Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - CMNS 316 D100

Topics in Popular Cultures and Public Communication (4)

Documentary Media

Class Number: 5619

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    17 CMNS units with a minimum grade of C- or 45 units with a minimum CGPA of 2.00.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Topics on public and popular cultures with a focus on social, political, and cultural dynamics. Explores audiences, publics, and institutions at a global, national, and/or local level. Topics vary and may address themes like: news, music, public media, advertising, sports, childhood, youth cultures, art, and everyday life. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topics are different (up to a maximum of three times).

COURSE DETAILS:

On various platforms and in a range of styles, documentaries have become an essential element of our entertainment and information diets. But how can we assess the truth-value and meaning of the documentaries we watch? How do they signal their authenticity and how do they achieve authority?

In this course, you will be introduced to elements of the history and theory of documentary media so as to better answer such questions. We will explore documentary as a multifaceted mode or genre, which has shifted considerably over time. In order to learn more, we will cover topics such as ethics and questions of form, platform and distribution. By the end of the course, you will have developed new resources for analyzing the challenges of the form encountered by documentary filmmakers, participants, and viewers and will have considered the complex issues involved in the representation and interpretation of the real world.

Assigned readings, video screenings and lectures are complementary aspects of the course. You will get the most out of the course if you do the readings and watch the films each week in advance of the lecture and come prepared to participate.

Grading

  • In-class mid-term (October 8) 15%
  • Formal film analysis paper, approximately 1500 words (due October 27) 20%
  • In-person oral examination of mid-term and paper (by appointment, November 5-12) 10%
  • Attendance and participation (includes completion of weekly response sheets and bi-weekly in-class writing prompts) 20%
  • Attendance and analysis of a public documentary screening (approx. 3-4 pages) (due November 17) 10%
  • Final exam (during exam period) 25%

NOTES:

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relationship to established university-wide practices. In addition, the School will follow Policy S10.01 (September 2026) with respect to Academic Integrity including use of AI, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 with regard to Student Discipline. For further information visit: https://www.sfu.ca/about/leadership-governance-strategy/policies/gazette/s10-01.html

REQUIREMENTS:

Assignments subject to change.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Jacob Bricca, How Documentaries Work. Oxford University Press, 2023.

All other readings available through the course Canvas.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.