Syllabus

• “People that read tabloids deserve to be lied to.”-Jerry Seinfeld, comedian, 1997

• “When a nation goes down...or a society perishes, one condition may always be found. They forgot where they came from. They lost sight of what had brought them along.” -Carl Sandburg

• “The media is an animal which needs to be fed every day...or it will eat what it wants.”-Pat Riley, NBA coach

• “Everyone has his own set of goggles.”-Marshall McLuhan

• “People tell me that the movies should be more like real life. I disagree. It is real life that should be more like the movies.”-Walter Winchell

• “Whoever controls the media--the images--controls the culture.”-Allen Ginsberg, Poet

• “The cinema is not a slice of life, it’s a piece of cake.”-Alfred Hitchcock, 1955

OFFICE PHONE: 730-3889
NEWSROOM: 730-3844

E-mail: judyh@cos.edu

ABOUT THIS CLASS: Mass Communication is a fast paced survey class that examines the Mass Media, the way we use it, and its influence. This class will increase your awareness and help you to become a critical, knowledgeable consumer of the media. We will spend part of our time examining the history and development of the media, and the rest discussing current events as they pertain to the mass media. A number of videos will be shown, there will probably be a least one guest speaker, and you will be asked to go on a media field trip. There are three projects in this class and five tests. Please feel free to suggest topics for discussion.

ABOUT THE READINGS: Keep up with the reading so you can join in class discussions. This class is a lot harder if you get behind in the reading. Don’t sabotage yourself.

TEXT: The Media of Mass Communication
John Vivian, Allyn and Bacon, Sixth Edition

Visalia Times Delta

Some tips on reading:

•First page through a chapter noting the headings and to see how long it is.

•Read the chapter questions in the back so you will be thinking of them as you read.

• Read the chapter summary.

•Then, read the chapter.

•Highlight pertinent details, then go back and do a quick review.

•Fill out the key questions I hand out. Keep up with these as the tests are drawn from these study guides.

The key questions are handed out one time and you have to be in class to get one. I suggest you trade phone numbers with someone in class in case you miss a class and are unable to come to class to get the key questions.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: You are responsible for your success in this class. I will give you much help and encouragement. I want you to succeed. But ultimately your success or failure in this class is up to you. That’s right, you. You decide how you will do in this class. Plan to succeed and give yourself the tools to do so. That might mean getting yourself a calendar or setting aside a specific time to work on this class. Good luck!

We will discuss selected text readings, writing assignments, and a broad range of problem areas in reporting.

You will be asked to do timed labs in the journalism lab which will help you learn the basics quickly.

We will see at least one video in class with a journalism theme.

Journalism is a profession that engenders passion, debate, criticism. Bring your opinions to class! Your participation is solicited. Feel free to suggest topics for discussion and to voice your opinions or ask questions. Communication is a two-way street.

Deadlines are important, just as they are in any newsroom.
Late work is not accepted except on rare occasions.

Develop a good attitude about deadline early on. Make deadline work for you.
Don’t sabotage yourself.

ATTENDANCE: It’s important that you attend class because of the pace of the course. But this is college. It is your choice to attend. Work missed because of unexcused absences cannot be made up for credit. An excused absence is one that is cleared by me beforehand. If you are sick and can’t make class please check in with me after you get back.

Final drop dates!!!
The final drop dates for fall are as follows: Jan. 29 without a W on your transcript and to receive a refund. March 26 is the final drop date. See me before these dates if you are unsure if you should drop. Class will start on time. My time is valuable and so is yours. So please be on time.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: Heavy emphasis will be placed on writing assignments. You will be responsible for knowing copy editing symbols (see back cover of your text) and for following stylebook guidelines as they are introduced in class. Verbal and written information will be provided for the lab exercises. There will also be outside assignments. You may use your own computer at home or use the journalism lab in 260.

Once again:

•Deadlines are of paramount importance, just as they are in any newsroom.

•Late work will be not be accepted except on rare occasions.

•Assignments must be typed, double spaced, with generous margins. On the first page of your story, begin the text halfway down the page. A clearly legible computer print out is acceptable. Yes, neatness does count. Please staple your work.

GRADING:

We will have a class discussion regarding the grading method that will ultimately be used in this class.
My philosophy is this: you can always make your work better. If you do the work you cannot fail.

I urge you to read and use the textbook. It is a good one and I would not require it if I did not think so. I guarantee you will find this class easier if you read the textbook.
Here is one grade standard I use for writing.

Grading key:

A=publishable quality
B=publishable with editing
C=substantial editing needed
D=marginal quality
F=unacceptable

Another standard I use is this: is your work interesting? Are you telling the story?

Please feel free to meet with me at any time to discuss your progress in the class.

I will not accept late papers, except on extremely rare
occasions.

READING ASSIGNMENTS/COURSE CALENDAR

Make time to read the book, highlighting the important sections. Come to class prepared to talk about the material in the textbook. Though the bulk of the class will concentrate on writing, it is important to read the text. Reading both the text and a daily newspaper or other printed material will help you become a better writer. We will also critique The Campus newspaper. This course calendar is subject to change, so pay attention in class!

WEEK 1
Jan. 15 `Introduction