Historical Survey of Media Genres: Examination of Influences of Contemporary Media on Society
MEDIA AND SOCIETY
COMM 1500-001
TR 2:00-3:15, MonH 80
Dr. Lawrance M. Bernabo
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Spring 2014
E-Mail Address: lbernabo@d.umn.edu
Office: 330 Kirby Plaza
Office Hours: TR 10:50-11:50 and after class
Office Phone: (218) 726-7943
Home Phone: (218) 348-8268; Please do not call before 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
Course Description: Historical survey of media genres, and examination of influences of contemporary media on society.
Textbooks: There are two books available for purchase at the UMD Bookstore: (1) George Rodman, Mass Media in a Changing World, Fourth Edition. (2) John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
You do not need to have this particular edition of The Grapes of Wrath; any edition will do, because all that matters is reading the novel. Any and all supplemental material that might be in this or any other edition are of no value to you whatsoever, and would probably be harmful.
Lectures: Once we get past the opening section of the textbook, each chapter follows the same format, consisting of an opening case study, a brief history of the subject, understanding the topic today, and controversies. As a general rule the lectures will cover the brief history of the subject (you do not need to know dates, but you should understand the order of key events), and discuss the current controversies. Instead of going over the understanding the topic today sections, which are fairly self-explanatory, I will be supplementing each chapter with additional concepts either related to that particular topic or providing a more general understanding of media and society.
Assignments: By the end of the semester your final grade for this course will be based on a grand total of 1000 points based on the following two types of graded assignments:
Critical Essays: Two essays, each 5 pages long and worth 250 points, for a total of 500 points. E-mails with specifics for each essay will be sent out.
COMM 1500-001
TR 2:00-3:15, MonH 80
Dr. Lawrance M. Bernabo
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Spring 2014
E-Mail Address: lbernabo@d.umn.edu
Office: 330 Kirby Plaza
Office Hours: TR 10:50-11:50 and after class
Office Phone: (218) 726-7943
Home Phone: (218) 348-8268; Please do not call before 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
Course Description: Historical survey of media genres, and examination of influences of contemporary media on society.
Textbooks: There are two books available for purchase at the UMD Bookstore: (1) George Rodman, Mass Media in a Changing World, Fourth Edition. (2) John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
You do not need to have this particular edition of The Grapes of Wrath; any edition will do, because all that matters is reading the novel. Any and all supplemental material that might be in this or any other edition are of no value to you whatsoever, and would probably be harmful.
Lectures: Once we get past the opening section of the textbook, each chapter follows the same format, consisting of an opening case study, a brief history of the subject, understanding the topic today, and controversies. As a general rule the lectures will cover the brief history of the subject (you do not need to know dates, but you should understand the order of key events), and discuss the current controversies. Instead of going over the understanding the topic today sections, which are fairly self-explanatory, I will be supplementing each chapter with additional concepts either related to that particular topic or providing a more general understanding of media and society.
Assignments: By the end of the semester your final grade for this course will be based on a grand total of 1000 points based on the following two types of graded assignments:
Critical Essays: Two essays, each 5 pages long and worth 250 points, for a total of 500 points. E-mails with specifics for each essay will be sent out.