
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Mon 02 Mar: The advertising model for media 
Mon
23 Mar: Political opinion
Public diplomacyMon 30 Mar: Journalism after September 11, 2001 D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Second Midterm ExamMon 06 Apr: Review for exam Students requesting special accomodations with a McBurney visa may take the exam in alternate room TBA from either 9:30am - 10:45am or 9:55am-11:15am. D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N C A N C E L L E D |
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Journalism and the public sphere |
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Print journalism
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Broadcast journalism
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Crisis in journalism
D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
R E S O U R C E S
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Wrap-upMon
04 May: D I S C U S S I O N S E C T I O N
R E Q U I R E D R E A D I N G S
O P T I O N A L R E A D I N G S
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Final exam week |
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Final Exam12:25pm-2:25pm |
Mon 13 Apr: Journalism
Mon 20 Apr: Local TV news 
Mon
27 Apr: Screening
of
Daily
news
As part of this course, you need to be familiar with current events in the media. Ideally, you should be reading a daily local and national newspaper, watching a daily local and national TV newscast, listening to a daily local and national radio newscast, and following at least one daily non-US source of news.
In J201 we demand that students subscribe to either a local or a national print newspaper. Using the World Wide Web, you can have access to even more news sources over your computer at no cost (or rather, at the cost of a monthly Net subscription, expensive hardware and software which must be upgraded regularly, nominal electricity costs, and some personal demographic information which more and more of these sites will force you to divulge):
Local newsBadger Herald International newsBBC World Service About the news |
National newsNew York Times Other newsThe Onion |
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q: Is J201 offered in both Fall and Spring?
A: Greg Downey tends to teach J201 in the Spring. The Fall instructor
for J201 is usually Jack
Mitchell <jwmitch1 at wisc.edu>. Please contact him
for details on his
version of the course web site, readings, and assignments.
Q: I'm a senior and a really want/need to take J201.
A: J201 is generally closed to seniors because: (1) demand for J201 is
so severe; (2) J201 is an introductory class (in both its writing skills
and its substantive aspects) not appropriate for seniors; and (3) seniors
do not have enough time after taking J201 to finish a Journalism and
Mass Communication major.
Q: The section I want is full. Is there a waiting list?
A:There is no waiting list for J201. If you meet the course
prerequisites but the section you want is full, you may try to continue
to try to register electronically through the first two weeks of class
(when many students drop the course). You may attend lecture while attempting
to formally register, up to the university add/drop deadline. Often enough
spaces open up in these first two weeks to accomodate all interested students. If
you can be more flexible in your choice of discussion section, you will
be more likely to get a spot in the course. And remember:
the class is offered both Fall and Spring!
Q: I have a class conflict with my section; can I switch?
As a university student, it is your responsibilty to sign up for
a discussion section which fits your class schedule. It is not possible
for us to do your scheduling for you. Our only advice is to try the
online registration system to see if you can sign up for a new section
and drop your old section through the official system. With over 400 students
adding and dropping, section counts are in constant flux so you might want
to check the system at different times of the day/week to try your switch.
Q: I represent [your student group here] and I would like to talk
to your students for just five minutes before class.
A: Class time is too limited for me to allow any student groups
to speak before class (even those related to journalism and mass communication).
But if you send me a paragraph describing your organization, I will gladly
post it to the class weblog.
Q: Why don't you put your lecture slides online before lecture,
so students can print them and follow along?
A: Good idea, but it won't happen because (1) it encourages some
students to skip lecture, (2) it discourages some students from taking
their own notes, and (3) I am often still tweaking and editing the slides minutes before
lecture begins. Slides will generally be available 24 hours after lecture.
Q: I have a [wedding, family reunion, Ren and Stimpy marathon]
on the exam date. Can I take it another time?
A: University students are expected to attend all classes and
all exams. Makeup exams are only offered for documented medical reasons.
Q: On the exam review sheet, could you please explain to me the
meaning of the following eight terms ...
A: The instructor and the TAs will not answer questions like this
over email. Bring such questions to section or to the lecture that we devote
to reviewing for the exam, or ask them on the class weblog to see if your
fellow students can help. And study your notes and readings.
Q: I liked J201 and now I want to major in Journalism and Mass
Communication. Can you write me a recommendation?
A: Our policy is that J201 instructors (including TAs) do not
write recommendations for students to enter the J-School.
Q: Your class has too much [politics, economics, history, sociology]
in it, which I think belongs in a [political science, economics, history,
sociology] course and not in a mass communication course.
A: Welcome to the world of interdisciplinary, socially relevant,
and intellectually complex university education.
Q: I heard that the poltergeists of Humanities 3650 have a rather
malevolent grudge against you, cutting the power to your microphone,
dripping water on your computer, and dumping acoustical wall tiles into
the aisles at random moments during your lectures.
A: Please do not taunt the Humanities 3650 poltergeists.
Q: Do you mind if, while you are lecturing, I keep my laptop open
at my seat and, though appearing to take notes, actually spend the whole
class period surfing e-Bay for collectible Lego minifigures based on
the short-lived 1980s science-fiction comedy series "Quark"?
A: Please do not taunt me either.
Q: Did I miss anything when I skipped your class?
A: The answer is here.
Did
you know?
• UW-Madison has about 28,000 undergraduates, but there are only 19 courses which enroll around 400 students, and J201 is one of them. (A colleague of mine likes to call it "stadium rock".) But our discussion section size of 18 students falls well below the average UW course size (including all labs, lectures, discussions and seminars) of 28 students. Source: Deborah Ziff, "UW profs aim to stir up giant classes," madison.com (25 Nov 2007).
• According to the Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning, UW-Madison students spend an average of over $700/year on textbooks and class materials. However, rather than using a mass-market $100 textbook in J201 (which may be out of date the moment it is printed), we use a custom-crafted $30 course reader (which changes every semester), sold on a non-profit basis under Fair Use copyright laws with proceeds going to a student-run organization.
• Many of the extra-credit studies that J201 students participate in are published in major communication research journals, and many J201 TAs go on to become professors at top research universities around the nation.
• J201 was one of the first courses on campus to use weblogs extensively in course management and discussion. But it was the students who figured out that the weblog could be used as a virtual study session to prepare for exams.
• From time to time the authors of J201 readings have commented on our class weblog. Participants have included New York Times reporter (and former UW-Madison graduate) Marshall Sella, as well as Internet-saavy campaign consultant to Howard Dean and (now) John Edwards, Joe Trippi.
![[icon]](../../images/icons/uw-icon.gif)
About
the professor
Greg Downey <gdowney @ wisc.edu> is an associate professor with a 50 percent appointment in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a 50 percent appointment in the School of Library and Information Studies. His teaching and research both center on the history and geography of information and communication technology and the often hidden human labor behind it.
Downey joined the UW faculty in 2001. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in computer science from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, an M.A. In liberal studies from Northwestern University, and a joint Ph.D. in history of technology and human geography from the Johns Hopkins University. Before coming to Madison, Downey spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography and the Humanities Institute at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
His industry experience as a computer analyst includes three years at the Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago, and three years at Roger Schank’s Institute for Learning Sciences at Northwestern University. He has held short-term volunteer positions with both the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago and the Community Information Exchange in Washington D.C. And he used to draw a daily comic strip when he was an undergraduate, believe it or not.
Downey's
first book, Telegraph Messenger Boys: Labor, Technology, and Geography,
1850-1950, was published by Routledge in 2002. His second book, Closed
captioning: Subtitling, stenography, and the digital convergence of text
with television, was published by Johns Hopkins in 2008. He
is currently working on his third book, a history and geography of library
labor and technology in the US over the 20th century.