The Image of the Journalist

JOURNALISM 576 SYLLABUS1

JOURNALISM 576

THE IMAGE OF THE JOURNALIST

IN POPULAR CULTURE SEMINAR

3 Units – Wednesday – 2 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.

ASC 240

 Joe Saltzman, 2010

JOURNALISM 576

THE IMAGE OF THE JOURNALIST IN POPULAR CULTURE SEMINAR

SYLLABUS

PLAGIARISM/ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Plagiarism is defined as taking ideas or writings from another and passing them off as one’s own. In journalism, this includes appropriating the reporting of another without clear attribution. The following is the School of Journalism’s policy on academic integrity as published in the University catalogue: “Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating on examinations, or purchasing papers or other assignments, will receive a failing grade in the course and be dismissed as a major from the School of Journalism. There are no exceptions to the school’s policy.”

ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS

Any student requesting academic accommodations 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 me as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The DSP phone number is 213-740-0776.

INTERNSHIPS

The value of professional internships as part of the overall educational experience of our students has long been recognized by the School of Journalism. Accordingly, while internships are not required for successful completion of this course, any student enrolled in this course who undertakes and completes an approved, non-paid internship during this semester shall earn academic extra credit herein of an amount equal to one percent of the total available semester points for this course.

To receive instructor approval, a student must request an internship letter from the Annenberg Career Development Office and bring it to the instructor to sign by the end of the third week of classes. The student must submit the signed letter to the media organization, along with the evaluation form provided by the Career Development Office. The form should be filled out by the intern supervisor and returned to the instructor at the end of the semester. No credit will be given if an evaluation form is not turned in to the instructor by the last day of class. Note: The internship must be unpaid and can only be applied to one journalism class.

Joe Saltzman, Professor of Journalism. Director of the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC), a project of the Norman Lear Center, USC Annenberg (

Office: 213-740-3918

Home: 310-377-8883

Cell: 310-663-1390

E-Mail:

Office Hours:

Monday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Wednesday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

By appointment.

You will be graded on:

Evaluation-Reviews 10 percent

Research Materials for Final Paper 10 percent

Summary of Final Paper10 percent

Oral Presentation of Paper20 percent

First Draft of Final Paper20 percent

Second Draft of Final Paper 30 percent

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this class is to produce a publishable paper on the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture. You will be asked to come up with an idea and its target audience, organize your research materials, outline your article, summarize your article, and complete two drafts of the final paper. Class discussion will center on the reading materials, the IJPC Database Edition, videos shown in class, and general and specific comments and dialogue on the research and writing of the final papers. This material should help you put your final paper into the proper historical, social, and cultural context.

Course Outcomes:

The final project for Journalism 576 (The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture Graduate Seminar) is a publishable paper on some aspect of the IJPC. It can be an article for a peer-review academic journal such as The IJPC Journal or Journalism & Mass Communications Quarterly or any of the popular culture journals, an article for a popular magazine, or an article for the IJPC Web site, (See Student Research Papers).

TEXTBOOK – WEB SITE – DATABASE

The required textbook is Frank Capra and The Image of the Journalist in American Film, a publication of The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC), a project of the Norman Lear Center, USC Annenberg. It was written by Joe Saltzman and is available at the USC Bookstore.

The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC), a project of the Norman Lear Center, has a Web site that has valuable information for the class –

The most important resource is THE IMAGE OF THE JOURNALIST IN POPULAR CULTURE (IJPC) DATABASE©. The Online IJPC Database isavailable at the ijpc.org website.

LIST OF SUGGESTED READINGS

The following excerpts from various books, magazines and newspapers make up the suggested readings:

Barris, Alex, Stop the Presses! The Newspaperman in American Films, A.S. Barnes and Co., South Brunswick and New York, 1976. Chapter 2: “The Reporter as Crime Buster,” pp. 22-54. Chapter 3: “The Reporter as Scandalmonger,” pp. 55-77. Chapter 4, “The Reporter as Crusader,” pp. 78-95. Chapter 7: “The Sob Sister,” pp. 139-156.

Bergman, Andrew, We’re in the Money: Depression America and Its Films, Harper-Colophon Books, Paperback, Harper & Row, New York, 1983. Chapter 2: “The Shyster and the City,” pp. 18-29.

Courson, Maxwell Taylor, The Newspaper Movies: An Analysis of the Rise and Decline of the News Gatherer as a Hero in American Motion Pictures, 1900-1974, a Dissertation submitted to the Graduate Division of the University of Hawaii in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies, August, 1976. Chapter III: “Type-casting the Fourth Estate,” pp. 33 to 65. Chapter IV: “News Gatherers in Films,” pp. 66-127.

Ehrlich, Matthew C, Journalism in the Movies, University of Illinois Press. Ehrlich, associate professor at the University of Illinois Department of Journalism, has studied and written about journalism movies for 15 years and has been an invaluable resource to the IJPC.

Good, Howard, Outcasts: The Image of Journalists in Contemporary Film, The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Metuchen, N.J. & London, 1989. “Shared Fictions,” pp. 7-25. Also Girl Reporter: Gender, Journalism and Movies,1998, and The Drunken Journalist: The Biography of a Film Stereotype.

Kael, Pauline, “Raising Kane,” 1971, in The Citizen Kane Book, Limelight Edition, 1984, pp. 3-84.

Ness, Richard R., From Headline Hunter to Superman: A Journalism Filmography, Scarecrow Press. Published: 1997. A guide to more than 2,100 feature films dealing with journalism. An excellent resource.

Robards, Books, “Newshounds and Sob Sisters: The Journalist Goes to Hollywood,” in Beyond the Stars: Stock Characters in American Popular Film, by Paul Loukides and Linda K. Fuller, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, Bowling Green, Ohio, 1990, pp. 131-145.

Rosen, Marjorie, Popcorn Venus: Women, Movies and the American Dream, Coward McCann and Geogheagan, New York, 1973, pp. 133-140.

Sikov, Ed, Screwball: Hollywood’s Madcap Romantic Comedies, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1989. Chapter 7: “Caught in the Press: The Newspaper Screwball,” pp. 156-173.

CLASS SCHEDULE

CLASS ONE (January 16): Introduction

Assignment: Idea for Final Paper on some aspect of the image of the journalist in popular culture. IJPC Database Report. Evaluation-Reviews.

Required Reading:IJPC Database Introduction (ijpc.org). Saltzman, “Analyzing the Images of the Journalist in Popular Culture: a Unique Method of Studying the Public’s Perception of Its Journalists and the News Media.” Ghiglione-Saltzman, “Fact or Fiction: Hollywood Looks at the News,” both available on Matthew C. Ehrlich, “Studying the Journalist in Popular Culture,” pp. 1-11, The IJPC Journal, Volume One – Fall 2009.

Suggested Readings: Good, pp. 7-25. Taylor, Chapter 4 (pp. 66-127). Robards, pp. 131-145.

CLASS TWO (January 23): The Research Paper: Discussion of Ideas

Assignment: Idea for Final Paper. 1st Evaluation-Review.

Required Reading: Saltzman, “The Male Journalists,” pp. 8-52. Saltzman, “The Female Journalists,” pp. 53-82.

Suggested Readings: Taylor, Chapter 3, pp. 33-65. Barris, Chapters 2 (pp. 22-54), 4 (pp. 78-95), and 7 (pp. 139-156).

CLASS THREE (January 30): The Research Paper: Research Methods

Assignment: Idea Approved. Begin Research on Final Paper

Required Reading: Amanda Rossi, “Looking to the Margins: The “Outsider Within Journalistic Fiction,” pp. 105-137. The IJPC Journal, Volume 1, Fall 2009. Saltzman, “The Editors,” pp. 83-108.

Suggested Readings: Barris, Chapter 3, pp. 55-77. Bergman, pp. 18-29.

CLASS FOUR (February 6): The Research Paper: Research Methods

Assignment: Working Title for Final Paper. 2nd Evaluation-Review.

Required Reading: “The Image of the Public Relations Practitioner in Movies and Television, 1901, 2011 plus Appendix, The IJPC Journal, Volume 3, Fall 2011-Spring 2012, pp. 1-85.

Suggested Readings: Sikov, Chapter 7, pp. 156-173. Rosen, pp. 133-140.

CLASS FIVE (February 13): The Research Paper: Research Methods

Assignment: Research Final Paper

CLASS SIX (February 20): The Image of the Journalist in Films

Assignment: List of Research Materials for Final Paper. 3rd Evaluation-Review.

Required Reading: Saltzman, “The Publishers and Media Tycoons,” pp. 109-128.

Suggested Readings: Kael, “Raising Kane,” from The Citizen Kane Book.

CLASS SEVEN (February 27): The Image of the Journalist in Television

Assignment: Research Final Paper

CLASS EIGHT (March 6): The Image of the Journalist in Fiction

Assignment: Summary of Final Paper.

CLASS NINE (March 13): Summary of the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture

Assignment: Writing First Draft of Final Paper. 4th Evaluation-Review

WEEK TEN (March20 – SPRING BREAK)

CLASS ELEVEN (March 27): Research Paper Oral Presentations

Assignment: Writing First Draft of Final Paper.

CLASS TWELVE (April 3): Research Paper Summary Oral Presentations

Assignment: Deadline - **First Draft of Final Paper**

CLASS THIRTEEN (April 10): Research Paper Summary Oral Presentations

Assignment: 5th Evaluation-Review

Required Reading: Saltzman, “Conclusion,” pp.141-148.

CLASS FOURTEEN (April 17): Research Paper Summary Oral Presentations

CLASS FIFTEEN (April 24): Summary of Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture

Return of First Draft Final Paper and Discussion

CLASS SIXTEEN (May 1) – Final Day of Class

Assignment: Second Draft of Final Paper

SECOND DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER DUE ON FINAL EXAMINATION DAY

at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, 2013

Turn in the hard copy first draft uncorrected and send an electronic copy of the SECOND DRAFT OF YOUR ARTICLE to as a Word Attachment.

TERM PROJECT – FINAL PAPER

THE IDEA

The idea for your final paper should be quite specific and doable within the confines of the one-semester class. No matter what subject you select, you will be asked to do a complete profile of the character (or characters), a complete episode or literary guide summarizing not only the episode’s (or other item’s) content but also the specific references to journalism, an analysis of how this particular program or series fits into the historical context of the image of the journalist in popular culture, including its impact on its viewers or readers, and an analysis of how various social science theories and literature apply to your particular journalist and its image in popular culture.

You can choose from the following areas:

*A series of novels or a specific novel featuring a journalist or journalists.

*A television or radio program or series that features a journalist or journalists.

*A motion picture or a series of motion pictures featuring a journalist or journalists.

*A cartoon series, comic strip, or comic book series featuring a journalist or

journalists.

*A soap opera featuring a journalist or journalists.

*A video game or series of video games featuring a journalist or journalists.

*Your own topic for approval by instructor based on the IJPC database materials.

RESEARCH AGENDA

1. Make sure you have all the material available on your subject. Go through the IJPC Database, the IJPC Web site and any other Internet or Library databases that will give you a complete list of the films, television programs, fiction, radio shows, commercials, games, and other popular culture areas involving your subject.

2. Get other opinions including critical reviews and any other research on your topic or similar topics.

3. Get all the books and articles you can find on your subject area. Wikipedia can be used for reference but not as a source. Use it as a tip sheet.

4. Interviews with people involved in the TV program or movie or novel. Authors, critics, and various participants can add important material to supplement your research.

5. Once your idea is approved, make an appointment to get the items you need out of the IJPC Collection if they are not available anywhere else. If you have to buy DVD sets or novels or any other materials, the IJPC will pay for them as long as you give them to the IJPC Collection after the class is over. Either bring a receipt for the materials or let Saltzman purchase them for you..

6. Interview social scientists, especially faculty in the School of Communication to see if there are any social science research and theories that might apply to your subject.

7. Study the IJPC Web site (ijpc.org), especially the student research papers and other articles, so you will be able to place your image of the journalist in context with other images of the journalist.

Literature Review

Here is what people have written about African-American Journalists (your subject)

Here is what people have written about the image of the journalist in popular culture

Here is what people have written about African-Americans in general (your subject)

Methodology

Based on what others have written, here’s what I read (novels) and here’s what I looked for (specific character types, themes).

A journalism scholar who’s also a jazz musician compared the lit review/method section to playing the main theme that everyone should recognize, which then is followed by the improvisation (i.e. the musician’s own take on the established chords).

LIST OF RESEARCH MATERIALS ASSIGNMENT

Turn in a complete list of research materials you will be using for your IJPC Research Paper. Be specific and thorough in listing all of your materials.

Use proper style throughout – use the Frank Capra book or the Chicago Manual of Style for reference as to how to list books, articles, films, and so on. Also pay attention to style, spelling, grammar, and presentation. This is an official assignment, not a collection of your research notes.

1. List each of the direct research materials – specific films, television programs, fiction, comic books, commercials, etc. – you will be discussing in your paper. Examples: If you are doing a television program, list each episode with a description of characters and the journalism contained in that episode (if available at this time.). List each novel with a description of the characters and the journalism in each novel. List each film with a description of the characters and journalism in each film.

2. List all of the secondary research materials you will be using in your paper:

A. Books

B. Magazine and/or Newspaper Articles

C. Internet Sources – give exact Web site addresses and specific references.

D. Other films, television episodes, fiction, comic books, etc. that you will be referring to in your paper, but are not the primary sources.

3. List all of the research materials you plan to use to compare your specific image of the journalist to all the images of the journalist in popular culture.

4. List all of the research materials you plan to use to compare your specific image of the journalist to other social science theories and research involving your specific journalist (female, broadcast, print, gay, African-American, and so on).

5. List all possible interviews if any. Name the person and give a brief description of why you are interviewing that person for your paper.

6. List any other research materials you will be using that are not included above.

CHECK LIST OF BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ARTICLE

1. An abstract – a paragraph explaining what the paper is all about, what your hypothesis is, what you plan to prove, and why it is important.

2. Give a nutshell description of the films, TV programs, novels, short stories, or whatever you are analyzing so anyone reading the paper who is not familiar with the works knows what they are about.

3. A qualitative analysis of the subject including a complete biography of your fictional journalist, Make sure you include some indication of popularity or lack of popularity (i.e., TV ratings, box office receipts, print runs, best-seller lists, etc.). Did people see the products you are discussing? Were they popular?

4. Put your individual topic into context of other images of the journalist in popular culture as presented in other research. Show how your particular subject differs and is similar to other images of the journalist.