The Mass Media & Society COMM 100 (Continuing Education, Fall 2010)

Penn State, University Park campus

Tuesdays 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, 108 Business building

INSTRUCTOR
Tina Peterson (tina.peterson@temple.edu)
I will not hold regular office hours this semester, but I am available to meet one-on-one with students when
needed. Please e-mail me to set up an appointment.

COURSE SUMMARY AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this class, we will examine and critique mass media including television, radio, print, film, and the
Internet; we will also analyze the role of media in contemporary U.S. culture and society. Upon successful
completion of this course you should be able to:
• Describe the organization, technology and economic imperatives of the mass media in the U.S.
• Identify the laws and regulations that govern U.S. media.
• Critically analyze media to further your understanding of how they shape – and are shaped by – society
and culture.

REQUIRED READING
Textbook: Joseph Turow, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication. New York,
Routledge, Third Edition, 2009.

Other readings will be given in class and/or posted on the course’s ANGEL site.

GRADING
The point breakdown for the course is as follows:
Mid-term exam 100
Final paper or project 75
Assignments (2 total, 25 points each) 50
In-class journal (5 entries, 10 points each) 50
Participation 25
Reading quizzes (5 total, unannounced) 25
Attendance 25

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE 350

Final grades will be assigned according to the percentage scale below. Point totals earned for all
assignments will be posted on Angel.
100 - 93 = A 89.9 - 86 = B+ 79.9 - 76 = C+ 69.9 - 66 = D+ 59.9 - 0 = F
92.9 - 90 = A- 85.9 - 83 = B 75.9 - 73 = C 65.9 - 63 = D
82.9 - 80 = B- 72.9 - 70 = C- 62.9 - 60 = D-

Attendance (25 points)

Your attendance is important to the success of the class and to your success as a student, especially
because this class meets only once a week. I will pass around an attendance sheet at the start of every class
meeting. If your name and signature are not on the sheet by the time I collect it, you will not receive credit for
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having attended that day. If you know you will miss class due to a University-approved curricular or extra-
curricular event, you must present adequate documentation at least one week prior to the absence to secure
credit for having attended that day.

Classes Points Classes Points

Attended Earned Attended Earned
14 or more 25 11 10
13 20 10 or fewer 0
12 15

Participation (25 points)

Points will be awarded for participation based on three things: Your contributions to in-class discussions,
your completion of brief written exercises assigned during a handful of class meetings, and your
participation in the class discussion forum on ANGEL. Clearly, attendance is a big part of participation
because it’s difficult to participate if you don’t show up.

In-class journal (50 points)

We will consider a number of thought-provoking issues in our class discussions. During five classes over the
course of the semester, you will be expected to record your thoughts and reflections on what we’ve covered
in class or on specific topics that I assign. Journal entries will be hand-written and submitted at the end of
class. No make-ups will be accepted for in-class journals.

Reading quizzes (25 points)

To ensure you are keeping up with the reading, pop quizzes will be given at the beginning of class five times
over the course of the semester.

Late work
All written assignments must be submitted in class the day they are due to receive full credit prior to
evaluation. For every class day late an assignment is submitted, 20% will be taken off the graded point
total. If you choose to submit an assignment via e-mail, 10% will be taken off the graded point total. If an
assignment is submitted via e-mail or outside of class on a day the class does not meet, it will be counted
as being submitted on the next day the class meets. Example: if a paper is due on Tuesday and you submit
it via e-mail later that day or on Wednesday, it will be counted as turned in on the following Tuesday via e-
mail and 30% will be taken off the graded point total.

Mid-term exam
Exam questions will draw on class lectures, discussions and readings. They will consist of multiple choice
questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, matching and short essays.

NO makeup exams will be given, unless you miss class due to a documented University-approved
curricular or extra-curricular event (see “Attendance” above). This is only fair to your fellow students who
take the exam as scheduled.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly and creative activity in an open, honest and responsible
manner, free from fraud and deception, and is an educational objective of the College of Communications
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and the university. Cheating, including plagiarism, falsification of research data, using the same
assignment for more than one class, turning in someone else's work, or passively allowing others to copy
your work, will result in academic penalties at the discretion of the instructor, and may result in the grade of
"XF' (failed for academic dishonesty) being put on your permanent transcript. In serious cases it could also
result in suspension or dismissal from the university. As students studying communication, you should
understand and avoid plagiarism (presenting the work of others as your own). A discussion of plagiarism,
with examples, can be found at: http://tlt.its.psu.edu/plagiarism/tutorial/. The rules and policies
regarding academic integrity should be reviewed by every student, and can be found online at:
www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/47-00.html#49-20 , and in the College of Communications document,
"Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures." Any student with a question about academic integrity or
plagiarism is strongly encouraged to discuss it with his or her instructor.

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

NOTE TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the
University's educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic
adjustments in this course, contact the Office for Disability Services, ODS located in room 116 Boucke
Building at 814-863-1807(V/TTY). For further information regarding ODS, please visit their web site at
www.equity.psu.edu/ods/. Instructors should be notified as early in the semester as possible regarding the
need for reasonable academic adjustments.

CLASS PROTOCOL
It is my teaching philosophy that everyone – students and instructors alike – has insight to share. My
responsibility is to organize and facilitate an environment in which we can learn from each other. Your
responsibility as a student is to participate fully in class discussions and to show respect for me and for your
fellow students. You will be expected to:
• Turn off all cell phones and other noise-making electronic devices before class begins.
• Arrive on time and do not leave until dismissed.
• Be courteously attentive to me and to your fellow students.
• Consume food and drinks only during the 15-minute class break and NEVER in the classroom.

COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to change)

NOTE: all readings should be completed prior to the class meeting for which they are listed.

8/24 Introductions / Review syllabus and class policies

Communication Model
Principles of Media Literacy

8/31 Media businesses

READ: Turow Ch. 2 (p. 38–79)

9/7 Newspapers and the news industry

READ: Turow Ch. 8 (p. 298–340)
ASSIGNED: Media Audience Demographics paper

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9/14 Books and magazines
READ: Turow Ch. 7 (p. 262–297) and Ch. 9 (p. 342–377)
DUE: Media Audience Demographics paper

9/21 Recorded music and radio

READ: Turow Ch. 10 (p. 380–413) and Ch. 11 (p. 418–459)

9/28 Movies
READ: Turow Ch. 12 (p. 462–497)

10/5 TV and the Internet

READ: Turow Ch. 13 (p. 504–541) and Ch. 14 (p. 546–583)

10/12 Review
Mid-term exam

10/19 Advertising and media economics

READ: Turow Ch. 15 (p. 592–619)
ASSIGNED: Follow the Ownership Trail

10/26 Public Relations

READ: Turow Ch. 16 (p. 624–655)
DUE: Follow the Ownership Trail

11/2 Media regulation and ethics

READ: Turow Ch. 3 (p. 80–137)

11/9 Media and society; media effects

READ: Turow Ch. 4 (p. 142–179)

11/16 Media, changing and evolving

READ: Turow Ch. 5 (p. 188–224) and Ch. 6 (p. 233–257)

11/23 No class meeting; Happy Thanksgiving!

11/30 First half: Tie up loose ends, do SRTEs

Second half: Individual meetings with instructor

12/7 Presentations of final projects

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Student Survey
(This is voluntary, but it will help me get to know you)

Name ______________________________

Hometown __________________________

List your favorite…

movie: _______________________________ musician(s): _____________________________

actor / actress: _________________________ TV show: ____________________________

book: ___________________________

magazines / blogs / websites: ________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

What do you expect to learn in this class?

What’s one thing you’ve always wondered about regarding the media?