Media Criticism MCOM 352 Vatz Spring 2009
Media Criticism MCOM 352 001 Dr. Richard E. Vatz
Spring, 2009
VB 211B rvatz@towson.edu (use sparingly) Office Hrs 9-9:30 MTWTh; or by appt.
CONTRACT FOR (Vatzian) MEDIA CRITICISM, SPRING, 2009: YOU MUST TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES DURING CLASS; YOU MAY NOT LEAVE DURING CLASS TO CHECK FOR CALLS OR TEXT MESSAGES; YOU MAY NOT SURF THE INTERNET OR E-MAIL OR TEXT ANYONE DURING CLASS.
IF A STUDENT IS DISCOVERED VIOLATING ANY OF THESE RULES, HE/SHE WILL RECEIVE AN "F" FOR 1/3 OF THE COURSE
Required Reading
Alterman, E. (2003). What liberal media?: the truth about bias and the news. New
York: Basic Books.
Cooper, Stephen D. (2006) Watching the Watchdog: Bloggers as the Fifth Estate
Spokane: Marquette Books
Coulter, A. H. (2002). Slander : liberal lies about the American right. New York :
Crown.
The Washington Post (read daily, especially the "Style" section, regarding major media
issues throughout course)
Other Recommended Readings
Coulter, A. H. (2003) Treason Crown Forum (2003)
James Fallows, Breaking the News Vintage Books (1997)
Karl E. Meyer (ed.), Pundits, Poets and Wits Oxford University Press (1990)
Larry Sabato, Feeding Frenzy: How Attack Journalism Has Transformed American
Politics (1993)
Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, "What We Can and Cannot Learn From the
Virginia Tech Tragedy," USA Today Magazine, (July, 2007)
Course Description
Media Criticism…Theory and practice of media criticism intended for various audiences, including ideological criticism, social criticism, and scholarly criticism.
Behavioral Objectives
1. The student must be able to demonstrate his or her understanding of the principles and
theories of media criticism.
2. The student must be able to demonstrate his or her understanding of a variety of
criteria for media criticism.
3. The student must demonstrate an understanding of media bias.
4. The student must demonstrate an understanding of the role media play in political
America.
Requirements and Grading
1. Attendance Policy -- Important! Active class participation is promoted and consistent
attendance is required; absences for whatever reason totaling more than 4 will result in
a 1/3 lower course grade. Each additional absence will cost an additional 1/3 grade
(B to B-; B- to C+; etc.). Students must arrive on time for class. Students who arrive
late will be marked absent unless they inform me that they have arrived (but lateness
is frowned on, and habitual lateness, operationally defined as more than 3, will count
as one-half absence per additional lateness).
Attendance and attention in class are critical in Media Criticism. Missing more than four classes means that you have missed far too much material. It is assumed that by your very presence that you gain vital information pertaining to this course. Unavoidable absences do not give you the right to miss more than a total of 4 classes – you cannot get all of the information and instruction that is necessary for this course when you miss more than 4 classes. Again, fewer than four and more than 0 will not affect your grade, although 0 absences may raise your grade by 1/3 grade
2. Two equally important examinations which will cover class lectures, class tapes, class internet and assigned readings (including newspaper reading).
3. In order to discuss media criticism of current issues, students will be expected to read
extensively on such matters and to read at least The Washington Post and particularly
the "Style" section daily (you may read it a day or two late at the library) and columns by Howard Kurtz, and I prefer that you additionally read another national newspaper as well (e.g., The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, or The Wall Street Journal). Also watch at least one local and national television news show one day a week and one political talk show a week, such as "This Week" or "Meet the Press."
4. Read assigned readings.
5. Get acquainted with journalistic sources on the Internet.
6. Your grade will in large part be composed of the two exams. Grades may – may -- be raised or lowered up to one-third of a grade by quality (not quantity) of class performance. Attendance, again, may affect your grade.
VATZIAN PIETIES: do not arrive late and do not leave early except in matter of life or death matter, or it will be the latter.
Students must arrive on time for class. Students who arrive late will be marked
absent unless they inform me that they have arrived (but lateness is frowned on, and habitual lateness, operationally defined as more than 3, will count as one-half absence per lateness beginning with the fourth). Attendance and attention are critically
important in this class– cell phones must be turned off in class. No text messaging;
no surfing on the web; and missing more than four classes means that you have
missed far too much material, which results in grading reductions.
Material in this objective examination is composed of the lectures, readings, tapes and class notes. Do Not Ask Me Privately About the Examination!!! – I shall answer such questions only in front of the class. It is an ethical breach to tell selected students about the content of a test or what should be studied or even what should not be studied. (If you understand this last point, you are smart enough to do well in this class.) I know some other professors in other disciplines do reveal such answers to individual students; tell me the profesors' names, and I shall knock them off.
CALENDAR (approximate -- media criticism issues come up unexpectedly all the time – -- and we shall examine them as they do – they will also undoubtedly change the order of class discussions); major topics:
Weeks 1-4 Introduction; What is Media Criticism? What is news?; photos and headlines
ideology and news biases, politics and media criticism; media fragmentation
and blogging; cases involving questions in media ethics; plagiarism; violence
in television and movies; ideology and media political bias
Week 5 Satire from Tom Lehrer to Tony Kornheiser to SNL to Comedy Central;
freedom of speech; the media elite
Weeks 6-8 State of today's newspapers; fragmentation of media; anonymous sources –
appropriate roles of journalism and journalists; Food Lion and
investigative journalism; Guest Speaker; Examination
Weeks 9-12 (cont.) Political bias in print and electronic media; media and racial issues;
talk radio; checkbook journalism;
Weeks 13-14 Political punditry; issue columnists and satirical columnists; newspapers covering selves; diversity in media; the internet
FINAL Final meeting -- exam
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[Students may not attempt a class for the third time without prior permission from the Academic Standards Committee. Information regarding this policy can be obtained through the Registrar's Office.]
TOWSON UNIVERSITY
College of Fine Arts and Communication
Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies
Towson, MD 21252
410-704-3431
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: All Students in the Department Of Mass Communication and Communication Studies
FROM: Department Faculty
SUBJECT: PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING
Plagiarism
The Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies adheres to the following policy regarding plagiarism:
1. Any words or images taken directly from another source (including the Internet) must be footnoted or cited and in quotation marks. Similarly, in oral presentations, attributions must be clear.
2. Any ideas derived from a source not in the public domain or of general knowledge must be clearly attributed.
3. Any paraphrased material must be footnoted or cited. In oral presentations, attributions must be clear.
4. All papers and presentations must be the student's own work. Submission of papers or presentations authored by others, even with their consent, constitutes plagiarism.
Any student found plagiarizing in any of the above ways will receive an automatic "F" for the assignment and may receive an "F" for the course. Documented evidence of the plagiarism will be kept in the department office, and will be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs.
Any student discovered soliciting others to write a paper, speech, test, or other assignment for that student will receive an automatic "F" for the course.
There are ambiguities in concepts of plagiarism. Faculty will be available for consultation regarding any confusion a student may have.
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Most students are careful to avoid blatant plagiarism, the unacknowledged copying of exact words of the source. However, students must also be aware that the concept of plagiarism extends not only to wording but to patterns or sequences of ideas. If you paraphrase without acknowledgement, using the same sequence or structure as the original author, then you are plagiarizing.
Students have the right to appeal a charge of plagiarism. An appeal starts with the chairperson of the department.
Cheating
The Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies has adopted the following policy regarding cheating:
ANY STUDENT CAUGHT CHEATING ON ANY QUIZ OR EXAM WILL RECEIVE A MINIMUM OF AN "F" ON THE QUIZ OR TEST AND A MAXIMUM OF AN "F" FOR THE COURSE.