Dr. Lee McGaan -- Spring 2001
CATA 261 -- Media and Society
Course Notes and Handouts
last
updated 4/18/2001
Introductory Themes - Notes on
characteristics of mass media, Functions and Major Types of Effects
Foundational Terms and Concepts
History of the Development of Communication
Media
Semiotic Analysis
Semiotics
for Beginners - a great starting point for background, definitions of terms
and explanations of key concepts. See especially the sections titled
"Introduction," "Signs," "Paradigms and
Syntagyms," "Syntagmatic Analysis,"
"Codes," Strengths of Semiotic Analysis" and "D.I.Y.
Semiotic Analysis." [ The list of sections is located at the bottom
of each web page. ]
Schemata
- an excellent discussion of the term and examples.
Semiotics
Outline - class overheads on semiotic terms and concepts.
Tips on Doing a Semiotic Analysis of a
Print Text
"Doing Criticism" -- Themes in
the Theory Application Paper Assignment
Electronic Media
"The Heavenly Jukebox" -- link to an article from Atlantic Monthly describing the issues surrounding copyright and Napster including something of how royalties are (and are not) paid to musicians. Must reading for any popular music fan. Check out some of the sidebar links for this article too. Here's a link to another take on Napster from Reason Magazine, "Copy Catfight" If you think Napster is a good thing you'll like this article.
Important
Dates in the History of Radio, Television and Film
Television Ratings and the relation
between ratings and profits
Television Revenues from Advertising
(Agencies, etc.)
Advertising
What Ads Reveal - about the target audience and about society
Advertiser Goals -- advertiser goals, strategies and tricks
VALS - Values and Life Styles categories
Diffusion of Innovation - how the public adopts new products and processes
Influencing the Media - how individuals and groups can influence media organizations (and others)
Functions
of PR - the six primary functions/activities performed by PR personnel for
companies
The News
What Makes News News -- Constraints on the News
An interview
on the role of "new media" MSNBC
Characteristics of the Adversarial Approach
to Covering the News
The Objective/Critical Approach to the News
-- An Alternative ( + Barriers)
How Sources Seek to Control News + Methods of Source Attribution
Michael Robinsons' 5 Myths of Press Behavior +
"The 'Huh' Factor"
Summary of Key Issues in the News and
Troubling Trends
Media Effects
The Effects of
Violence in Media
Effects of Explicit Sex in Media
How African-Americans have been
represented on TV - a Newsweek Interview