Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Introduction
The practice of journalism has historically assumed one-way content delivery via a media
product or package such as a newspaper, magazine or broadcast. With digital technology,
however, both one-way delivery and the concept of a media product are diminishing in
importance. Displacing them are two key developments: (1) hyperlinked online content, which
creates an entirely different way for people to find and discover digital content; and (2) the
multiway communication capabilities made possible by technologies such as weblogs, discussion
boards and social networks. Both of these developments can be best understood through an
understanding of the science of networks. This interdisciplinary course will explore the
connections among networks, media and journalism -- orienting its students to network-based
frameworks and helping them them to understand and thrive in a digital, interactive world. It will
be taught by Rich Gordon (Medill), a pioneer in digital journalism who has studied online
interpersonal and link networks, and Noshir Contractor (McCormick, Communication and
Kellogg), an expert on the art and science of social network analysis.
Objectives
You will:
1. See networks everywhere
2. Understand the relevance of networks to: journalism, journalists, media companies and
organizations, and audiences
3. See the connection between networks and audience aggregation. Why does some content
gets found by a lot of people and others not at all? Attention to media is driven by
networks - perhaps more so true today.
4. Advise individuals and organizations how to better leverage their networks.
Course Requirements
Participation and preparation are essential to success in this course. Attendance is required at
every lecture. All students will be expected to have completed the assigned weekly readings
before class and be prepared to discuss the readings in depth. In addition, there will be required
mid-week assignments that synthesize topics from the previous lecture with additional required
readings. Finally, students will be expected to actively participate in the online Google Reader
and FriendFeed component by making weekly contributions.
Absences are only excused for medical, athletic, or academic reasons with a note from a doctor,
coach, advisor, or faculty member. Assignments or participation missed for other reasons cannot
be turned in or made up at a later date.
Grading
The course requirements will be graded as follows:
• Midterm exam 25%
• Final paper 40%
• Google Reader/FriendFeed contributions 15%
• Participation & engagement 20%
Course Readings
Students are required to purchase:
• Barabasi, A. (2003) Linked: How Everything is Connected to Everything Else and What
It Means.
Most readings will be posted on the Blackboard website for downloading. Any reading that
cannot be acquired electronically (e.g., Easley & Kleinberg) will be distributed in hard copy
during lecture.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to comply with University regulations regarding academic integrity.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an exam (e.g., copying others’
answers, providing information to others, using a crib sheet) and plagiarism on a paper (e.g.,
taking material from readings without citation, copying another student’s paper. In particular,
please note that “submission of substantially identical work for credit in more than one course
without prior permission of the instructor(s) is defined as cheating and is subject to penalties.
Failure to maintain academic integrity on an assignment will result in loss of credit for that
assignment – at a minimum. Other penalties also may apply. If you are in doubt about what
constitutes academic dishonesty, speak with either faculty member before an assignment is due,
or examine the appropriate University websites. Guidelines for determining academic integrity
and procedures followed in a suspected incident of academic dishonesty are detailed on the
following website:
http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/medilpol.html
Class schedule
Network concepts
Lecture readings Follow-up readings Assignment Optional
April 2: Linked: Chapters 1-5 Monge & Contractor (2003) - 29-44 Network analysis survey of Watts, D. (2004) The
Introduction to (Ch. 2) class "New" Science of
Social Networks Networks. Annual Review
Borgatti, S., Mehra, A., Brass, D., of Sociology. 30: 243-70
Labianca, G. (2009) Network
Analysis in the Social Sciences. Kleinberg & Easley (2009)
Science Chapter 1
April 9: Kleinberg & Easley: Chapters 2-3 danah boyd, "Why Youth (Heart) Network analysis of Facebook
Social Networks Social Network Sites: The Role of (Nexus or Touchgraph)
online and offline Malcolm Gladwell, "Six Degrees of Networked Publics in Teenage
Lois Weisberg" Social Life":
danah boyd and Nicole Ellison, How Facebook is Taking Over Our
"Social Network Sites: Definition, Lives"
History, and Scholarship,"
April 16: Barabasi, Linked, Chaps. 6-8 Tipsheet 2053 Midterm concept list (due Hanneman/Riddle book -
Networks in the April 19 by 5pm) campaign contributions
news & Monge & Contractor Chapter 10 Tipsheet 2364
journalism Burt/structural holes -
Valdis Krebs, "Uncloaking Terrorist Tipsheet 1987 networks and power
Networks"
April 30: Barabasi, Linked, Chaps. 11-12 Niles, "How, and where, to Brian Stelter, New York
Audience hyperlink within a news story", OJR Times, "Mainstream News
aggregation Easley & Kleinberg, pp. 271-299 Outlets Start Linking to
through links: the Niles, "Don't Forget the Value of Other Sites"
hyperlinked Web Mark Tremayne, "News Sites as Hyperlinking", OJR
Gated Cybercommunities" Karp, "Reinventing
Gordon, "How News Sites Might Journalism On The Web:
Case study: "Huckleberries Online" Build Networks" Links As News, Links As
blog at the Spokane Spokesman- Reporting"
Review Jeff Jarvis, "New rule: Cover what
you do best. Link to the rest" Park & Thelwall,
Case study: "Networked link “Hyperlink Analysis of the
journalism: a revolution quietly World Wide Web: A
begins in Washington state" Review”
May 7: Barabasi, Linked, Chap. 13 (20 pgs) Gladwell, “The Formula” NetLogo assignment?
Interpersonal
networks, Rosen, The Anatomy of Buzz, Watts, “Is Justin Timberlake a
information Chaps. 6-9 Product of Cumulative Advantage?”
propagation, and
viral marketing Turow, Niche Envy, pp.1-16 & Thompson, “Is the Tipping Point
Chap. 2 Toast?”
Networks and Society
Lecture readings Follow-up readings Assignment Optional
May 14: Barabasi, Linked, Chap. 14 MMC research on media Postman, "Amusing
Social media as a experiences Ourselves to Death"
shortcut Cass Sunstein, "Polarization and
Cybercascades," Tom Hayes, Jump Point
"The Attention Wars"
Adamic
James, W. (1950). The
Hargittai Principles of Psychology.
Chapter 11
Thorngate, W. (1988). On
Paying Attention.