Download NMED 3650 N // Modern Media, War and Propaganda COURSE

NMED 3650 N
// Modern Media, War and Propaganda
COURSE OUTLINE
Fall 2016, Thursdays: 6:00 – 8:50pm, Room: W561
Lecturer: Dr. David Clearwater, Office: W886
Office hours: Wed.: 1 - 3:30; Fri.: 2 - 4:30pm (or by appt.)
Email: c l e a d a (a) u l e t h . c a
Website: http://people.uleth.ca/~cleada/ [see QR code at right]
This course looks into the modern use of popular media and propaganda in times of war. Consideration is
given to early forms of modern mass communication and propaganda techniques, and how propaganda can
be considered both as media hegemony and an aspect of popular culture. The course will focus primarily on
the period between World War II and the Iraq War in the North American context (primarily the U.S. experience) and will focus on the use of a
variety of modern media forms (documentary film, advertising/marketing, dramatic film, television, news reporting, interactive entertainment and
media). The course will focus on propaganda and persuasion pertaining to war but will do so from a distinctly social and cultural perspective.
Consequently, it will consider the traditional concept of pro-war propaganda and persuasion but also the use of anti-war propaganda, which has
become increasingly prevalent since the Vietnam era. In addition, war and propaganda will be considered as a function of a modern state, including
the political and economic forces which operate within modern nation states (including democracies). As well, we will consider the specific nature
of the U.S.A. as the global superpower and the often unfortunate responsibilities that position brings with it. The course is historical in nature and
we will make use of past history to better understand the current global situation.
Content Advisory Warning: Due to the nature of this course, some course materials—especially those of a historical nature—may contain graphic
imagery and language, as well as derogatory racial and/or class references.
Pre-requisites: Third-year standing (a minimum of 60.0 credit hours).
Required Text/Readings/Course Materials:
1. NMED 3650 N Coursepack (available from UofL Bookstore)
2. Additional Readings, listed in the course outline, are available online or through the electronic databases available through the
University of Lethbridge Library website.
3. Additional research materials—including readings, documentaries, films, etc.—are listed in the lecture notes, which are made
available before each lecture.
Assignments & Grading:
Assignment 1: Defining Propaganda: From Traditional to Sociological
Assignment 2: The Military-Industrial Complex and its Effects
Critical Discussion Essay
Attendance/Participation
Sept. 26 - 30
Oct. 24 - 28
Dec. 5 - 9
n/a
20%
25%
40%
10%/5%
There is NO Final Exam.
I will be using the following letter grade/percentage equivalencies for all exams/assignments:
Excellent
Letter
A+
A
APercent 100-95 94-90 89-86
Good
Satisfactory
Poor
B+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
85-82 81-78 77-74 73-70 69-66 65-62 61-58 57-51
Fail
F
50-0
Students with learning disabilities should contact me in the first week of class if any special circumstances/needs are required.
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Fall 2016
// Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
NMED 3650 N
// Modern Media, War and Propaganda
LECTURE SCHEDULE: TOPICS & READINGS
Note: All readings are required. Supplemental readings are optional. All required readings listed, and which are not accompanied by
a web link, are available in the coursepack. Those readings that are accompanied by a web link are available online or through the
UofL Library’s electronic databases. When off-campus, you may need to sign-in (UofL username and password) to access the
databases.
Week 1 – Introduction to the Course (Sept. 8)
Week 2 – Propaganda Theory / War, Media, and the Question of Culture (Sept. 15)
Hallin, Daniel C. “The Media and War.” In International Media Research, eds. John Corner, Philip Schlesinger and Roger Silverston,
206 – 231. London and New York: Routledge, 1997.
Ellul, Jacques. “Categories of Propaganda.” In Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes, trans. Konrad Kellen and Jean Lerner,
61 - 87. New York, Knopf, 1965.
Jowett, Garth and Victoria O’Donnell. “What is Propaganda and How Does it Differ From Persuasion.” In Propaganda and
Persuasion, 2nd Edition, 1-35. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1992.
Supplemental:
Grimmett, Richard F. “Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2007.” Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade
Division, Washington DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. October 5, 2004 (updated January 14, 2008).
[http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl32170.pdf].
Schick, Suzanne C., and Jeanne Posner. “Propaganda Analysis: The Search for an Appropriate Model.” ETC: A Review of General
Semantics 42, no. 1 (Spring 1985 1985): 63-71. [http://0search.ebscohost.com.darius.uleth.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=15901030&site=ehost-live&scope=site]
Week 3 – War, Media and Culture / The Military Industrial Complex (Sept. 22)
Nelson, Keith L. “The ‘Warfare State’: History of a Concept.” The Pacific Historical Review, 40, no. 2 (May 1971): 127-143. [http://0www.jstor.org.darius.uleth.ca/stable/3638293?seq=1]
Hallin, Daniel C. and Todd Gitlin. “Agon and Ritual: The Gulf War as Popular Culture and as Television Drama.” Political
Communication 10, no. 4 (Fall 1993): 411-424. [http://0search.ebscohost.com.darius.uleth.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=16345529&site=ehost-live&scope=site]
Lenoir, Tim. “Fashioning the Military-Entertainment Complex.” Correspondence: An International Review of Culture and Society, 10
(Winter/Spring 2002-2003): 14-16.
Supplemental:
“Eisenhower's Farewell Address to the Nation, January 17, 1961.” [http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5407.htm]
Sept. 26 – 30: Assignment 1 Due
Week 4 – Total War: World War I and II (Sept. 29)
Carruthers, Susan L. “Media and ‘Total War’ [Excerpt].” In The Media at War: Communication and Conflict in the Twentieth Century,
54-57. New York : St. Martin's Press, 2000.
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Fall 2016
// Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
NMED 3650 N
// Modern Media, War and Propaganda
Koppes, Clayton R. and Gregory D. Black. “What to Show the World: The Office of War Information and Hollywood, 1942-1945.” The
Journal of American History, 64, No. 1 (June 1977): 87-105. [http://0-www.jstor.org.darius.uleth.ca/stable/1888275]
Week 5 – World War II: Film, Animation, and Mobilizing the Homefront (Oct. 6)
Shull, Michael S. and David E. Witt. “All Out for V: 1942.” In Doing Their Bit: Wartime American Animated Short Films, 1939-1945, 2nd
Edition, 40-54. Jefferson, N.C. and London: McFarlane & Company, Inc., Publishers; 2004.
Doherty, Thomas. “Properly Directed Hatred.” In Projections of War: Hollywood, American Culture, and World War II, revised
edition, 122-148. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
Women on the Warpath. Ford Motor Company, 1943. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNQ9q4zsmSA. A
Sponsored film produced by the Ford Motor Company which simultaneously documents the role of women in Ford’s industrial
factories while encouraging others to ‘answer the call’ to help with the war effort.
Rosie the Riveter: Real Women Workers in World War II. U.S. Library of Congress, 2003. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04VNBM1PqR8. Also see: https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/journey/rosie.html.
We're in the Army Now. U.S. War Department, 1943. Available at: https://archive.org/details/WereInTheArmyNow. A U.S. War
Department film about the Women's Army Auxiliary Corp that documents the creation and purpose of the WAACs and encourages
women of all ages to consider a career in the armed forces.
Week 6 – Fighting a Cold War: Winning the Hearts and Minds (Oct. 13)
Osgood, Kenneth. “The Power of Symbols: Psychological Strategy and the Space Race.” In Total Cold War: Eisenhower’s Secret
Propaganda Battle at Home and Abroad, 323-353. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2006.
Cold War: Episode 3, The Marshall Plan (1947-1952). Turner Broadcasting/BBC, 1998. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBRJ-VX6ZZ4.
Cold War: Episode 8, Sputnik (1949-1961). Turner Broadcasting/BBC, 1998. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loMwaSJ8TxU.
Week 7 – Limited War: The U.S. Experience of Vietnam (Oct. 20)
Carruthers, Susan L. “Media and ‘Limited War’ [Excerpt].” In The Media at War: Communication and Conflict in the Twentieth
Century, 108-120. New York : St. Martin's Press, 2000.
Prosch, Geoffrey G. and Mitchell M. Zais. “American Will and the Vietnam War.” Military Review 70, no. 3 (March 1990): 71-80.
Halin, Daniel C. “Images of the Vietnam and the Persian Gulf Wars in U.S. Television.” In Seeing Through the Media: The Persian Gulf
War, eds. Susan Jeffords and Lauren Rabinovitz, 45-57. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1994.
Wittebols, James H. “From Novel to Film to Television.” In Watching M*A*S*H, Watching America: A Social History of the 1972-1983
Television Series, 11-21. Jefferson, N.C. and London: McFarlane & Company, Inc., Publishers; 1998.
Oct. 24 – 28: Assignment 2 Due
Week 8 – The Persian Gulf War (Oct. 27)
Morgan, Michael, Justin Lewis and Sut Jhally. “More Viewing, Less Knowledge.” In Triumph of the Image: The Media’s War in the
Persian Gulf—A Global Perspective, eds. Hamid Mowlana, George Gerbner, and Herbert I. Schiller, 216-233. Boulder, San Francisco,
and Oxford: Westview Press, 1992.
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Fall 2016
// Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
NMED 3650 N
// Modern Media, War and Propaganda
Kellner, Douglas. “Bush Bombs Bagdad.” In The Persian Gulf TV War, 109-144. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1992.
Kellner, Douglas. “Out of Control [Excerpt].” In The Persian Gulf TV War, 145-163. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1992.
Supplemental:
Parker, Suzanne L. “Toward an Understanding of ‘Rally’ Effects.” Public Opinion Quarterly 59, no. 4 (Winter 1995): 526-546.
[http://0-search.ebscohost.com.darius.uleth.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=9603081964&site=ehost-live&scope=site]
Week 9 – The Iraq War / War on Terror (Nov. 3)
Fritz, Ben, Bryan Keefer and Brendan Nyhan. “Selling the War in Iraq.” In All the President’s Spin: George W. Bush, the Media, and the
Truth, 143-185. New York: Touchstone, 2004.
Rutherford, Paul. “The War Debate.” In Weapons of Mass Persuasion: Marketing the War Against Iraq, 22-49. Toronto: University
of Toronto Press, 2004.
Supplemental:
“Sack on Iraq,” Darryl Cagle’s Professional Cartoonists Index. [http://www.cagle.com/news/sackoniraq/]
Patrick, Brian A., and A. Trevor Thrall. "Beyond Hegemony: Classical Propaganda Theory and Presidential Communication Strategy
After the Invasion of Iraq." Mass Communication & Society 10, no. 1 (Winter 2007): 95-118. [http://0search.ebscohost.com.darius.uleth.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=25089010&site=ehost-live&scope=site]
Nov. 10: Class Cancelled
Week 10 – The Iraq War II: Selling, Framing, Embedding, Censoring, and Perception Management (Nov. 17)
“Some Critical Media Voices Face Censorship (Press Release).” Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. April 3, 2003.
[http://fair.org/press-release/some-critical-media-voices-face-censorship/]
De Leon, Celina R. “A Soldier Speaks: Zechariah.” AlterNet. August 4, 2005.
[http://www.alternet.org/story/23882/a_soldier_speaks:_zechariah/]
Press, Joy. “The Axers of Evil.” The Village Voice. March 5-11, 2003. [http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-03-04/art/the-axers-ofevil/]
Miracle, Tammy L. “The Army and Embedded Media.” Military Review, 83, no. 5 (September-October, 2003):41-45. Available from:
[http://www.iwar.org.uk/psyops/resources/embedded-media/miracle.pdf].
Hockenberry, John. “The Blogs of War.” Wired, 13, no. 8 (August, 2005).
[http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/13.08/milblogs.html]
Week 11 – The Iraq War III: Hollywood Film (Nov. 24)
Young, Marilyn B. “In the Combat Zone.” Radical History Review, 85 (Winter 2003): 253-264.
[http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/radical_history_review/v085/85.1young.html]
Supplemental:
Doherty, Tom. “The New War Movies as Moral Rearmament: Black Hawk Down & We Were Soldiers.” Cineaste, 27, no. 3 (Summer
2002): 4-8. [http://0-search.ebscohost.com.darius.uleth.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=7035588&site=ehostlive&scope=site]
Wetta, Frank J. and Martin A. Novelli. “’Now a Major Motion Picture’: War Films and Hollywood’s New Patriotism.” Journal of
Military History, 67, no. 3 (July 2003): 861-882. [http://0-www.jstor.org.darius.uleth.ca/stable/3397330]
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Fall 2016
// Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
NMED 3650 N
// Modern Media, War and Propaganda
Week 12 – The Iraq War IV: War Games and Videogames (Dec. 1)
der Derian, James. “War Games: The Pentagon Wants What Hollywood’s Got.” Nation, 270, no. 13 (April 3, 2000): 41-44. [http://0search.ebscohost.com.darius.uleth.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=2934505&site=ehost-live&scope=site]
Wardynski, Casey. “Informing Popular Culture: The America’s Army Game Concept.” In America’s Army PC Game: Vision and
Realization, ed. Margaret Davis, 6-7. U.S. Army, MOVES Institute, Yerba Buena Art Center; 2004.
[http://www.movesinstitute.org/~zyda/pubs/YerbaBuenaAABooklet2004.pdf]
Au, Wagner James. “America’s Arming: Digital Memories, Real Bullets.” In America’s Army PC Game: Vision and Realization, ed.
Margaret Davis, 30-35. U.S. Army, MOVES Institute, Yerba Buena Art Center; 2004.
[http://www.movesinstitute.org/~zyda/pubs/YerbaBuenaAABooklet2004.pdf]
Supplemental:
If you are unfamiliar with war-related videogames, specifically military-themed shooters, check out my YouTube Channel: MTS
Genre at http://www.youtube.com/user/MTSGenre.
Dec. 5 – 9: Critical Disucsssion Essay Due…
Dec. 10 – 19: Final Exam Period (NO FINAL EXAM IN THIS COURSE)
Good luck with exams, have a great Xmas!
Bush-Cheney Protecting America Button, 2004
A pinback button advocating for the re-election of George W. Bush for U.S. President and Dick
Cheney for U.S. Vice President. Sticker on back reads "www.republicanstuff.com," 7.5 cm
diameter.
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Fall 2016
// Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
NMED 3650 N
// Modern Media, War and Propaganda
EXAMS / ASSIGNMENTS
Note: A detailed description of the assignments will be made available via the class listserv and Moodle during the first
week of classes.
Assignment 1: Defining Propaganda: From Traditional to Sociological Propaganda
20%
Sept. 26 - 30
The first assignment is concerned with how we conceive of propaganda. For the essay, you are asked to define and discuss the two
broad approaches to propaganda covered in class (Jowett and O’Donnell, Ellul), how these approaches differ, and how they may be
combined.
Assignment 2: The Military-Industrial Complex and its Effects
25%
Oct. 24 - 28
The second assignment is concerned with the potential effects of the military-industrial complex (MIC). For the essay, you are asked
to define the military-industrial complex and discuss how it has been approached in the past (including those ‘uses’ of the phrase
which verge on conspiracy theory). The MIC is often discussed for its perceived negative effects, but it is also a terribly ‘productive’
force in our lives in terms of its effects on the economy, education, technology, etc. Finally, discuss the MIC and how we might think
of it in terms of the approaches to propaganda (Jowett and O’Donnell, Ellul) covered in class.
Critical Discussion Essay:
40%
Dec. 5 - 9
The Critical Discussion Essay is the culmination of the course. You are to select one of the available topics and write an eight-to-ten
page critical discussion essay (4000-5000 words). You should choose a topic early in the term so that you can begin to collect
relevant information, concepts, and issues from the required readings and lectures. This assignment does not require additional
research. Instead, you should make use of resources listed in the course outline (required and supplemental readings).
Attendance/Class Participation:
10% / 5%
n/a
An attendance sheet will circulate at the beginning of each class. In a nutshell: If you are present during class, you will be marked
as being present on the attendance sheet… if you are absent (for whatever reason), you are marked as being absent. At the end of
the term, you will receive a grade based on your attendance record (10%), mature and considerate conduct in class, general
engagement with the course, etc. (5%) Four (4) or more absences (with or without valid reason) will result in a grade of ‘F’ for
Attendance/Participation. (If a medical condition persists for an extended period of time or if other extraordinary circumstances
develop, then you should discuss this with me and with the Fine Arts Advising Office.)
Anti-Vietnam War Peace Slogan Button,
ca. 1970
A pinback button from the late-sixties/earlyseventies featuring an abbreviated form of a
popular street protest slogan that went something
like "One-two-three-four! We don't want your
f***ing war!" 7.5 cm diameter.
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Fall 2016
// Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge