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Literature of Mass Communications is designed to examine important texts in mass communications in order to broaden students' familiarity with the literature of the field and to increase their knowledge and understanding of the field. The specific topic varies.
During the presidential election campaign in fall, 1996, the course examined works that deal with the role the mass media play in politics and, particularly, in political campaigns.
READINGAll students will read nine books during the semester. Of those, five will be required of everyone:
Crouse, Timothy. The Boys on the Bus: Riding With the Campaign Press Corps.
Diamond, Edwin and Stephen Bates. The Spot: The Rise of Political Advertising on Television.
Mickelson, Sig. From Whistle Stop to Sound Bite: Four Decades of Politics and Television.
Sabato, Larry J. Feeding Frenzy: How Attack Journalism Has Transformed American Politics.
Seib, Philip. Campaigns and Conscience: The Ethics of Political Journalism.
In addition, you are to read four books from the list provided with this syllabus. We will agree on the elective works so that no book is read by more than one person.
It is expected, also, that you will follow the presidential campaign closely by reading a variety of newspapers and periodicals and by watching television, including political advertising and news reports.
ASSIGNMENTSYou are to write a 500-word review of each of the five common books read in the course. Reviews are due on the days scheduled for discussion of the individual works (at the second session if a book will be discussed in two classes). Everyone must take part in class discussion. A portion of your grade will depend on my evaluation of your participation.
You will also write a critical essay-review of 1,500 to 2,000 words based on the four elective works.
Your review will serve as the basis for a presentation in class and a class discussion which you will lead. In effect, you will teach those books to your colleagues. You must prepare an outline to be distributed prior to your presentation.
You may modify your review following the class presentation in order to incorporate material that may come up in discussion or to deal with questions raised. The finished review should be turned in no later Dec. 11.
From time to time, if not in every class, we will discuss communication aspects of the 1996 presidential campaign. You should be prepared to take part in those discussions, also.
| ABOUT THE PHOTO: Dirck Halstead, TIME magazine's senior White House photographer, shooting at a Clinton rally during the 1996 campaign. Visit his web site, The Digital Journalist, to learn more about him and see his work and that of other photojournalists. |