Media Criticism

Click here for the day-by-day course outline

Click here to download the Syllabus (PDF)

Click here to download the research paper guidelines (PDF)

Description of the Course:

“Philosophical, sociological, ethical, legal dimensions of communication. Student synthesis of communication knowledge and experience. Career preparation guidance including resumes, portfolios, demonstration tapes. Seminar. Writing intensive. Capstone for communication arts majors. Prerequisite: fourth-year standing or instructor approval.”  (Wartburg College Academic Catalog, 2006-2008)

                   Purposes and Objectives of the Course:

• to undertake a critical look at the role of the mass media in society

• to examine the ethical, cultural, political, economic and educational impacts of the mass media

• to look at opportunities to use the mass media more constructively for the improvement of society

Required Textbooks:

Given that much of the class discussion will be based upon assigned readings, students must read the assignments before class and should be prepared to bring their notes or the readings with them to that class. There is only one required textbook, devoted to the study of ethics, but there will also be numerous handouts and web-based reading assignments in order to keep the discussion as current and topical as possible. Those readings and other matters pertinent to the course may be found via the class web site (found at either http://www.JeffStein.org or http://faculty.wartburg.edu/stein).  The required textbook is “Media Ethics: Issues and Cases” (6th edition), by Philip Patterson and Lee Wilkins (McGraw-Hill, 2008). All lectures, lecture notes, original handouts and supplemental materials are Copyright © 2008 by Dr. Jeff Stein; use of the materials beyond the specific class setting without prior written consent is prohibited.

Attendance Policy:

Since this course is required of all Communication Arts majors, regular attendance is required. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class period; being tardy or absent will result in a reduction of points (one point per tardy; three points per absence). If you are unable to attend due to illness or emergency, you must contact Dr. Stein in advance either at the phone number or e-mail address listed above in order to receive credit for assignments due that class period and to avoid losing points. The course is scheduled to meet Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays from 1:15 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.  Students should be prepared to meet for the entire class period each day.

Plagiarism Policy:

“The Communication Arts Department is dedicated to the advancement of honest and accurate exchanges of information, ideas, and opinion.” (Wartburg College Academic Catalog, 2006-2008)  Therefore, plagiarism—the use of ideas, materials, or words of others without proper attribution and acknowledgment—is improper and simply will not be tolerated. Minimum sanctions for this will include a grade of "F" for the course and referral of the matter to college officials.

The Wartburg Honor Council has asked faculty to remind students of their responsibility under the Wartburg Honor Code. The Honor Code is a statement of academic responsibilities supported by Wartburg College students and was originally created by Student Senate to embody the values of integrity and trust that are fundamental to Wartburg College. The official Honor Code, as approved by faculty and Student Senate, is as follows:

“As a matter of personal commitment, students, faculty, and staff of Wartburg College are expected to demonstrate four simple principles:

1.)   All submitted work must be your own.

2.)   When using the work or ideas of others, including fellow students, provide full credit through accurate citations.

3.)   Ask for clarification if there is uncertainty about citation rules on a particular assignment.

4.)   Maintain academic honesty on examinations and class assignments.”

Dr. Stein expects students to follow the Honor Code and reminds students of their responsibility to promote academic honesty by opposing cheating and plagiarism and reporting dishonest work.

In a related effort, Wartburg College has again this year invested in an affiliation with the national “TurnItIn.com” service, to allow students and faculty alike the opportunity to compare written assignments and papers with a database of primary sources and other student work. In a positive sense, this will allow students to catch inadvertent overquoting during the draft phase so their work will adhere to appropriate writing and citation standards; in addition, this will help Dr. Stein maintain academic integrity to protect all students. (The TurnItIn.com service will also be used by Dr. Stein to facilitate grading and posting of a grade book online.) Each student will be responsible for activating their own account at TurnItIn.com so they may hand in their work, check grades, etc.  All written work to be handed in by students will be submitted electronically via TurnItIn.com.

Requirements of the Course:

A class-by-class schedule is included within this Syllabus. The schedule is subject to change, based on the progress of class discussion, current events in the field, availability of guest speakers and the like. Any changes will be announced in class and by an e-mail message sent to each student. Students are presumed  to  frequently

check their Wartburg e-mail account; if a student wishes that a different e-mail address be used, the student should notify Dr. Stein and register that alternate address with TurnItIn.com.

Current Events Quizzes.   There will be ten (10) current events quizzes, made up of multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, on most Mondays during the term. The five-minute-long quizzes will be given at the beginning of the class period, as per the wall clock in 134 CAC; those arriving late will have less time in which to complete the quiz. Quizzes cannot be made up. The quizzes will focus on college, local, national and world issues. Each quiz is worth a maximum of 10 points (100 points total during the term).

Quizzes Over Readings.  There will be a total of 6 quizzes during the course of the term over material in the textbook and related lectures, to be administered during the last five minutes of a class period. Each quiz is worth a maximum of 10 points (60 points total during the term), and will be over material assigned since the previous quiz. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.

Research Paper.   Each student will be required to write a formal research paper focusing on a pertinent topical issue in mass communication. The paper must be 20 pages long not including bibliography and footnotes, double-spaced, with page numbers, without a separate title page, with one-inch margins on all sides, using 12-point Times or Arial font. Students will choose their own respective topics, as approved in advance by Dr. Stein. A three-page topic statement, complete with itemized list of proposed sources, will be due on Monday, January 14. A complete draft of the paper will be due Monday, February 18. The final paper, including footnotes and bibliography, will be due on Wednesday, March 19. (All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period to turnitin.com.) Each student will also convey the information gathered in the research paper during a 10-minute oral presentation in class. All components of the project (topic statement, draft, final paper, and in-class presentation) will be graded and scored. The research paper will be worth a maximum of 150 points. This assignment is intended to fulfill the College’s “writing intensive” designation for this course, as well as part of the departmental Oral Communication Across the Curriculum requirement; therefore, each student must turn in a paper and do the oral presentation, and score a minimum of 60 percent of the maximum number of total assignment points. Failure to do so will lead to the student automatically receiving a grade of “F” for the course. Separate handouts, including grading criteria, will be distributed in class.

Research Project.  The class will participate in a research project to help students learn and apply various research techniques. There will be many aspects to the project, including review of pertinent literature and other related materials, utilization of appropriate research techniques, and informal oral presentations in class. The class will be divided into groups for facilitating the research projects, which will be directed by Dr. Stein.

Resume/Portfolio.   To allow for student development and to allow the department and college to assess whether departmental educational goals are being met, each student will be required to prepare a formal resume and cover letter, suitable for sending to a prospective employer, as well as a portfolio or demonstration tape which is representative of the student’s work to date (from class work, student media, internships and/or professional jobs). Print majors will turn in a portfolio of clips and/or photographs; public relations majors will turn in a portfolio which may include print and electronic components; electronic media majors will turn in audio and/or video demo tapes/scripts. The resume/cover letter and portfolio will be critiqued during optional individual sessions with Dr. Stein. The resume/cover letter will be worth a maximum of 50 points and will be due on Friday, January 18. The portfolio will be worth a maximum of 40 points and will be due on Monday, February 4.

Group Project/Presentation.   Instead of the traditional final examination, the class will be divided into groups; each group will independently develop a code of professional ethics and prepare a detailed answer to an ethical issue in mass communication, as assigned by Dr. Stein. Each group will then present their findings in public, leading a discussion on the issue and being prepared to respond to questions about the topic. Fellow students, area professionals and the general public will be invited to join the audience. The presentation will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at 7:00 p.m.  Audience grading (both peer and professional) will be utilized in part with regard to this assignment. The code of ethics itself will be worth a maximum of 55 points, while the final presentation will be worth a maximum of 45 points (total maximum of 100 points per student). This assignment is intended to fulfill the College’s “final activity” requirement, as well as part of the departmental Oral Communication Across the Curriculum requirement; therefore, each student must participate in the exercise and score a minimum of 60 percent of the maximum number of total assignment points. Failure to do so will lead to the student automatically receiving a grade of “F” for the course. Dr. Stein will also meet with each group separately to discuss their presentations during the time set by the college for final examinations for this class: Monday, April 16 between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., unless an earlier, mutually agreeable time can be found. The group designations for the final presentations will be determined by you, the students. Designations must be made by Friday, February 29.

Professionalism/Industry Trends.   You are now almost ready to step full-time into the professional world. Therefore, you need to be aware of trends in your industry and how the business world affects your career. This will require you to consistently monitor various trade publications, such as Broadcasting & Cable, Television Week, Billboard, Business Week, Editor & Publisher, The Quill, American Journalism Review, Columbia Journalism Review, PRSA Journal, and RTNDA Communicator.

Focus Group.   Near the end of the term, we will conduct a departmental ‘focus group’ to help us determine how, in your view, your Wartburg College education has prepared you for life after college, and how it could have been improved. This exercise is not graded. However, it is an important part of the annual departmental assessment process, and helps us determine our needs in areas ranging from curriculum to equipment, and from staffing to policies.

Format.  All written work must be typed and presented in a form which is appropriate for the assignment. Written work will be evaluated on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and general appearance. Gender neutral and non-sexist language must be used. An appropriate tone must be taken in all written work.

Class Preparation and Participation. All students are expected to read assigned chapters prior to class, and are expected to participate in the class discussion. Dr. Stein reserves the right to raise or lower your grade by one-third grade level (such as from B to B+, or from B to B-) based upon such intangibles as how well prepared you are for class, the amount of productive discussion you contribute to class, attendance, etc. Failure to constructively participate in this way will lead to a reduction of points otherwise awarded in the "professionalism/industry trends" section above. Dr. Stein also reserves the right to not accept late assignments, or to accept late assignments but with reduced credit.

Overall Policy:

Dr. Stein encourages students to discuss concerns about the class (content, grading, etc.) at any time without fear of retribution. Dr. Stein will strive to promote a classroom environment that is inclusive and positive; students are asked and encouraged to join in the spirit of the educational enterprise. Any student who is offended by any material during the course is urged to bring the matter to Dr. Stein's attention. As a courtesy and as a proper showing of respect, Dr. Stein believes college students should refer to faculty members by their last name and a courtesy title (examples: Dr. Pier, Prof. Brockman), rather than merely by their first name or their last name; Dr. Stein will similarly refer to students with appropriate respect. Students will be advised in advance of any material that may be objectionable so those who choose to may be excused from class that day. Students must also acknowledge through signature their receipt of this syllabus and their acknowledgement and acceptance of the course provisions.

Accommodations Policy:

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provides protection from illegal discrimination for qualified individuals with disabilities. Students requesting instructional accommodations due to disabilities must arrange for such accommodations by contacting the Pathways Center Associate for Testing Services & Advising, Carla Coates. She can be reached at the Pathways Center, Vogel Library 314, 352-8230, carla.coates@wartburg.edu. Accommodation must be requested and arranged PRIOR to assignment/examination due dates. Dr. Stein will make appropriate arrangements for students accordingly, after confirmation of qualification from the Pathways Center.

Dr. Stein’s Educational Philosophy:

Our time in this world is limited; therefore, it is my belief that we should all encourage ourselves to maximize our potential every day. This means putting forth the best effort possible in class. Obviously, none of us—teacher or student—can be at their “best” every day, but we are simply cheating ourselves if we do not strive to excel. We are also depriving others of the chance for meaningful discussion and interaction.  It is commonly accepted that for every hour of time spent in class, students should spend roughly three hours outside of class studying and preparing. There are times when you will spend much more than that (such as when you are writing your research paper) and other times when you will spend less than that (such as when the reading assignment is short). However, my experience in teaching this class leads me to believe that this three-to-one ratio is a fair overall estimate of the time I spend preparing for lectures and grading papers, and how much time you should also spend learning the material.

Grading:

Grading will be on a straight percentage scale, based on points.  Each assignment will carry a certain number of points.  Your grade will be based on the following scale:

                        Percentage               Grade             Point Range

                        93-100                        A                     465-500

                        90-92                          A-                    450-464

                        87-89                          B+                   435-449

                        83-86                          B                     415-434

                        80-82                          B-                    400-414

                        77-79                          C+                   385-399

                        73-76                          C                     365-384

                        70-72                          C-                    350-364

                        67-69                          D+                   335-349

                        63-66                          D                     315-334

                        60-62                          D-                    300-314

                        59-below                    F                     299-below

No individual extra credit will be allowed. Only the 500 points from the class assignments and examinations will count toward your final grade. The denotation corresponding to letter grades is as follows: A, distinguished performance; B, superior work; C, satisfactory achievement; D, minimal achievement; F, unsatisfactory achievement. (Wartburg College Academic Catalog, 2006-2008)

(All material on these websites, unless otherwise noted, is Copyright © 2008 by Dr. Jeff Stein, Communication Arts Department, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. Any use of the material, including by way of electronic retransmission, without the prior consent of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited.)