Syllabus for MRTS 1310
Perspectives on Broadcast, Cable & Internet Technologies
(Fall 2017)
Tuesday/Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:20 a.m.
Room 184, RTFP
Instructor: Russ Campbell, Principal LecturerOffice: RTFP 274
Phone: 940-565-2554
Email:
Official Advising Time: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Other times by appointment.
First, if you are having difficulty with this course, at any point during the semester, please talk with me. My contact information is listed above, and is made available for you to use. Please do not hesitate to contact me, if you have questions.
Please note. In general, out of concern for privacy and confidentiality related to the discussion of student grades I will not discuss grade specifics via email. If you have grade concerns or have questions that require more than a brief response, please contact me in person or by telephone. If my office hours do not fit your schedule, please, by all means contact to set up a time to meet.
During the hours shown as advising hours above, other duties may, upon occasion, require me to be away from the office. With this in mind, please call before you come by whenever possible. I make note of this for your benefit, so you won't make a wasted trip.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to provide an overview of the ever-changing world of electronic media, encompassing broadcast, cable, social media and Internet-based content distribution platforms. Included in this overview will be an examination of the development of the electronic media from historical, physical, social, legal, ethical, and economic perspectives.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this course, students will:
· Have an understanding of the common historical pattern of invention, experimentation, adoption, disruption, innovation, monetization, adaptation, and regulation associated with the emergence of electronic media technologies.
· Know specialized terminology and concepts related to the field.
· Have a foundation for further study of the social impacts, legal and ethical issues, economic practices, and audience measurement methodologies related to electronic media.
COURSE CONTENT
1. Material assigned as reading from the text, Electronic Media: Then, Now, and Later, 3rd edition by Norman J. Medoff and Barbara K. Kaye.
This will include expansion on the text, but it will also include things not appearing in the text. Anything is fair game, from material provided on Blackboard (see number 2 below), to anecdotes, to topics brought up in class by class members, etc.
2. Blackboard. Links to text, video and other materials will be provided on Blackboard to further illustrate and expand on topics discussed in class. It is expected that you will check Blackboard on a daily basis. Also, PowerPoint outlines for each chapter will be provided. Additionally, one or more lectures and associated quizzes may be administered on Blackboard. If this occurs, instructions will be provided on how to access these elements. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me directly. Blackboard can be accessed using any computer workstation with internet access including those that are available in the general access computer labs.
3. Tests. There will be 3 major tests, numerous pop quizzes, and a final exam.
GRADING AND ATTENDANCE POLICY
Grading. As stated in the above course outline, there will be three major tests, a number of pop quizzes, and a final exam. The values attached to the individual elements are as shown in the grade calculation table on page 4.
Test Day Absences. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are absent on the day of a major test, to be eligible for consideration to take a make-up test, you must talk to me ONTHE TEST DAY to advise of your particular situation. Simply sending an email, text, or leaving a voice mail IS NOT sufficient. Upon your return to class, you must provide a bona fide doctor's excuse or other documentation confirming the reason for your absence. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a score of zero for any missed test.
In the event you are allowed to take a make-up test, it will be given on the next possible weekday. Make-up tests may be oral, multiple choice, or essay at the discretion of the instructor.
THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR MAKING-UP POP QUIZZES. If you miss a class or are late for class and a pop quiz is in progress, or has concluded, your grade for that pop quiz will be zero. Please note that the lowest pop quiz grade is automatically dropped by the grade calculation formula, so missing only one quiz will not affect your pop quiz average.
If multiple quizzes are missed due to illness, please supply written doctor’s excuses or similar documentation. As noted above, the quizzes cannot be made up, but if they were missed due to documented illness that fact will be taken into consideration in the final calculation of your overall grade.
Drop Policy. Please do not assume you will be automatically, administratively dropped for non-attendance. If you decide not to complete this course for any reason, it is your responsibility to be aware of all pertinent drop dates and deadlines published in the university’s academic calendar and to complete all paperwork and obtain necessary signatures in a timely manner.
Absences for University-sanctioned activities. If you are a member of a UNT athletic team, musical group, or other university-sanctioned activity that requires you to miss class, please furnish the appropriate written permission before your absence.
Absences related to personal travel. Please do not purchase airline tickets or make other plans that conflict with test date, assignment due dates, or the final exam. Missing an exam or assignment because of personal or business travel will not be considered an excused absence.
Any questions concerning these policies should be directed to me in class. If YOU have a question about it, most likely someone else does.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION
The MRTS Department cooperates with the Office of Disability Accommodation to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students (cf. Americans with Disabilities Act & Section 504, Rehabilitation Act). If you have a disability for which you will require accommodation or if you have not registered with ODA, we encourage you to do so. Please present your written Accommodation Request to the Instructor on or before the 12th class day.
PLEASE READ: ACADEMIC DISHONESTY, including but not limited to cheating and plagiarism. Please refer to the University of North Texas Undergraduate Catalog detailing matters of academic dishonesty. This is brought forth here to state that each student must do their own work, including that on pop quizzes, tests, and written assignments.
Acceptable Student Behavior:
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr
The Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) is a requirement for all organized classes at UNT. This short survey will be made available to you at the end of the semester, providing you a chance to comment on how this class is taught. The feedback it provides is designed to help improve overall teaching practices. SPOT is considered an important part of your class participation.
Mobile Device Policy. The Department of MRTS prohibits the use of personal mobile devices during class, unless otherwise allowed by the individual Instructor. If no exceptions are contained in a course syllabus, then the department policy remains in effect until changed by the Instructor.
Personal mobile devices are defined as anything and everything from cell phones to smart phones to personal handheld computers. All devices should be turned off before entering the classroom or laboratory area. Portable Laptop Computers may be used in the classroom if the student sits on the back rows.
Any student using a personal mobile device during class may have 5% deducted from their overall course grade for EACH occurrence.
GRADE CALCULATION TABLE
ELEMENTS / GRADE / X / VALUE / POINTS TOWARD FINAL GRADETEST 1 / X / 15 %
TEST 2 / X / 15 %
TEST 3 / X / 15 %
PQ AVG. / X / 15 %
ARTICLE
REVIEW / X / 15%
FINAL EXAM / X / 25%
FINAL GRADE
POP QUIZ GRADES:
# 1 ______# 2 ______# 3 ______# 4 ______# 5 ______
# 6 ______# 7 ______# 8 ______# 9 ______# 10 ______
#11 ______# 12 ______#13 ______
TOTAL OF POP QUIZ SCORES DIVIDED BY TOTAL NUMBER OF POP
QUIZZES = AVG. OF POP QUIZZES
THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
In a class like this, I have learned, over time, that it is best to put in writing certain ground rules concerning the classroom environment. To that end, I have prepared what amounts to a contract which outlines, on one hand, what you can expect of me, and on the other, what I expect of you.
If after reading this, you have questions or concerns, please bring them to my attention. Otherwise, it will be assumed that you agree to abide by these guidelines.
THE CLASSROOM CONTRACT
As your instructor I agree to:
· be on time for class.
· be willing to spend at least five minutes after class on any day for individual questions or discussion.
· answer any questions about class matters to the best of
my ability.
· accept written or oral questions before or after class and respond in class.
· discuss in class any suggestions received, and to incorporate suggestions whenever possible.
· silence my cell/smart phone and electronic devices and not use them during class time for other than approved class related activities.
· dismiss class on time.
As a class member you are expected to:
· be on time for class.
· cease talking when class begins.
· refrain from talking to seatmates during class (including video presentations).
· remain seated and attentive until dismissed, and to refrain from preparing to leave until dismissed.
· enter through the back entrance if you arrive late.
· exit through the back entrance if you have to leave the classroom while class is in progress.
· silence your cell/smart phone and electronic devices and not use them during class time for other than approved class related activities*
· submit written questions if you do not wish to speak in class.
*Note: Audio or video recording during class time is only allowed with prior permission.
WRITING THE ARTICLE REVIEW
This assignment requires that the student read and review an article found in a professional periodical or scholarly journal. Normally, these types of publications are published on a regular basis and are written by scholars and/or recognized professionals in a particular field for others who work in or study the discipline.
Select an article based on the "topic assignment" assigned to your group (see attached article review assignments and due dates). Find more than one. Scan briefly through the article to evaluate its worth. Select the article that both meets the assignment criteria and is interesting to you.
Please note that the primary purpose of this assignment is not to obtain your opinion on a given subject. Rather, it is designed to collect a factual representation of the data provided by the author(s) in the particular article you choose. The end result should give the reader a more than basic understanding of the article's content. Your opinion or personal expression concerning the contents of the article is important, but should be limited to the last item called for by the format.
Format and other requirements for the article review assignment:
1. If the article you wish to use does not appear in one of the following industry-related periodicals or academic journals, you must get prior approval from the instructor: Advertising Age, Adweek, AEJMC News, American Journalism Review, Atlanta Review of Journalism History, Atlantic Journal of Communication, Broadcast Television, Broadcasting & Cable, College Media Review, Columbia Journalism Review, Communication Law & Policy, Convergence: The Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Convergent Journalism, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, EBU Technical Review, Federal Communications Law Journal, Games and Culture, Global Media & Communication, Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television, Hollywood Reporter, IEEE Communications Magazine, InterMedia, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Journal of Communication, Journal of Communications Media Studies, Journal of Current Issues in Media & Telecommunications, Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Journal of Media & Religion, Journal of Media Business Studies, Journal of Media Economics, Journal of Media Practice, Journal of Media Research, Journal of New Communications Research, Journal of Popular Culture, Journal of Popular Film & Television, Journal of Radio & Audio Media, Journal of Radio Studies, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism Quarterly, Journalism Studies, Mass Communication & Society, Media Daily News, Media Studies Journal, Media, Culture & Society, Mediacaster, Mediawatch, MediaWeek, Multichannel News, New Media & Society, New Media Journal, News Media & the Law, Online Journal of Communication & Media Technologies, Pacific Journalism Review, Political Media Review, Politics & the Press: The News Media & their Influences, Radio Ink, Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, Radio World Magazine, Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, Television & New Media, TVNewscheck, Television Quarterly, Variety
2. The selected article must have a publication date that is no earlier than January 1, 2013.
3. The assignment must be typed using 12 point font, single-spaced, and have a word count ranging from 375 to 500 words including required paragraph headings.