COM 389 (section 2597) Syllabus – Spring 2007
Alternative Media
3.0 Credit Hours
Tuesday/Thursday 3:05-4:20 Bacon 225
Professor: Dr. Michael I. Niman
Office: 230 Bishop Hall
Website: http://mediastudy.com
Description:
New media technologies have provided economically feasible opportunities for historically underrepresented groups to make and distribute media. This has led to an historically unprecedented growth in alternative media organizations around the world, with small alternative media groups emerging in the 21 st century as major employers of recent journalism graduates. COM 389/ Alternative Media will examine the alternative media movement in America both as an historic force and as a contemporary cultural and political phenomenon. This course will examine the role alternative media has played in the development and maintenance of a pluralistic democratic society as well as its role of representing underrepresented communities and ideas. Students will learn not only how to find and recognize alternative media produced by a divergent array of cultural and political communities, but how to produce it in its myriad forms as well.
Outcomes/Skills:
Students will learn the history, economics and mechanics involved in producing various forms of alternative media ranging from micro-radio and video pod casts to PDF format “magazines” and interactive web blogs. They will become aware of the role alternative media groups have played throughout American history as well as their potential role in shaping our future. They will recognize the value of cultural and political diversity in a democratic society, and the importance of maintaining alternative avenues of communication both to maintain endangered cultures and to nurture inclusive dialogs that are the cornerstone of pluralistic societies. Students will learn the basic economics and mechanics involved in creating and running alternative media organizations, and, through hands-on involvement with an alternative media group of their choosing, will experience first-hand both the vibrancy of the alternative media and the frustrations and challenges involved in producing such media.
Grading:
40% Weekly Assignments & Class Participation . Every week students will each choose an alternative media source and bring a sample of that source into class (if video or audio, burn to CD or DVD), and prepare a short description of the media sample and the organization that produces it, and explain why this qualifies as alternative media. Samples and written work will be collected and graded (Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory or Outstanding). Students should be prepared to share their work with the class and participate in class discussions. This includes coming to class prepared to discuss assigned readings.
30% Three Reflection Papers based on assigned course readings . Each paper should be at least an honest five pages long and should show a comprehensive understanding of the readings as well as providing your thoughtful well informed response to the readings.
Paper # 1 : Reflect on Culture Jam . Do you see examples of the problems described in “Autumn” and “Winter” in your community and the world around you? How do you see the promises of “Spring” and “Summer” in your community? Develop a hypothetical strategy for action. Due Week Five.
Paper # 2: Choose three stories from Censored 2007 that were covered by alternative media outlets and explain why you think the mainstream media ignored or underreported these stories. Due Week Eight.
Paper # 3 : Write a summary of People’s Movments People’s Press and compare alternative press use by contemporary social movements to the historic examples in the book. Due Week Twelve.
30% Semester Research Paper . Choose on alternative media organization and compile a ten page paper examining their history from inception until the present, or in cased where the organization is defunct, until the present time. Be prepared to utilize interlibrary loan as well as area libraries when conducting your research. See note on plagiarism below. Due on the last day of class.
Please Note: Grading of student papers will reflect Standard American English usage. Buffalo State students and faculty generally use Chicago, APA or MLA bibliographic styles. All are acceptable. Students should use one style consistently throughout their paper. I prefer The Chicago Manual of Style for this class. A Chicago style guide is available online (Adobe) at http://www.aaanet.org/pubs/style_guide.pdf.
Plagiarism will result in automatic course failure and departmental or college disciplinary action. Ask around – I firmly enforce this policy w/o exceptions. Plagiarism means passing off someone else’s ideas, work or writing (intellectual property) as if it is your own. Quotes must be inside of quotation marks and clearly cited. Any other use of a sequence of words, no matter how few, not written by you constitutes plagiarism. Likewise, any series of ideas presented by someone else, or any analytical structure written by someone else, must be properly cited even if you present their work in your own words. Professor reserves the right to upload all papers, minus student names, into an anti-plagiarism database.
Students entering this course must possess literacy skills (reading comprehension and writing) appropriate to a college junior.
Cellies must be in silent mode. Ringing cell phones = lowered semester grade and/or public torment and humiliation.
The use of electronic recording devices is prohibited in this class except with specific permission of the professor, or except, after notification of the professor, as provided for under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
By registering for and remaining in this class, students are agreeing to abide by these guidelines.
BSC Disabilities Policy: “Any student who requires accommodations to complete the requirements and expectations of this course because of a disability is invited to make his or her needs known to the professor and to Marianne Savino, the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, 120 South Wing, 878-4500” (BSC Office of Disabilities Services Syllabus Statement).
Required Texts:
1) Culture Jam: How to Reverse America’s Suicidal Consumer Binge – And Why We Must by Kalle Lasn. Quill Press. ($13)
2) People’s Movements People’s Press by Bob Ostertag. Beacon. ($23.95)
3) Censored 2007 (Media Democracy in Action): The Top 25 Censored Stories, by Peter Philips and Project Censored. Seven Stories Press ($18.95)
Required texts are available at the Main Street Talking Leaves Bookstore, 3158 Main St.(between Hertel and Winspear - 837-8554). From BSC, left on Elmwood, right on Amherst or Hertel, left on Main St. Elmwood bus to Hertel bus, get off at Main Street. This is also a good place to find alternative magazines and newspapers as is the TL Elmwood store.
Spring 2007 Course Outline
WEEK 1 (1/23, 1/25)
Read Culture Jam Intro and Autumn. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 2 (1/30, 2/1)
Read Culture Jam Winter. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 3 (2/6, 2/8)
Read Culture Jam Spring. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 4 (2/13, 2/15)
Read Culture Jam Summer. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 5 (no class 2/20 Pres. Day) Paper # 1 Due 2/22
Read Censored 2007 in preparation to write paper #2. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 6 (2/27, 3/1)
Read Censored 2007 in preparation to write paper #2. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 7 (3/6, 3/8)
Read Censored 2007 in preparation to write paper #2. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 8 (3/13, 3/15)) Paper # 2 Due 3/15.
Read People’s Movements in preparation to write paper #3. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 9 (3/20, 3/22)
Read People’s Movements in preparation to write paper #3. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 10 (3/27, 3/29)
Read People’s Movements in preparation to write paper #3. Bring media sample and description.
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASSES 4/3, 4/5
WEEK 11 (4/10, 4/12)
Read People’s Movements in preparation to write paper #3. Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 12 (4/17, 4/19) Paper # 3 Due 4/19.
Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 13 (4/24, 4/26)
Bring media sample and description.
WEEK 14 (5/1, 5/3)
Bring media sample and description.
Semester Research Paper Due 5/3
© 2007 Michael I. Niman