I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Introduction to Mass Communication
2. Course Prefix & Number:
COMM 1450
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
4. Course Description:
This course will study how mass forms of communication disseminate information and influence situations. Included will be an introduction to the history and development of mass communication systems: newspapers, magazines, books, recorded music, radio, television, movies and social networking. Units in advertising and public relations will also be included. Students will study and critically assess the technical, historical, social, economic, global and ethical aspects of mass communication including legal issues, global citizenship, and rights and responsibilities as media consumers and producers.
5. Placement Tests Required:
| Accuplacer (specify test): |
Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level |
Score: |
|
6. Prerequisite Courses:
COMM 1450 - Introduction to Mass Communication
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
COMM 1450 - Introduction to Mass Communication
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
Century College, COMM 1061 Introduction to Mass Communication (3 credits)
Lake Superior College, COMM 1120: Media, Persuasion and Society (3 credits)
III. Course Purpose
MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
- Goal 2 – Critical Thinking
- Goal 9 – Ethical and Civic Responsibility
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Demonstrate written communication skills |
Satisfactorily create written reports, analysis, or reviews of assigned media. |
| Analyze and follow a sequence of operations |
Demonstrate understanding of the evolution and impact of each medium through the course of history. |
| Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations |
Apply the concept of influence by creating an effective and appropriate mass communication example. |
| Apply ethical principles in decision-making |
Demonstrate understanding of the ethical impact of media on the individual, the economy and society. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
- Identify and define various forms of mass media. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Satisfactorily create written reports, analysis, or reviews of assigned media. (MnTC Goal 2);
- Demonstrate an understanding of the evolution and impact of mass communication on society, technology, and the economy. (MnTC Goal Area 9);
- Identify fallacies present in common advertising campaigns. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Compare and contrast advertising and/or public relation campaign practices to journalistic reporting practices. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Analyze the ethical impact of specific media on the individual and society as it relates to legal issues, global citizenship, and rights and responsibilities surrounding mass communication production and consumption. (MnTC Goal 9);
- Compare and contrast the effectiveness of various mass media as information disseminators in today's global market. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Discuss mass media and future technology predictions in terms of mutual influence. (MnTC Goal Area 2 and 9);
- Apply the concept of influence by creating an effective and appropriate mass communication example. (MnTC Goal Area 2 and 9); and
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills though the assessment of claims and arguments, evaluating evidence of credibility, identifying barriers to critical thinking and identifying features of different forms of argumentation. (MnTC Goal 2).
I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Introduction to Mass Communication
2. Course Prefix & Number:
COMM 1450
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
4. Course Description:
This course will study how mass forms of communication disseminate information and influence situations. Included will be an introduction to the history and development of mass communication systems: newspapers, magazines, books, recorded music, radio, television, movies and social networking. Units in advertising and public relations will also be included. Students will study and critically assess the technical, historical, social, economic, global and ethical aspects of mass communication including legal issues, global citizenship, and rights and responsibilities as media consumers and producers.
5. Placement Tests Required:
| Accuplacer (specify test): |
Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level |
Score: |
|
6. Prerequisite Courses:
COMM 1450 - Introduction to Mass Communication
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
COMM 1450 - Introduction to Mass Communication
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
Century College, COMM 1061 Introduction to Mass Communication (3 credits)
Lake Superior College, COMM 1120: Media, Persuasion and Society (3 credits)
III. Course Purpose
2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
- Goal 2 – Critical Thinking
- Goal 9 – Ethical and Civic Responsibility
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Demonstrate written communication skills |
Satisfactorily create written reports, analysis, or reviews of assigned media. |
| Analyze and follow a sequence of operations |
Demonstrate understanding of the evolution and impact of each medium through the course of history. |
| Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations |
Apply the concept of influence by creating an effective and appropriate mass communication example. |
| Apply ethical principles in decision-making |
Demonstrate understanding of the ethical impact of media on the individual, the economy and society. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
- Identify and define various forms of mass media. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Satisfactorily create written reports, analysis, or reviews of assigned media. (MnTC Goal 2);
- Demonstrate an understanding of the evolution and impact of mass communication on society, technology, and the economy. (MnTC Goal Area 9);
- Identify fallacies present in common advertising campaigns. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Compare and contrast advertising and/or public relation campaign practices to journalistic reporting practices. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Analyze the ethical impact of specific media on the individual and society as it relates to legal issues, global citizenship, and rights and responsibilities surrounding mass communication production and consumption. (MnTC Goal 9);
- Compare and contrast the effectiveness of various mass media as information disseminators in today's global market. (MnTC Goal Area 2);
- Discuss mass media and future technology predictions in terms of mutual influence. (MnTC Goal Area 2 and 9);
- Apply the concept of influence by creating an effective and appropriate mass communication example. (MnTC Goal Area 2 and 9); and
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills though the assessment of claims and arguments, evaluating evidence of credibility, identifying barriers to critical thinking and identifying features of different forms of argumentation. (MnTC Goal 2).
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
- Introduction
- The communication process
- Mass media as profit-centered
- Influence of technology
- II. Mass Media Industries
- Books
- History of the book industry
- Censorship
- Publishing companies
- Authors and agents
- How books get published
- Subsidiary and international rights
- Impact of Internet retailers
- Impact of small presses
- E-books and audio books
- Impact of new technologies
- Newspapers
- History of newspaper industry
- Alternative Press
- Newspapers dominance in 20th century
- Unionization
- Television’s impact on the newspaper industry
- Newspapers’ struggle to retain readers
- Technology transforms production
- Consolidation increases chain ownership
- Magazines
- Magazine industry history
- Investigative journalism
- Specialization of magazine industry
- Types of magazines
- Audience segmentation
- Consolidation to define readership
- The Internet offers new outlets for magazines
- The challenge of the future on the industry
- Recordings
- History of the recording industry
- LP, Hi-fi, and Stereo
- Impact of concerts to increase revenues
- 4 major companies
- Piracy
- Illegal downloading and file sharing
- Impact of changing technology
- Radio
- History of broadcasting
- Federal regulations
- Rapid expansion of listeners
- Expansion of networks
- Radio adapts to television
- National Public Radio
- Telecommunications act of 1996
- Audience segmentation
- Digital audio via the Internet and Satellite
- Movies
- Inventors
- Studio system
- Independent moviemakers
- Movies as big business
- The Golden Age of movies
- Impact of television on the movie industry
- Movie ratings
- The impact of digital technology
- The impact of international markets
- Television
- Impact of television on culture
- TV as a delivery system of advertisements
- Television ratings
- Public television
- Impact of television on politics
- TV news coverage of global events
- Audiences drive programming
- Impact of new technology
- The future of television
- Digital Media
- History of Internet and WWW
- Impact on Media
- Social networking
- Government’s attempt at control
- Selling the Message
- Advertising
- Advertising pays for media
- Characteristics of advertising
- Use of demographics
- Federal regulations
- Use of new markets
- Public Relations
- How PR shapes public opinion
- Government’s use of PR
- Ethics codes
- PR adapting to the Internet
- Who uses PR
- Global growth of PR
- Changing messages
- News and Information
- History
- Tabloid news
- Newsreels
- Radio and Television news coverage
- Embedded reporters
- Information access expands
- Source confidentiality
- Society, Culture and Politics
- Impact of media on behavior
- Impact of media on politics
- Impact of media on cultural values
- How media reflects ethnic groups and gender issues
- Laws and Regulations
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of the press
- Prior restraint
- Government managing war coverage
- Obscenity
- Libel
- Invasion of Privacy
- Fair trial, right of access and shield laws
- FCC
- Telecommunications act of 1996
- Deregulation
- TV ratings and v-chip
- Intellectual property rights
- Ethics
- Truthfulness
- Fairness
- Right to privacy
- Professional associations
- Media’s response to criticism
- Critical Thinking
- Fallacies
- Argumentation Features and Development
- Evaluating Evidence
- F. Global Media
- Political theories
- Media around the world