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COMM 471 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF EMERGING MEDIA SPRING 2012 SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY Professor -- Craig Stark Office -- Apfelbaum 100 Office hours: MWF 11-1 -- Others by appointment E-mail stark@susqu.edu

Course Twitter feed: @profcstark/su471s12 ** The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides protection to people with disabilities, including a learning environment with reasonable accommodations for disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact me with a written request from the SU Counseling Center on or before January 23rd, 2012. COURSE OBJECTIVE: This course introduces students to the art and practice of contemporary media criticism and key theoretical and critical approaches that guide the practice. Students will gain familiarity with the approaches of contemporary criticism and apply these approaches in the study, exploration, and analysis of todays convergent and tomorrows emergent media. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the movement and interconnection that exists between new media technologies and their social, economic, cultural, and political impacts and effects. The historical development, structure, organization, function, and effects of convergent and emergent media will be incorporated into the analysis. This course meets the Diversity and Writing Intensive requirements of the universitys Central Curriculum. This course may be taken for Honors credit. This course may also be taken for credit in the universitys Diversity Studies minor. TEXTBOOKS FOR THE COURSE Required reading texts for this class: Amusing Ourselves to Death, by Neil Postman (1985) Reading packet available at SU bookstore Additional materials handed out in class and online ATTENDANCE POLICY No absences are excused. If you miss class, you will not be allowed to make up the work. You are allowed three absences before your final grade in the class is penalized, in addition to receiving a zero for any assignment or exam missed. After your third absence from class, your final grade will automatically be lowered one letter grade for each subsequent absence. If you are going to miss class, please notify me via email or the class Twitter feed PRIOR to the beginning of class.

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There is no make up work. Any late work or missed quizzes will result in a zero for a final grade. If you manage your time properly, you will have plenty of time to work on your assignments and plenty of time to prepare for in-class assignments and exams. Although no late work will be accepted, you can always turn in work early. GENERAL CLASS RULES This class will operate under a Free Range policy regarding personal technology. You will not be denied access to the internet, social media, texting, tweeting, etc. while class is in session (this includes any in-class quizzes or exams). You may use a laptop computer, tablet, or cell phone during class and during exams. The only time you will be asked to stop using personal technology in class is if it interferes with the progress of the class or with another students ability to learn. The first time your use interferes with the class is the last time you will be given this privilege you will not be allowed to use technology in class for the rest of the semester. Examples of distractions and interference include (but are not limited to): Talking on cell phones in class Cell phones ringing in class Music or video on cell phones, laptops, or tablet computers Student reactions and expressions to content on laptops, cell phones, or tablets You are not allowed to wear headphones during class time. Again, the first time you disrupt the class with technology is the last time you get to use it under this policy. Equipment and/or computer malfunctions, whether at home, in a computer lab, or in a production room, are not a legitimate reason for missing a deadline. Leaving a project at home or not knowing how to do it are not legitimate reasons for missing a deadline either. It is up to you to learn not only the proper operation of technology and computers for class use, but also the potential problems and solutions you may encounter as well. In other words dont wait until the last minute. Class participation is required. You will be expected to bring in outside material to share with the class. If you need to meet with me, please do so during office hours. Course updates and notifications (schedule changes, etc.) will only be made available through the course Twitter feed (@profcstark/su471s12). Be sure to subscribe to the feed for updates. Specific assignments during the semester will also require you to use the feed.

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HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY Every student is expected to do his or her own work on each quiz, exam, or assignment, unless given specific instructions not to do so by the Instructor. Assignments containing undocumented or plagiarized material, imaginary or fictional quotes (including text, audio, or video in analog or digital formats) will receive a grade of zero. Assignments containing intentional factual errors will also receive a grade of zero. Copying from someone else, or allowing someone to copy from you amounts to cheating and/or plagiarism. There will be no debate or deals regarding the issue. If you are caught, expect to receive a zero for the assignment and have the incident reported to the Academic Honesty Judicial Board. This can lead to outright failure of the course and expulsion from the university. If you have any questions or concerns regarding cheating or plagiarism, you are urged to bring them to my attention. Visit http://www.susqu.edu/student_handbook/honesty.htm for more information. GRADING Your grade in this class is determined by the sum of several assignments: Seven reaction/position papers, each based on the current packet reading and Postman chapter(s) (1-2 pages) Final paper In-class presentation Attendance and participation (bringing material for class discussions) GRADING SCALE A = 100%-94% A- = 93%-90% B+ = 89%-86% B = 85%-83% B- = 82%-80% C+ = 79%-74% C = 73%-70% D = 69%-60% F = 59%-0% Lowest grades are not dropped. No grades are rounded up. No extra credit will be provided.

READING SCHEDULE: First paper: Sholle & Postman (Introduction and Forward) Second paper: Jhally & Postman (Chapter 1) Third paper: Winston & Postman (Chapter 2) Fourth paper: Mosco & Postman (Chapter 3) Fifth paper: Bettig & Hall, & Postman (Chapter 4) Sixth paper: Bagdikian & Postman (Chapter 5) Seventh paper: Schiller & Postman (Chapter 11)

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IMPORTANT DATES: First paper due January 27th Second paper due February 8th Third paper due February 20th Fourth paper due March 2nd Fifth paper due March 21st Sixth paper due April 2nd Seventh paper due April 25th In-class presentations April 27th; April 30th; May 1st Final paper due May 4th