1. COMM 330: Critical Issues in Mass Communication Introduction

2. Course Objectives To introduce students to –The media effects research tradition –The political economy of media institutions in a global environment –Ethical and policy issues associated with mass communication in culture

3. Assessment Goals Comm 330 serves 2 assessment goals –“students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of communication theory and history and abstract thinking skills” –“students should understand the contexts (political, social, legal, and cultural) in which messages are produced, disseminated, and interpreted”

4. Syllabus topics Media Effects Research Political Economy and Cultural Analysis Approaches to the Analysis of Media –Business, government and freedom of speech Ethical responsibility

5. The Media Effects Tradition History of research Methods of research Time spent with media Sexual content Violence News Stereotyping

6. Media Business + Government and Freedom of Speech Private enterprise vs. public interest The Telecomm Act of 1996 The dominant media conglomerates Mega-media and the European Union How media business shapes media content How media business influences society New technologies The future of the Internet –The Internet in non-western countries

7. Ethics and the Media The Greek Tradition –Aristotle Utilitarianism –Bentham and Mill Social Contract Theory –Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Rawls Duty Ethics –Kant –Ross

8. Evaluation Tests I and II Three written assignments and discussion Research paper –Category A of the Advanced W Portfolio