Dr. Lee McGaan  

  Office:  WH 308  (ph. 309-457-2155);  email lee@monm.edu
  Home:  418 North Sunny Lane (ph. 309-734-5431)

Spring 2012 Office Hours:   MW: 9-10am, 11am-1pm & 3:15-4pm;   Fri: 11am-1pm; & by apt.  |   copyright (c) by Lee McGaan, 2006-12


last updated 12/6/2009

SYLLABUS

Unit I - Some Contemporary Media Theory

Tues. 8/25   Intro to the Course - What are "The Media?" Who is a Journalist?  What is their impact?    |    The Unknown Citizen".
Thurs. 8/27   Two Big Ideas I: History, Politics, Media.      |     II, ch 1  &  Haynes   |   Key Media Concepts
Tues. 9/1   Two Big Ideas II:  Technology + $ --> Content
Unit II - Traditional News Media - "Free" Content
Thurs. 9/3

What is NewsMyths  |    II, ch 2  & Robinson

Tues. 9/8

News as Persuasion?    |    II, ch 3

Thurs. 9/10

Bias!    |    Paletz

Tues. 9/15

Influences on the News and Public Opinion    |    II, ch 4

Thurs. 9/17

Influencing News Content.    |     II, ch. 5

Tues. 9/22

Analyzing and Interpreting News - Critical Reception.

Thurs. 9/24

Introduction to Team Projects - Information Evaluation Assignment begins     |  Analysis Paper due

Unit III -  Advertising - "Paid" Content

Tues. 9/29   Advertising for Influence.  |  
Thurs. 10/1   What Ads Reveal  |   II, ch 6
Tues. 10/6   Advertisers' Goals  |    |    II, chs 7
Thurs. 10/8   Politics, News, Ads.    |   How Opinion Shifts    |   II ch. 12
Tues. 10/13

Politics and Media Messaging    |  II, ch 10    |     Review and Overview.

Thurs. 10/15

  EXAM 1

10/17 - 10/20

                FALL BREAK

Thurs. 10/22

 Who creates "information?"    |    CS,  pp 3 - 43   |     Exam Wrap

Tues.  10/27

Team Workday

Thurs. 10/29

"Information Evaluation" Assignment -- Team Oral Reports (Teams 1, 3 and 4)


Unit IV -  New Media!  New Politics?  New Decision Methods.

Tues.   11/3

Team Oral Report (Team 2)   |   The Internet and "New Media" -- Web 2.0    |    II, ch 11

Thurs. 11/5   Introduction to Team Action Planning Project     |     II, ch 9
Tues.   11/10

Deliberation and Citizenship     |    CS, pp. 45 - 73     |  Flagging the Text

Thurs. 11/12

Team Workday

Tues.   11/17

Decisions and Problems     |     CS,  pp 75 - 102

Thurs. 11/19

Many Minds - Sharing Information, Ideas, Support   |   CS, pp. 147 - 196

Tues.   11/24

"Improved" Citizenship      |     CS, 197 - 225

11/25- 11/29

Thanksgiving Break

Tues.   12/1

The Self-directed Citizen      |     Team Workday

Thurs. 12/3

Action Plan Presentations   |   Team 2   |   Team 4

Tues. 12/8

Action Plan Presentation   |   Team 1   |   Team 3
Review - A New Paradigm of Social Structure and Citizenship? 

 

Final Exam:  1pm, Friday, December 11

 

NOTE:  Additional readings, viewing and homework will be assigned occasionally from handouts distributed in class, by links in this syllabus, electronically by Email or on the INTG 415 Web Site .  Texts and additional readings may become the basis for "participation" grades, quizzes, and homework; therefore students must constantly remain aware of these reading/viewing assignments and complete them before the assigned class meeting.