TEXT

E-MAIL

ASSIGNMENTS
-Newspaper Critique
-Magazine
Critique

LIBRARY TOUR

GRADES AND GRADING

ALMOST THE LAST WORD

You may not have given it much analytic thought, but you are being loaded with a tsunami of messages and images suggesting messages from the media every moment of your waking day. In this course, we will be considering where those messages and images come from, who puts them together, and how they affect your individual life and society.

At the end of the semester -- if you have done the reading, completed the assignments and taken part in class discussion -- you will have enough background to be a very shrewd and questioning recipient of all those messages. You will know about the evolution of those media forms, why their words, pictures and sounds are delivered as they are, who the intended audiences are, and, some of the time, how those audiences will react to those messages. You also will know a fair amount about journalism, widely defined, should you be interested in a career in the business.

We will begin by reading and talking about some elementary communications theory. As quickly as possible, we will begin to investigate a variety of media. The course will be, I hope, intellectually demanding: I will be disappointed if I don't think you have had to stretch your minds. It also will be fun.

I try to keep to the weekly schedule, but current events worthy of discussion always pop up and the best laid plans go out the window. So it's a good idea to attend class so you know what's happening in any given week.

TEXT [ Top ]

Turow, Joseph. "Media Today: an introduction to Mass Communications .If you click here and go to the author's web site, you will find what the publisher calls "ACE (A Cyber Exam)." These provide the opportunity for you to take self-assessment quizzes related to the text chapters. The quizzes are corrected automatically, enabling you to learn from mistakes. In the past, students who have taken the time to work through the ACEs each week do considerably better on the quizzes.

The New York Times. The DAILY paper provides a great price on home-delivered subscriptions: take advantage of it by using the code number on the coupon.

E-MAIL [ Top ]

I hope you have noted the footnote that should have been attached to the listing for this course in the Spring Semester course schedule. Should you have forgotten, it should say: "Students should sign up for a university computer account before semester begins at academic computing sys, Adm. 110." A university account per se is NOT necessary, however. You can get your e-mail via any account you regularly use. Just note that you can have a free account from SFSU. (For more on this, go to Computing Services in Adm 110 and pick up the how-to sheets.) If you don't have an SFSU e-mail account, click here and fill out the application form. https://www.sfsu.edu/online/accounts.htm

If you’ve gotten this far, you probably already have an e-mail address, so we’re in good shape. The entire information environment is changing rapidly, especially for scholars and journalists. Consequently, to help you become accustomed to that digital world, I will rarely if ever will give you any ink-on-paper (IoP) handouts. Most everything you need -- non-text assigned readings, my lecture notes, quizzes and other exams, topical discussions, you grades -- will be found on this web site. (If you have a computer, you might want to bookmark this site.) If you don't have an e-mail address -- and check your mail and this URL every day -- you will simply be out of the information loop. Take some time to explore this site. It will be used for a lot of data and information exchange throughout the semester. 

Then, be sure to go to http://online.sfsu.edu/~jjohnson/JTJ's class sign-up form.htm .

Please fill out the "unofficial registration" form there and click the "submit" button to sent it to me so I will know who’s who in this class. I pick up some information from this form that helps me point you to internships, jobs, etc.

ASSIGNMENTS [ Top ]

The course calendar -- found under the menu button "Course Documents" on the far left -- indicates the various reading assignments in the text, Media Today, by Joseph Turow, plus other readings that are posted to the web site. I expect you will have read the daily assignment before coming to class. (Be sure to do a little reading each day instead of trying to cram it all in at the end of the week or semester.) 

I also expect you to read The New York Times each day, either online or the IoP version. (To learn how to subscribe to The Times at a deep, deep discount, click on the "subscribe" link.) If you choose to read it online (but I recommend a regular subscription), you will have to "enroll" at the NYTimes site to get the online version (remember your login name and password). Its content is free online on the day of publication. (Here on the West Coast, today's edition starts to be replaced by tomorrow's around 7:30 p.m., so get to it early.) The Times is a good way to keep track of the world’s news, and especially major stories about the media.

You also will find it useful to be familiar with standard trade and research publications such as: Editor & Publisher, Brill’s Content, Broadcasting and Cable, Advertising Age, Online Journalism Review; Publishers Weekly, Writers Digest, Presstime, Columbia Journalism Review, American Journalism Review, Journal of Communications, Journal of Broadcasting, Quill, ASNE Bulletin, Journalism Quarterly, Public Opinion Quarterly, Utne Reader Media; Critical Studies in Mass Communication, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Newspaper Research Journal, Mass Comm Review, Journal of Popular Culture, News Media and the Law, Journal of Marketing, Public Relations Journal, News Photographer and Folio. Many, or most, of these are now online, so you can read most of there content there. (I’ve included the links to Editor & Publisher and American Journalism Review because they both are good "jump stations" to newspapers, magazines and media trade press sites.)

It is important that you do the reading because a large portion of your grade will depend on your quiz scores and your class participation. Obviously, you must attend the classes in order to participate. Also, my lectures will usually enlarge upon -- not merely repeat -- material from the text and from current issues of The New York Times. You, however, will be responsible for knowing all the text material, the lecture material and what's reported in all of The Times for exams.

You also should read at least one daily newspaper and one weekly news magazine and watch one of the local and national news shows daily because the weekly quizzes will usually include current events questions. These will be simple -- multiple-choice or true and false -- quizzes, but, collectively, they will be an important part of your grade.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS [Top]

All written assignments must be written in MS Word 97 and submitted via electronic mail. I will not accept them any other way. ( If you don't know how to use Word, click here to reach http://www.microsoft.com/education/curric/word97/ )

You submit the assignments via the "Student Drop Box," in CourseInfo. You will find that under the "Student Tools" button on the left menu. (Yeah, I know. "Drop Box" is a confusing term in our university culture, but here it means "Drop off the assignment." ) Note that if you’re not sending your assignment from the computer you used to write it, then you will have to have the file on a floppy disk. This isn’t a bad thing: it in effect requires you to have a backup copy of your work. 

That raises another point. I am never responsible for lost or damaged work. It’s your job to make sure you have adequate backup copies. If I lose your assignment, I will just say, "Send me another, please." And, you being the bright and clever person you are, will send me another copy.

LIBRARY TOUR [Top]
http://www.library.sfsu.edu/instruction/libreq.html

Students (and faculty and journalists, for that matter) are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to know where and how to FIND all data and information. One of the basic places -- the mother lode of information -- is the traditional ink-on-paper library. And we need to know our way around that rich gold mine. The SFSU Library has a fine, self-guided tutorial to help you learn its nooks and crannies. Go to the window/booth near the Rapid Copy center during the next 24 hours and buy the tour workbook. After you have completed the tour -- it will take five or six hours -- you will turn the workbook in to the library staff and receive a certificate of completion. It takes at least a week to grade these, so get them in well before the deadline. You must bring a Xerox of that certificate to me on Thursday, March 9, but be sure to keep the original in your permanent "Important School Stuff" file. That's not much time, so get on that mission immediately. 
 
 

GRADES AND GRADING [Top]

All work must be submitted before or on the deadline. LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. 

There will be quizzes every week starting with Week II plus a quiz on "All The President's Men." They usually will be 20 or 30 questions covering the assigned readings and current events as reported by The New York Times. The highest 10 quizzes will count for 80 percent of your grade. There also are two short research/writing assignments, critiques of a newspaper and a magazine. They are each worth 10 percent of your grade. INCOMPLETES ARE NOT GIVEN.

You will be able to see your grades in the CourseInfo site (go to Student Tools | Check Your Grade ) so you can always have a rough idea of how you're doing. The final grades will be curved, however, so it's hard to say exactly where you stand until the end of the semester, But a perfect score will be 120 points.

The University's grading policy (and mine, as well):

A = Outstanding work ("...truly unusual accomplishment....")

B = Above average work ("exceptional accomplishment")

C = Average performance ("successful completion of all course requirements, no significant weak nesses..." [A "C" or "C+" in the Journalism Department should not be interpreted as a poor grade.]

D = Below average ("completion of course requirements but with significant weaknesses...")

F = Failure ("course requirements not met.")

If you are not a journalism major, it is possible to take the course CR/NCR.

As to the question: "Should grades represent quality and a level of accomplishment? Or effort? Or Progress?", here is what the university says:

A. Grades reflect the instructor's judgment of the quality of the student's performance. Grades should not merely be awarded for effort, attendance, native ability, etc., notwithstanding the fact that all of these may affect performance and become a part of the evaluation.

B. Students who elect the CR/NCR system are not to be give fewer, or easier, assignments than those who are on the A-F system; such practice makes grades reflective of the quantity rather than the quality of the student's performance. [NOTE: If you are, or intend to become, a Journalism major, you should only take this course -- which is required for the major -- for a letter grade.]

C. Students may not be guaranteed "at least a C" or a "B," etc. in advance or by a contract related solely to the quantity of assignments completed, as evaluation is a post-performance function rather than a pre-performance contract.

ALMOST THE LAST WORD [Top]

My first and, I hope, my last word about plagiarism. It is quite easy to detect when you have submitted work that is not your own; when you have bought a term paper or lifted material directly from another work. It is, of course, permissible to use material from other sources, but those sources must be fully cited (in footnotes or within the text).

If I can prove to my satisfaction that you are guilty of plagiarism, you will fail this course. Among other things.
 
 

ETC. [Top]

My office is in HUM 525. My office hours are:

• Tues 12:30-1:30; 3:30-5 Thur 12:30-1:30 and by appointment
• By appointment on Tuesdays or Thursday (or any other day, if necessary) 
• If these hours are not convenient for you, don't hesitate to ask me for an appointment at some other time. My office phone number is 338-7431, and the number of the Journalism Dept. is 338-1689 if you need to leave a message. My mailbox is in the Journalism Department mailroom (HUM 307). My home phone is 
• Feel free to call me at home anytime after 10 a.m. and until midnight. 

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FORMAT FOR ASSIGNMENTS: [Top]

As you will learn, each assignment must be uploaded with a specific -- EXACTLY SPECIFIC -- file name and format. If you deviate from these specifics, your assignment is likely to get lost in cyberspace.

1. All assignments should be saved and uploaded by the exact assignment name. For example, the first assignment -- the newspaper critique -- must be called J200AS1Nwppr-??? where the ??? are replaced by your three initials.
   
   Assignment #2 -- the magazine critique -- must be called J200AS2Mag-???
   
   
2. Save and upload your assignments as Rich Text Format (RTF) files. Any word processing program should have this option.
   
   
3. Always save multiple copies of your assignments for your own piece of mind. I accept no responsibility for your files. If, for example, your grade doesn't show up in the gradebook and I ask you to upload another copy, that should be an easy thing. So save the work to your personal hard drive, save it to your personal floppy disks, save it to online facilities such as Freedrive.com
   
   
4. The top left corner of the first page of your assignments should like like this:
   

   Yourlastname, Yourfirstname  J200.01 - SPG'00 J200AS1(or AS2)Nwppr-???

Your assignments (do NOT use an italic type style) and, of course, well-written and devoid of spelling and grammatical errors. Your assignments should clearly indicate the sources for all your work. I suggest simply learning how to use the footnote function of any word processor.

Here is the style you should use to format your assignments:

• Set both left and right margins at 1.5 inches 
• Use Times Roman (or similar) type at 12pt bold or New Courier at 10pt. bold (or similar) 
• The body text should be 1.25 inches from the top of the page; bottom margins should be 1.25 inches from the bottom. 
• Use a header to show the slug, author and page number. 
• Submit the file in a Word 98 or older version if possible. 
• Avoid fancy type or inserting graphics unless they are necessary to make you point.

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ASSIGNMENT #1: -- Newspaper Critique [Top]
SLUG: J200AS1Nwppr-??? 
DEADLINE: Tuesday, March 14, 11 a.m.

The purpose of these assignments is to expose you to some of the published components of those sectors of the media and to develop an understanding -- if not to say an appreciation -- of how they have changed in content, design and, perhaps, audience over the years.

In the SFSU library, you will find many complete, microfilm records -- and some bound volumes -- of newspapers and magazines going back as far as 100 and more years. Here is what I would like you to do:

1. Pick a publication (first a newspaper and, later, a magazine; you can use non-U.S. publications if you wish) for which our holdings extend back at least 75 years.

2. Select a date and issue from at least 75 years ago and, in the case of a newspaper, read at least one week's editions for that paper, noting such things as (NOTE: THE FOLLOWING ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS. FEEL FREE TO COME UP WITH YOUR OWN METHODS OR CRITERIA TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST.):

• Basic design components (How many columns wide? What did the type look like? Was it easy to read? Headlines -- type style, size); Artwork (Pictures? Maps? Illustrations?);
• Advertisements (What type of products are advertised? How are the ads designed and where are they placed in the publication?);
• Content (What kind of stories are printed and where do they appear in the publication? What do you suspect were the editorial -- "gatekeepers'" -- decisions influencing story selection and placement? What do you notice about the writing style compared to a later version of the same publication?);
• Who do you think was the audience for this publication? (You can make some judgments based on the type of articles, level of writing, cost of the publication, types of products advertised.);

4. Write a two- or three-page paper comparing and contrasting these two sets of editions. Be sure to draw some conclusions about changes or lack of them. That is, why or why not were the changes you spotted made? Also, don't hesitate to comment on your perceptions in changes in quality. (For the magazine critique, you only need select two single issues at least 40 years apart.)

Below are some -- only SOME -- of the newspapers and magazines in our library's collection. Feel free, however, to examine any publications you wish.

NEWSPAPERS

London Times (1900-date); San Francisco Chronicle (1865- date); Pittsburgh Courier (1923-date); miscellaneous newspapers from various Southwestern states (1850-1900); New York Times (1851-date).

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ASSIGNMENT #2: -- Magazine Critique [Top]
SLUG: J200AS2Mag-??? 
DEADLINE: Tuesday, March 28, 7 p.m.

See Assignment #1. The directions are the same, except you will be studying a magazine instead of a newspaper.

MAGAZINES

American Mercury (1925-1975); Architectural Record (1891- 1942); Atlantic Monthly (1857-date); Ebony (1945-date); Esquire (1947-date); Harper's Magazine (1850-date); New Yorker (1925-date); Newsweek (1923-date); Print (1940- date); Scientific American (?-date); Time (1923-date); Fortune; Life.

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