Download CS206 Public Communication - Wilfrid Laurier University

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Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, ON
Department of Communication Studies
CS206B - PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
Winter 2012
Tues/Thurs: 5:30-7:20 Room 3-106
Course Instructor: Dr. Patricia Molloy
Office Hours: Mon. 2:30-4:00 Tues 4:30-5:30 Room 3-147
[email protected]
Course Description:
This course examines how organizations, institutions and social movements wield
considerable power in producing, distributing, and sometimes silencing, particular
knowledges and messages through communications media. We will examine theoretical
and conceptual issues of democracy and public participation, propaganda and
communication, through an analysis of news media and journalistic practice; the public
relations and/or advertising campaigns of governments, political parties, corporations,
and social movements; the role of think tanks and public intellectuals in influencing
public opinion; the decline of traditional news formats and rise of infotainment; and the
use of alternative media and social media in challenging official (state, corporate)
productions of knowledge and constituting new possibilities for public engagement and
democratic participation.
Course Text: There is no textbook for this course. A coursepack of required readings is
available in the bookstore and a copy is available on reserve.
Course Requirements:
Reading Responses: 20% (10x2).
Beginning in week two, students are required to hand in a one-page analysis of ONE of
the week’s readings – for a total of eleven reading responses worth 2% each (with the
lowest mark being disregarded). The assignment is to provide a summary of the article’s
main arguments and conclusions as well as your own thoughts on the effectiveness of the
argument and the issues the article raises for you. The response is due at the beginning of
the first class of the week (i.e., Tuesdays). Late responses will not be accepted. Each
reading response must also pose a question that you would like to see debated in the next
class. Note: Short newspaper and magazine articles, marked with an asterisk, are
excluded from this assignment though they may inspire a topic for debate.
Debating Club: 10% (Group debate 5% - Individual Report 5%)
Group Debate: The second class of each week will take the form of a student-led debate.
The class will begin with students voting on a short-list of questions that I will provide
based on the questions provided in the reading responses. For example, “can we consider
Don Cherry to be a public intellectual?” could be the question posed in Week 7. The class
will then be divided into groups of five students with each group assessing, for around 30
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minutes, both the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ sides of the winning question. Five individual students
from different groups will then volunteer (or be volunteered!) to lead the formal debate.
Two students will present the ‘yes’ side, two will present the ‘no’ side, and one student
will serve as moderator - keeping the debaters on task and then summarizing the main
points made by each side (i.e., for why Don Cherry is or isn’t a public intellectual).
Following the formal presentation, the debate will be opened up to the floor (the class)
for discussion. At the end of the class, students (excluding the debaters) will vote on
which side won the debate. Note: This exercise can only work if students have done the
readings. Please come to every class prepared to engage in a rigorous and informed
debate of course materials and issues! There will be a total of 10 debates with each
student participating in one debate.
Individual Report: Each participant (debaters plus moderator) must complete a two to
three page doubled-spaced report of the debate which assesses a) the working process of
their group’s preparation for the debate, b) the substance of the debate itself (ie, the main
arguments presented by both sides), and c) what they got out of the exercise. The report is
due in class one week after the debate.
Attendance and Participation: 15%
Students are expected to come to each and every class prepared to discuss the readings
and contribute to class discussion.
Midterm Exam: 25%
A midterm exam will be held in class in week 6. The exam will be in multiple-choice
format with questions drawn from lectures and course readings (and videos – tba) from
the first six weeks.
Research Essay: 30%
Each student must complete a research essay of six to eight double-spaced pages. A list
of topics will be distributed at a later date.
Ground Rules:
Turnitin: The essay assignment must be submitted to turnitin.com or they may not be graded.
Password: public
Course ID: 4619114
Email:
Please allow a 48-hour turnaround for an email response. Any email correspondence must
have CS206B in the subject headline. Use your Laurier email account ONLY. No messages
from hotmail or gmail accounts will be opened. Do not send any assignments by attachment –
they will be automatically deleted. Email me only at [email protected] (ie, not at
mylearningspace). Keep your message brief and to the point. If you have a question about
course content or ideas for an essay etc that can’t be answered in one sentence, request a
meeting during my office hours. Assignment marks and final grades will not be relayed by
email.
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Missed Classes:
If you miss a class it is your responsibility to obtain notes from a classmate (do not email me
asking if you missed ‘anything important’.)
Assignments:
All written assignments must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font and double spaced.
Do not submit your assignment in any sort of folder or binder. Assignments must be stapled;
not fastened with a paper clip, bobby pin, or clothespin (yes, this has happened). Ensure that
your assignment is numbered on every page, preferably in the correct order. Assignments
lacking pagination will be returned and consequently subject to late penalties.
Videos:
Videos screened in class are the equivalent of required readings: pay attention, take notes, and
do not chatter through them.
Electronic Gadgetry:
Laptops are to be used ONLY for taking notes. Cell phone use is not permitted during class.
This includes text messaging. Please ensure that your cell phone is turned off, not on vibrate,
but OFF.
Course Outline:
Week 1 (Jan. 3/5): Introduction to Course: Defining Public Communication.
Michael Warner, “Publics and Counterpublics (abbreviated version,” Quarterly Journal
of Speech Vol. 88 No. 4 (November 2002), pp. 413-425.
Marc Raboy and Peter Bruck, “The Challenge of Democratic Communication,” in Raboy
and Bruck (eds), Communication for and Against Democracy. (Montreal: Black Rose
Press, 1989).
Recommended: Henry A. Giroux, “The Crisis of Public Values in the Age of the New
Media,” Critical Studies in Media Communication Vol. 28, No 1, March 2011, pp. 8-29.
Week 2 (Jan. 10/12): Theorizing Journalism and News Discourse.
Stuart Allan, “Making News: Truth, Ideology and Newswork,” in Stuart Allan. News
Culture (Berkshire, Open University Press: 2004), pp. 46-76.
Stuart Allan, “Racial Diversity in the News,” in Allan. News Culture, 3rd Edition,
(Berkshire, Open University Press: 2004), pp. 171-194.
Debating Club Begins.
Week 3 (Jan. 17/19): Mass Media and Propaganda.
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Donald Gutstein, “The Propaganda Century,” in Gutstein. Not a Conspiracy Theory: How
Business Hijacks Democracy (Toronto: Key Porter Books, 2009), pp. 55-85.
Valerie Scatamburlo-D’Annibale, “ In ‘Sync’: Bush’s War Propaganda Machine and the
American Mainstream Media,” in Jeffrey Klaehn, ed. Filtering the News: Essays on
Herman and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model (Montreal: Blackrose Press, 2005), pp. 2162.
Week 4 (Jan. 24/26): Framing Social Movements and Trade Unions.
Anthony DiMaggio, “There Are No Protestors Here: Media Marginalization and the
Antiwar Movement,” in DiMaggio. When Media Goes to War. pp. 57-80.
Deepa Kumar, “Mass Media, Class, and Democracy: The Struggle over Newspaper
Representation of the UPS Strike,” Critical Studies in Communication Vol. 18, No. 3
(September 2001), pp. 285-302).
Week 5 (Jan. 31/Feb. 2): Corporations and Public Relations.
Inger L. Stole, “Philanthropy as Public Relations: A Critical Perspective on Cause
Marketing,” International Journal of Communication (2) 2008. pp. 20-40.
Lisa Ann Richey and Stefano Ponte, “Hard Commerce: Corporate Social Responsibility
for Distant Others,” in Richley and Ponte. Brand Aid: Shopping Well to Save the World
(Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011).
**Betsy Atkins, “Is Corporate Social Responsibility Responsible?” forbes.com
November 28, 2006.
**Stephanie Strom, “To Be Good Citizens, Report Says, Companies Should Just Focus
on Bottom Line,” New York Times, June 14, 2011.
Week 6 (Feb. 7/9): Think Tanks and Public Influence.
Donald Abelson and Christine M. Carberry, “Following Suit or Falling Behind? A
Comparative Analysis of Think Tanks in Canada and the United States,” Canadian
Journal of Political Science, Vol. 31 No. 3 (September 1998), pp. 525-555.
Donald Gutstein, “The Propaganda Machine in Action: The 1990s and Beyond,” in
Gutstein, Not a Conspiracy Theory, pp. 150-189.
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Howard Fremeth, “Searching for the Militarization of Canadian Culture: The Rise of a
Military-Cultural Memory Network,” Topia: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies No.
23-24, 2010, pp. 50-76.
**Amir Attaran, “When think thanks produce propaganda,” Globe and Mail, Feb. 28,
2008.
***Mid-term Exam Tues.***
Week 7 (Feb. 14/16): Public Intellectuals and Social Responsibility.
Barbara A. Misztal, “The Authority of Public Intellectuals,” in Misztal Intellectuals and
the Public Good: Creativity and Civil Courage. (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2007. pp. 13-37.
E. Stina Lyon, “What Influence? Public Intellectuals, The State and Civil Society,” in
Christian Fleck et al (eds.). Intellectuals and their Publics: Perspectives from the Social
Sciences. (Surrey UK and Burlington USA: Ashgate Publishing, 2009.) pp. 69-87.
**Richard Handler, “What are intellectuals for? Mark Kingwell’s lament,” CBC News
May 18, 2011. cbc.ca
**Michael Posner, “Slavoj Zizek: Superstar of the Occupy movement,” Globe and Mail,
Saturday, October 21, 2001.
Week 8 (Feb. 28/Mar. 1): Political Advertising.
Paul Nesbitt-Larking and Jonathan Rose, “Political Advertising in Canada,” in David
Schultz (ed), Lights, Camera, Campaign! Media Politics and Political Advertising (New
York: Peter Lang, 2004), pp. 273-299.
Jonathan Rose and A. Roberts, “Selling the GST: Government Advertising and Public
Discourse,” Canadian Journal of Political Science Vol. 28 No. 2 (June 1995), pp. 311330.
**Attack ads: Do they work? CBC News, January 29, 2007. cbc.ca
Week 9 (Mar. 6/8): Infotainment and the Culture of Celebrity:
Anthony Dimaggio, “Propaganda, Celebrity Gossip, and the Decline of News,” in
Dimaggio. When Media Goes to War. pp. 263-286.
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Jeffrey P. Jones, “Viewer Engagement Beyond Information Acquisition: Celebrity, Talk,
and Play,” in Jones, Entertaining Politics: Satiric Television and Political Engagement,
2010, pp. 207-234.
Week 10 (Mar. 13/15): Alternative Media and Alternative Publics.
James Hamilton, “Alternative Media: Conceptual Difficulties, Critical Possibilities,”
Journal of Communication Inquiry. Vol. 24 No. 4 (2000), pp. 357-378.
Angie Balata, “The Graffiti ‘Superheroes’”, Kalimat, Vol. 1 No. 3 (Fall 2011), pp. 80-89.
Judith Nicholson, “Flash! Mobs in the Age of Mobile Connectivity,” The Fibreculture
Journal No. 6 (2005).
****Essays Due Thurs.****
Week 11 (Mar. 20/22): Social Media I: Participatory Politics and Social Change.
Richard Kahn and Douglas Kellner, “New Media and Internet Activism: From the ‘Battle
of Seattle’ to Blogging,” New Media and Society, Vol. 10 No. 6 (2004), pp. 87-95.
Matthew R. Kerbel and Joel David Bloom, “Blog for America and Civic Involvement,”
Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, Vol. 10 No. 4 (2005), pp. 3-27.
Dhiraj Murthy, “Twitter: Microphone for the Masses?” Media, Culture & Society, Vol.
35 No. 5, pp. 779-789.
**Andrew Keen, “Social media and the internet do not spread democracy,” The
Telegraph, August 18, 2009.
**Mark Sedra, “Revolution 2.0: democracy promotion in the age of social media,” Globe and
Mail, February 2, 2011.
Week 12 (Mar. 27/29): Social Media II: Private Life for Public Consumption.
Cohen, N.S. “The Valorization of Surveillance: Towards a Political Economy of
Facebook,” Democratic Communique Vol. 22 No. 1 (2008), pp. 5-22.
Patricia G. Lange, “Publicly Private and Privately Public: Social Networking on
YouTube,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication Vol. 13 No. 1 (October
2007), pp. 361-380.
**Bob Garfield, “What Marketers Can Learn from Weiner-Gate,” Advertising Age, June
10, 2011.
Notes
1.
Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier's Accessible Learning Office
for information regarding its services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the Calendar
for information regarding all services available on campus.
2.
Students are expected to be aware of and abide by University regulations and policies, as outlined in
the current Undergraduate and Graduate Calendar.
3.
Students must reserve the examination period as stated in the Undergraduate Calendar under Academic
Dates. If you are considering registering for a special examination or event, you should select a time
outside the examination period. Consult with the Undergraduate Calendar for special circumstances
for examination deferral.
(Applicable to Undergraduate students only.)
4.
The penalties for plagiarism or any form of academic misconduct are severe and enforced at all times.
The Student Code of Conduct and Discipline, and the procedures for investigating and determining
appropriate disciplinary measures for breaches of the Code are given in the current Undergraduate and
Graduate Calendar.
Please note: submitting the same work to two different courses, or to different sections of the same
course, is academic misconduct and will be addressed according to the procedures outlined in the
Undergraduate and Graduate Calendar. Students who are repeating a course are not permitted to re-use
essays or assignments from the previous course.
Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for plagiarism. Students may be required to
submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for plagiarism.
5.
Students are to adhere to the Principles in the Use of Information Technology. These Principles and
resulting actions for breaches are stated in the current Undergraduate and Graduate Calendar.
6.
Students' names may be divulged in the classroom, both orally and in written form, to other members
of the class. Students who are concerned about such disclosures should contact the course instructor to
identify whether there are any possible alternatives to such disclosures. Additional information on the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act at Laurier is available at the Privacy
Coordinator Office.