FINAL EXAM REVIEW

The final exam will take place on Tue, 12/18 from 6-8pm.

The final exam will cover chapters 2, 10, 13 and 15 from Media Now and the article Media Control by Noam Chomsky. Be sure you have read AND understood all of the required materials. The exam will contain five questions: two short answer; one SMCR diagram; one Analysis Diagram; and an ethics-related essay.

Use the following handouts to help you study for the final exam.

EXTRA CREDIT: Metropolis

Due Friday, December 14th.

Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) is a landmark science-fiction film. Not only is it a powerful statement on the melding of man and technology, but it also comments on the consequences of violent social revolution (specifically looking at the recent Bolshevik revolution in Russia just ten years before). Eighty years later, Metropolis continues to resonate with viewers. Why? What important message(s) does the film communicate? What techniques does it use to present its message(s)?

Here are a few helpful links about the film:

• Read the full script here.
• Here is an article about the print released in 2001.
• Read an article about the film at UNESCO here.
• Here is a great site all about Metropolis.
• Visit a really cool virtual Metropolis tour here.
• Here is the official site of the reconstructed version.

JOURNAL TEN: Advertising

DUE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH.
In honor of International BUY NOTHING DAY!, we will end our journals with an evaluation of our lives as consumers. Your assignment is divided in two parts. The first part is a personal reflection that you will not post on this blog. The second is your analysis of the relationship between spending and advertising. This you will post.

Part One: After visiting the ADBUSTERS site and reading The Empire of Debt, do an inventory of how much you spend each day, month and year. How much do you spend on essential products (like food and housing)? How does this amount compare to non-essentials (like movies and books)? Remember that it is not necessary to post this portion of the assignment. Record your answers in a notebook or offline journal.

Part Two: What is the difference between a need and a want? Were your purchases influenced by advertising? If so, how? What kinds of advertising campaigns influence you most? What ad techniques are most effective on you? What ideologies do you buy?

JOURNAL NINE: Engineering Public Opinion

DUE TUESDAY, NOV. 20TH

Visit The Living Room Candidate site. Select and view one presidential campaign commercial. Read Media Control by cultural critic Noam Chomsky. After reading the article, use Chomsky's theory to analyze your commercial.

Answer the following:

• What reality/worldview does the commercial represent?
• How is this representation used to engineer public opinion regarding the candidate?
• What cinematic techniques (audio, camera angles, lighting, etc.) does it use to "manufacture consent"?
• What rhetorical devices (appeal to emotion; appeal to authority; etc.) does it employ?

Pecha Kucha Guidelines

Pecha Kucha Night is Thursday, December 6th.

Below is a printable .jpg of the guidelines for completing the Pecha Kucha presentation. Also, you will find a .jpg of the Pecha Kucha Evaluation form.

JOURNAL EIGHT: Internet

DUE THURSDAY, NOV. 15TH

After reading at least two of the articles below, describe the conflict between traditional journalism and blogging or "citizen journalism." React to the controversy by arguing for one of the two sides. How has blogging harmed or helped journalism today?

How Blogging Changed Journalism - by Chris Mooney, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Kevin Sites and the Blogging Controversy - by Susan Mernit, Online Journalism Review
Blogging, Journalism and Credibility - by Rebecca MacKinnon, The Nation
Blogging as a Form of Journalism - by J.D. Lasica, Online Journalism Review

JOURNAL SEVEN: Visual Rhetoric

DUE TUESDAY, NOV. 13TH

Post a ONE SENTENCE reaction to the film Videodrome. Your reaction should comment on the use of visual rhetoric in the film.

Videodrome @ Wikipedia
Videodrome @ IMDb
Videodrome @ Criterion
Videodrome @ Deep Focus

For extra credit: What is videodrome?

ESSAY THREE: The Formal Research Essay

In Essay Three, we will combine what we have learned while writing essays one and two. The main outline for Essay Three will be similar to that of Essay One - it should involve a media controversy - but within Essay Three, you will evaluate three media examples as evidence - this will utilize the Essay Two outline.

Essay Three Deadlines

Proposal - Nov. 6th
Outline - Nov. 13th
Sample Bibliography - Nov. 13th
Draft - Nov. 27th
Final - Dec. 11th

ESSAY THREE: The Formal Research Essay

GOAL: Select a contemporary controversy involving mass media and its impact on society. The controversy you choose should reflect the connections between mass communication, media and society, AND it should revolve around the communication tool/technology you selected.
METHOD: Research, analyze and react to the conflict. You must evaluate three media examples as evidence for or against your selected controversy. Below, you will find a printable .jpg outline for Essay Three as well as a research topic proposal and the analysis diagram.

Essay Three PROPOSAL

Essay Three OUTLINE

Essay Three Analysis Diagram

FIELD TRIP TO MUSEUM OF TV & RADIO

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH from 6-8pm
The Paley Center for Media
25 West 52nd Street, NY, NY 10019
(212) 621-6600

The tour starts promptly at 6.30pm.

JOURNAL SIX: Television

DUE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH

After reading the article (Notes on the Construction of Reality in TV News Programmes), view and analyze a television news story (current or past). The segment you select can be broadcast on a Top 5 network, cable or Internet. Be sure to include the broadcast information (date, title, network).

• Who created the story? Why?
• What is the main message of the story?
• Who is the target audience?
• Who is paying for the story (ads, etc.)?
• What is left out of the story?

JOURNAL FIVE: Film

DUE TUESDAY, OCT. 16TH

Movie trailers are one of the key ways to market films, film ideology and culture, but it is no easy task to make a great trailer. Trailers need to be exciting without giving away too much. Select any film trailer and react to its aesthetic and ideological construction.

1) What techniques does the trailer use to get you hooked? (eg. camera angles, music, voice over, etc.)
2) Does the trailer give away too much of the story?
3) What “ideology” or worldview does the trailer sell? (eg. Does the film give stereotypical views of the world, relationships, etc.? If so, what are the "types" used? Is the film conservative or progressive, etc.?)

ESSAY TWO: The informal evaluation essay

Essay two (3 pages) is due in class on Tuesday, October 23rd.
Bring two hard copies to class: Give one to me. Swap the second with a classmate.

Select a single work of mass media art. Analyze and critique the work selected, reflecting on its construction (medium and sender), purpose (message) and intended audience (receiver). Be sure to judge (your stance) the work too! (Is it good? Why, or why not? Does it achieve its goal? How? Is it biased? Is it generally understood? Etc.)

Analyze and react to the work selected.

1. Describe the work and why it is important (social, artistic, etc.).

• Give a brief summary.
• Talk about why we should care.

2. Analyze the work. Apply the SMCR model.

• Who created the work?
• What medium (channel) is used? Why?
• What is the purpose of the work? Does it achieve this?
• Who is the intended audience? How is the work generally received?

3. Discuss techniques used in the work.

• Evaluate how the work is constructed: lighting, story, sound, etc.
• Evaluate the ideology or “worldview” presented in the work.

4. Take a stand! Is the work amazing, or is it sh*t?

• Convince us why this is the best or worst work.
• Critique your opponents – tell us why they are wrong about the work?

This is a critical reaction/critical opinion essay. You should use at least two sources, but this is not a research essay. The bulk of the writing should be YOUR reaction to the work of media art you have selected, not what others think about it. Follow the steps above (adding an introduction and conclusion), and you’ve got an essay outline! (P.S. You still need to say what your sources are, but because this is an informal essay, you do not need to use APA style or include a bibliography.)

JOURNAL FOUR: Radio

DUE THURSDAY, OCT. 4TH.

Find a radio program online (it can be a variety show, news program, music program, drama, etc. from any era). After listening to your program, describe its message AND the social function of its message (to disseminate information; to set an agenda; to entertain; to distract; to socialize; etc.). Then, select a 30sec. clip that effectively illustrates the message conveyed by the program. Bring your clip to class next week. (Or, have the URL if the clip is online!)

Here are a few links you can use to help you:
Radio Lab
On the Media
Radio Lovers
National Public Radio
Public Radio Exchange
Mercury Theatre on the Air
Internet Archive of Radio Programs

JOURNAL THREE: Recorded Music

DUE THURSDAY, SEPT. 27TH.

Recordings and the Surveillance Society

After reading the article, find one current example of the use of sound recording for surveillance. Who made the recording and why? What happened to the recording after it was made? How was the recording received, and how did it impact society?

JOURNAL TWO: Print Media

DUE TUESDAY, SEPT. 25TH

Select a current news item and find two DIFFERENT print stories on the item.
Include a reference of where you found each story. (Name of story/Author/Name of publication/Date)

1. Analyze each news story using the SMCR model. (Eg. Who sent the story? What is the message? What channel is used to communicate? Who received the story?)
2. Compare and contrast how the news item is depicted in each story. (Eg. How are the two stories similar? How are they different? Etc.)
3. Critique the way the news item is covered in ONE of the stories. (Eg. What is censored or left out of the story? Is the story biased? Etc.)

ESSAY ONE: The informal reaction essay

Essay one (3 pages) is due in class on Tuesday, September 20th.
Bring one hard copy for me and another for the workshop.

Select a contemporary controversy involving mass media and its impact on society. The controversy you choose should reflect the connections between mass communication, media and society. (See links under “Media and Society” on our class blog for examples.)

Analyze and react to the conflict.

1. Describe the conflict/controversy and why it is important.
1. Give a brief summary.
2. Talk about why we should care.
2. Discuss the current debate surrounding the controversy.
1. Compare/contrast the opposing sides and their arguments.
2. Link the views to mass media. (ie. What conception of “the media” does each view represent? How does each side view the relation between society and media?)
3. Take a stand! Pick a side and argue for/against it.
1. Critique the view(s) you oppose – tell us why?
2. Propose your view – be sure to convince me why you are right!
3. Briefly discuss the consequences of your view.

This is a critical reaction/critical opinion essay. You should use at least two sources, but this is not a research essay. The bulk of the writing should be YOUR reaction to the issue, not what others think about it. Follow the steps above (adding an introduction and conclusion), and you’ve got an essay outline! (P.S. You still need to say what your sources are, but because this is an informal essay, you do not need to use APA style or include a bibliography.)

JOURNAL ONE: Media and Society

DUE TUESDAY, SEPT. 11TH

Find a media controversy (past or present) that illustrates the relationship between multimedia communication technologies and society. Describe the controversy, why it is important and how it shows the connection between media and society. Then, briefly react to your example. Which side do you take? Why? (Of course, you do not have to agree with either side!!)

Be sure to include a URL resource so that we can all take a look at the conflict you select. And, remember to choose a controversy that interests you... this assignment will become a part of your first essay.

(I have posted my example.)

SYLLABUS

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 201 TW – Fall 2007
York College of The City University of New York
T, R 6 – 7:15p.m. AC – 4M05

Professor Jen Heuson
Email: jheuson@york.cuny.edu or jenheuson@yahoo.com
Office hours: R 3 – 3:50 – Room 4G03
Course Website: http://ct201york.blogspot.com/

Course Description: Introduce the fundamental principles of communication technology by closely examining multiple technologies and the past and present ways they are used to communicate.

Course Objectives: This is a designated Writing Intensive (WI) course. Throughout the term, students will: 1) acquire an understanding of communication technology and its connection to society and culture; 2) view and discuss works crucial to the history of communication technology; 3) analyze the formal and stylistic elements of communication technology through writing; and 4) engage in discussions of aesthetic value and ethics.

Required Texts:

• Straubhaar, Joseph and Robert LaRose. (2006). Media now: Understanding media, culture, and technology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
• Hacker, Diana. (2007). A Writer’s Reference. (6th ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• A companion website is available here.
  

Course Requirements and Grading:

• Writing Assignments (40%) – This is a writing intensive course. Students are required to write two informal essays of 3 pages (10% each) and one formal essay of 6 – 8 pages (20%). To receive a passing grade, students must: 1) complete a draft; 2) participate in a class workshop; and 3) submit a final, revised essay. All essays must use APA style to document sources. Topics and detailed writing requirements will be given in class. See Course Schedule for due dates.

• Online Reading Journal (10%) – Students will post 10 entries to the class website (URL above). Each entry must answer the posed question and be 7 – 10 sentences long. Entries are due the following class day (see Course Schedule).

• Pecha Kucha (10%) – Students will design, record and present a Pecha Kucha show of 6 minutes. The project will be completed in groups of 2 or 3. Students will be graded on the CONTENT, DESIGN and PRESENTATION of their project. (see Course Schedule for dates).

• Exams (20%) – A midterm and a final exam will be given. Exams cannot be rescheduled. Missing an exam will result in a zero grade.

• Participation/Attendance (20%) – Students are expected to complete assigned readings and participate in class discussions, trips and film screenings. A student who is more than 15 minutes late to class will not be permitted to enter. More than two absences OR three tardy days will result in failure of the course.

Students must have an email account and be able to regularly access the class blog and text companion website. Students will be required to view media outside of class AND to attend field trips. Missing a field trip will count as an absence.

SCHEDULE

1. T, Aug 28 - Course Introduction.
2. R, Aug 30 - The Changing Media. Chapter 1.
3. T, Sept 04 - Media and Society. Chapter 2. (Journal 1.)
4. R, Sept 06 - Print Media I: Books and Magazines. Chapter 3.
5. T, Sept 11 - Print Media II: Newspapers. Chapter 4. (Journal 2.)
6. R, Sept 13 - NO CLASS – COLLEGE CLOSED.
7. T, Sept 18 - NO CLASS – FOLLOW FRIDAY SCHEDULE.
8. R, Sept 20 - Writing Workshop I. ➢Essay one due.
9. T, Sept 25 - Sound Media I: Recorded Music. Chapter 5. (Journal 3.)
10. R, Sept 27 - Sound Media II: Radio. Chapter 6. (Journal 4.)
11. T, Oct 02 - No Class – Meet for Pecha Kucha assignments.
12. R, Oct 04 - Introduction to Pecha Kucha.
13. T, Oct 09 - Visual Media I: Film and Video. Chapter 7. (Journal 5.)
14. R, Oct 11 - Visual Media II: Television Chapter 8. (Journal 6.)
15. T, Oct 16 - No Class – MTR field trip (Thursday).
16. R, Oct 18 - Field Trip: Museum of Television and Radio.
17. T, Oct 23 - Writing Workshop II. ➢Essay two due.
18. R, Oct 25 - MIDTERM EXAM
19. T, Oct 30 - Screening: Videodrome (1983) by David Cronenberg.
20. R, Nov 01 - No Class – Videodrome screening (Tuesday).
21. T, Nov 06 - Writing Workshop III. ➢Essay three proposal due. (Journal 7.)
22. R, Nov 08 - New Media: Internet. Chapter 9. (Journal 8.)
23. T, Nov 13 - Multimedia: Public Relations and Advertising. Chapters 10 and 11. (Journal 9.)
➢ Essay three outline and sample bibliography due.
24. R, Nov 15 - Media Uses and Effects. Chapter 13. (Journal 10.)
25. T, Nov 20 - No Class – Work on Pecha Kucha assignments.
26. R, Nov 22 - NO CLASS. Thanksgiving Break.
27. T, Nov 27 - Media Ethics. Chapter 15. ➢Essay three drafts due.
28. R, Nov 29 - No Class – Complete Pecha Kucha assignments.
29. T, Dec 04 - Final Review. ➢Final drafts of essay one and two due.
30. R, Dec 06 - PECHA KUCHA presentations.
31. T, Dec 11 - Party!!! Screening: tba. ➢Essay three due.
32. T, Dec 18 - FINAL EXAM