Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

Journalism 200-01: Principles and Theory of Mass Media & Journalism

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. • MH 105

Instructor: Susan Garrison

Home phone: (1-816-324-6272)

Office Hours: By appointment

E-mail: garrison@missouriwestern.edu

Required Texts/Materials:

Campbell, Richard, Christopher Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture Sixth Edition, 2009 Update. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009.

A spiral notebook dedicated exclusively to journal writing.

Jump drive or other means to save papers.

Course Description & Objectives:

The purpose of this class is to develop a critical perspective of mass communication. This course is designed to help you:

• Learn about the history of print, broadcast and internet technologies

• Learn about the theory underlying the sending and receiving of information

• Understand how media impacts society and society impacts media

• Develop critical skills regarding the media, analyzing the overt and covert messages sent

• Be informed about and discuss current news events and media trends

• Gain insight of the connections between the news media, public relations and other fields.

Attendance Policy:

In order to improve student learning and to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, MWSU has a mandatory attendance policy for all 100- and 200-level courses. Because of that, this course has a very strict attendance policy. If you miss five class periods for a Monday/Wednesday/Friday class before the October 10 midterm, you will receive an F in the class. Thus, when you have six absences, you will be reported to the Registrar’s Office, who will automatically withdraw you from this class. The Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate.

For each unexcused absence after the fifth one (after midterm), you will lose one-half of a letter grade of your final grade (or five points). For example, if you have an 84% “B” in the class and miss six classes, your final grade will be a 79% or “C.”

A student will be given an excused absence when acting as an official representative of the university, provided the student gives prior written verification for the faculty/staff supervisor of the event; however, there are no other excused absences, exceptions or “make-ups” for this attendance requirement. If you miss a class session, you are responsible for material covered or assignments given which you missed because of absence, so ask another student to inform you of what happened while you were gone. Quizzes or other graded assignments done in class the day you miss cannot be made up. All out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. No late assignments will be accepted.

Participation:

This is important. Come to class prepared to participate.

Students with Disabilities Policy:

Any student in this course who has a disability that requires any special consideration needs to meet with me as soon as possible to discuss class requirements.

Academic Honesty:

Do your own work. In the event that you do turn in an assignment using someone else’s work, you will receive zero points for that assignment. A second offense means that you will fail the course.

Civility and Cooperation:

MWSU requires all students to help us maintain good conditions for teaching and learning. All students will treat their classmates, teachers, and student assistants with civility and respect, both inside and outside the classroom. Students who violate this policy may, among other penalties, be counted absent and asked to leave. You should review your Missouri Western student handbook for further information.

Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, etc., before class. Text messaging and other cell phone activities are not allowed during class time.

E-mail:

You must have e-mail and an active account that you check regularly at MWSU.

Grading Policy:

Grades will be figured on a point basis totaled throughout the semester. 90–100=A; 80–89=B; 70–79=C; 60–69=D; 59 and below=F.

Grades will be determined by exams, papers, and quizzes.

The following is a tentative schedule for the semester.

Aug. 25-29: Chapter 1

Sept. 1-5: Chapter 10

Sept. 8-12: Chapter 8

Sept. 15-19: Chapter 9

Sept. 22: Test #1

Sept. 24-26: Chapter 3

Sept. 29-Oct. 3: Chapter 4

Oct. 1: Paper #1, Oral History Paper due

Oct. 6-10: Chapter 7

Oct. 13-17: Chapter 5

Oct. 20: Test #2

Oct. 22-24: Chapter 6

Oct. 27-31: Chapter 2

Nov. 3-7: Chapter 11

Nov. 10-14: Chapter 12

Nov. 17-26: Chapter 13

Nov. 24: Paper #2 due

Dec. 1-5: Chapter 14

Final: Friday, December 12, 8:30 – 10:20 a.m.