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PROFESSOR GREG DOWNEY • SPRING 2011
Introduction to Mass Communication

J 201

Spring 2011
3650 Humanities
M W F 9:55am-10:45am
(plus weekly discussion)

The goal of J201 is to help you become a critical media consumer and producer. We investigate not only how our mass media system works, but what we want our mass media to do for us (and what we hope it doesn't do to us).

This involves understanding the structural qualities of our mass media system – political, economic, and social — by following the money, tracing the power, seeing the disparities in different forms of communication.

It also involves understanding both the effects of media on individual thought and behavior and the power of individuals to influence what appears in the media (through viewership, purchasing, democratic actions, or personal media production).

We pay close attention to the present-day challenges and criticisms that the media industry faces, in order to imagine alternative ways of constructing the media industry.

Through both lecture and discussion, both readings and films, and both offline and online experiences, this course will guide students in interrogating our media-saturated society.

As a Comm-B course open to all majors, students will both experiment with new personal publishing tools like weblogs and wikis, and hone more traditional skills of academic argument and presentation.

Key goals

Besides introducing you to some key concepts for thinking critically about mass communication in modern global, technological society, J201 serves two particular functions:

Communication-B requirement. While not all of you will become professional journalists or strategic communicators, each of you will need to communicate clearly and effectively through the spoken and written word. This course fulfills the campus Communications-B requirement for these skills. You will spend time outside class, as well as in weekly discussion sections, refining your critical communication skills through oral presentations, written assignments, peer review, and revision. Please note, however, that our TAs are not expected to teach you the basics of spelling, grammar, usage, and proper sentence construction. (That's what high school is for.)
School of Journalism and Mass Communication major prerequisite. Some of you are considering careers in the media. This course should help you make informed decisions about your professional life and serves as the prerequisite to entering the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Please note: out of nearly 300 applicants to the J-School each semester, only 105 can be accepted.

Course plan

J201 is divided into three units, each focusing on a different set of media processes.

Mass communication for information and entertainment: Covers the overall structure and functioning of modern mass media, whether print, broadcast, or online.
Strategic communication in politics & economics:Covers mass communication that (primarily) seeks to persuade. Strategic communication includes commercial advertising, public relations, political campaigning and public diplomacy.
Journalism and the public sphere: Covers mass communication that (primarily) seeks to report “truth” and foster free, open, civil, and informed debate. Journalism includes newspapers and news magazines, non-fiction books, documentary film and video, broadcast news channels, and online reporting.

Electronic resources

As a mass communication course, J201 utilizes many new media technologies. We do this both to deliver the class in a way that alters the traditional space-time relations of education (allowing you to participate at a distance, or at odd hours) and to expose students to some of the many collaborative online tools in use today:

This class-wide web page, listing the assignments and schedule for the whole semester, constantly updated with new content and links as the weeks go by. Produced using Adobe Dreamweaver and hosted at the UW-Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication.
A class-wide news blog for the professor and TAs to post class-wide issues and news articles related to the topic of the class. (Students may comment on anything we put here.) Produced and hosted using Blogger.
A class-wide file repository storing electronic versions of the required and optional readings. Accessible to any UW student or affiliate with a "net ID." Produced and hosted using UW Madison MyWebSpace.
Individual discussion section weblogs for students to use in researching their weekly reader articles and conversing with their section-mates. Your TA will send an email inviting you to your section weblog during the first week of class. Produced and hosted using Blogger.
Individual discussion section wikis for students to use in peer review critiques of paper drafts. Your TA will send an email inviting you to your section wiki during the first week of class. (Content produced here is not publicly visible; only your classmates and TA will see your drafts.) Produced and hosted using PBWorks.

Taking a class with all of these electronic tools means you will need to have regular access to a computer. All of the UW dorms have their own computer labs, and you may also use the College Library computer lab.

We choose "outside" tools on purpose; we want you to become familiar with systems "at large" in the world, not just at Madison. Sometimes these tools may not work as well as we would like; we should consider these moments of reflection, not frustration.

Please note: Most content produced with these tools is publicly visible. Students (and instructors) should practice a civil and respectful tone, and think twice about revealing personally identifiable information.

Grading

There are 100 points available in this course, broken down into four categories:

Oral communication
15 points

An in-class four-minute prepared oral presentation summarizing an article from your reader - 5 points.
An in-class two-minute extemporaneous oral presentation in response to a fellow student's prepared speech - 5 points.
One ten-minute discussion leadership session on one of the week's readings - 5 points.

Written communication
35 points

Three 1000-word (four-page) written essays, including rough drafts, peer reviews, and final drafts - 10 points each (30 points total).
One 500-word research report on an article from your reader, posted to your discussion section weblog - 5 points

Exams
35 points

Three closed-book written exams, involving both short answer and essay questions, based on readings, films, and lecture - 35 points.

Class participation
15 points

Five pop quizzes in section based on lecture, readings, or current events - one point each (5 points total).
Five short online assignments posted to your section weblog or wiki - one point each (5 points total).
Discussion attendance and participation - 5 points.

J201 is graded on a fixed scale, not on a curve:

	SCALE
A	92 - 100
AB	88 - 91
B	80 - 87
BC	76 - 79
C	68 - 75
D	60 - 67
F	0 - 59

There may also be up to 2.5 points of extra credit offered as the semester unfolds.

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 paper drafts and peer reviews, and its own weblog, where students can discuss each week's readings.

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.

PBWorks discussion section wikis

Blogger discussion section weblogs

Textbook and reader

There is one required textbook for this course: Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The craft of research, 3rd ed. (University of Chicago Press, 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, there is a required reader full of 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 $27. 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.

News 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 or news magazine 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.

(Sorry, neither of our own venerable student newspapers, the Badger Herald and the Daily Cardinal, nor the the free alternative weekly Isthmus, counts for this requirement.)

Some newspapers you might consider:

The Wisconsin State Journal (offers a student rate Mon-Sat delivery for $2.00/week)
The Capital Times (available free each Wednesday)
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
The Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Sun-Times
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
The New York Times (offers a student rate Mon-Fri delivery for $2.50/week)
The Washington Post
The Los Angeles Times

Some news magazines you might consider:

Time
Newsweek
U.S. News and World Report
The Economist
The Nation
The Weekly Standard

Many of these publications will have student rates.

Speech assignments

Practicing oral communication skills is an important part of a Comm-B course. In J201 you will perform two presentations: one live-in-class prepared four-minute speech, and one extemporaneous (unrehearsed) two-minute response to another student's speech. Each of these will be based on your readings for that week.

Your TA will assign you a number during your first discussion section; use this number to figure out which week you will be presenting your prepared speech. You will be called on randomly for your extemporaneous speech so make sure to read both articles carefully each week.

Prepared speech

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 rest 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 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 voice recorder, or a friend.

Flip Video 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 either email the video to you, or post the video on your discussion section wiki. You are required to view your performance and perform a self-critique: email your TA with one specific way that you could improve your delivery next time.

Make sure to turn in a one-page written outline of your speech.

Extemporaneous speech

The extemporaneous speech is a two-minute reaction to another student's prepared speech.

Your reply should both summarize and acknowledge what the student said about the article (1 minute) and then critique what that student said, offering your own ideas (1 minute).

Remember, though, that "critique" doesn't necessarily mean "criticize." Explain whether you agree or disagree with the student's assessment of the article, and why. Or you may suggest a different way of understanding or interpreting the article, contrasting it with what the first student said.

This is not an easy assignment — you only have two minutes. Try to be constructive, civil, and, above all, concise.

Extemporaneous speeches will not be digitally recorded.

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 article author (or previous speaker) was saying?
Is your own claim clear?
Is your evidence for your claim convincing?

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)?

Discussion leadership

Once during the semester, you will lead a ten-minute discussion on one of the two readings for that week. This means you are responsible for posing some interesting points or questions, getting people talking, calling on your peers, and managing the conversation.

Your TA will assign you a number during your first discussion section; use this number to figure out which week you will be leading discussion.

On the week that you lead the article discussion in section, you need to post an interesting discussion-starter for your assigned reading to your discussion section weblog, at least 24 hours before section meets. For example:

pose a question about the reading (and give an example of how you might answer it)
ask students to connect the reading to their own experience (and give an example of how it connects to your own)
identify one or two key terms from the reading (that might show up on an exam) and ask students to define and give the significance of them.
pose a challenge or critique to the reading and ask students to defend it

Research report

Once during the semester, you will write one 500-word (two-page, double-spaced) research report on one of the articles from your reader, posting it to your discussion section weblog before you meet in section to discuss the article that week.

Your TA will assign you a number during your first discussion section; use this number to figure out which week you will be writing your article research report.

A research report an on article might include, but is not limited to:

a brief description of the main topic of the article (what's it about?) and the main thesis of the article (what does it claim?)
background information on when and where the article was published, and for what intended audience
background information on the author of the article, and this person's authority or expertise
an assessment of how the article was received by its audience (eg. any book reviews if the article was taken from a book)
a brief list of other articles or books on the same topic by different authors who may have reached different conclusions

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, and several points of evidence supporting each argument.
A conclusion which not only restates the thesis, but leaves the reader with something more, such as speculation on the broader implications of the thesis.

Typewriter For each assignment, first you write a rough 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.

Essay one: Contemplating media

Your goal in this first paper is to make an argument about what your own most significant relationship to the media is. Are you a critical consumer of mainstream or alternative media? A target-market for certain products or ideas? A trend-setter for new media technologies and practices? A producer of media in your own right? In short, does the media matter to you, and if so, why?

In making your argument, you must use at least two authoritative articles which focus on the relationship between media and society. An "authoritative article" may come 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 usually acceptable as well. Wikipedia articles or articles from random weblogs generally are not considered "authoritative". (When in doubt, ask your TA.) You may want to read ahead in your xeroxed reader to find useful authoritative articles for your paper.

Your paper should start out with a clear thesis — the overall claim of your paper which is supported by reasons and evidence set forth in the rest of the paper. For example:

Introduction paragraph includes a thesis along these lines: "My most significant relationship to the media is X [claim] because of A, B, and C [reasons]."
Paragraph two explains and supports reason A using evidence A1, A2, A3
Paragraph three explains and supports reason B using evidence B1, B2, B3
Paragraph four explains and supports reason C using evidence C1, C2, C3.
Paragraph five raises a counter-claim which might undermine your thesis, and addresses that counter-claim.
Concluding paragraph restates your thesis and a summary of your reasons, suggesting broader implications that follow from the thesis.

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.

Essay 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 outside sources) 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 for and where was it placed? What is its 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.

Essay 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 outside sources) 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? (In other words, what's your definition of quality news coverage in this case?)

Guidelines for rough drafts (on wiki)

When you post your rough 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.
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.

Guidelines for final papers (printed)

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 list of references with each draft (we recommend APA style).
Staple all pages (no paperclips or corner folds).
Proofread your final paper!

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).

Finding authoritative articles

Memorial
Library

College
Library

Journalism
Reading
Room

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

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.

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.

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.

blue book 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 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 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).
Third 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 comprehensive essay covering the whole course (5 points).

Discussion quizzes

Five times during the semester, at your TA's discretion, you will have a one-question, one-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 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-half point.

Class participation

dicussion This 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 their discussion section weblogs, 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.

Special needs

McBurney
Center

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.

Academic honesty

Misconduct
Guide

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, even material posted online, is plagiarism

Yes, your professor knows about Study Blue and can see the materials posted there.

While we encourage J201 students to use both their course wikis and in-person meetings to study for the exam together, remember that the essays you write in class and that you turn in for paper assignments should be your own. If, for example, a student were to turn in an assignment or write an exam essay that was drawn verbatim or near-verbatim from the social networking web site Study Blue, that would be a clear case of academic misconduct.

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.

In addition, our course reader is printed on recycled paper, which costs students one cent more per page than non-recycled paper.

About the professor

Greg Downey <gdowney @ wisc.edu> is a 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.

From 2009-2012 Downey is serving as the eleventh faculty Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is J201 offered in both Fall and Spring?
A: Yes, although each semester it is taught by a different instructor.

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: Why do you make me subscribe to a print news source when I can get my news free online, and it's just the same?
A: How do you know that the experience of getting your news online is "just the same" if you've never subscribed to a print news source?

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.


Quick Links

Blogger weblogs
PBWorks wikis

lecture video

lecture slides

article text


News

Change in Essay 1 due date!!

We are changing the due date of Essay 1!

The draft of Essay 1 will be due Wednesday, February 22, in lecture. That day will be a review session for the exam on Friday the 24th. If you cannot make lecture that day, essays must be submitted to TA mailboxes by 9:55 am.

Drafts will be returned to students the following section (in the week of Feb 27). Final drafts will be due one week after that.

Previous news ...

Facebook going public

My online assignment

Online assignment 1!

J201 Introduction and objectives

Welcome!


Spring 2011 Calendar

Mass communication and entertainment

Jan 17 - Jan 21 2011

WEEK 01

Welcome week

Lecture

Mon Jan 17: NO CLASS FOR HOLIDAY
Wed Jan 19: Introduction to the professor and the class
Fri Jan 21: What is mass communication?

Discussion
SECTIONS WILL MEET THIS WEEK

Meet your TA and fellow students
Learn about the course web page, section weblogs, and section wikis
TA assigns each student a number, indicating when that student will present their in-class speech, write their article research report, and lead their article discussion.
Discuss techniques for effective oral presentations
Discuss techniques for blog research reports
After class, get your Craft of Research textbook from a local bookstore
After class, get your xeroxed course reader from ASM Student Print
After class, TA will send emails inviting all students to their section wiki and section weblog. You need to have signed up with the weblog before section meets next week (see below).

Assignment tools
The first few articles in your reader, like the textbook on research and writing that you purchased, are intended as tools to help you perform better on your assignments. You should refer back to them all through the course.

Brandon Royal, The little red writing book (2004), selections.
Ben Yagoda, "The seven deadly sins of student writers," Chronicle of Higher Education (08 September 2006); 5 pages.
Stephen E. Lucas, "Delivery," The art of public speaking, 6th ed. (1998), 292-309; 15 pages.
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.

Readings for this week
Always make sure to have your readings done by the time you get to section. Remember, you may be quizzed on your readings.

John Thompson, "The media and modernity," in Hugh Mackay and Tim O'Sullivan, eds., The media reader: Continuity and transformation (1999), 13-27; 15 pages.

For more information

Dan Gillmor, "Principles for a new media literacy"(Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 2008).
Peter A. Facione, "Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts" (1998); 15 pages.
Anne Lamott, "Shitty first drafts" (1994).
Nicholas Mirzoeff, “Teletubbies: Infant cyborg desire and the fear of global visual culture,” in Lisa Parks and Shanti Kumar, eds., Planet TV: A global television reader (New York: NYU Press, 2003), 439-454; 15 pages.
Laurie Rozakis, The complete idiot's guide to public speaking (1999), selections.
Anonymous, "I'm very interested in hearing some half-baked theories," Onion (November 9, 2005); 2 pages.

Weblog tutorial
Before your section meets next week, you should learn how to use your discussion section blog.

Your discussion section weblog is hosted by the Blogger service, which is owned by Google. Watch this short video tour of Blogger to see what it's all about. (You won't have to create your own blog for this course, but you can if you want to.)
Your TA will register your email address on your discussion section blog. Then you'll receive an automated email with instructions on how to register with Blogger so that you can begin posting stuff. Follow the instructions in this email.
Once you're signed up with Blogger, navigating to www.blogger.com will bring you to your "Dashboard" page. Find the listing for your discussion section blog, and choose "View Blog". Read through the latest two or three posts.
Now you'll create a post of your own. While signed in to Blogger, and viewing your discussion section blog, there should be a blue toolbar across the top of the page. Click on "New Post" in this toolbar, and you'll be taken to a window with familiar word-processing tools:
Type a paragraph or two of text to introduce yourself to your TA and fellow students. In the box "Labels for this post," type "introduction". Click "Publish Post" when you are done.
Now click "View Post" or "View Blog" to see if it worked. If it didn't turn out as you expected, click the little pencil icon to edit again.
Next, try to edit your post in order to include a digital photo of yourself. Click the little photo icon to add an image to a post.
Now, edit your post one more time to add an answer to this question: "What is the most important effect of the media upon your life?" Don't just write a quick, pithy answer to this; see if you can write a substantive and thoughtful answer, roughly 250 words.
Finally, read one fellow student's answer to this question and use the "Comment" feature to reply to what they wrote.
Remember, you can always get to the complete listing of section blogs and wikis here. (You may want to bookmark this page.)

Jan 24 - Jan 28 2011

WEEK 02

Media audiences and media effects

Lecture

Mon Jan 24: Defining media audiences
Wed Jan 26: Debating media effects
Fri Jan 28: Guest lecture on media research: Professor Young-Mie Kim

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches from students 01 and 02 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 07 and 08
Blogged research reports from students 13 and 14
Discuss tasks for paper 1 (draft due next week)
Online assignment #1 due - posting an introduction to the weblog and answering the question, "What is the most important effect of the media upon your life?" (see above)
Discuss how to create a page on the wiki for your paper draft

Readings for this week

Ronald Brownstein, "The gray and the brown: The generational mismatch," National Journal (24 July 2010); 6 pages.
Michael Rich, "Boy, mediated: Effects of entertainment media on adolescent male health," Adolescent Medicine 14:3 (2003), 691-715; 25 pages.

For more information

Robert Putnam, “Technology and mass media” in Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community (2000), 216-246; 30 pages.
S. Craig Watkins, "Digital gates: How race and class distinctions are shaping the digital world," in The young and the digital (2009), 75-101; 25 pages.
Joel Bakan, "Corporations unlimited," The corporation: The pathological pursuit of profit and power (2005), 111-138; 25 pages.
Neil Campbell and Alasdair Kean, "The transmission of American culture," American cultural studies: An introduction to American culture, 2nd. ed. (2006), 287-314; 25 pages.
Herbert J. Gans, “The problem of news effects,” in Democracy and the news (2003), 69-89; 20 pages.
Paul F. Lazarsfeld and Robert K. Merton, “Mass communication, popular taste, and organized social action [selection],” in Lyman Bryson, ed., The communication of ideas (1948); reprinted in Paul Marris and Sue Thornham, eds., Media studies: A reader, 2nd ed. (2000), 18-30 (13 pages).
Marshall McLuhan, “The medium is the message [selection],” in Understanding media: The extensions of man (1964); reprinted in Paul Marris and Sue Thornham, eds., Media studies: A reader, 2nd ed. (2000), 38-43; 5 pages.
Denis McQuail, "The effect research tradition," McQuail's mass communication theory, 4th ed. (2000), 415-428; 15 pages.
Glenn G. Sparks and Cheri W. Sparks, "Effects of media violence," in Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillman, eds., Media effects: Advances in theory and research, 2nd. ed. (2002), 269-285; 15 pages.
Anonymous, "New video game designed to have no influence on kids' behavior," Onion (December 14, 2005).

Wiki tutorial
Before your discussion section next week, you'll need to learn how to use your discussion section wiki.

Your discussion section wiki is hosted by the PBWorks service. Watch this short video tour of PBWorks to see what it's all about. (You won't have to create your own wiki for this course, but you can if you want to.)
Your TA will register your email address on your discussion section wiki. Then you'll receive an automated email with instructions on how to register with PBWorks so that you can begin editing stuff. Follow the instructions in this email.
Once you're signed up with PBWorks, navigating to my.pbworks.com will bring you to your "Workspaces" page. Find the listing for your discussion section wiki, and click on it. Read through the wiki home page (called the "front page").
Notice that when you first go to your wiki front page, the tab at the top indicates that you are in "VIEW" mode.
On the front page of your discussion section wiki, your TA has created a big table listing all of the students in your section. You will create a wiki page for yourself and link it to your name in this table. At the top of the wiki front page, click the "EDIT" tab.
You are now in editing mode. Don't worry; if you mess something up, just hit "Cancel" at the bottom of the wiki page and try again.
Highlight your name and click the little "Add Link" icon in the toolbar:
This brings up a window where you can specify what you want that text to link to.

Notice that PBWorks has defaulted to the text you selected (your name) as the name of the new page. Add the words "personal wiki page" to the end of this and then hit the return key. You'll see an indication that your new wiki page is has been created:
Click the "Save" at the bottom of the wiki page to save your changes:
Now, in "VIEW" mode once again, find your name with the link you just created and click on it to try to go to the wiki page that has been created for you.
Aha! The wiki has figured out that you "linked" to a page that does not exist yet, so it's asking you to create this page first. Go ahead and click the "Create page" button to do this.

Now you have a blank wiki page all your own.
Notice that you have been thrown immediately into "EDIT" mode. Add some text and introduce yourself. Maybe describe where you're from and what your favorite Star Wars(tm) Collectible Action Figure is. (Or not.) Anyway, write at least 250 words. After you're done, click "Save" at the bottom to see your changes added to the wiki page.
Now try to upload a digital photo of yourself to the wiki. On the upper-right-hand-side of the wiki page, find the link to "Upload files" and click on it.

This takes you to a page listing all the extra word processing, image, sound, and video files that have been uploaded to this wiki.
On this page, click the "Upload files" button:
You will be presented with a file browser dialog box where you can pick a file from your computer to upload. Find a nice digital photo of yourself (not too large, please) and upload it.
Now that your image is uploaded to the wiki, navigate back to your personal wiki page and "EDIT". On the right-hand side of the wiki page you'll see a tab for "Images and files."

Click this and you should see the image you just uploaded in the list.
Click on the title of your image and it will be inserted into your wiki page. Click "Save" at the bottom of your wiki page when you are satisfied with how the image looks.
Finally, visit the personal wiki page of another student in your section and post a friendly "comment" to the bottom of their page.
If you run into trouble signing on to the wiki, creating your personal page, editing and saving text, or uploading an image, ask a classmate to help you or talk to your TA.
Remember, you can always get to the complete listing of section blogs and wikis here. You may want to bookmark this page.

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.)

Jan 31 - Feb 04 2011

WEEK 03

Media markets and public interests

Lecture

Mon Jan 31: Media marketplaces and monopolies
Wed Feb 02: SNOW DAY
Fri Feb 04: Media purposes and public interests(Guest lecture on public broadcasting bumped for snow!)

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches for students 03 and 04 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 09 and 10
Blogged research reports from students 15 and 16
Draft and outline of paper 1 due (one copy in print for your TA, one copy on wiki for your peer reviewers)

Readings for this week

Chris Anderson, "The long tail," Wired 12:10 (December 2005); 10 pages.
Robert Schmuhl and Robert G. Picard, "The marketplace of ideas," in Geneva Overholser and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, eds., The press (2005), 141-155; 15 pages.

For more information

Oliver Boyd-Barrett, "Journalism, media conglomerates and the Federal Communications Commission," in Stuart Allen, ed., Journalism: Critical issues (2005), 342-356; 15 pages.
Eric Klinenberg, "Clear Channel comes to town," in Fighting for air: The battle to control America's media (2007), 57-85; 20 pages.
Gail Beckerman, "Tripping up big media," Columbia Journalism Review (Nov/Dec 2003), 15-20; 5 pages.
James W. Carey, “A cultural approach to communication,” in Communication 2:2 (1975); 20 pages.
William Hoynes, "The PBS brand and the merchandising of public service," in M. McCauley et al., Public broadcasting and the public interest (2003), 41-51; 10 pages.
Robert McChesney, "Public broadcasting: Past, present, and future," in Michael P. McCauley et al., eds., Public broadcasting and the public interest (2003), 10-24; 15 pages.
Robert McChesney and John Nichols, "The problem with US media," in Our media, not theirs: The democratic struggle against corporate media (2002), 46-80; 35 pages.
Steve Rendall & Daniel Butterworth, "How public is public radio?" Extra! (June 2004); 5 pages.
Paul Starr, "Coda: The advent of the media," in Paul Starr, The creation of the media: Political origins of modern communications (2004), 385-402; 15 pages.
Clay Ramsay, Steven Kull, and Evan Lewis, "Misinformation and the 2010 election: A study of the US electorate" (2010).

Center for Public Integrity Media Tracker
FCC Review of Broadcast Ownership Rules
StopBigMedia.com
Top 100 media companies (AdAge.com)
"Who owns what?" (Columbia Journalism Review)
"Who owns the media?" from FreePress (founded by Robert McChesney)
Media Reform Information Center (activist site)

Feb 07 - Feb 11 2011

WEEK 04

From print culture to screen culture

Lecture

Mon Feb 07: Print media - Books, libraries, and literacy
Wed Feb 09: Screen culture - Movies and television
Fri Feb 11: Guest lecture on television and race: Professor Hemant Shah

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches for students 05 and 06 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 11 and 12
Blogged research reports from students 17 and 18
Peer reviews of paper 1 due (on wiki as substantive comments)
Discuss paper 1 revision strategies
Comments on paper 1 returned to students

Readings for this week

George Gerbner et al., "Growing up with television: Cultivation processes," in Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillman, eds., Media effects: Advances in theory and research, 2nd. ed. (2002), 43-67; 25 pages.
Elizabeth Losh, "Reading room: The nation-state and digital library initiatives," in Virtualpolitik (2009), 239-279; 40 pages.

For more information

John B. Thompson, "Publishing as an economic and cultural practice," in Books in the digital age: The transformation of academic and higher education publishing in Britain and the United States (2005), 15-29; 15 pages.
Amanda D. Lotz, "Advertising after the network era: The new economics of television," in The television will be revolutionized (2007), 152-192; 40 pages.
Susan Jacoby, "The culture of distraction," in The age of American unreason (2008), 242-278; 35 pages.
Neil Postman, “Media as epistemology” in Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business (1985), pp. 16-29; 15 pages.
National Endowment for the Arts, To read or not to read: A question of national consequence [executive summary] (2007); 20 pages.
Amanda D. Lotz, "Introduction" in The television will be revolutionized (2007), 1-25; 25 pages.
James L. Baughman, “The war for attention: Responding to television, 1947-1958,” in The republic of mass culture: Journalism, filmmaking, and broadcasting in America since 1941 (1992), 59-90; 30 pages.
Brian Winston, “How are media born?” in John Downing, Ali Mohammadi, and Annabelle Sreberny-Mohammadi, eds., Questioning the media: A critical introduction (1990); reprinted in Paul Marris and Sue Thornham, eds., Media studies: A reader, 2nd ed. (2000), 786-801; 15 pages.
Steven Johnson, “Television,” in Steven Johnson, Everything bad is good for you: How today’s popular culture is actually making us smarter (New York: Riverhead Books, 2005), pp. 62-103; 40 pages.
Raymond Williams, “Programming as sequence or flow [selection],” in Television: Technology and cultural form (1974); reprinted in Paul Marris and Sue Thornham, eds., Media studies: A reader, 2nd ed. (2000), 231-237; 7 pages.
David Levy, "A bit of digital history," in Scrolling forward: Making sense of documents in the digital age (2001), 137-157, 20 pages.

New York Times bestselling books (updated weekly)
Amazon.com top selling books (updated hourly)
Publisher's Weekly
Association of American Publishers
American Library Association
Ms. magazine
The Comics Journal
Madison Zine Fest
Top 100 films of all time, by box office revenue (from UGO.com)
Internet Movie Database (and its interesting history)
Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 ("Hays Code")

Feb 14 - Feb 18 2011

WEEK 05

Digital and interactive media

Lecture

Mon Feb 14: Digital convergence - content, technologies, institutions
Wed Feb 16: ~~Video games~~ Special lecture on new media, old media, and the Egyptian uprisings
Fri Feb 18: ~~Screening of Frontline episode Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier (2010)~~. Special discussion on media literacy during times of political protest

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Make up any missed speeches from this portion of class
Online assignment #2 due by section: Find your information technology user category and post it to your discussion section weblog. Do you think your assigned category accurately reflects your technology life?
Paper 1 final version and outline due (in print to TA)
Exam 1 review terms and questions emailed to students Friday

Readings for this week

Charles Petersen, "Google and money!" New York Review of Books (09 December 2010); 11 pages.
Michael Strangelove, "The YouTube community," in Watching YouTube: Extraordinary videos by ordinary people (2010), 103-136; 30 pages.

For more information

Christine Ogan and Randal A. Beam, "Internet challenges for media businesses," in William Aspray and Paul E. Ceruzzi, eds., The Internet and American business (2008), 279-314; 35 pages.
Nick Dyer-Witherford and Greig de Peuter, "Immaterial labor: A workers' history of videogaming," in Games of empire: Global capitalism and video games (2009), 3-33; 30 pages.
Andrew Chadwick, "The political economy of internet media," in Internet politics (2006); 25 pages.
Edward Castronova, "Daily life on a synthetic earth," in Synthetic worlds: The business and culture of online games (2005).
Pew Internet & American Life Project, Teens and social media (19 Dec 2007).
Anna Everett and S. Craig Watkins, "The power of play: The portrayal and performance of race in video games," in Katie Salen, ed., The ecology of games: Connecting youth, games, and learning (2008), 141-166; ~25 pages.
Chris Anderson, "The long tail," Wired (October 2004) (6 pages).
Pippa Norris, “The digital divide,” in Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty, and the Internet worldwide (2001), 3-25; 23 pages.

A Nation Online Most recent National Telecommunications and Information Administration report on the closing "digital divide"
Media in the year 2014? (8 minute video by Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson of the Poynter Institute)
Ordering a pizza in 2010 (from the ACLU)
Explaining "Web 2.0"
An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube (2008)

Feb 21 - Feb 25 2011

WEEK 06

First Midterm Exam

Lecture

Mon Feb 21: Review for exam in class
Wed Feb 23: EXAM 1

Students requesting special accomodations with a McBurney visa may take the exam in alternate room 5157 Vilas Hall from either 9:30am - 10:45am or 9:55am-11:15am (time-and-a-half).

Fri Feb 25: CLASS CANCELLED

Discussion - CANCELLED

Strategic communication in politics & economics

Feb 28 - Mar 04 2011

WEEK 07

Advertising

Lecture

Mon Feb 28: The advertising model for media
Wed Mar 02: Targeting and messaging
Fri Mar 04: Guest lecture on public-interest marketing: Professor Shawnika Hull

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches for students 07 and 08 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 13 and 14
Blogged research reports from students 01 and 02
Graded exam 1 returned to students
Graded paper 1 returned to students
Discuss tasks for paper 2 (draft due next week)
Online assignment #3 due by section: Find your VALS category and post it to your discussion section weblog. Do you think your assigned category accurately reflects your consumer life?

Readings for this week

Juliet B. Schor, "From Tony the Tiger to Slime Time Live," in Born to buy (2004), 39-68; 30 pages.
Joseph Turow, "Drawing on the past," in Niche envy: Marketing discrimination in the digital age (2006), 45-70; 25 pages.

For more information

Joseph Turow, "Confronting new worries," in Niche envy: Marketing discrimination in the digital age (2006), 21-44; 20 pages.
Tom Reichert, “Arousing aspirations: Lifestyle apparel and high-fashion,” in The erotic history of advertising (2003), 231-251; 20 pages.
Douglas Rushkoff, “Advertising,” in Coercion: Why we listen to what “they” say (1999), 162-192; 30 pages.
Joseph Turow, “Mapping a fractured society,” in Breaking up America: Advertisers and the new media world (1997), 55-89; 35 pages.
Douglas Rushkoff, “Virtual marketing,” in Coercion: Why we listen to what “they” say (1999), 230-264; 35 pages.
James B. Twitchell, “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz: American culture awash in a sea of advertising,” in Adcult USA: The triumph of advertising in American culture (New York: Columbia University Press, 1997), 1-52; 50 pages.
Gloria Steinem, “Sex, lies & advertising,” Ms. (July/August 1990), 18-28; reprinted in Robert W. McChesney and Ben Scott, eds., Our unfree press: 100 years of radical media criticism (2004), 160-176; 17 pages.

Abercrombie & Fitch web marketing
Audience 98: Public service, public support (1998 PBS study using VALS)
The Demographics, Psychographics and, Activities / Interests of True Smokers, Competitive Smokers, and Smokers in General (1986 inudstry study using VALS)
cONsuMpTioN (Toby Slater video)
Apple Macintosh commercial: 1984 original; 2004 rerelease
Find your VALS category

Mar 07 - Mar 11 2011

WEEK 08

Public relations

Lecture

Mon Mar 07: Public relations
Wed Mar 09: Corporate lobbying
Fri Mar 11: Video games Rescheduled from earlier

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches for students 09 and 10 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 15 and 16
Blogged research reports from students 03 and 04
Draft and outline of paper 2 due (one copy in print for TA, one copy on wiki for peer reviewers)

Readings for this week

Peter S. Goodman, "In case of emergency: What not to do," New York Times (21 August 2010); 10 pages.
Neil Henry, "World of illusions," in American carnival: Journalism under siege in an age of new media (2007), 149-204; 55 pages.

For more information

Naomi Klein, “A tale of three logos,” in No logo (2002), 365-396; 30 pages.
Joel Bakan, "Business as usual," The corporation: The pathological pursuit of profit and power (2005), 28-59; 30 pages.
Edward Bernays, "Organizing chaos" and "The new propagandists," in Propaganda (1928), 37-46, 59-70; 20 pages.
Ronald E. Rice and Charles K. Atkin, "Communication campaigns: Theory, design, implementation, and evaluation," in Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillmann, eds., Media effects: Advances in theory and research (2002), 427-451; ~25 pages.
Blake Fleetwood, "The broken wall: Newspaper coverage of its advertisers," Washington Monthly (01 Sep 1999); 10 pages.

PR Newswire (press release news service)
PR Week (trade magazine) See also their 2005 Agency Ranking Report.
O'Dwyer's Public Relations News (PR-related journalism)
PR Watch (watchdog publication of the Center for Media and Democracy) See also their "spin of the day".
Corporate Watch (another watchdog group, based in the UK)
SpinWatch (another EU-based watchdog group)
Strategic Philanthropy: The Business Value of Contributions (management report published by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship)
Public Relations Society of America
The SPIN Project (Strategic Press Information Network): "provides media technical assistance to nonprofit public-interest organizations across the nation who want to influence debate, shape public opinion and garner positive media attention"
Museum of Public Relations. Archival material on Edward Bernays and other PR pioneers.
NPR story on "Freud's Nephew and the Origins of Public Relations" by Alix Spiegel.

Mar 14 - Mar 18 2011

WEEK 09

SPRING BREAK

No 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.

Mar 21 - Mar 25 2011

WEEK 10

Political persuasion

Lecture

Mon Mar 21: Political opinion
Wed Mar 23: ~~Political persuasion~~ ~~- The Obama campaign~~ Screening of Frontline episode Karl Rove: The Architect (2005).
Fri Mar 25: Guest lecture on political mobilization: Professor Hernando Rojas

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Online assignment #4 due by section: Find your Political Compass category and post it to your discussion section weblog. Do you think your assigned category accurately reflects your political philosophy?
Speeches for students 11 and 12 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 17 and 18
Blogged research reports from students 05 and 06
Peer reviews of paper 2 due (substantive comments on the wiki)
Discuss paper two revision strategies
TA comments on paper 2 returned to students

Readings for this week

Matthew R. Kerbel, "The two blogospheres: How the left and right are structured," in Netroots: Online progressives and the transformation of American politics (2009), 39-60; 20 pages.
George Lakoff, "Framing 101: How to take back public discourse," in "Don’t think of an elephant!" Know your values and frame the debate (2004), 3-34; 30 pages.

For more information

Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Joseph N. Cappella, "Effects of an echo chamber" and "Echo chamber: Cause for concern or celebration?" in Echo chamber: Rush Limbaugh and the conservative media establishment (2008), 75-90, 237-248; 25 pages.
Joe Trippi, "The open source campaign: Hockey sticks, troll bats, and the sleepless summer tour," in The revolution will not be televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the overthrow of everything (2004), 135-156; 20 pages.
Adam Nagourney et al, "Near-Flawless Run Is Credited in Victory," New York Times (November 5, 2008); 10 pages.
Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, "'Tall' coffees and assault weapons: Tricks of the deception trade," Unspun: Finding facts in a world of disinformation (2007), 43-62; 20 pages.
Bruce Bimber, "Overview of the theory" and "Political individuals in the fourth information revolution," from Information and American democracy: Technology in the evolution of political power (2003), 12-24, 197-228; ~40 pages.
Douglas McLeod, Gerald Kosicki, and Jack McCleod, "Resurveying the boundaries of political communications effects," in Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillmann, eds., Media effects: Advances in theory and research (2002), 215-267; 50 pages.

FactCheck.org "We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases." Run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
The Living Room Candidate (presidential campaign commercials 1952-2004)
Fundrace.org map of financial contributors to the major parties
The Note weblog (ABC News)
Wonkette weblog ("Gossipy, raunchy, potty-mouthed." — New York Times)
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
The Gallup Organization
Find your spot on the Political Compass

Mar 28 - Apr 01 2011

WEEK 11

Public diplomacy and war reporting

Lecture

Mon Mar 28: Public diplomacy
Wed Mar 30: Reporting the war
Fri Apr 01: Screening of Buying the War (2008)

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Make up any missed speeches from this portion of class
Paper 2 final version and outline due (in print to your TA)
Exam 2 review terms and questions posted on blog Friday

Readings for this week

Peter Maass, "The toppling," New Yorker (10 January 2011); 11 pages.
W. Lance Bennett, Regina G. Lawrence, and Steven Livingston, "Press politics in America: The case of the Iraq War," in When the press fails: Political power and the news media from Iraq to Katrina (2007),13-45; 30 pages.

For more information

Lynn Spigel, "Entertainment wars: Television culture after 9/11," American Quarterly 56:2 (2004), 235-270; reprinted in Horace Newcomb, ed., Television: The critical view, 7th ed. (2007), 625-653; ~25 pages.
Willem Marx, "I was a PR intern in Iraq," Harper's (18 Sep 2006); 10 pages.
Martin Montgomery, "Talking war: How journalism responded to the events of 9/11," in Stuart Allen, ed., Journalism: Critical issues (2005), 239-260; 20 pages.
Steven Kull, Clay Ramsay and Evan Lewis, “Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq War,” Political Science Quarterly (2003), 569-598; 30 pages.
Michael Schudson, “What’s unusual about covering politics as usual,” in Barbie Zelizer and Stuart Allan, eds., Journalism after September 11 (2002), 36-47; 10 pages.
Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, “War is sell,” in Weapons of mass deception: The uses of propaganda in Bush’s war on Iraq (New York: Penguin, 2003), 37-63; 25 pages.
James Bamford, "The man who sold the war," Rolling Stone (17 Nov 2005), plus response by Rendon and rebuttal by Bamford; ~10 pages.
Susan Moeller, "Media coverage of weapons of mass destruction," Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (09 Mar 2004), 1-23.
Steven Kull, "US public beliefs on Iraq and the presidential election," Program on International Policy Attitudes (22 Apr 2004); 25 pages.
[editors of the New York Times], "The Times and Iraq," New York Times (26 May 2004); 2 pages.
Donald R. Shanor, “Introduction: The test of war,” in News from abroad (2003), 3-25; 23 pages.
David Barstow and Robin Stein, "Under Bush, a new age of prepackaged news," New York Times (13 March 2005); 7 pages.

Count of US & coalition military deaths in Iraq (from CNN)
Count of US military deaths in Afghanistan
Estimate of civilian deaths in Iraq (UK activist site)
Estimate of civilian deaths in Afghanistan (from University of New Hampshire professor Marc Herold)
Estimate of US civilian contractor deaths and injuries in Iraq (from USA Today)
Estimated cost of the Iraq war (US activist site)
US Central Command (CENTCOM)
Department of Defense
"Baghdad Burning" first-person weblog by "Riverbend" (now both legitimized by beign published as a book from The Feminist Press at the City University of New York, and mocked at the spell-a-like weblog http://riversbendblog.blogspot.com/ )
September 11 Digital Archive "The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania and the public responses to them."
Vanderbilt University Television News Archive. For downloadable video of 9/11reporting from CNN.
Project Rebirth. Suggested by one of our J-School professors, Katy Culver: "it's a live, online, time-lapse documentary of the rebuilding of ground zero ... an interesting use of the medium."
New York Times "Portraits of Grief" series
White House Office of Global Communications — "President Bush understands the importance of conveying America's message to the world. The Office of Global Communications (OGC) was formed in 2002 to coordinate strategic communications overseas that integrate the President's themes while truthfully depicting America and Administration policies." (See also this streaming-video PBS News-Hour report on the OGC)
United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2004 annual report — "The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy is a bipartisan presidentially appointed panel created by Congress in 1948 with responsibility for assessing public diplomacy policies and programs of the U.S. State Department, American missions abroad and other agencies."
Public diplomacy Q&A from the Council on Foreign Relations (publisher of the journal Foreign Affairs)

Apr 05 - Apr 08 2011

WEEK 12

Second Midterm Exam

Lecture

Mon Apr 04: Review for exam
Wed Apr 06: EXAM 2

Students requesting special accomodations with a McBurney visa may take the exam in alternate room 5157 Vilas from either 9:30am - 10:45am or 9:55am-11:15am.

Fri Apr 08: CLASS CANCELLED

Discussion - CANCELLED

Journalism and the public sphere

Apr 11 - Apr 15 2011

WEEK 13

Producing quality journalism

Lecture

Mon Apr 11: How journalism works
Wed Apr 13: Evaluating quality in journalism
Fri Apr 15: Guest lecture on science journalism: Professor Sharon Dunwoody

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches for students 13 and 14 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 01 and 02
Blogged research reports from students 07 and 08
Graded exam 2 returned to students
Online assignment #5 due by section: Post a substantive comment to an online news story, and link to that news story on your discussion section weblog
Graded paper 2 returned to students
Discuss tasks for paper 3

Readings for this week

Robert M. Entman, "The nature and sources of news," in Geneva Overholser and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, eds., The Press (2005), 48-65; 20 pages.
Herbert Gans, "Journalistic practices and their problems," in Democracy and the news (2003), 45-68; 20 pages.

For more information

Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, “Journalism of verification” and "Independence from faction," in The elements of journalism: What newspeople should know and the public should expect (2001), 70-110; 40 pages.
Brent Cunningham, “Rethinking objectivity,” Columbia Journalism Review (July/August 2003), 24-32; 10 pages.
Brian McNair, "What is journalism?" in Hugo de Burgh, ed., Making journalists (2005), 25-43; 20 pages.
Neil Henry, "American carnival," in American carnival: Journalism under siege in an age of new media (2007), 19-61; 40 pages.
Richard Paul and Linda Elder, "Steps in becoming a critical consumer of the 'news,'" in How to detect media bias and propaganda (2006); 5 pages.
Deborah Chambers, Linda Steiner, and Carole Fleming, "Women war correspondents" and "Women journalism, and new media" from Women and journalism (2004); 30 pages.
Hutchins Commission, “The problems and the principles,” in A free and responsible press (1947), 1-19; reprinted in Robert W. McChesney and Ben Scott, eds., Our unfree press: 100 years of radical media criticism (2004), 220-228; 10 pages.
Warren Breed, “Social control in the newsroom: A functional analysis,” Social Forces 33:4 (1955), 326-335; reprinted in Robert W. McChesney and Ben Scott, eds., Our unfree press: 100 years of radical media criticism (2004), 229-244; 15 pages.

Journalism.org (Project for Excellence in Journalism)
Realigning Journalism with Democracy: The Hutchins Commission, Its Times, and Ours (Annenberg School, Northwestern University)
State of the News Media

Apr 18 - Apr 22 2011

WEEK 14

Producing profitable journalism

Lecture

Mon Apr 18: The economics of local TV news
Wed Apr 20:The challenge of the Fox News Network
Fri Apr 22: Guest lecture on creative non-fiction: Professor Deborah Blum

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches for students 15 and 16 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 03 and 04
Blogged research reports from students 09 and 10
Draft and outline of paper 3 due (one copy in print to your TA, one copy on wiki for your peer reviewers)

Readings for this week

Andrew O'Conor, "Infotainment's appeals and consequences," NeoAmericanist (spring/summer 2009); 11 pages.
Gabriel Sherman, "Chasing Fox," New York (03 October 2010); 11 pages.

For more information

William F. Baker and George Dessart, “Where the action is: Television news,” in Down the tube: An inside account of the failure of American television (1998), 126-150; 25 pages.
Mike Conway et al, "Villains, victims and the virtuous in Bill O'Reilly's 'No Spin Zone': Revisiting world war propaganda techniques," Journalism Studies (2007); 25 pages.
Rachel Smolkin, "What the mainstream media can learn from Jon Stewart," American Journalism Review (2007); 7 pages.
Jeff Cohen, "Belly of the beast" and "Inside the sausage factory," in Cable news confidential: My misadventures in corporate media (2006), 99-134; 35 pages.
Jeff Cohen, "Murdoch's media critic" and "Fair and balanced," from Cable news confidential: My misadventures in corporate media (2006), 53-96; 40 pages.
Marshall Sella, “The red-state network: How Fox News conquered Bush country — and toppled CNN,” New York Times Magazine (Jun 24, 2001); 11 pages.

Apr 25 - Apr 29 2011

WEEK 15

Crisis in journalism

Lecture

Mon Apr 25: The crisis of professional journalism
Wed Apr 27: The challenge of amateur journalism
Fri Apr 29: Guest lecture on the future of journalism: Professor Lew Friedland

Discussion

Quiz? Maybe ...
Speeches for students 17 and 18 (and responses)
Discussion led by students 05 and 06
Blogged research reports from students 11 and 12
Peer reviews of paper 3 due (substantive comments on wiki)
Discuss revision strategies for paper 3
TA comments on paper 3 returned to students
Final exam review terms and questions emailed Friday

Readings for this week

James L. Baughman, "Wounded but not slain: The orderly retreat of the American newspaper," in David Paul Nord et al. eds., A history of the book in America, vol. 5 (2009), 119-134; 15 pages.
Clay Shirky, "Publish, then filter," in Here comes everybody: The power of organizing without organizations (2008), 81-108; 25 pages.

For more information

Annette Moser-Wellman, "Six competencies of the next generation news organization," Northwestern University Media Management Center (2008), selections; 40 pages.
Paul Starr, "Goodbye to the age of newspapers (hello to a new era of corruption," The New Republic (04 March 2009); 15 pages.
Stuart Allan, "News on the web: The emerging forms and practices of online journalism," in Stuart Allan, ed., Journalism: Critical issues (2005), 67-81; 15 pages.
Aurora Wallace, "National news and the nation: The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today," Newspapers and the making of modern America (2005), 155-188; 30 pages.
Pablo Boczkowski, "Hedging: A web of challenges in the second half of the 1990s," in Digitizing the news: Innovation in online newspapers (2004), 51-72; 20 pages.
John V. Pavlik, “Journalism ethics and new media,” in Journalism and new media (2001), 82-97; 16 pages.
Susan Douglas, "The turn within: The irony of technology in a globalized world" American Quarterly (2006), 619-638; 20 pages.
James L. Baughman, "Century's end, 1993-2005," from The republic of mass culture: Journalism, filmmaking, and broadcasting in America since 1941, 3rd ed. (2006), 226-256; 30 pages.
John Pavlik, "Running the technological gauntlet: Journalism and new media," in Hugo de Burgh, ed., Making journalists (2005), 245-263; 20 pages.
Eric Klinenberg, "Owning it all," in Fighting for air: The battle to control America's media (2007), 112-145; 30 pages.

May 02 - May 06 2011

WEEK 16

Future of mass communication

Lecture

Mon May 02: Guest lecture on the contradictions of online media: Professor Chris Wells
Wed May 04: Screening of Obama's War (2009)
Fri May 06: Review for final exam (last class)

Discussion

Make-up quiz: All TAs will be giving a quiz this week, which you may take if you like. If you score a point on this quiz it can be used to replace a missed quiz point from an earlier section.
Make up any missed speeches from third portion of class
Extra credit summary due
Paper 3 final version and outline due (in print to your TA)
Fill out course evaluations

Readings for this week

James Fallows, "How to save the news," The Atlantic (June 2010); 15 pages.

Finals Week

N O T E
University policy prohibits us from rescheduling the final exam.

Final Exam

Monday, May 09, 2:45-4:45
Humanities 3650 (the normal lecture hall)

Students requesting special accomodations with a McBurney visa may take the exam, with extended time, in an alternate room TBA

Please remember that the date and time of the final exam have been availble to students from the very first day of class. The instructor will not accept excuses for missing the final exam involving pre-paid airline, train, or bus tickets, even if your parents purchased these without your knowledge. PLEASE REMIND YOUR PARENTS THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO SHOW UP FOR FINAL EXAMS IN COLLEGE.

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 or news magazine. 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):

Other news

The Onion
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Google News
Newsmap
History News Network
KCRW world news (streaming NPR, BBC, PRI, and VoA 24/7 through RealPlayer or iTunes)

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, and to use wikis extensively in peer review of writing. But it was the students who figured out that a weblog and wiki could be used as a virtual study session to prepare for exams (long before Study Blue was founded).

• 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.

Last updated May 3, 2011 by gdowney @ wisc.edu

J201 - Spring 2010 - Professor Downey

PROFESSOR GREG DOWNEY • SPRING 2011 Introduction to Mass Communication

J 201

Spring 2011 3650 Humanities M W F 9:55am-10:45am (plus weekly discussion)

Key goals

Course plan

Electronic resources

Grading

Discussion sections

Textbook and reader

News subscription

Speech assignments

Prepared speech

Extemporaneous speech

Evaluation criteria for your presentation

Discussion leadership

Research report

Writing assignments

Essay one: Contemplating media

Essay two: Analyzing advertising

Essay three: Evaluating reporting

Guidelines for rough drafts (on wiki)

Guidelines for final papers (printed)

Citing outside sources

Finding authoritative articles

Getting help from the Writing Center

Evaluation criteria for all papers

Peer reviews

Exams

Discussion quizzes

Online assignments

Class participation

Extra credit

Special needs

Academic honesty

Classroom respect

Military call-ups

Sustainability

About the professor

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Links

News

Spring 2011 Calendar

Mass communication and entertainment

Welcome week

Media audiences and media effects

Media markets and public interests

From print culture to screen culture

Digital and interactive media

First Midterm Exam

Strategic communication in politics & economics

Advertising

Public relations

SPRING BREAK

Political persuasion

Public diplomacy and war reporting

Second Midterm Exam

Journalism and the public sphere

Producing quality journalism

Producing profitable journalism

Crisis in journalism

Future of mass communication

Finals Week

Final Exam

Daily news

Local news

International news

About the news

National news

Other news

Did you know?

PROFESSOR GREG DOWNEY • SPRING 2011
Introduction to Mass Communication

Spring 2011
3650 Humanities
M W F 9:55am-10:45am
(plus weekly discussion)