Updated 3:15 p.m./8/27/09
Fall 2009
The University of Texas at Austin
School of Journalism
Course Title: J349T Journalism, Society and the Citizen Journalist (07555)
Cross-listed with GOV 370L (39285) and AFR 374F (35830)
A Course Developed for the Carnegie Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education
And funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York
TTh 11-12:30 p.m.; CMA 3.128
Instructor: Dr. Paula Poindexter, Associate Professor
Office: CMA 5.150H
Office Phone: 471-1971 (Office Hours Only)
E-Mail: paula.poindexter@austin.utexas.edu or ppoin@aol.com
Office Hours: TTh 1-2:30 p.m. or by Appointment
TA: Lewis Knight
E-Mail: lewis@klpnet.com
Office: UA9; 2.106
Office Hours: TTh 12:45-1:45 p.m.; Fri. 12:15-1:15
Cyber Office Hours: During posted office hours.
Course Description and Learning Objectives:
Designed as a seminar for journalism and liberal arts majors, this course, which is part of the Carnegie Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education, will be divided into two parts. The first part will lay the foundation for journalism’s role in society and answer such questions as: What is the purpose of journalism? What are the principles of journalism? What is the process of journalism? These questions will be explored through films, readings, and the context of journalism’s history. Journalism will also be examined from the vantage point of citizen journalists, bloggers, social networking, and programs such as The Daily Show, The Colbert report, etc.
The second part of the class will examine one of the primary challenges to journalism: retaining an audience for news today and in the future. In addition to analyzing statistical trends in audience news consumption and attitudes, the future audience for news, known as Wave II Millennials will be explored in order to identify ways to interest them in news before they permanently turn off to news.
After completing this course, students will be able to:
1. Describe the purpose, principles, process, and expectations of journalism in society.
2. Assess different forms of journalism, different platforms for delivering news
and information, and different forms of storytelling.
3. Analyze the challenges facing journalism.
4. Discuss the audience for news, including its responsibility and expectations.
5. Compare trends in news consumptions, factors influencing news consumption trends, and remedies for declining news consumption trends.
6. Analyze the different segments of the audience for news and methods for engaging them.
7. Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to gender, generational, racial, and ethnic gaps in audience news consumption and news coverage and storytelling.
Required Texts:
The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, 2nd Edition, by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
Women, Men, and News: Divided and Disconnected in the News Media Landscape, Paula Poindexter, Sharon Meraz, and Amy Schmitz Weiss, Editors. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc./Routledge, 2008.
Other class materials will be posted or distributed during class.
Grading. Plus and minus will not be used in calculating final course grades. The final course grade will based on the following formula:
1. Attendance 25%
2. Group Project I: The Elements of Journalism
and Social Networking 20%
3. Understanding the Audience for News-Answers to Questions 30%
4. Group Project II: Wave II Millennials 20%
5. Completion Assignments 5%
Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259.
Expectations of Students.
1. Always come to class prepared. Before coming to class, students should have read and critically thought about assignments.
2. Listen, take notes and participate during class discussions.
3. Attend all classes and oral presentations.
4. Meet all assignment deadlines. Late assignments will be dropped one letter grade.
5. If an emergency prevents a student from meeting the deadline of an assignment, the student must notify the instructor prior to the deadline.
6. Always turn in professional-level written work. Points will be deducted for spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and capitalization errors.
7. Abide by the University of Texas at Austin Honor Code, which reads:
“The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.”
8. Abide by the University of Texas at Austin Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty, which reads: The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonesty damages both the student’s learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a work-career.
Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. See: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php.
Assignments:
1. Week of Aug. 24:
First Day of Class: Thurs., August 27
Introductions, course goals, and expectations.
“Test Your Knowledge About Journalism” Quiz.
2. Week of Aug. 31: Part I-Journalism-Purpose, Principles, and Process.
Organize groups.
Viewing: All the President’s Men
3. Week of Sept. 7:
Complete Viewing: All the President’s Men
Written Completion Assignment on All the President’s Men.
Group-led discussion on All the President’s Men.
4. Week of Sept. 14:
Viewing: Shattered Glass
Written Completion Assignment on Shattered Glass.
Group-led discussion on Shattered Glass.
5. Week of Sept. 21:
Viewing: Bill Moyers Journal: “Buying the War”
Written Completion Assignment on Buying the War
Group-led discussion on “Buying the War”
6. Week of Sept. 28:
Viewing: State of Play
Written Completion Assignment on State of Play
Live blogging and group-led tweeting on State of Play
7. Week of October 5:
Timelines of Journalism and Journalism 2.0, News in Society; Connecting the Dates and Dots in the Digital News Media Landscape: Definitions; Citizen Journalists; Bloggers; J-Bloggers; Twitter; All Things Digital.
Begin Group Project I: The Elements of Journalism in a Journalism 2.0 and Social Networking World.
Distribute Group Project I requirements. Students work on Group Project I.
8. Week of October 12:
Students continue to work in groups on Group Project I.
9. Week of October 19:
Group Project I Presentations
10. Week of Oct. 26: Part II- The Audience for News
Statistical and Video Overview of the Audience for News
Guest speakers TBA: Challenges in telling stories to attract the audience for news today and in the future.
11. Week of Nov. 2:
Due: Tuesday: Assignment #2: News Consumers
Live Blogging Discussion on News Consumers
Begin final group project: Millennials, the next generation of news consumers.
12. Week of Nov. 9:
Groups work on final project: Millennials, the next generation of news consumers.
13. Week of Nov. 16:
Groups work on final project: Millennials, the next generation of news consumers.
14. Week of Nov. 23:
November 26: Thanksgiving Holiday
15. Week of Nov. 30:
Group Project II Presentations
Evaluations
Dec. 3: Last Day of Class