JO211a  History of U.S. Media

 

Spring 2005

Section A: WF 10am-11:15am; BE113

 

Dr. David T. Z. Mindich

Tel: 654-2637;  E-mail: dmindich@smcvt.edu

Office hours in Bergeron 108: almost every day, 10am-6pm, except during lunch and class

 

Goal

The goal of this course is to study the history of U.S. media.  Why?  There are many reasons, but here are four:

1.        Historical inquiry, when done seriously and with intelligence is important and mind-strengthening.

2.        It is useful to learn about the history of important practices. I will argue that journalism is crucial in any democracy.

3.        The media in America have become so dominant and so omnipresent that learning about them can help us combat their power.

4.        Learning about media history relates to the study of other disciplines as well—literature, mainstream history, and other areas, too.

The goal of historical inquiry is facilitated by your reading, writing, and class participation, and by our community of thinkers, of which you are a crucial member.

 

Your responsibilities

I expect you to attend every class, to show up on time, and to read (and reread) the assignments. Completion of this course entails

completion of all work.  Beyond that, of course, I look forward to a lively exchange of ideas in your papers and in our discussions.

 

Written Work, Memorization, and Tests

 

I will ask you to write a short response to one of the readings (which you’ll share with the class), present an oral report, and prepare a term paper.   Extensions must be requested prior to due dates; without an extension, late work will be penalized a full letter grade per day.  You should also inform me of legitimate medical excuses (in the form of a Dean’s note), special learning needs, or schedule conflicts of a religious nature.  Your grade will be based on your essay, the tests, responses to readings, quizzes, and your fulfillment of your other responsibilities, as outlined above and below.  

 

*Designated reader/short response

Once during the semester, you will help lead a brief discussion of an assigned reading. You are expected to come to class prepared to engage your classmates with questions and comments about the assigned reading. You should read the text very carefully and push your classmates to think in new ways about it. Included in this assignment is a one-page, double-spaced (typed), response to an assigned reading.  Within this  response, you should briefly put forth your critique of the author’s thoughts while also demonstrating that you are conversant with the text.

 

Do not merely summarize.  At the end, include two questions about the readings that you will ask your classmates.

 

Date when you’re the designated reader:                      

 

*Quizzes and tests

I will give regular pop quizzes.  Make sure you keep up with the readings.   There will be three tests throughout the semester.   For the tests (but not for the quizzes) you may use handwritten notes if they are in your own handwriting and not photocopied. 

 

 

 

*Research report

All students will investigate a primary media source (newspaper or magazine) from the nineteenth century and do a short (three-page) report on it.

 

*Group project

All students will present, in teams of three or four, an oral report about any topic relating to the course.  

 

*Essay

The final assignment of the course will be a five-page essay (typed and double-spaced) on a topic I

 will discuss later in the semester. Read the plagiarism handout carefully.  The bottom line is that you must take care not to use the words or ideas of others without giving them proper credit.  That includes (but is not limited to) using the Internet, or other sources, without citing them. Plagiarism is surprisingly easy to detect; if you plagiarize, you'll fail this course and could be expelled from St. Michael’s.  Plagiarism is wrong, but learning about it need not be fraught with anxiety; I am happy to answer your questions about what is and is not plagiarism. Feel free to stop by to discuss an outline or draft before the due date.

 

 

I don’t bite!

I encourage you to stop by during office hours or to phone if you wish to discuss any aspect of the course, including how it might be improved.  It has been my experience that some of the best learning happens in small groups or in one-on-one conversations outside of class.

 

Readings:

Mindich, David T. Z. Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News. Oxford University Press, 2004.

 

Folkerts, Jean and Dwight Teeter, Voices of a Nation: A History of Mass Media in the United States (4th Edition). Allyn & Bacon, 2001.

 

Handouts.

 

Web-based readings: if a particular reading has an asterisk (*), please download it from the syllabi section of my Web page, http://academics.smcvt.edu/dmindich

 

Your Final Grade

I will discuss grading later in the semester.  However, the following may help you to understand my grading system:

10% Quizzes

30% Three tests

10% Research report

20% Group project

30% Final Paper

This equals 100% of your preliminary grade. Then I look at participation, improvement, attendance, and other factors.  Your final grade will suffer if you have multiple unexcused absences.  Also, you will be marked absent if your cellular phone rings during class.  If you answer the call, you will be marked down for three absences.

 

Schedule

 

Back to Mindich