Syllabus Politics and the Media (POLS137) Professor Gierzynski

Syllabus
Politics and the Media (POLS137)
Spring 2014
T Th 1:00 – 2:15
Laf207
Professor Gierzynski
Old Mill 513
656-7973
[email protected]
Office Hours: M 10-11, T 2:30-4:00,
Th 11:30-12, or by appointment
How do we obtain information about the political world? Aside from family, friends, and school, the largest
source of political information—and especially current information—is obtained via media. Few people directly
observe party conventions, congressional subcommittee meetings, presidential staff meetings, interest group
lobbying, or even candidate rallies. Instead they see, hear and read about these events through the eye of the
camera, the voice of radio, or the words of reporters. The fact that for most people media represent the window
on the world of politics means that media can significantly affect what we think about when we think about
politics, what aspects of politics we focus on, how we evaluate political events, personalities and institutions, and
ultimately how we act, politically. This pivotal position media hold between the government and the public also
means that media can significantly affect government action, since its coverage can affect support for government
programs. The purpose of this course is to explore the role media plays in U.S. politics by examining how media
presentations and interpretation of events affects public opinion and government policy. My hope is that by the
end of the semester you will have become more aware of the ever-changing nature of the media in the US and of
the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that media influence government, politics and public opinion, especially your
own politics and opinions.
Required Texts:
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Wolfsfeld, Making Sense of Media and Politics
Dagnes, Politics on Demand
Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death
Gierzynski, Saving American Elections (I recommend a Kindle Student edition as the cheapest way to get this
book, see Amazon.com)
Baym, From Cronkite to Colbert
Miscellaneous other readings posted on Black Board or to be determined
Recommended:
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Gierzynski, Harry Potter and the Millennials
Jackson and Jamieson, UnSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation
http://factcheck.org/
Internet site of the Pew Research Journalism Project: http://www.journalism.org/ (sign up for the Daily
Briefing!)
The Columbia Review of Journalism, http://www.cjr.org/
NPR’s “On the Media”, http://www.onthemedia.org/
“The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report”
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Course Requirements:
The work you will be expected to do for the course includes completing a series of quizzes and exercises,
discussing course material in class (to attain the highest participation grade, you must have a great attendance
record and contribute to class discussions in a way that indicate you have read the assigned course material and
given it some critical thought), writing one or more media observation papers, and a comprehensive final exam.
Announced quizzes will be short-answer or mini-essays. I will give you study guides for these quizzes and select
the quiz questions at random from these study guides for you to answer in class. Pop quizzes will be short answer
questions based on the readings or class discussions. Additionally, I will, once or on a number of occasions, ask
you to observe and collect information on various media outlets, write papers about the observations and then
discuss your observations in class.
It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: keeping up with the readings and attending class will greatly
improve your performance on the quizzes and exercises, the final, and participation. There will be NO MAKE UP
QUIZZES.
The weight given to the requirements will be as follows:
Participation
Quizzes (announced and pop) & Exercises
Media Observation Project(s)
Final
10%
45%
20%
25%
Classroom Protocol
1. Students are expected to attend and be prepared for ALL regularly scheduled classes.
2. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay in class until the class period ends. If a student knows in
advance that s/he will need to leave early, s/he should notify the instructor before the class period begins.
3. Students are expected to treat faculty and fellow students with respect. For example, students must not
disrupt class by leaving and reentering during class, must not distract class by making noise, and must be
attentive to comments being made by the instructor and peers.
4. Instructors will inform students of any special additions.
Failure to follow this protocol will lead to whatever grade penalty I deem appropriate.
Class Outline and Readings
I. Introduction
A. Subtopics
1. The End of the Media as We Know It
2. The Role of the Media
3. A Framework for Understanding Media and Politics
4. Methodological Note
B. Questions
1. How can one understand media and its effects on politics in a system in which change come at
warp speed?
2. How are media and its effect on politics studied?
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C.
Readings
1. Wolfsfeld, Making Sense of Media and Politics
2. Dagnes, Politics on Demand
3. “State of the News Media 2013,” Overview, http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/overview-5/
II. The Political, Economic and Cultural Context
A. Questions
1. How does the political, economic and cultural context effect media production?
2. What role do the media play in shaping the nature of the political, economic and cultural context?
B. Readings
1. Gierzynski, Saving American Elections, Chapters 1-6
2. Baym, From Cronkite to Colbert
III. The Forms of Media
A. Questions
1. How does the form of the media affect the nature of media output?
2. How have recent forms of media changed political discourse?
3. What are possible future forms of media and how might they affect political discourse?
B. Readings
1. Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death
IV. Organizations and Media
A. Questions
1. What organizations produce media content?
2. How do organizational incentives shape media output?
3. How do media affect the fortunes of political organizations? How do those political organizations
influence media production?
B. Readings (TBA)
V. Individuals and Media
A. Questions
1. What individuals are involved in the production of media output and how do they influence the
nature of that output?
2. How do individuals outside of media organizations influence output?
B. Readings
1. “Principles of Journalism,” http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles-of-journalism/
2. “SotNM,” “Commentary on the Survey Findings,”
http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/journalist_survey_commentary.php?cat=1&media=3
3. “Journalism, Satire, or Just Laughs? ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,’ Examined,”
http://www.journalism.org/files/legacy/Daily%20Show%20PDF_3.pdf
VI. Audiences
A. Questions
1. Who uses what media and how?
2. Audience pressures on the development of the media product.
3. The effect of the media on audiences
B. Readings
1. Gierzynski, Harry Potter and the Millennials, Introduction, and Chapters 1 and 2
2. Gierzynski, Saving American Elections, Chapter 8
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VII. Pulling it All Together: A Dynamic Framework for Understanding Media and Politics
A. Questions
1. How does the framework explain media and politics?
2. What does the framework suggest as far as improving the media and the political system?
B. Readings
1. Gierzynski, Saving American Elections, Conclusion
2. Review solutions offered by other authors discussed during the semester
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