Dr. Lee McGaan  

  Office:  WH 308  (ph. 309-457-2155);  email lee@monmouthcollege.edu
  Home:  418 North Sunny Lane (ph. 309-734-5431, cell 309-333-5447)

Fall 2016 Office Hours:   MWF:  9:30 - 10am, 11am - Noon & 1 -2pm TTh:  2-3pm & by apt.  |  copyright (c) by Lee McGaan, 2006-2016


last updated 11/29/2014

SYLLABUS

Unit I - Some Contemporary Media Theory

Tues. 8/26

 Intro to the Course - What are "The Media?" Who is a Journalist?  What is their impact?    |    The Unknown Citizen".

Thurs. 8/28

 Citizenship and Communication - Jim Leach on Political Speech   |   Key Media Concepts   |   Flagging the Text

Tues. 9/2   Two Big Ideas I: History, Politics, Media.      |     II, ch 1  &  Haynes
Unit II - Traditional News Media - "Free" Content
Thurs. 9/4

Two Big Ideas II:  Technology + $ --> Content

Tues. 9/9

What is NewsMyths  |    II, ch 2  & Robinson

Thurs. 9/11

News as Persuasion?    |    II, ch 3    |    CBS Evening News web site

Tues. 9/16

Bias!    |    Paletz

Thurs. 9/18

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

Tues. 9/23

Influencing News Content.    |     II, ch. 9

Thurs. 9/25

Analyzing and Interpreting News - Critical Reception.  |  Analysis Paper due

Unit III -  Advertising - "Paid" Content

Tues. 9/30

How Opinion Shifts  --  Information Evaluation Assignment introduction |  Tips (newly updated)

Thurs. 10/2

Advertising for Influence.  |    II, ch 6 & 7   |   Article: Thesis/Purpose/Outcome statements due 

Tues. 10/7   What Ads Reveal  |    Advertisers' Goals     |    Review and Overview.   |   Fact/Truth Check Plan Report -> What will you do and who will do what?
Thurs. 10/9   EXAM 1

10/10 - 10/14

                FALL BREAK

Thurs. 10/16

Politics, News, Ads.   |    II, ch 5 & 10   |   Exam Wrap   |  Team Workday 

Tues. 10/21

Information Evaluation" Assignment -- Team Oral Reports begin:  Teams 1, 2, 4, 6


Unit IV -  Media/New Media!  Information Literacy and Decisions

Thurs.  10/23

"Information Evaluation" Assignment -- Team Oral Reports conclude:  Teams 3 and 5  |  Introduction to Team Media/News Literacy Project 

Tues. 10/28

What is Information?  What is Media/News Literacy?  |   II, ch 11

Thurs. 10/30    Media/News Literacy Education Projects -- Planning and Creating stand alone programs  |  News Literacy Terms
Tues. 11/4    Wisdom, Information and Democracy    |     Deliberation and Discovery of Information - READ Infotopia, ch. 2 (handout)
Thurs.  11/6

Deliberation  |  Brief Planning Reports -- Team Workday

Tues. 11/11

 Problem Solving Agendas  |   Groupthink --  Flagging the Text   |  Groupthink Symptoms

Thurs. 11/13

Decisions and Problems  |  Information Biases and Decision Failures  

Tues. 11/18

Team Workday   |   News Lit. Program Evaluation Form

Thurs. 11/20   Information Literacy Programs presented |  Teams:  Team 2, Team 3 & Team 6
Tues. 11/25

Information Literacy Programs presented |  Teams:   Team 1, Team 4  & Team 5

           11/19 - 11/25

Media/Info Literacy Program Presentations may have out-of-class times scheduled

11/26- 11/30

Thanksgiving Break

Tues.   12/1   The Self-directed Citizen | Transcript Reflection
Thurs. 12/4   Defining Citizenship  |  Review

 

Final Exam:  3pm, Monday, December 8

 

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.