JOUR 5001: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON JOURNALISM Fall 2012, Tuesdays 5:30 8:50 pm, Annenberg Hall 129 Prof.

. Carolyn Kitch ckitch@temple.edu / 215-204-5077 Office hours (AH345): Tues 2:30-4:30, Wed 9:30-11:30, Thurs 9:30-11:30 COURSE OVERVIEW, OBJECTIVES, AND FORMAT The goal of this course is to acquaint you with the content and purposes of journalism, primarily (though not only) as it is practiced in the United States. We will explore social values associated with journalism, relationships between journalism and other institutions, and current challenges facing journalists. The overall goal is to help you become a more informed and critical consumer, producer, and/or researcher of news media. Because of the topic and the size of the class, this course will operate as a seminar. Student participation is essential, as is attendance. You are expected to come to class ready to discuss the readings, especially in light of whats being reported in current news media. TEXTS Required Howard Tumber, ed. News: A Reader (Oxford University Press, 2000) Geneva Overholser & Kathleen Hall Jamieson, eds., The Press (Oxford Univ. Press, 2005) David Folkenflik, ed., Page One: Inside The New York Times and the Future of Journalism (New York: Public Affairs, 2011) Neiman Reports: Links that Bind Us (2011) this will be distributed in class Additional readings on Blackboard And the news itself, which you should follow through various sources and platforms Recommended Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism (Three Rivers Press, 2007) ASSIGNMENTS Weekly notes and class participation

Every week you will turn in written notes on the assigned readings, and youll be expected to discuss those readings in class. Your notes should be four to five pages long (double-spaced, printed in a font no larger than 12 pt., and with margins no wider than 1 inch). Although these are called notes, they should be written in full sentences that are free of errors in grammar or spelling. I will mark these on a system of , +, and -, with + for excellent notes (well written, thorough, and critically insightful), for sufficient notes, and - for insufficient notes (poorly written, incomplete, and/or superficial). This is what you should do in these notes and in preparation for our in-class discussion: 1. In one paragraph, state the themes, or arguments, that run through all or most of this weeks readings. 2. Take written notes on the main points and arguments of any three of that weeks assigned readings, and come to class prepared to discuss of them. [Note: I expect you to do all of the readings, however, and to be prepared to discuss them in class.] 3. Find a specific example from recent news or the current media landscape that illustrates a main theme from this weeks readings. If your example comes from an aggregator or via social media, find out what the storys original source was. Together, your written notes plus the quality of your in-class discussion will count for 75 percent of your final grade. This ongoing process is the main work of the class. Research paper and presentation The final assignment is a research paper that is 18 to 20 pages long (excluding references, endnotes, and/or appendices) on a topic of your choice having to do with journalism. You are expected to gather relevant and original evidence and to analyze that evidence within one or more of the theoretical contexts we have discussed during the semester. You may use any appropriate citation style (APA, MLA, or Chicago). You will be required to turn in a proposal in advance. During our last class you will turn in your written paper and present your research in class. All aspects of this assignment, together, are worth 25 percent of your final grade. CONDITIONS OF THE COURSE Grading scale and standards In this graduate class, an A represents outstanding or exceptional work

3 that fulfills the assignment with excellence in content and execution. A B indicates competent work that nevertheless is not a full or well-executed completion of the assignment. A C means that the work is within the parameters of the assignment but is significantly lacking in content and execution. I do not use the D grade in graduate classes. A failing grade of F means that assignments were not turned in or were very poorly executed, or that the student has been academically dishonest (see below). A plus or a minus may be used when the quality of an assignment falls between the definitions of two letter grades. All students are expected to demonstrate a good command of English grammar and spelling, and writing quality will be a factor in grades. Moreover, you must write these notes in your own words. Do not simply copy the authors wording. That is plagiarism (see below). Simply changing a few words here or there does not remove such copying from the realm of plagiarism. The quality and quantity of your participation in this semester also is a significant factor in your grade, as is your attendance (see below). Academic honesty The following statement is from the online Temple University Graduate School Bulletin: Academic honesty and integrity constitute the root of the educational process at Temple University. Intellectual growth relies on the development of independent thought and respect for the thoughts of others. To foster this independence and respect, plagiarism and academic cheating are prohibited. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another individuals ideas, words, labor, or assistance. All coursework submitted by a student, including papers, examinations, laboratory reports, and oral presentations, is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. When it is not, that assistance must be reported to the instructor. If the work involves the consultation of other resources such as journals, books, or other media, those resources must be cited in the appropriate style. All other borrowed material, such as suggestions for organization, ideas, or actual language, must also be cited. Failure to cite any borrowed material, including information from the internet, constitutes plagiarism. Academic cheating results when the general rules of academic work or the specific rules of individual courses are broken. It includes falsifying data; submitting, without the instructors approval, work in one course that was done for another; helping others to plagiarize or cheat from ones own or anothers work; or undertaking the work of another person. The penalty for academic dishonesty can vary from a reprimand and receiving a failing grade for a particular assignment, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the University. The penalty varies

4 with the nature of the offense. Students who believe that they have been unfairly accused may appeal through their school/colleges academic grievance procedure and, ultimately, to the Graduate Board if academic dismissal has occurred. Further explanation of plagiarism is provided in this passage adapted from the Temple University Statement on Academic Honesty for Students in Undergraduate Courses (despite its title, this policy applies to graduate students as well). The italicized sentences are my own clarification; the rest is from the statement. There are many forms of plagiarism: repeating another persons sentence as your own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, paraphrasing someone elses argument as your own, or even presenting someone elses line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own. It is perfectly acceptable to use the ideas and words of other people, but we must never submit someone elses work as if it were our own, without giving appropriate credit to the originator. In general, all sources must be identified as clearly, accurately, and thoroughly as possible. When in doubt about whether to identify a source, either cite the source or consult your instructor. Here are some specific guidelines to follow: a. Quotations. Whenever you use a phrase, sentence, or longer passage written (or spoken) by someone else, you must enclose the words in quotation marks and indicate the exact source of the material. The fact that you cite a source does not excuse your using that persons wording as if it were your own wording. If you use someone elses wording, you must put quotation marks around it and specify the source. This applies to any work that is not yours, even if the author is not identified (i.e,. it applies to language from Wikipedia and other general reference sources). b. Paraphrasing. Avoid closely paraphrasing anothers words. Substituting an occasional synonym, leaving out or adding an occasional modifier, rearranging the grammar slightly, or changing the tenses of verbs simply is sloppy copying. Good paraphrasing indicates that you have absorbed the material and are restating it in a way that contributes to your overall argument. It is best to either quote the material directly, using quotation marks, or put the ideas completely in your own words. In either case, acknowledgment is necessary. Remember: expressing someone elses ideas in your own way does not make them yours. c. Facts. In a paper, you will often use facts that you have gotten from a lecture, a written work, or some other source. If the facts are well known, it is usually not necessary to provide a source. (In a paper on American history, for example, it would not ordinarily be necessary to give a source for the statement that the Civil War began in 1861 after the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln.) But if the facts are not

5 widely known or if the facts were developed or presented by a specific source, then you should identify that source. d. Ideas. If you use an idea or ideas that you learned from a lecture, written work, or some other source, then you should identify the source. You should identify the source for an idea whether or not you agree with the idea. It does not become your original idea just because you agree with it. Attendance and missed work This course meets only once a week, and a significant amount of material will be covered every week. I realize that sometimes absences are unpredictable and unavoidable. Thats why you may be absent from one class without penalty. For each additional absence, your seminarparticipation grade will drop by half a letter grade. You still need to turn in notes for any class you miss. If something truly serious occurs that prevents your attendance, tell me. But dont just email me and say youre not feeling well; thats not an excused absence. Special needs Any student who needs accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your situation at the start of the semester. You also may contact Disability Resources and Services (at 215204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex), a university department that can coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Course conduct and sensitivity I expect you to approach this class in a professional manner. I expect you to be on time, to come prepared and to participate fully. Please turn off or mute your cell phones in class. Media issues and content cannot be thoughtfully and rigorously discussed without an occasional reference to unpopular ideas or to material some people may find offensive. Students and instructors are expected to remain sensitive to individual differences. The diversity of a multicultural society requires that we discuss differences with no anger, arrogance, or personal attacks, and without perpetuating stereotypes about gender, age, race, religious affiliation, sexual preference, national origin, dialect, or disability. Academic rights and responsibility Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty

6 Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link: http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp? policy_no=03.70.02. Access to the instructor My office hours are listed at the top of this syllabus. Occasionally I am called into faculty committee meetings during these times, and I cannot prevent such conflicts. If you email me, I should respond in some form by the following business day, assuming that I am not on academic-business travel and that the semester is still in progress.

7 WEEKLY SCHEDULE TOPICS, READINGS, & ASSIGNMENTS (subject to minor change) Unless otherwise indicated, notes on the assigned readings are due each week. Readings that are not in the textbooks are available on the course Blackboard site and are indicated with (BB). Week 1 (Aug 28): Introduction to the course Week 2 (Sept 4): Crisis or opportunity? The current landscape of journalism Downie & Schudson, The Reconstruction of American Journalism, 2009 (BB) Also at: http://www.cjr.org/reconstruction/the_reconstruction_of_america n.php Bill Gruesker, Ana Seave, and Lucas Graves, The Story So Far: What We Know about the Business of Digital Journalism, 2011 (BB) Also at: http://cjrarchive.org/img/posts/report/The_Story_So_Far.pdf Selected articles, Special Report: The News Industry, The Economist, 2011 (BB) Also at: http://www.economist.com/node/18904136 From Folkenflik Ch. 15: Miller, Literacy after the Front Page Ch. 16: Blevens, Arming the Audience Ch. 17, Overholser, The News Belongs to the Public No notes on readings due this week Week 3 (Sept 11): What is news? From Overholser & Jamieson Ch. 2: Schudson & Tifft, American Journalism in Historical Perspective Ch. 3: Entman, The Nature and Sources of News From Folkenflik Ch. 9: Bankoff, Why the NY Times Should Stop Complaining about The Huffington Post Ch. 11: Thompson, Beyond the Tyranny of the Recent Bird & Dardenne, Myth, Chronicle and Story (BB) Gans, Values in the News (BB) Week 4 (Sept 18): What is the purpose of journalism? From Overholser & Jamieson Ch. 7: Curran, What Democracy Requires of the Media Ch. 8: Schmuhl & Picard, The Marketplace of Ideas Ch. 9: McCombs, The Agenda-Setting Function of the Press Ch. 10: Bennett & Serrin, The Watchdog Role Ch. 11: Patterson & Seib, Informing the Public

8 Ch. 24: Marvin & Meyer, What Kind of Journalism Does the Public Need? Week 5 (Sept 25): Reporting and editing routines From Tumber [note that these are excerpts of longer works] Ch. 13: Fishman, Manufacturing the News Ch. 15: Schlesinger, Putting Reality Together Ch. 33: Soloski, News Reporting and Professionalism From Folkenflik Ch. 5: Lee, How the New York Times Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blog Bruns, Gatewatching (BB) Bennett, Inside the Profession (BB) Week 6 (Oct 2): Sources of news From Tumber [excerpts] Ch. 25: Sigal, Reporters and Officials Ch. 26: Gans, Deciding Whats News Ch. 27: Hall et al., Policing the Crisis Ch. 30: Ericson et al., Negotiating Control From Folkenflik Ch. 3: Shane, The Designated Redactor Ch. 4, McBridge, What Is WikiLeaks? Thats the Wrong Question Feldstein, Dummies and Ventriloquists (BB) Week 7 (Oct 9): Economic models From Overholser & Jamieson Ch. 17: Horwitz, Communications Regulation in Protecting the Public Interest Ch. 20: Picard, Money, Media and the Public Interest From Tumber [excerpts] Ch. 17: Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly Ch. 21: Tunstall, World News Duopoly From Folkenflik Ch. 6: OShea, The Deal from Hell Ch. 7: Panel Discussion: Who Should Pay for Journalism? Ch. 10: Smith, We Can All Hang Separately or Survive Together Week 8 (Oct 16): Citizen journalism and community From Folkenflik Ch. 8: Rusbridger, Does Journalism Exist? Rosen, What Are Journalists For? (BB) Atton, Alternative and Citizen Journalism (BB) Neiman Reports: Links that Bind Us (to be distributed in class) Week 9 (Oct 23): Women in news and in journalism Steiner, Gender in the Newsroom (BB)

9 Bradley, The Practice of the Craft (BB) Hardin & Shain, Feeling Much Smaller than You Know You Are (BB) Rivers, Introduction (BB) Friedman, Unlikely Warriors (BB) Vavrus, Opting Out Moms in the News (BB) Week 10 (Oct 30): Reporting on race and ethnicity Entman & Rojecki (BB) Morgan, Pifer & Woods (these are in two separate files on Blackboard) Ch. 7: Asian-American Ch. 9: Rim of the New World Ch. 10: The Death of LCPL Gutierrez Ch. 11: Diverse and Divided/A Tale of Two Cultures Final-paper proposal due; no notes on readings due this week Week 11 (Nov 6): Covering crisis and disaster Graber, Reporting Extraordinary Events (BB) Aufderheide, September 11Personal Perspectives (BB) Durham, Media Ritual in Catastrophic Time (BB) Fry, Landscapes of Disaster (BB) Moeller, Regarding the Pain of Others (BB) Week 12 (Nov 13): Covering war From Overholser & Jamieson Ch. 19: Prochnau, The Military and the Media From Tumber [excerpts] Ch. 35: Hallin, The Uncensored War Ch. 36: Zelizer, CNN, the Gulf War, and Journalistic Practice Moeller, Media Coverage of Weapons of Mass Destruction (BB) Power, Reporting Atrocity (BB) NO CLASS on Nov 20 (Thanksgiving calendar adjustment) Week 13 (Nov 30): The future of journalism Readings may be assigned, but no notes are due this week. Week 14 (Dec 4): In-class presentations of student research; final papers due