Media Matters

Broadcast television, cable television, satellite television, TiVo, home DVD players, personal DVD players, Xbox, Game Boys, PCs, handheld computers, the Internet, wireless networks, MP3 players, podcasting, blogs, cell phones, broadcast radio, satellite radio, films, books, newspapers, magazines: We live in a media saturated culture. In almost any place and at almost any time we can access the media. We can surf the Web in a plane flying at 36,000 feet, and we can watch a movie in our minivans cruising down the highway at 55 mph. Thanks to new technologies, not only has our access to media increased, our opportunities for active participation in producing media content have as well. We don’t have to limit expressing ourselves through the media to a brief letter to the editor in our local newspaper. We can post extended diatribes on our blogs or let our voices be heard on our personal podcasts. But what do these new trends in media production and distribution mean? And how does the increased exposure to media change us?

In the process of investigating these and related questions, we will work on the composition and critical thinking skills essential for meaningful work at the university, as well as in your professional and personal lives. These skills include the following:

· Determining an audience and purpose for a writing assignment and making effective choices about writing strategy based on them

· Analyzing a text for the author’s audience and purpose and evaluating the effectiveness of his/her argument

· Developing research skills, including finding and evaluating sources and incorporating them into your writing

· Presenting a thesis and organizing and developing a supporting argument

· Expanding your repertoire of writing styles and sentence structures

Texts

Everything Bad Is Good for You by Steven Johnson

Tuned Out by David Mindich

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

A recently published MLA style manual

Selected articles

Grades

Paper #1 20%

Paper #2 20%

Paper #3 20%

Annotated Bibliography 15%

Class Participation 10%

Class Presentation 10%

Peer Review 5%

Papers

All papers must be turned in on the assigned due dates (printed in bold on the syllabus). Late papers will be docked one-third letter grade for each day they are late. Papers must also be submitted in a folder. Folders will include the topic proposal, rough draft, peer review feedback, and photocopies of material quoted or paraphrased from outside sources with relevant sections highlighted or underlined. All major writing assignments must be submitted to pass the class.

Revisions

You have the option of revising papers one and two. To do so, you must first meet with me to discuss your plans for revision, and you must turn in the revised paper within two weeks of the date graded papers were returned.

Attendance

Regular attendance is essential to the successful completion of this course. More than two unexcused absences may be grounds for failing the class. If you must miss class, you are still responsible for obtaining assignments and completing work on time. In addition, plan to get to class on time. After two late arrivals to class, you will be marked absent for any subsequent tardiness.

Class Participation

It is not enough to simply show up for class in order to earn the full 10 percent for class participation. You must also come to class prepared, having completed any reading or writing assignments, and you must also be engaged in the class. This means that you participate regularly in discussions and activities.

Cell Phones

Cell phones must be turned off and stowed in book bags or handbags. Students caught with cell phones on or out will be marked absent for that day.

The Writing Center

The Writing Center peer tutors are available to help you at any stage of the writing process. Tutors provide free one-on-one coaching and advice on writing to all Goucher students. Call the Writing Center at ext. 6551 or visit online at www.faculty.goucher.edu/writingcenter/ for hours or to make an appointment.

Plagiarism

This term refers to using someone else’s words or ideas and presenting them as your own. Whether intentional or due to sloppy citations, plagiarism is a serious violation of a writer’s ethics. Any paper that has not been properly produced or documented, with all sources correctly cited, will be referred to the Academic Honor Board for possible action under the College’s Honor Code. Violations of the code may have serious consequences, including failure of the assignment or the course, academic probation, or suspension.

WEEK ONE

1/27 Introduction: the media

Course introduction

Grading criteria and CWP

1/29 Johnson pp.1-62: “The Sleeper Curve” and “Games”

Introduce paper #1

Honor Code

WEEK TWO

2/3 Honor Code cont.

Johnson pp. 62-136: “Television,” “The Internet” and “Film”

Topic proposals due

2/5 Frontline documentary: Growing Up Online

WEEK THREE

2/10 Discuss documentary

Johnson pp. 139-199

2/12 Group One presentation

Incorporating sources

Introduce peer review procedures

WEEK FOUR

2/17 Rough drafts due for peer review

MLA citation review

2/19 Paper #1 due

Style workshop

Evaluating sources

WEEK FIVE

2/24 Group Two presentation

Postman Chapters One and Four

Introduce paper #2

2/26 Postman Chapters Six and Seven

WEEK SIX

3/3 Topic proposals due

Mindich pp. 1-12, 18-33, 41-59

News analysis exercise

3/5 Group Three presentation

Mindich pp. 77-108, 112-127

WEEK SEVEN

3/10 Mandatory conferences—no class

3/12 Mandatory conferences—no class

WEEK EIGHT

3/17 Spring Break

3/19 Spring Break

WEEK NINE

3/24 Rough drafts due for peer review

3/26 Paper #2 due

Style workshop

WEEK TEN

3/31 Handout: “Discursive Integration”

Daily Show clip

4/2 Video: The Persuaders

Introduce paper #3 and annotated bibliography

WEEK ELEVEN

4/7 Video cont.

Topic proposals due

4/9 Group Four presentation

Selection from Born to Buy

WEEK TWELVE

4/14 Mandatory conferences—no class

4/16 Mandatory conferences—no class

WEEK THIRTEEN

4/21 “The Word Lab”

Punctuation review

Annotated bibliography due

4/23 Group Five presentation

Postman Chapters Nine and Eleven

WEEK FOURTEEN

4/28 Mandatory conferences—no class

4/30 Mandatory conferences—no class

WEEK FIFTEEN

5/5 Rough draft due for peer review

5/7 Paper #3 due