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101. The Mass Media.
(4). (SS).
This course is designed to provide an introductory overview of
contemporary mass media systems and an examination of the various
factors – historical, economic, political, and cultural – that
have shaped their development. The course begins with a description
of present print and electronic media and examines their evolution.
Attention is given throughout to the legal and ethical implications
of mass communication systems and to comparisons between American
media systems and those elsewhere in the world. Finally, it considers the probable future course of the media and examines possible
alternatives. Cost:2
WL:1
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102. Media Processes
and Effects. (4). (SS).
This course introduces students to the contemporary research on
mass communication processes and effects. Basic processes involved
in the production, dissemination, reception, and impact of media
messages are examined. The course investigates a variety of effects
on individuals' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as
influences on the functioning of larger social systems. It proceeds
in general from investigations of individual-level to societal-level
impact. Critical reading and evaluation of research on media processes
and effects, and of its application to social policy debates, is encouraged and developed. Cost:2
WL:1
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111. Workshop on Managing the Information Environment. (1). (Excl).
Hands-on workshop intended to develop student mastery of the rapidly
developing and expanding electronic information environment. Skills
developed include the use of electronic communication systems, data base searching, word processing, data management, and various
research uses of public computer networks and the information
superhighway. The course introduces students to a range of campus
computing resources, including local area networks and available
software, and remote access to the Internet and the World Wide
Web. Problem-solving assignments are designed to teach strategies
used in finding information and evaluating its validity and utility.
Cost:2 WL:1
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211(206). Evaluating
Information. Comm. Studies 111. (4). (SS). (QR/1).
This course teaches the fundamental thinking skills necessary
for critical evaluation of research-based arguments, especially those based on quantitative information. Such skills are required
for one to be a competent mass communicator of information, a
critical consumer of information relayed by the mass media, or
an intelligent scholar of media processes and effects. The course
introduces generic logical and statistical concepts through analysis
and discussion of specific cases drawn from research reported
in the mass media (e.g., health and business news, public
opinion polls), research on the media, (e.g., the impact
of media violence), and research for the media (e.g.,
audience research). Students' logical and quantitative reasoning
skills are improved through a variety of "hands-on"
exercises and projects (many involving computerized spreadsheet
programs). The course is introductory in nature, and no prior
statistical expertise is required. Cost:2
WL:1 (Traugott)
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321(450). Undergraduate
Internship. Junior standing, concentration in communication
studies, and permission of instructor. Internship credit is not
retroactive and must be prearranged. No more than six credits
combined of Comm. Studies 321 and 322 may be elected. (1-3). (Excl).
Offered mandatory credit/no credit. May not be used to satisfy
communication studies electives in a communication studies concentration
plan. (EXPERIENTIAL). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
Communication Studies concentrators who have reached junior standing
may receive some amount of experiential course credit for an internship.
Student assessment will be based on the academic merit of the
work and evaluation of the final paper. Cost:1
WL:3
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322. Practicum. Permission
of department. Practicum credit is not retroactive and must be
prearranged. No more than six credits combined of Comm. Studies
321 and 322 may be elected. (1-3). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no
credit. May not be used to satisfy communication studies electives
in a communication studies concentration plan. (EXPERIENTIAL).
May be repeated for a total of six credits.
The practicum is designed to provided Communication Studies concentrators
limited credit for appropriate practical experience gained in
other than an employment setting. Student evaluation is based
on satisfactory completion of an analytical evaluation (e.g.,
research-based paper) of the experience, under direction of the
practicum supervisor. Registration is permitted only with approved
faculty supervision. Cost:1
WL:3
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351. Structure and Function
of Media Systems. Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly
recommended. (4). (SS).
This course examines research and scholarship focused on existing
media institutions, their genesis and current lines of development, institutional arrangements, organization and operation, economic
structure, and characteristic communications "output."
Course topics may include: the history of media systems; media
and government, including legal, regulatory, and free-expression
issues; media economics; international media systems; technologies;
media organizational routines; and the values and behavior of
media professionals. The course investigates the ways in which
institutional, economic, and organizational arrangements affect
professional behavior and media content, with attention to media
system changes over time and in comparative contexts. Cost:2
WL:1
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361. Processes of Mediated
Communication. Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly
recommended. (4). (SS).
This course examines general phenomena involved with the creation, dissemination, and reception of mediated information. Course topics
may include: information processing, including message encoding
and decoding; media priming and framing of evaluations and decisions;
influences of message structure and communication modalities on
processing; media use and reception, including interpretive processes;
information flow and control, focusing on influences of communication
networks, message diffusion, and information gatekeeping; and communicative processes of learning, persuasion, and social influence.
The emphasis is on the development and testing of general theories
explaining how mediated communication works, even though research
examined will center on particular cases (e.g., studies
of priming in political communication). Cost:2
WL:1
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371. Media, Culture, and Society. Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly recommended.
(4). (SS).
This course explores social and cultural approaches to the study
of mass communication. Course topics studied may include: communication
and social identity, including race, ethnicity, and gender; media's
role in defining and reflecting culture; the equity of community, state, and worldwide information systems, including debates over the "new world communication order," postcolonialism, and globalization; media audiences as interpretive communities;
media and social movements; and the role of media in altering
and maintaining political and social order. Research on mass communication
is examined in connection with broader questions about the relations
between cultural systems and social formations, and about the
dynamics of social and cultural change and contestation. Cost:2
WL:1
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381. Media Impact on
Knowledge, Values, and Behavior. Comm. Studies 101
or 102 strongly recommended. (4). (SS).
This course critically evaluates research and scholarship on the
impact of mass communication, especially television, in a variety
of substantive domains. Media impact is treated both in theoretical
and applied terms. The research examined spans levels of analysis, including effects on individuals as well as society at large.
Topics to be covered include media impact on: social values, educational
development, political behavior, violence and aggressive behavior, consumer behavior, health, emotion and mood, and children. Research
on the use of mass communication in public information campaigns
is also reviewed, as is the role of media research in providing
guidance for social policy makers and media professionals. Cost:2 WL:1
(Harrison)
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439. Seminar in Journalistic
Performance. (1-4). (Excl). May be repeated for a
total of eight credits.
This course evaluates media coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court, in the context of long-range factors affecting the ability of
news media to function in a democracy. This seminar will examine the scope and content of print, broadcast, and new-media news
reporting on major cases before the court. How accurately, fairly, and adequately do news organizations cover the cases as they proceed through the legal system? Does the media help the American public
gain a sufficiently thorough understanding of the complex legal
issues and social impact of each case? In addition to gaining
a broad overview of media coverage of current and recent cases, each student will select one case from the current or past court
term and study media coverage of it in detail. Cost:2
WL:1 (Collings)
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441. Independent Reading.
Permission of department. (1-8). (Excl). No more than four credits may be included in a Communication concentration.
(INDEPENDENT). Comm. 441 and 442 may be repeated for a combined
total of eight credits.
Intended for individualized instruction in subject areas not covered
by scheduled courses. Must be arranged with the faculty member.
Cost:2 WL:1
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442. Independent Research.
Permission of department. (1-8). (Excl). No more than four credits may be included in a Communication concentration.
(INDEPENDENT). Comm. Studies 441 and 442 may be repeated for a
combined total of eight credits.
Intended for original, individualized student research under the
direction of a faculty supervisor. Must be arranged with the faculty
member. Cost:2
WL:1
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452. Media Law and Policy.
Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3).
(Excl).
This course covers the basic principles of media law and its applications
in connection with media practice and regulation. Topics covered
include First Amendment theory, hate speech, prior restraints, libel, indecency, obscenity and pornography, media censorship, rights to privacy, freedom of information and public rights of
access, advertising and consumer regulation, and electronic media
regulation. Cost:2
WL:1
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453(400). The Media in
American History. Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly
recommended. (3). (SS).
This course places the development of American mass media in historical
perspective. It surveys the evolution of the mass media from colonial
times to the present, focusing on the development of contemporary
forms: the newspaper, magazine, broadcasting, and motion picture.
Changes in the structure of the media are examined in connection
with historical and economic trends in American society. While there are no specific prerequisites, a general grounding in American
history is recommended. Cost:2
WL:1
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459. Seminar in Media
Systems. Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended.
(3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
This course investigates coverage of foreign news as a reflection
of the structure and function of media systems. What factors influence
media decisions on covering events overseas? What criteria do the media use for deciding which events to report and at what
length, and how valid are these criteria? What value systems do they reflect? How successfully do the media make foreign news
relevant to American readers, listeners, and viewers? What special
problems do foreign correspondents face? Cost:2
WL:1 (Collings)
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462. Social Influence
and Persuasion. Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly
recommended. Students who have taken Communication 310 in a previous
term should not enroll in this course. (4). (Excl).
This course examines the capability of the mass media to persuade, and the basic processes involved. Both cognitive and social-psychological theories of influence are examined in detail, and in connection
with a variety of persuasive phenomena, including advertising, media campaigns, and propaganda. Conditions that facilitate or
impede the persuasive influence of media messages are investigated, as are the ethical implications of employing the mass media to
influence audiences. Cost:2
WL:1 (Allen)
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464. Communication Processes
and Technologies. Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly
recommended. (3). (Excl).
A survey of the present state and future applications of interactive
communication technologies, cable and satellite delivery systems, worldwide computing networks, and other new electronic media.
The course examines the impact of these technological developments
on basic mass communication processes, against the backdrop of
research on the interplay of technology, society, and behavior.
Topics include the impact of communication modalities on cognitive
processing of messages, spatial and cultural "biases"
of different media technologies, and the manner in which communication
technologies are adapted and implemented for commercial purposes.
Cost:2 WL:1
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469. Seminar in Mass
Communication Processes. Comm. Studies 361 or 381
strongly recommended. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total
of six credits.
Section 001 – Political Socialization and Attitude Change.
This course focuses on the role of various types of communication
in the development of political attitudes and behavior throughout the life-span. Processes of political attitude change will also
receive attention. Special emphasis will be placed on the mass
media, but other agents of socialization, including family, friendship
networks, and social groupings will also be explored. Readings
will be drawn from a range of disciplines, including social psychology, communication theory, political behavior, and public opinion research.
Cost:2 WL:1
(Valentino)
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473. Cross-Cultural Communication.
Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3).
(Excl).
Examines some of the major issues concerning the nature of cross-cultural
communication: the flow of information across national boundaries, the unequal distribution and access to information world-wide, the varying points of viewing concerning the New World Information
Order, the worldwide consequences of the Information Age (post-industrial
society), the new paradigms that are being developed to explain
and predict the development of media in underdeveloped societies
and propaganda analysis. A major concern of this course is to
understand how communication and the media, especially, operate
in an international context and to evaluate some of the arguments
and notions concerning their future global operations, with particular
reference to the developing world. Cost:2
WL:1 (Allen)
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474. Mass Communication
and Identity. Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended.
(3). (Excl).
This course explores the role of mass communication in shaping
personal and social identity. Special attention is given to the
ways in which the mass media can create, sustain, or alter ethnic
culture and subcultures. Topics include the ethnic media in contemporary
America, including the role of the media in immigrant communities, and the complex interplay of "mainstream" and minority
cultural life. Cost:2
WL:1
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481. Media and Violence.
Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (4).
(Excl).
This course examines the theoretical and empirical connections
between violence in society and portrayals of violence in the
mass media. The course explores the reasons for the prevalence
of violent themes in television, film, and other popular media, and investigates the psychological and social mechanisms through
which media portrayals might influence attitudes and behavior.
Because one cannot fully understand the relation between violence
and violence in society without first understanding the causes
of aggressive and violent behavior, we will begin by examining the nature of aggressive and violent behavior and how it develops.
In Part 2, we will discuss the role of the media as socializing
agents in general. In Part 3, we will delve into the research
and theory on the link between media violence and aggression.
Finally, in Part 4 we will discuss societal and psychological
approaches to controlling violence and the effects of media violence
as well as issues of media policy. Cost:2:
WL:1 (Huesmann)
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482. Children and the
Media. Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended.
(3). (Excl).
This course examines the influences of the mass media on children
in American society. The course is designed to explore in-depth the literature on media effects, emphasizing the interaction of
mass media, psychological development, and social behavior. The
focus is interdisciplinary. Course readings examine both methodological
and theoretical issues, drawing from work in communication, psychology, human development, and public policy. Cost:2
WL:1 (Harrison)
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484(420)/Poli. Sci. 420.
Mass Media and Political Behavior. Comm. Studies
361 or 381 strongly recommended. (4). (Excl).
This course focuses on the role and importance of mass media in the political process. The interaction between the press, politicians, and the public during political campaigns receives detailed attention.
Topics include: how news is made; campaign strategies; political
advertising effects; relations between Congress, the President, and the media; and the role of mass media in political campaigns.
These topics are examined through a systematic review of research
in both mass communication and political science. Cost:2
WL:1 (Valentino)
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485(463)/Soc. 463. Mass
Communication and Public Opinion. Comm. Studies 361
or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (SS).
This course explores enduring research questions concerning mass
communication and public opinion. Important normative and conceptual
issues (e.g., the role of the press in a democratic society; the susceptibility of citizens to media influence; the differentiation
of mass, crowd, and public; the relationship of attitudes to opinions)
are first identified and examined by reviewing writings in social
philosophy and social science. These issues are then investigated
further through a review of relevant research in sociology, political
science, social psychology, and mass communication. Emphasis is
given to recent research dealing with the impact of the media
on public opinion. Cost:2
WL:1
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489. Seminar in Media
Effects. Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended.
(3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
This course investigates advanced topics relating to research
on the effects of mass communication. Topics vary by section.
Cost:2 WL:1
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491(590). Senior Honors
Seminar, I. Comm. Studies 311 and admission to Honors.
(3). (Excl). No more than 3 credits of Comm. Studies 491-492 may
be included in a Communication concentration plan.
This is the first in a two-part Honors seminar sequence of seminars that Honors concentrators in Communication Studies must take during their senior year while writing a senior thesis. During this first
seminar, offered only in the Fall, students develop thesis topics, decide on a choice of methods, and write a prospectus. To be eligible
for enrollment students must be accepted as Honors concentrators
during the second term of their junior year. Admission as an Honors
concentrator requires a cumulative GPA of 3.3, and at least a
3.5 in departmental course work, and a passing grade of B or higher
in Communication Studies 311. Qualified applicants should meet
with the Honors advisor during the second term of their junior
year to be evaluated for admission. Cost:2
WL:1 (Huesmann)
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