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COMM 207

Economic Thinking for Communication and Journalism

Fall 2010

Section: 20400R 2 units, W 2:00-3:20 PM, ASC G34

Instructors: Ernest J. Wilson III, Ph.D., Dean

Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism

Paolo Sigismondi, Ph.D.

E-mails and Office Hours: , W 3:30-4:30 PM

, T 1:30-3:30 PM and by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces microeconomic and macroeconomic principles analyzing contemporary issues in media, communication and journalism industries from an economic perspective. The course begins with two introductory lectures on economic principles and political economy for communication and journalism, and then applies these principles to three core industries/platforms: broadcasting, the newspaper industry, and the Internet. Each industry will be analyzed in a series of lectures focusing on its history, political economy, recent evolutions and current issues. Political economy is the discipline that explores and explains how markets intersect with government, and how in media and communication industries stakeholders attempt to translate their commercial power into political influence and vice versa.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this course is to teach communication and journalism students about some of the most important issues across the core media industries – commercial broadcasting, public service media, newspapers and the Internet – by examining critical political and economic factors that shape them. The course will increase the economic literacy of the participants and provide a consistent set of core questions and concepts – a tool kit – to help analyze, innovate, lead, and be successful in these and other industries. The students will leave the class equipped to understand the political and economic dynamics that are shaping the evolution of journalism, communications and media.

REQUIRED TEXT

Turow, J. (2009). Media today: An introduction to mass communication (3rd edition). New York: Routledge.

The rest of the readings are on reserve at the Annenberg Resource Center, or are available on line. There will be additional short readings distributed in class, or posted on Blackboard, on current evolutions of the industries analyzed.

ADA COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

Any student requesting academic accommodation based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to your instructor as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is 213-740-0776.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The Annenberg School for Communication is committed to upholding the University’s Academic Integrity code as detailed in the Scampus guide. It is the policy of the School of Communication to report all violations of the code. Any serious violations or pattern of violations of the Academic Integrity Code will result in the student’s expulsion from the Communication major or minor.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1.  Class participation. Students are expected to make informed contributions to class discussions and online activities, coming to class having completed all assigned readings.

2.  Midterm exam. There will be a closed book midterm exam on October 13.

3.  Course project. Students will conduct research in groups on a topic related to this course. The final presentations will take place in the last week of classes, and they must include visual aids and a short paper (5-7 pages suggested).

4.  Final exam. The final exam will take place on December 10, 2:00-4:00 PM.

GRADING

Requirements will be weighed as follows:

Class participation 10% - 50 points

Midterm exam 30% - 150 points

Course project 30% - 150 points

Final exam 30% - 150 points

Total 100% - 500 points

Tentative Course Schedule

Week 1. Introduction to Course (Aug. 25)

Media Today – Chapter 2 (pp. 38-79)

Week 2. Microeconomic - Macroeconomic Principles and Political Economy for

Communication and Journalism (Sep. 1)

Media Today - Chapter 3 (pp. 80-141)

Doyle, G. (2002) Understanding Media Economics. London: Sage

Available through the USC electronic library system at:

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uscisd/docDetail.action?docID=10076758

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Media Economics (pp. 1-15)

Chapter 2 - Corporate Strategies (pp. 17-38).

Week 3. Broadcasting - History (Sep. 8)

Media Today - Chapter 11, Radio (pp. 419-434), Chapter 13, Television (pp. 505-519)

Week 4. Broadcasting - Current Issues: Markets and Players (Sep. 15)

Media Today - Chapter 13 (pp. 519-542)

Week 5. The Political Economy of Broadcasting (Sep. 22)

Islam, R. (2008). Information and public choice: From media market to policy making. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

Available through the USC electronic library system at:

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uscisd/docDetail.action?docID=10246344

Chapter 9 - Fostering an independent media with diversity of views (pp. 139-152)

Chapter 10 - Media regulation in the United States (pp. 153-176)

Doyle, G. (2002) Understanding Media Economics. London: Sage

Available through the USC electronic library system at:

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uscisd/docDetail.action?docID=10076758

Chapter 9 - Media Economics and Public Policy (pp.161-174)

Week 6. Public Broadcasting (Sep. 29)

Somerset-Ward, R (2008). The Meeting of two cultures: Public Broadcasting on the threshold of the digital age. New York: Carnegie Corporation. Available at:

http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/PDF/CarnegieJournalismReport2008.pdf

Week 7. The Newspaper Industry – History (Oct. 6)

Media Today - Chapter 8 (pp. 299-322)

Week 8. MIDTERM EXAM (Oct. 13)

Week 9. The Newspaper Industry - Current Issues: Markets and Players (Oct. 20)

Media Today - Chapter 8 (pp. 322-338)

Week 10. The Political Economy of Newspapers (Oct. 27)

Starr, P. (2004). The Political Origins of Modern Communications, in The Creation of the Media (pp. 1-19). New York: Basic Books.

Gentzkow, M., Glaeser, E. L. & Goldin, C. (2004). The rise of the forth estate: How newspapers became informative and why it mattered. Available at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w10791

Week 11. The Print Media in a Digital Landscape (Nov. 3)

Media Today - Chapter 7, Books (pp. 262-297), Chapter 9, Magazines (pp. 342-377)

Week 12. The Internet - History (Nov. 10)

Castells, M. (2001). Lessons from the History of the Internet, in The Internet Galaxy (pp. 9-35). New York: Oxford University Press.

Week 13. The Internet - Current Issues: Markets and Players (Nov. 17)

Media Today - Chapter 6 (pp. 249-256), Chapter 14 (pp. 546-568)

AOL case study: The evolutions of a leading ISP

Week 14. The Political Economy of the Internet (Nov. 24)

Wilson, E. J. III & Wong, K. E. (2006) (Ed.) Negotiating the Net in Africa: The Politics of Internet Diffusion.(pp.1-16, 105-135, 173-195). Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Suggested reading:

Wilson, E. J. III (2004). The Information Revolution and Developing Countries. MIT Press (Chapter 2 Strategic Restructuring: A framework for analysis, pp. 37-109).

Week 15. Lessons Learned & Project Presentations (Dec. 1)

FINAL EXAM: December 10, 2:00-4:00PM.