SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 375-4

E1 & E2

 

Bob Mercer                                                                                                                                                                                                        Spring 2007

Email: bmercer@sfu.ca                                                                                                          SFU Vancouver Evening

Office: HC2150

 

Magazine Publishing

 

 

Prerequisite: 60 credit hours

 

 

Overview:

CMNS 375 examines the magazine in the contexts of audience, markets, and society. Practically, the course addresses the basic concepts that govern magazine publishing:

¥        Editorial: writing, editing, design, and production;

¥        Business: planning and administration, marketing, advertising, and circulation.

 

Course content includes lectures, readings, tutorial labs, and guest lectures and a panel discussion. Course requirements consist of individual written and practical assignments, two in-class tests, and a major group project with presentation. Students are responsible for all material presented.

 

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.

 

This is not a course in desktop publishing (DTP). The course offers one optional tutorial session of introduction to DTP.

 

 

Required Textbooks:

SFU Bookstore custom courseware is based on two very similar editions also available used: Johnson, Sammye and Patricia Prijatel, The Magazine From Cover to Cover: Inside a Dynamic Industry, or Johnson, Sammye and Patricia Prijatel, Magazine Publishing, both from NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Lincolnwood, Illinois, USA.

 

Note: Additional readings may be required.

 

 

 

-over-

 

 

 

 

Grading:

1. ResumŽ and Cover Letter (individual)                                                                                                                 5%

2. Tutorial Presentation (pairs, in tutorial)                                                                                                             5%

3. EditorÕs Letter OR Magazine Analysis (individual)                                                                     10%

4. Presentation Preview (group, in tutorial)                                                                                                      *10%

5. Midterm Test (individual, in-class)                                                                                                                                                 15%

6. Business Plan (group written assignment)                                                                                                  *25%

7. Final Presentation (group, in-class)                                                                                                                       *15%

8. End-of-Term Test (individual, in-class)                                                                                                         15%

 

* Note on Grading:

As a general rule all students within a project group receive the same mark for work done as a group, i.e.: item Nos. 4, 6 and 7. However, in cases in which instructors/TA determines that a student willingly or otherwise has failed to contribute adequately to the groupÕs agreed-upon objectives, all or part of that studentÕs group marks may be withheld. Failure to contribute may take the expected forms of missing deadlines, contributing inadequate research and writing, etc. Just as importantly, failure to contribute can take the form of uncooperative, arbitrary or domineering behaviour. In sum, not only slackers but also control freaks may be subject to this penalty.

 

Note: There are two in-class tests in this course, at midterm and end-of-term. There is no final exam.

 

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 ÒIntellectual HonestyÓ and ÒAcademic DisciplineÓ.  (See the current Calendar, General Regulations Section).