VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

ROBERTSON SCHOOL OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Syllabus for: Mass Communications MASC 101-001 Fall 2016
Instructor:

Associate Professor Jeff South

Office:

Temple Building, 901 W. Main St., Room 1149-B

Office hours:

10 a.m.-noon on Mondays and Tuesdays;

2-4 p.m. on Wednesdays; and by appointment

Phone:

827-0253 (office); 754-3670 (home); 519-1062 (cell)

Email:

jcsouth@vcu.edu

Class format

This course will be taught entirely online. We will meet

asynchronously: I will give you a window of time (usually
one week) to view the Web-based materials that I post
and complete quizzes or tasks that I assign.

Class home page:

http://blackboard.vcu.edu for all official (graded) activities

We also will use:
A public website [http://rampages.us/vcumasc101]
Facebook: VCU MASC 101-001 Fall 2016
The Twitter hashtag #vcumasc101

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A comprehensive overview of mass media
which examines its history and evolution. Emphasis is given to the ways in which
communications technologies have shaped and are shaped by society. Considers how
digital and earlier technologies have led to increasing integration of world cultures and
economies. Includes discussion of mass media law and ethics, including the origins and
evolution of a free press and the legal framework of contemporary mass media practice.
(Source: VCU Bulletin)
This undergraduate course will explore the development, structure and functions of traditional
mass media, such as newspapers and television, and new media, such as the Internet and cell
phones. We will examine the history, economics and other aspects of the media globally and
especially in the United States. In MASC 101, you will study how old media and digital media
influence both society and individuals and how society and individuals affect the media. The
course will give you an overview of communication professions, such as journalism, public
relations and advertising. MASC 101 also will help you develop your media literacy skills so you
can make informed decisions as citizens and consumers.
You must earn a C or better in MASC 101 to continue your studies in the Robertson School.

MASC 101-001 FALL 2016 SYLLABUS PAGE 2

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

UponcompletionofMASC101,studentswillbeableto:

Trace the historical development of analog and digital media

Identify the rapidly changing forms of the media and the influence that technology is
having on mass communication

Articulate how the media impact individuals, institutions and society and how
individuals, institutions and society impact the media

Discuss the medias ethical responsibilities and the legal framework that governs and
affects the media

Demonstrate an understanding of the First Amendment and of the news medias

watchdog role in a democracy

Discuss professions and career opportunities associated with traditional and interactive
media

Explain how corporate interests affect the media and the information and entertainment
we receive

Define and demonstrate media literacy skills, particularly news literacy skills

The course also will introduce each of the learning objectives required by the schools
assessment plan and the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass
Communications. These objectives include: Laws & Freedom of Speech; Media History;
Diversity; Use of Images; Ethics; Critical & Creative Thinking; Research & InformationEvaluation Skills; Writing Abilities; Editing Abilities; Numbers & Statistics; and Tools &
Technologies. More information about these intended learning outcomes are available on our
Blackboard website.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
You must obtain the following book for this course:
Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
(fifth edition; 2015), by Ralph Hanson
Publisher: SAGE Publications
The book is available as a traditional printed text (which includes an interactive e-book); as a
loose-leaf text (with the interactive e-book); as a printed textbook rental; and as a digital
textbook rental. It is available at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU Bookstore, 1111 W. Broad St., as
well as from Amazon and other online bookstores. Comparison-shop for the best deal. (Some
students have found the text at BookHolders for as little as $15.)
CLASS FORMAT: ENTIRELY ONLINE
Our entire class will be conducted online, using Blackboard (VCUs course management system)
as our hub. The class will be conducted asynchronously, meaning that you will work on your
own time to meet assigned deadlines.

MASC 101-001 FALL 2016 SYLLABUS PAGE 3

As a general rule, at the start of the week, I will post a video lecture and an online exercise or
other assignment relating to a particular chapter. I then will set a deadline for you to view the
lecture and complete the assignment (usually by the end of the week). We will use Blackboard
for all graded activities, such as online tests, quizzes and discussions.
As you can see, we will use Blackboard (http://blackboard.vcu.edu) extensively in MASC 101.
Through Blackboard, you will have access to class announcements, my video lectures,
supplementary readings and videos, instructions for assignments, online discussions, online
quizzes and grades. I have posted on our website a Blackboard Help link if you need
assistance.
We also will have occasional guest speakers, using Google Hangouts. We will broadcast these
video discussions to YouTube. You will be able to watch them in real time (and post questions
for our guest speakers), or you can watch them later.
OPTIONAL IN-PERSON MEETINGS
WeplantoholdtwooptionalinpersonmeetingsforMASC101studentsduringthesemester.
ThemeetingstentativelyhavebeenscheduledforOct.7andNov.18.Bothmeetingswillbe
movienights:Wellshowanddiscussafilmrelatingtothemedia(suchasSpotlight,aboutthe
BostonGlobereporterswhouncoveredwidespreadsexualabusebypriests;TheGreatestMovie
EverSold,abouttheubiquityofadvertising;orMissRepresentation,aboutsexisminthemedia).
Youwontberequiredtoattendthesemovienights;therewillbeanalternativeonline
assignmentforstudentswhodontattend.
ADDITIONAL DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
Wevecreatedapublicwebsitehttp://rampages.us/vcumasc101/toshowtheworldwhat
weredoinginourclass.ThissitewillhavelinkstoourGoogleHangoutsvideosandother
contentthatyouandIhavecreated.
WehavecreatedaFacebookgroup,calledVCUMASC101001Fall2016,forourclass.Itisat:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vcumasc101001fall2016/
Wewillpostannouncements,assignmentremindersandothermaterialsinthisgrouptogiveyou
anadditionalaccesspointtothecoursematerial.Moreover,youwillusetheFacebookgroupfor
informaldiscussionsandtosuggestnewsarticlesorothercontentthatwecanexploreinour
class.SoIurgeyoutojoinusonFacebook.(Ifyouoptnotto,youcansuggestnewsarticlesfor
ususingaBlackboardforum.)
Inaddition,wewilluseTwitter(withthehashtag#vcumasc101)toofferideasforthecourse.
IMPORTANTRULESABOUTEMAIL
VCU gives each student an email account, and that is the address Blackboard uses (and we will
use) for this class. We will communicate frequently in this class by email. Therefore, you should
check your email frequently for messages about MASC 101. It is your responsibility to ensure
that you are receiving emails from me. When you send me email, please begin the subject line
with MASC 101:. That way, I will know to give it top priority.

MASC 101-001 FALL 2016 SYLLABUS PAGE 4

ONLINEQUIZZES,TESTSANDEXAMS
Aftereverychapterwecover,Iwillgiveyouanonlinequiz.Theonlinequizzeswillbeopen
bookandopennotes;Illevenletyoutakethequiztwiceandcountthehighergrade.Theonline
quizzeswillhelpensurethatyoucomprehendthematerial,andtheywillhelpyoupracticefor
ourtestsandexams.
Duringthesemester,Ialsowillgiveyoutwolowstakestests,amidtermexamandafinalexam.
Onthesetestsandexams,youmaynotuseyourbook,yournotesoranyotherassistance,and
youmaynotcollaboratewithotherpeopleintakingthetestsandexams.Whenyoutakeatestor
exam,youmustpledgethatyouwillabidebytheVCU Honor System, which states, On my
honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment.
The tests and exams will be administered via Blackboard; however, let me know if you prefer to
take the tests on paper and in person instead of online. I will try to accommodate all such
requests.
ONLINEGROUPDISCUSSIONS
Iwilldividetheclassintogroupsofaboutsixstudents.Duringfiveweeksoverthecourseofthe
semester,Iwillhaveeachgroupengageinanonlinediscussion.Iwillposeaquestion,andyou
mustprovideananswerof400500words.Youthenwillreadthepostingsoftheothermembers
ofyourgroup,andreplytotwooftheiranswers.Youronlinepostingsmustbeofhighquality,
bothincontentandstyle.Iwillnotacceptsubmissionswithgrammaticalandtypographical
errors.Weexpectyoutotakeadvantageofspellcheckingandotherprogramsthathelpguard
againstsucherrors;however,thereisnosubstituteforcarefulproofreading.VCUsWriting
Center(http://writing.vcu.edu/)canhelpyouimproveyourwritingskills.
NEW-MEDIA PROJECT
Each student will select and complete one of the following small-scale digital projects:

A video and paper for Banned Books Week (Sept. 25-Oct. 1)

An interview recorded and archived using the Story Corps app

Creation (or significant improvement) of a Wikipedia entry

I will provide detailed instructions about each of these projects later in the semester.
Each student also will create or improve a professional profile on LinkedIn.
ARTICLES ABOUT MEDIA IN THE NEWS
Throughout the semester, we will monitor news about mass communication and the media. We
will discuss online news articles and other Web postings about trends in advertising, journalism
or media technology, for example. We all will be responsible for finding articles to discuss. So
look for fodder when you are online. When you see an interesting and relevant article, post a link
to it in our class Facebook group or in the Blackboard discussion forum titled Facebook
Alternative, or tweet about it with the hashtag #vcumasc101.
I will curate the tagged articles and choose some to highlight online.

MASC 101-001 FALL 2016 SYLLABUS PAGE 5

CALCULATION OF FINAL COURSE GRADES

This chart shows how much each gradebook item will be worth. This grading scheme will be
modified if we change the number or types of assignments or tests during the semester. Changes
will be announced by email and on Blackboard.
Gradebook item
TestcoveringChapters15(WeekofSept.26)
MidtermexamcoveringChapters18(WeekofOct.17)
TestcoveringChapters911(WeekofNov.7)
Finalexam(Dec.79)
Onlinequizzes(15approximatelyoneperweek)
Onlinegroupdiscussions(five)
Newmediaproject
LinkedInprofile

Weight
5%
15%
5%
30%
10%
15%
10%
10%
100%

Total
Here is how I will calculate your final grade:
Weighted total

Final grade

90% or more

80-89%

70-79%

60-69%

Below 60%

INCOMPLETES
No incompletes will be given in this course, except for dire emergencies. All assignments must
be completed by the end of the semester to pass.
ETHICS AND PLAGIARISM
The VCU Honor System will be strictly enforced in this class. If you fabricate or plagiarize
material, your name will be turned in to appropriate university officials for disciplinary action.
The honor policy provides substantial penalties for violation, including expulsion.
UnlessIspecifyotherwise,allworkdoneforthiscourseispledgedwork,asdefinedbythe
HonorSystem.Eachassignmentimplicitlycarriesthispledge:
Onmyhonor,Ihaveneithergivennorreceivedaidonthisassignment.
ForacompletecopyoftheVCUHonorSystem,seewww.students.vcu.edu/policies.html.

MASC 101-001 FALL 2016 SYLLABUS PAGE 6

ONLINE BEHAVIOR
Youareentitledtoreceiveinstructionfreefrominterferencebyotherstudents.Ifyoubelieve
thatanotherstudentsbehaviorisdisruptive,tellmeandIwilldealwiththesituation.
AccordingtotheFacultyGuidetoStudentConductinInstructionalSettings,Theuniversityisa
communityoflearners.Students,aswellasfaculty,havearesponsibilityforcreatingand
maintaininganenvironmentthatsupportseffectiveinstruction.Inorderforfacultymembersto
provideandstudentstoreceiveeffectiveinstructioninclassroomsandotherlearningareas,the
universityexpectsstudentstoconductthemselvesinanorderlyandcooperativemanner.
Thisruleappliesonlineaswellasinperson:OnBlackboardandFacebookandinemail,you
mustberespectfulandciviltoyourclassmatesandtheinstructors.Inonlinediscussions,
profanity,personalattacksanddemeaningcommentswillnotbetolerated.Also,youmustnot
useourclasscommunicationchannelsforcommercialpurposestotrytosellaproduct,for
example,ortopromoteaspecificpoliticalcandidate.
Bepolite;respectyourclassmates,yourinstructorandotherswithwhomyouwillinteractduring
thiscourse.IfyouengageinanybehaviorthatIdeemdisruptive,youwillgetawrittenwarning.
Arepeatincidentwillresultinyourbeingadministrativelywithdrawnfromthisclass.Formore
abouttheuniversityspolicyonstudentconduct,seehttp://go.vcu.edu/syllabus.
COMMITMENTTODIVERSITY
It is vital that students in this course broaden their mass communications experiences, with
guidance from the instructor, by including in their course work people and subjects such as
ethnic, racial and religious minorities, people with disabilities, gay men and lesbians, and other
groups. The intent is to ensure that students are exposed to diverse ideas and perspectives. In this
class, it is the responsibility of the instructor and students to foster an environment that supports
free expression.
Under VCU policy, you may not harass or intimidate any person or interfere with the lawful
freedom of other persons, including invited speakers, to express their views.
REPORTINGOFINCIDENTSOFSEXUALMISCONDUCT
All faculty members are mandated reporters of any incidents of sexual misconduct/violence (e.g.,
sexual assault, sexual exploitation and partner or relationship violence). This means that faculty
cannot keep information about sexual misconduct/violence confidential if you share that
information with them and they must report this information immediately to the university's Title
IX Coordinator.
Confidential reporting sources include staff in Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence at the
Wellness Resource Center, University Counseling Services and University Student Health
Services.

MASC 101-001 FALL 2016 SYLLABUS PAGE 7

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires VCU to provide academic adjustments or
accommodations for students with documented disabilities. If you have a disability that requires
an academic adjustment or accommodation, you first must register with the Disability Support
Services Office (804-828-2253) in Room 102 of the Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Then
you and I can meet to discuss your needs and how we can address them. For more information,
see the universitys Disability Support Services web page: www.students.vcu.edu/dss/
OTHERPOLICIESANDSYLLABUSINFORMATION
Visit http://go.vcu.edu/syllabus for other VCU policies, including:

Campus emergency information

Class registration required for attendance

Managing stress

Military short-term training or deployment

Student financial responsibility

Withdrawal from classes

WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2016

Thecalendarbelowshowswhatwewillcovereachweekandwhatassignmentsyoumustdoor
testsorexamsyouwilltake.Toaccessthematerialforaparticularchapter,gotoourBlackboard
websiteandlookunderLectures&Assignments.Youwillseeafolderforeachchapter.Inthat
folder,youwillfindoneormorevideos(mytalkthroughofthechapter)andsupplementary
exercisesoraquiz.Youshouldreadthechapterinthetextbookfirst,thenwatchmytalk
through,thendothesupplementaryexercisesorquiz.Duringfivedesignatedweeks,youwill
engageinanonlinegroupdiscussion.YoulldothatonBlackboardbyclickingontheGroup
Discussionsbutton.
Courseoverview(Aug.2528)
Anintroductiontothesubject,thecourseandtheinstructor
Assignment:Onlinequizaboutthecourse
Week1(Aug.29Sept.4)
Chapter1(LivinginaMediaWorld)
Assignment:Mediatechnologysurvey
Wednesday,Aug.31:Endofadd/dropandlateregistration
Week2(Sept.5Sept.11)
Chapter2(MassCommunicationEffects:HowSocietyandMediaInteract)
Assignments:OnlinequizzesonChapters1and2
Monday,Sept.5,isLaborDay;soplanaccordingly.
Week3(Sept.1218)
Chapter3(TheMediaBusiness:Consolidation,Globalization,andtheLongTail)
Assignments:OnlinequizonChapter3
Onlinegroupdiscussion
Week4(Sept.1925)
Chapter4(Books:TheBirthoftheMassMedia)
Chapter5(Magazines:ThePowerofWordsandImages)
Assignments:OnlinequizzesonChapters4and5

MASC 101-001 WEEKLY SCHEDULE PAGE 2

Week5(Sept.26Oct.2)
Duringthisweek,youwilltakeatestcoveringChapters15andothermaterialdiscussedsofar.
Chapter6(Newspapers&theNews:ReflectionofaDemocraticSociety)
Assignment:Onlinegroupdiscussion
Week6(Oct.39)
Chapter7(Audio:MusicandTalkAcrossMedia)
Assignments:OnlinequizzesonChapters6and7
Movienight:Friday,Oct.7Ihopetoreserveatheaterstyleclassroomwherewecanmeetto
watchanddiscussamovieaboutjournalism.
Week7(Oct.1016)
Chapter8(Movies:MassProducingEntertainment)
Assignments:OnlinequizonChapter8
Onlinegroupdiscussion
Week8(Oct.1723)
MidtermexamcoveringChapters18andothermaterialdiscussedsofar
Week9(Oct.2430)
Chapter9(Television:BroadcastandBeyond)
Chapter10(TheInternet:InteractiveandMobileMedia)
Assignment:OnlinequizzesonChapters9and10
Friday,Nov.4:LastdatetowithdrawwithamarkofW
Week10(Oct.31Nov.6)
Chapter11(Advertising:SellingaMessage)
Assignments:OnlinequizonChapter11
Onlinegroupdiscussion
Week11(Nov.713)
TestcoveringChapters911andothermaterialdiscussedsofar

MASC 101-001 WEEKLY SCHEDULE PAGE 3

Chapter12(PublicRelations:Interactions,Relationships,andtheNews)

MASC 101-001 WEEKLY SCHEDULE PAGE 4

Assignment:OnlinequizonChapter12
CreationofLinkedInprofile
Week12(Nov.1420)
Chapter13(MediaLaw:FreeSpeechandFairness)
Assignment:Mediaorientedservice/researchprojectdue
Movienight:Friday,Nov.18Ihopetoreserveatheaterstyleclassroomwherewecanmeetto
watchanddiscussamovieaboutadvertising.
Week13(Nov.2127)
VCUisclosedThursdaySunday,Nov.2427,forThanksgiving;soplanaccordingly.
Chapter14(MediaEthics:Truthfulness,Fairness,andStandardsofDecency)
Assignments:OnlinequizzesonChapters13and14
Onlinegroupdiscussion
Week14(Nov.28Dec.4)
Chapter15(GlobalMedia:CommunicationAroundtheWorld)
Assignments:OnlinequizonChapter15
Reviewforfinalexam
Week15(Dec.59)
Finalexam:Thefinalexamwillbecumulative:Abouttwothirdsofthequestionswillbedrawn
frommaterialwehavecoveredsincethemidterm;theotherthirdwillcoverearliermaterial.