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Introduction to Media StudiesEugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, Spring 201266 5th Ave 101Lecture: Tuesdays 12-1:40pm

Professor:Dr. R. Trebor Scholz

Email: scholzt@newschool.edu

Students can use the Twitter hash tag #LCST2450 for this class to pose

questions.

Class website:http://participationliteracy2012.ning.com

Office hours: Tuesday 2-3pm, 65 West 11th street

room 251, and by appointment.

 TAs:Meredith Hall (Friday Discussion Section) Email: hallm274@newschool.edu

 Tyler Horan (Thursday Discussion Section) Email: horat351@newschool.eduAriel Merkel (Friday Discussion Section) Email: merka292@newschool.edu

Course Description This course introduces you to basic concepts and approaches in the critical

analysis of media. Drawing on contemporary critiques and historical studies,

it seeks to build an understanding of media’s myriad forms– including

photography and cinema, television and video, and the Internet, in order to

assess the role and impact in society. Since media are, sometimes all at once,

technologies, arts, mass entertainment, and business enterprise, they

demand to be studied from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. The

readings for the course reflect a multi-pronged approach, and should draw

attention to the work of key thinkers and theorists in the field. Moreover,

readings are chosen to build awareness of the international dimensions of 

media activity, range and power. It is hoped that the analytical tools and skills

with which you will become familiar in this course can be employed and

developed throughout your work in the Media Studies major. The broader goal

of the course is to create a sophisticated and theoretically–informed

understanding of your experience of and encounters with media.

 This course complements the other foundational courses in the department,

“Introduction to Cultural Studies” and “Introduction to Screen Studies.”

Although some of the issues the course addresses are similar, there is no

overlap and no repetition of readings. They may be taken concurrently and

should be taken prior to taking other offerings in the curriculum. This course

is 4 credits worth.

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Course Objectives– to learn the history and major theoretical approaches to the study of media;

– to reflect on the different forms of media and their specificities;

– to communicate intelligently and thoughtfully about media, in both oral and

written form.

Course Structure, Expectations, and Assignments The Tuesday class meetings will be a combination of lecture, screening,

student presentations and short discussions. In-depth discussions are

reserved for the discussion sections. You are expected to read the required

texts thoroughly and attentively, and that you will come to class prepared to

discuss them.

Compulsory Field Trip

 

, Saturday February 18, 11am-2pmWe are meeting at 540 W. 21st Street, (between 10th and 11th

Avenues) and are leaving for a Chelsea tour at 11am.

Eyebeam (http://eyebeam.org/), Bitforms (http://www.bitforms.com/),

Postmasters (http://www.postmastersart.com/), The Kitchen

(http://www.thekitchen.org/), and Bryce Wolkowitz

(http://www.brycewolkowitz.com/www/)

Student Presentations

Most classes a group of five students will jointly present for 20 minutes on

the readings of the week. Students can split up the readings among

themselves. All group members receive the same grade. The presentations

must include 1) quotes from the readings with MLA formatted citations on

each slide. 2) For an “A,” presenters are required to talk freely, without

reading aloud from prepared notes. They should find ways to engage the

class.

Responses on the social networking site NING

Posting (marked by  in the syllabus)

Individually, you will be required to write responses to the readings of a

minimum of 750 words every other week. In the syllabus days on which the

response is due are marked by .  Your post has to be posted on your NING

blog before class on Tuesday February 7, February 21, March 6, March 20,

April 10, April 24, and May 8.  These responses should be substantive,

argument-driven, analytical pieces that consider one aspect of the reading.

Alternatively, you may compare how two texts engage a single issue. The

responses need to be posted on our social networking site (not accessible to

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the public): http://introductiontomediastudies.ning.com/. In the first week of 

class, you are required to create a profile on this site. This includes a portrait

photo. Make sure you understand how to post to the site’s blog. Dates for

your posts:

RespondingOn your “off” week, you will be asked to respond to the posts of your peers.

 These responses should also be substantive and a minimum of 250 words.

 You can position yourself in relation to the analysis of your co-learners by

introducing an additional reading. Your responses need to be substantial.

No late responses will be accepted, ever, but you can miss one without

penalty. That is, if you end up with 6 and the end of the semester that's fine

but you are encouraged to shoot for seven. Out of six posts, too can be

visceral responses; out of seven, three visual responses are permitted. These

must involve significant effort and will be held to a high standard. The TA will

discuss visual response possibilities as the semester progresses. We alsoencourage you to contribute links, images, and videos that relate to the texts

and discussions.

Lecture and Discussion

Students will attend both a lecture and a discussion section each week.

(Please make sure to attend the discussion specified on your schedule.)

Questions and comments are very welcome during lectures. In discussion

sections, participation is mandatory and will factor into student grades.

This course invites you to use your laptop or iPad. However, there is ano cell phone policy. If I notice that you use your laptop for work that is not

class-related I may turn to a no-laptop policy.

Course Texts

Reader:

1. Communication In History . Ed. David Crowley and Paul Heyer. Boston:

Allyn and Bacon, 2011.

 You can purchase a copy of the book at Bluestockings

172 Allen Street New York, NY 10002ph: (212) 777-6028

2. Supplementary readings

Download a folder with all additional readings at

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16404602/IMS_readings.zip

This folder is compressed, 59 MB. Please allow for about 5 minutes for the folder to download.

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Assessment

20% Group Presentation

15% In-Class Participation (lecture and discussion section of the class)

5% Attendance of field trip February 18 and blog report about it

30% Midterm evaluation of your first three NING responses DUE

MARCH 6

30% Final 1500—2000 words, DUE MAY 1

I will only accept printed and stapled papers.

On the NING network, you are encouraged to engage with each other and

share news articles or other texts as they relate to class. In the auditorium, I

ask that despite the size of our class, we maintain a seminar–style

atmosphere in which students contribute questions and comments.

Student Presentations

Group 1: Feb 7 Allen, Justin W., Berthoud, Charles Francis, Bradley, Justin C.,

Caba, Shanthal

Group 2: Feb 14 Clark, Zachary D., Dalldorf, Hilary A., Egipciaco, Simone,

Fair, Jade A.

Group 3: Feb 21 Fannon, Patrick M., Frothingham, Ali R., Gross, Eva M.,

Guest, Sam C.

Group 4: Feb 28 Hess, David W., Hurton, Megan J., Lo, Sophie P., Metcalfe,

Ethan H.

Group 5: March 6 Nicolas, Brandon B., Pan, Cody M., Pierre, Schadrack, Poh,

Erik J.

Group 6: March 20 Rada, Rocco A., Ritzer, Lauren B., Romano, Judith I.,

Sebok, Ashley E.

Group 7: March 27 Simmons, Alex D., Solomon, Craig K., Stazer, Adam A.,

Stewart, Emily L.

Group 8: April 3 Storey, Evan T., Sucher, Matthew J., Tahoun, Nadia S.,

 Tomashoff, Kelli B.

Group 9: April 10 Turiano, Frank J., Vassina, Ekaterina, Weston, Hillary M.

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Group 10: April 17 tba

Group 11: April 24 tba

Group 12: May 8 tba

EVALUATIONA= Excellent

 This work is comprehensive and detailed, integrating themes and concepts

from discussions, lectures and readings. Writing is clear, analytical and

organized. Arguments offer specific examples and concisely evaluate

evidence. Students who earn this grade are prepared for class, synthesize

course materials and contribute insightfully.

B=Good

 This work is complete and accurate, offering insights at general level of 

understanding. Writing is clear, uses examples properly and tends toward

broad analysis. Classroom participation is consistent and thoughtful.

C=Average

 This work is correct but is largely descriptive, lacking analysis. Writing is

vague and at times tangential. Arguments are unorganized, without specific

examples or analysis. Classroom participation is inarticulate.

D= Unsatisfactory

 This work is incomplete, and evidences little understanding of the readings ordiscussions. Arguments demonstrate inattention to detail, misunderstand

course material and overlook significant themes. Classroom participation is

spotty, unprepared and off topic.

Policy on Attendance and LatenessAbsences may justify some grade reduction and a total of four absences

mandate a reduction of one letter grade for the course. More than four

absences mandate a failing grade for the course, unless there are

extenuating circumstances, such as the following:

–an extended illness requiring hospitalization or visit to a physician(with documentation)–a family emergency, e.g. serious illness (with written explanation)–observance of a religious holiday

 The attendance and lateness policies are enforced as of the first day of 

classes for all registered students. If registered during the first week of the

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add/drop period, the student is responsible for any missed assignments and

coursework.

For significant lateness, the instructor may consider the tardiness as an

absence for the day. Students failing a course due to attendance should

consult with an academic advisor to discuss options.

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of someone else's work as one's own in all forms of 

academic endeavor (such as essays, theses, examinations, research data, creative projects, etc),

intentional or unintentional. Plagiarized material may be derived from a variety of sources, such

as books, journals, internet postings, student or faculty papers, etc. This includes the purchase or 

“outsourcing” of written assignments for a course. A detailed definition of plagiarism in research

and writing can be found in the fourth edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research

Papers, pages 26-29. Eugene Lang College’s full Policy on Academic Honesty details the procedures for allegations of plagiarism and for penalties and can be found in the Lang catalog at

http://www.newschool.edu/lang/subpage.aspx?id=374

DisabilitiesIn keeping with the university's policy of providing equal access for students

with disabilities, any student requesting recommendations must first meet

with student disability services. Jason Luchs or a designee from that office will

meet with students requesting recommendations and related services, and if 

appropriate, provide an academic adjustment notice for the student to

provide to his or her instructors. The instructors required to review the letter

was a student and discuss the recommendations, provided the student brings

a letter to the attention of the instructor. This letter is necessary in order for

classroom accommodations to be provided. Student Disability Services is

located at 80 5th Ave - 3rd floor. Students and faculty are expected to review

the student disability services webpage. The webpage can be found at

http://www.newschool.edu/studentaffairs/disability and the office is available

to answer any questions or concerns.

Course Schedule

A note on the structure of the syllabus: The field of Media Studies is vast and the means of communication are

virtually infinite. Therefore, the ways to study them need to draw upon a

multitude of disciplines. In this introductory course, we approach the topic by

selecting key issues that have animated media critics and scholars since the

systematic study of public communication started in the early years of the

20th century:

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1. What is the role of media in everyday life? How do people use and

experience media? How do media shape subjectivity itself? How does it shape

collective experiences and identities?

2. Do media technologies contribute to social and historical change? What are

the properties of specific media (the spoken word, print, still and movingimages, the Internet) and how can we relate them to other forces (economic,

political, cultural) operating in society?

 The questions also serve as entry points into relevant media theories, which

are grounded through case studies or examples.

A note on methods and disciplines:We will use these questions to structure the course. The context in which

media operate in the world today are many and varied and so are the ways in

which scholars and critics are extending into “media studies” from their own

disciplinary perspectives. Anthropologists have developed visualanthropology and the ethnography of media, sociologists talk about social

theories of the media, historians consider media renditions of the past,

scientists see the impact of media on social attitudes, and the list goes on.

 The range of media studies is so vast and growing, the proliferation of new

scholarship in this area is an embarrassment of riches. When you are not

expected to engage with the questions of disciplines in a sustained way, it is

useful to be aware of the methods that are appropriate to different forms of 

inquiry.

Email Etiquette: The following guidelines are useful when communicating with faculty (and

staff) at the New School.

1) Always write from your university e-mail account. This makes it easier forme to verify that your message is not spam.

2) Consistently, include the course name and number in the subject headingof the e-mail (e.g., Question about "Introduction to Media Studies.#LCST2450")

3) When you e-mail your instructor, choose an appropriate greeting whichcould be "Hi Professor ..." or "Hello Professor ... ."

4) Please proofread your e-mails and sign them with your full name. E-mailwithout your full name makes it sometimes impossible to identify you as thesender.

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Syllabus

Week by Week 

 This syllabus is subject to change.

Week 1: Jan 24Overview

Introduction to the syllabus, research and presentation skills

We begin with a definition of key terms before asking why study the media?

What is the current relationship between Media Studies and Cultural Studies?

NO discussion sections this week.

Week 2: Jan 31The Medium is the Message

We continue with one-time director of engineering at MIT, Vannevar Bush to

look at his computational visions, developed in 1945. We then turn to the

work of Marshall McLuhan, one of the best-known and most controversial

figures in the history of Media Studies. McLuhan argues that “the medium is

the message,” meaning that it is the direct material effects of media–rather

than the particular contents of a given text or texts– that constitute and

transform our way of experiencing and interpreting the world. In this

interview, he looks at the effects of media on human history, positing threemajor media ages: tribal, typographic, and electronic.

McLuhan, Marshall. “Playboy Interview.” Essential McLuhan. Eds. Eric

McLuhan and Frank Zingrone. New York: Basic Books, 1995.

Bush, Vannevar. "As We May Think," The Atlantic Monthly. August 1945.

Week 3: Feb 7

Media and Property: Remix, Piracy, and the CreativeCommons

In week three, we consider the history of intellectual property (IP). Intellectual

property does not only concern lawyers; it is crucial to commercial life,

technical innovation, cultural expression, democratic debate and politics.

What are the shortcomings of the current IP system in terms of its effects on

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research, global economic inequality, creativity, and the future of the

generative Internet?

Hesse, Carla. "The Rise of Intellectual Property, 700 b.c.–a.d. 2000: an Idea in

the Balance." Weblogs at Harvard Law School. 25 Aug.

2009. .<http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/geekroom/2004/02/23/carla-hesses-the-rise-of-intellectual-property-and-a-gift-economy/>

Lessig, Lawrence. The People Own Ideas! Technology Review. Cambridge: MIT.

2007.

Copy Right Criminals, dir. Benjamin Franzen, Kembrew McLeod. Film. 2009.

- 65 min

Suggested:

Steal This Film I and II, dir. The League of Noble Peers. 2006/2007.

- 70 min

Sonic Outlaws, dir. Craig Baldwin. Film. 1995.

- 28 min

Presentation Group 1

Week 4: Feb 14

Media and Literacy

What are digital media practices doing to us and what are we doing to eachother? Which literacies do we need to do well in a digital age? How much

time do we spend using technology? What is authoritative information today?

Why do we feel the need to always be “on”? Do we feel more alone when we

mainly relate to others through mediated environments like social marketing

services? Doug Rushkoff’s book does not only discuss how youth relates to

digital technology but also explores how the broader economy is affected.

Does technology have a “dumbing down” effect on the way we learn? High

much can we trust search engines, GPS, and computers? Learn how to use

digital media— program or be programmed.

Rushkoff, D. Program or be Programmed. Ten Commandments for a Digital

Age. New York: OR Books, 2010.

Presentation Group 2

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Week 5: Feb 21

The Media of Early Civilization

Readings:

Reading: CIH , Part 1: Denise Schmandt-Besserat, “The Earliest Precursor of Writing”; HaroldInnis, “Media in Ancient Empires”; Marcia Ascher and Robert Ascher, “Civilization without

Writing—the Incas and the Quipu”; Andrew Robinson, “The Origins of Writing”

Presentation Group 3

Week 6: Feb 28

The Tradition of Western Literacy

Reading: CIH , Part 2: Eric Havelock, “The Greek Legacy”; Robert K. Logan, “Writing and the

Alphabet Effect”; Walter Ong, “Orality, Literacy, and Modern Media”; James Burke and RobertOrnstein, “Communication and Faith in the Middle Ages”

Presentation Group 4

Week 7 March 6

The Print RevolutionReading: CIH , Part 3: Thomas F. Carter, “Paper and Block Printing—From China to Europe”;

Lewis Mumford, “The Invention of Printing”; Elisabeth Eisenstein, “ Aspects of the Printing

Revolution”; Harvey J. Graff, “Early Modern Literacies”; John B. Thompson, “The Trade in the

 News

Presentation Group 5

SPRING BREAK 

Week 8 March 20Radio Days

In this week we will explore the history of radio, considering its myriad forms

of programming, and its massive impact on 20th century politics. Radio

helped to create a shared, nationwide real-time experience of mass culture.

What was the role of radio in the shaping of music tastes and political

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mobilization? Was constitutes a "radio listening literacy"? Week 8 provides an

introduction to the history of radio as a way of better understanding today's

network culture.

Reading: CIH , Part 6: Stephen Kern, “Wireless World”; John Durham Peters, “The Public Voice

of Radio”; Susan J. Douglas, “Early Radio”; Christopher Sterling and John M. Kittross, “TheGolden Age of Programming”; Michele Hilmes, “Radio Voices,” Peter Fornatale and Joshua E.

Mills, “Radio in the Television Age”

Brecht, Bertolt. " The Radio as an Apparatus of Communication (July 1932)."

 ToniSant. 1 Jan. 2001. 14 Jan. 2009

<http://www.tonisant.com/class/2001/fall/brechtradio.htm>.

Presentation Group 6

Week 9 March 27

Media and Branding

Consumption and Performing Identity: from Quaker

Oats to Facebook 

In week 9, we will look at novel forms of marketing, advertising, consumption

and modes of self–presentation and identity formation on social networks and

consider the ramifications. How does the pervasiveness of advertising images

influence our opinions? How does it shape our individual and collective

identities? Does the consumer society with its proliferation of media, goods

and services provide us with an increased appearance of choice and a hidden

impoverishment of experience?

Walker, Rob. Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who

We Are. New York: Random House, 2008. 165-88. Print.

Klein, Naomi. Introduction, No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs. Picador,

April 2002.

Presentation Group 7

Week 10 April 3

Media and War

Photojournalism, the Caring Problem, and Distributed

Reporting

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In this segment of the class, we consider the ethical dimensions of producing

and consuming images. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag

investigates whether the daily barrage of images of atrocities in the news

media make us aware of world events in important ways or merely

desensitize us to other people's suffering. How do the mainstream media pick

the conflicts that they cover?

Sontag, Susan. Regarding the Pain of Others. Picador, February 2004.

Presentation Group 8

Week 11 April 10

The Work of Art in the Age of Its Mechanical

Reproducibility

Reading: Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Its Mechanical Reproducibility,” in

Selected Writings of Walter Benjamin, Vol. 3. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2002.

Presentation Group 9

Week 12 April 17

Media and Globalization

In recent years, the phenomenon of globalization has been a major topic of 

research and analysis. Does globalization make the world more homogenous?How do audiences understand themselves when they are consuming globally

distributed media? Does Hollywood, for example, encourage a "global popular

culture" or will there always be points of divergence from, and resistance to,

the dominant image factories? With the advancement of communications

technologies, the world has become a smaller place. The impact of events in

one part of the world, rapidly and even simultaneously, spreads to every

corner of the globe. And us, to what extent can we talk in terms of McLuhan's

much vaunted and mocked "Google Village"?

Aneesh, A. Virtual Migration: The Programming of Globalization. Durham:

Duke University Press, 2006. 1-13, 100-32, 27-45. Print.

Mattelart, Armand. “Globalization: The Networks of the Postnational

Economy.” Networking the World, 1794-2000. New York: University of 

Minnesota P, 2000.

Presentation Group 10

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Week 13: April 24

The Commoditization of Media

 Today, digital media affect shifting labor markets and concepts like

community, exploitation, volunteering, expropriation, economic value,intellectual property and privacy. The media are not only the images that feed

our imagination or the programs we watch on television. They are big

business enterprises whose global reach and huge earnings constitute

enormous economic and political power. Various scholars and commentators

have developed an approach that is called “political economy.” The political

economic approach deals with the media as industries in capitalist society

whose main purpose is to generate profits.

 Terranova, Tiziana. "Free Labour." Network Culture Politics for the Information

 Age. New York: Pluto P, 2004. 73-94.

Dibbell, Julian. "The Life of the Chinese Gold Farmer." The New York Times 17

 June 2007. 14 Sept. 2008

<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/magazine/17lootfarmers-t.html>.

Mark Andrejevic, "iMonitoring Keeping Track of One Another," Mark

Andrejevic, iSpy Surveillance and Power in the Interactive Era (Lawrence:

University Press of Kansas, 2007) 212-240.

Presentation Group 11

Final Exam Review

Week 14: May 1 – Class does not meet (replaced by

field trip on Feb 18)NO discussion sections this week.

Week 15: May 8 

Media and ResistanceWhat are our chances to be affective/effective as individuals or small groups

dealing with issues like the US prison system, and (urban) poverty in the

prevailing surroundings of corporate late capitalism? How do we decide which

issues we take on and which ones do we ignore? Are platforms like Facebook

Groups, which allow activists to connect around specific causes, valuable

tools to raise awareness or do they also render us passive?

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 John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, "Activists," John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, Born

Digital (New York: Basic Books, 2008) 255-270.

 John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, "Pirates," John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, Born

Digital (New York: Basic Books, 2008) 255-270.

Examples:

OhMyNews, IndyMedia, Riseup’s Crabgrass, The Memory Hole, Wikileaks,

 TXTmob, Bahrain Censored Google Earth, Tunisian Prison Map, tracking Darfur

suspects on Facebook, Google Earth as visual evidence of the destruction in

Darfur.

• Presentation Group 12

Recommended Podcast Subscription:

NPR’s On the Media Podcast.

http://www.onthemedia.org/