SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 230-3

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION MEDIA

Prerequisite:

CMNS 130.

Course Description:

The mass media in all their forms play an important role in peoples’ and communities’ communication ecologies. This course provides the student with a comprehensive survey of the questions, issues and concerns that arise out of the character of the mass media and “its” roles in contemporary and possible social life. Organized around the evolution of critical and practical explanations for the roles played by mass media in people’s psychological, social and cultural lives, the course maps the institutional, social, political, economic and cultural dynamics and contexts of mass media as a means of inquiring about their effects. With a specific focus on the Canadian setting, the course explores social and policy issues relating to the nature of the relationship between the mass media and audiences, the political economy and cultures of the communication industries, media convergence and disruptive technologies, concentration of ownership, regulation and policy, and the implications to the mass media of emergent hybrid media forms and practices.

Assignments & Exams:

1. Critical Review 30%
Using resources from the course as well as independent research, students will provide a survey of current issues in the area of mass media and/or communication studies. Exercise emphasizes ability to condense and effectively report on a specific medium in its larger contexts. (2,500 words/10 pages approximately).
2. In-Class Midterm 30%
Two hour open-book in-class midterm exam – short answer as well as essay-type questions. Emphasizes command of course literature and ability to organize information and interpret it under time constraints.
3. Tutorial 20%
Students will give a 5 to 10 minute presentation on the status of their critical review projects. Presentations will include an oral presentation and be supported by documentation including annotated bibliographies and date URLs.
4. Cumulative Final Assignment 20%

Final assignment is summative of the course. The assignment will emphasize critical thinking, synthesis of ideas, integration of course content, and effective organization and expression. Bibliography and appropriate form required. (1,250 words/5 pages approximately).

Required Texts:

Reading averages 75 pages a week.
Paul Attallah & Leslie Regan Shade, (eds) Mediascapes: New Patterns in Canadian Communication. ISBN 0-17-604203-2.
Stanley J. Baran & Dennis K. Davis, Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment, and Future. ISBN 0-534-56088-1.
Erik P. Bucy, Living in the Information Age: A New Media Reader. ISBN 0-534-59049-7.

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will also follow Policy T10.02 with respect to “Intellectual Honesty” and “Academic Discipline” (see the current calendar, General Regulations Section).