Journalism and American Democracy AMST 30188, JED 30119, POLS 30164Tuesday & Thursday 200-315pmDeBartolo Hall 244

Professor: Josh RoilandOffice: Flanner Hall 1038

Email: jroiland@nd.eduPhone: 574-631-2599 (office)

314-550-9156 (cell)Office Hours: M & T 11am-12pm

“No substantial famine has ever occurred in a country with a democratic form of government and a relatively free press.”

—Amartya Sen, economist

Course DescriptionThis course will explore the relationship between American journalism and American democracy. Historically, the press has been understood as a key source for inspiring political interest through the dissemination of timely and relevant information. This relationship is perhaps no more important than during an election year like this one. But the connection between the press and the citizenry is complex. The sociologist Michael Schudson has argued that journalism is but one part of culture, rather than the main influence on it. In this class we will take up Schudson’s claim and examine the evolving forms and styles of journalism and the various ways in which citizens encounter and utilize the news. We will examine philosophies of democracy and philosophies of journalism and interrogate their intersections. And we will explore these, and many other, questions: What are the obligations of citizens in a democracy? How do citizens use the press? How does public discourse respond to different styles of journalism? What influence does journalism have on social organization? How does the press affect voting? How does the press account for marginalized publics? What is the relationship between individual rights and the public’s right to know? In answering these questions, our class will not only take a historical look at the changing conceptions of democracy and the professional conventions of the press, it will also apply historical lessons to contemporary issues. Specifically, we will monitor the various forms of journalism—print, online, broadcast, radio—as they cover the 2012 election. Evaluation will be based on class participation, short papers, contributions to an election campaign blog, and a final project.

Required Texts Doris Graber, Mass Media and American Politics, 8th Ed. Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, 2nd Ed. Geneva Overholser & Kathleen Hall Jamieson, eds., Institutions of American Democracy: The Press

Course Requirements & Evaluation Mandatory daily attendance and class participation:

o (Completion of all reading, writing, & Internet assignments): 20% Four Reading Responses (700 words) 20% (total) Two Practice Assignments 20% (total) Campaign Blog Participation 10% Research Paper 30%

Class PoliciesPage 1 of 4

Attendance: As a seminar, our class will rely almost exclusively on classroom and small group discussion. For this format to work, everyone needs to attend class. For this format to thrive, everyone attending class needs actively to participate. If you decide not to come to class or if you come to class unprepared your grade will severely reflect the consequences of your actions. Beginning with your third absence, your final grade will drop 1/3 (e.g. B- to C+). Students who accumulate five or more absences will automatically fail the course. Should you be late or absent, please have the courtesy to call and let me know ahead of time. You will be responsible for any notes and/or assignments you miss. Missing class is no excuse for not being prepared for the next class.  A missed conference or guided workshop counts as a missed class.

Cell Phones / Laptops: Please refrain from using cell phones and laptops in class.

Assignments: All assignments are due in class on the day stated in the syllabus. Any work that is handed in late will receive a full grade deduction (e.g. from a B to a C) for each day that it is past due. In addition, I will not comment on work that is submitted late, nor will I always be able to return them promptly.  No work will be accepted beyond the last day of class.

Academic Honesty: This class follows the binding Code of Honor at Notre Dame.  The graded work you do in this class must be your own. In the case where you collaborate with other students make sure to fairly attribute their contribution to your project. The purpose of research and citations is to join into an ongoing scholarly conversation about a given topic. Too often, however, research and citations carry a negative connotation: If you don’t cite, you fail!!! And while it is important to make sure we are all honest in our scholastic endeavors, we should do so for positive, rather than negative reasons. Please use sources and cite liberally, and do it because you want to situate your argument in its context and history. Unfortunately, sometimes people do not cite their sources for one reason or another, and when that is the case, there has to be consequences. Any student who plagiarizes any assignment will be subject to punishment as detailed in the Notre Dame Code of Academic Honor. To be safe, simply cite the source if you reference or even allude to material from somewhere else.

Special Needs: Any student who feels that he or she may have circumstances that require special attention from the instructor should feel free to contact me in order to make the learning environment as comfortable and conducive as possible.

Subject-to-Change Clause: This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion; such changes will be announced in class, and a revised schedule will be distributed if necessary.  It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of changes in policies or schedules. 

Reading and Writing Schedule

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WEEK 1: Introductions & Definitions8-21: Course Introduction8-23: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “Making News” xiii-xxi

Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “Defining Journalism” 3-7Barbie Zelizer, The Press, “Definitions of Journalism” 66-80

WEEK 2: History of News8-28: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “Does News Matter?” 8-25

Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “Media Bias” 26-568-30: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “Where News Came From…” 57-82

Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “In Recent Memory…” 83-108

WEEK 3: Phantom Public or Great Community? 9-4: *W. Lippmann, “The Nature of News,” “News, Truth, & a Conclusion,” “The Appeal to the Public”

*John Dewey, “Search for the Great Community”9-6: C. Marvin & P. Meyer, The Press, “What Kind of Journalism Does the Public Need” 400-412

WEEK 4: Journalism and September 119-11: Doris Graber, Mass Media, “Reporting Extraordinary Events” 111-128

*James Carey, “American Journalism On, Before and After September 11”9-13: William Prochnau, The Press: “The Military and the Media” 310-332

M. Stephens & David Mindich, The Press, “The Press and the Politics of Representation” 384-399

WEEK 5: The Public Sphere9-18: *Craig Calhoun, “Habermas and the Public Sphere”

*Michael Schudson, “Was There Ever a Public Sphere?”9-20: James Curran, The Press, “What Democracy Requires of the Media” 120-140

WEEK 6: The Fourth Estate9-25: Doris Graber, Mass Media, “Media Power and Government Control,” 1-26

W. Lance Bennett & William Serrin, The Press, “The Watchdog Role” 169-188T. Glasser & M. Gunther, The Press, “The Legacy of Autonomy in American Journalism” 384-399

9-27: Daniel Schorr, The Press, “Journalism and the Public Interest” 303-310

WEEK 7: News and the Marketplace (of Ideas)10-2: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “News in the Marketplace” 109-127

Doris Graber, Mass Media, “Ownership, Regulation, and Guidance of Media” 27-4510-4: Robert G. Picard, The Press, “Money, Media, and the Public Interest” 337-350

WEEK 8: The Press in Practice10-9: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “News Sources” 127-146

Robert M. Entman, The Press, “The Nature and Sources of News” 48-6510-11: Doris Graber, Mass Media, “News Making and News Reporting Routines” 75-110

WEEK 9: Fall Break10-16: NO CLASS (Fall Break)10-18: NO CLASS (Fall Break)

WEEK 10: Narrative Journalism10-23: *Jim Sheeler, “Final Salute”

Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “News as Literature and Narrative”10-25: Doris Graber, Mass Media, “The Media as Policy Makers” 129-158

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Jim Sheeler Public Lecture (Mandatory Attendance)

WEEK 11: News and Political Campaigns10-30: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “The Political Culture of News” 147-160

Doris Graber, Mass Media, “The Struggle for Control…” 225-25811-1: Doris Graber, Mass Media, “Elections in the Internet Age” 193-224

WEEK 12: Election Week!11-6: Doris Graber, “Media Influence on Attitudes and Behaviors” 159-192

Thomas Patterson & Philip Seib, “Informing the Public” 189-20211-8: Esther Thorson, “Mobilizing Citizen Participation” 203-220

WEEK 13: Freedom of the Press11-13: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “Law, Democracy, and News” 188-204

Doris Graber, Mass Media, “Press Freedom and the Law” 49-74B. Sanford & Jane E. Kirtley, The Press, “The First Amendment Tradition and Its Critics” 263-276

11-15: NO CLASS (ASA Conference)

WEEK 14: Underrepresented Publics11-20: Doris Graber, Mass Media, “Covering the Justice System and State and Local News” 259-285

Pamela Newkirk, The Press, “The Minority Press: Pleading Our Own Cause” 81-9111-22: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)

WEEK 15: The Future of News11-27: Michael Schudson, The Sociology of News, “The First News Revolution…” 205-230

*Nicholas Lemann, “Amateur Hour: Journalism Without Journalists”11-29: J. Carey & N. Hicks Maynard, The Press, “The Future of News, The Future of Journalism” 415-432

WEEK 16: Imperiled Democracy?12-4: Doris Graber, Mass Media, “Current Trends and Future Directions in Media Policy” 316-34812-6: Michael Schudson, “The News Media and the Democratic Process”

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