SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 375-4

Bob Mercer	Spring 2003
Office: TBA; c/o 291-5212	Harbour Centre Evening
Email: b.mercer@telus.net

MAGAZINE PUBLISHING

Prerequisite:

60 credit hours.

Course Overview:

CMNS 375 examines the magazine in the contexts of audience, markets, and society. Practically, the course addresses the basic concepts that govern the business of magazine publishing – Editorial: Writing, editing, design, and production; Business: Planning and administration, marketing, advertising, and circulation.

As well, CMNS 375 provides an introduction to desktop publishing using Quark XPress for the Macintosh.

Course content includes lecture, readings, tutorials/labs, and guest lectures and panels. Course requirements consist of individual written and practical assignments, two in-class tests, and a major group project with presentation. The course is organized in a sequence of interdependent deadlines – in the manner of real magazine production – so no late assignments can or will be accepted. Students are responsible for all material presented.

Note:

There is a tutorial in Week 1 in the Lab (HC2960) – essential for students unfamiliar with desktop publishing and Quark XPress.

Required Texts:

Johnston, Sammye and Prijatel, Patricia – Magazine Publishing. NTC/Contemporary Publishing
Group (College Division), Lincolnwood, Illinois, 2000 ISBN: 0-8442-3356-0.

Additional readings may be required from time to time during the course.

Evaluation:

Resume and cover letter 5%
Editor’s letter or page design 10%
Tutorial presentation 5%
Midterm test (in class) 15%
Business plan (group project) 30%
Final presentation (group project) 20%
Group project participation 5%
End-of-term test (in class) 10%

Note: There is no final exam in this course.

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 follow Policy T10.02 with respect to “Intellectual Honesty” and “Academic Discipline” (see the current Calendar, General Regulations section).