Instructor: Prof. Benjamin Detenber
Office: 239 Pearson Hall
E-mail: detenber@udel.edu
Phone: 831-8778
Office hours: W 10:30am-12noon, Th 9-10:30am, & by appointment
Course Description: The course provides an overview of
mass media industries and the role of media in society. Topics
covered include print and electronic media, film and advertising.
We will consider history, social systems and structures, functions,
and effects of different media. The course is designed to lay
the groundwork for communication majors by giving students a comprehensive
understanding of mass communication and its various applications
in contemporary society. The format of the course is a lecture,
but on occasion, there will be in-class discussion.
Readings: There are three required texts for the course
(available bundled at the UD bookstore), and a collection of readings
that can be purchased at the Newark News Stand, or checked out
from the reserve desk at the library. In order to get the most
out of the written materials and the lectures, it is best to have
the reading assignments done by the dates listed below.
The texts are:
Black, J., & Bryant, J., (1995). Introduction to Media
Communication (4th ed.), Guilford, CT: Brown &
Benchmark Publishing. (abbreviated BB in the schedule below).
Black, J., Bryant, J., & Thompson, S. (1997). Reinventing
Media (4th ed.), Guilford, CT: Brown & Benchmark
Publishing. (always read companion chapters to BB).
Annual Editions: Mass Media 96/97, Edited by Joan Gorham
(1996). Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing. (abbreviated AE).
Communication 245 Reader (abbreviated R).
Examinations and Grading: There will be three examinations:
two midterms and a final. Each midterm will cover roughly one
third of the course and contribute 25% to your final grade. The
final will be comprehensive, but weighted to emphasize the final
third of the semester. It is worth 50% of your grade. The tests
will include multiple choice and true/false questions on material
from the lectures and the readings. Adjustments made to the raw
test scores in the assignment of letter grades ("curving")
will only be done at the end of the semester (when all the data
are in). If an adjustment is made, and there may well be none,
it will only raise grades, not lower them. Because the Department
of Communication is committed to advancing knowledge in our field,
extra credit will be given for participating in communication
research. Research opportunities will be announced as they arise.
Course Schedule
| Date | ||
| Feb. 11 | Introduction to the course | |
| Feb. 13 | Importance of mass communication | BB 1; R 1-5; AE 1 |
| Feb. 18 | Communication theory | BB 2; AE 3 |
| Feb. 20 | Media systems, functions, and economics | R 6-20, AE 7 |
| Feb. 25 | Book publishing | BB 4 |
| Feb. 27 | Magazine publishing | BB 5; AE 27; 30 |
| Mar. 4 | Newspapers | BB 6 |
| Mar. 6 | Newspapers (cont.) | AE 10, 11 |
| Mar. 11 | Examination #1 | |
| Mar. 13 | Media law and regulation | BB 14, AE 2 |
| Mar. 18 | Law and regulation (cont.) | AE 24, 25 |
| Mar. 20 | Ethics | BB 15; AE 20 |
| Mar. 25 | Advertising | BB 12 |
| Mar. 27 | Advertising | AE 29, 33 |
| Mar. 31- Apr. 6 | Spring Break | |
| Apr. 8 | Radio | BB 8; R 21-35 |
| Apr. 10 | Radio (cont.) | AE 38 |
| Apr. 15 | Recording and music | BB 9; AE 43 |
| Apr. 17 | Examination #2 | |
| Apr. 22 | Film | BB 7 |
| Apr. 24 | Film (cont.) | AE 31 |
| Apr. 29 | Television | BB 10 |
| May 1 | Television (cont.) | AE 12; R 36-39 |
| May 6 | Television (cont.)
| AE 19 |
| Apr. 8 | New media | BB 11 |
| May 13 | New media (cont.) | AE 41, 44 |
| May 15 | Media effects | BB 3 |
| May 20 | Media effects (cont.) | AE 5, 6 |
| May 28 | Final Examination | 10:30am-12:30pm |
Note: The dates in this schedule are approximate. You
are responsible for any changes made in the schedule.