University of Oregon

University of Oregon

Spring Term 2008

PS 349 Mass Media & American Politics

General Course & Contact Information:

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Instructor: Leif Hoffmann	Office: 440C in McKenzie (MCK)
Class Dates: M & W 14:00-15:20	Advising Hours: M & W Noon – 13:30
Classroom: 177LA (Lawrence Hall)	Phone: 541-346-4417
CRN: 35648	Email: lhoffma2@uoregon.edu

GTF: Edward (Ted) Duggan	GTF: Jeremy Strickler
Office: MCK 440 D	Office: MCK 440E
Advising Hours: F 13:00 – 14:00	Advising Hours: T 11:00 - Noon
Phone: 541-346-4417	Phone: 541-346-4417
Email: eduggan@uoregon.edu	Email: jstrick1@uoregon.edu

Course Description and Objectives:

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This course examines political effects of the mass media in American politics. We will take a closer look at the role of print and electronic media in American Politics and their relationship to the public, politicians, and ultimately, public policy. In doing so, we will assess the media’s impact on government, policy making, election campaigning, and the prospects for democratic deliberation. Special attention will be paid to the theories of media influence, the historic changes of American journalism, the ownership structure of the media and the covering of foreign and military news.

The overall goal is to prepare students to be informed and critical consumers of political messages and the news media.

Upon the completion of this course, students will be able to engage questions such as:

v What is meant by the watchdog role of the press? Does it work well or not?

v How does the mode of transmission shape the political message?

v Can the media shape opinions and affect outcomes?

v What is the minimal effects model?

v What is the hypodermic model?

v Is the media biased? Is the media liberal?

v How does ownership matter? Does it affect the portrayal of news?

v What are the occupational norms and work routines of journalism? How do they affect the coverage of news?

v What is the relationship between politicians and the media? Are the presidency and the Congress covered similarly? Do the president and the Congress use the media similarly to communicate with the public?

v What methods are commonly used to analyze media effects?

v How do war and foreign events get covered?

v What’s access journalism?

v How has journalism changed from the 19^th to the 20^th century?

v What is meant by meant by priming, revolving door and episodic versus thematic framing?

v What is the future of media politics? How can we improve the quality of public communication?

Required Texts:

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Three books are required for the course. Additional readings will be made available. All the readings are REQUIRED and I retain the right to examine you on issues raised in any of the readings. A few additional readings for future study or personal interest are listed at the end of the syllabus.

Required Books:

v Bennett, W. Lance. 2007. News : the politics of illusion. 7 ed. New York: Pearson Longman.

v Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.

v Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.

One copy of each of these three required books will also be on hand for a 4-hour loan period at the library’s course reserve.

All other readings will be made available either on Blackboard or on electronic course reserve at the library (see link on library main page). Enter PS 349; login is username “spring08” and password is “clouds”.

Additionally, daily reading of The New York Times or another major news source, such as the BBC, is recommended and encouraged (subscriptions of the NYT available for purchase at the UO bookstore or online at www.nytimes.com). In any case, make ABSOLUTELY sure to follow the news in one way or another (newspapers, TV or internet). Ignorance is not always bliss.

Expectations & Requirements:

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This is a 300-level course, which involves a mixture of lectures and discussions and a heavy load of reading. Throughout the term I expect you to come to class having read and thought about the assigned readings, to demonstrate an understanding of the material, actively participate in the class discussions and make thoughtful contributions that benefit the class.

Students are expected to attend all class sessions in order to receive full credit for taking this course. If a class date is problematic for you or unforeseen circumstances hinder you to attend class, please come see me. I retain the right to take class attendance.

Written Assignment: Each student will be required to write two publishable op-ed style essays during the course of the term. Each essay should not exceed two pages in length. An additional reference page is required. Papers should be double-spaced with margins of 1 inch to each side. To write a good essay, you will need to spend some time in the library researching your topic and to use citations properly where appropriate. It is pretty difficult to make an argument concisely in taking into account not only what you think but also what other people think. In short, be sure to state what you think – your ideas should be part of your essay – while also making sure that you are clear about the ideas of others. An explicit discussion of the ideas of other people should be at the center of your essay.

For each essay a list of approved topics will be handed out in class.

You will have to cite at least three academic sources for each essay, i.e. articles out of academic journals or academic books, as well as three news sources, such as articles, op-eds, editorials, etc. The use of Wikipedia is strongly discouraged beyond employing it as a starting point similar to an encyclopedia. It does not count as an academic source. Make sure to proofread! Spell checks can and do fail. A good paper is a well-written paper which avoids grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

Additional information regarding the written assignment will be provided in the first class session.

Midterm and Final: These exams are meant to test your knowledge of the material presented during this course. They are comprehensive and cumulative, i.e. the exams will draw on the entirety of the lectures, readings and other materials presented in the class. Details on the format of the exams will be announced in class.

Give 24 hours advance notice or formal doctor’s letter for excused absence or assignment extension. No other extensions or absences will be excused. Late assignments lose a half letter grade each day. First half-grade is deducted on day of deadline for assignments turned in after class.

Students with learning disabilities will be accommodated in accordance with university guidelines. Please speak with me during the first week of class.

Check your email every day. This is not optional at a modern university. I will often send you information on scheduling, corrections to lectures, and other messages that you need to see. It is your responsibility to check your email. Once I have sent you a message, I assume that you have that information.

Some advice: Do not hesitate to contact the instructor and / or GTFs for assistance with your essays or for other questions. We are there to help you to succeed and make the best out of your learning experience. In short, come see and talk to us during office hours or send us an email. Be active in class, ask questions, and share your concerns. Chances are if you are confused about an issue, there are other students in the class that share your confusion. Last but not least, find a study partner. This will pay off in the long run. You can study together, share notes, and help each other with the assignments, e.g. help each other proofread or constructively critique the structure and information provided in essays.

Classroom Etiquette:

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Cell phones: Please remember to turn off your cell phone before class and exams. If your cell phone rings in class it is not the end of the world, just try to turn it off as soon as possible. If you need to take an important call, please leave the room.

Please treat the other students in the course with respect. If you are participating in a debate, please criticize your opponent’s arguments rather than the opponent’s identity. If you come to class late or need to leave early, please do so in a quiet manner so as not to disrupt the classroom environment. If you need to say something to your neighbor, whisper it or write a note – those sitting nearby will thank you for your courtesy.

Grading Procedures:

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Activity	When Due	% of Grade
Participation	On-going	Varies; being quiet can’t hurt you, but strong participation can bump up your grade
Op-Ed Style Essay 1	May 5	25%
Op-Ed Style Essay 2	June 4	25%
Midterm	April 30	20%
Final	Thursday, June 12 at 15:15	30%

Regrading of assignments: You may request the regrading of materials that have been graded by the instructor or one of the GTFs. Any request has to be made in writing by providing a brief explanation of why you wish to have the assignment regraded.

Incompletes: Incompletes will only be granted in exceptional emergency situations (such as death in the immediate family or serious illness – family visits, weddings, etc., do not count), when the relevant assignment(s) cannot be completed in time. In all other cases the grade will be based upon the work completed by the end of the quarter, which may result in a failing grade. The grade “I” for an incomplete may be assigned only after instructor and student have completed and signed a Contract for Grade of Incomplete which makes arrangements for the unfinished work to be completed. The Contract from is available on the Political Science website at http://polisci.uoregon.edu .

Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, Fabrication, Cheating, and Misconduct:

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Any form of plagiarism or cheating will not be tolerated. When you hand in an assignment, make sure that everything in it is your own work and that you have made the appropriate references where necessary. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism. Neither ignorance nor the lack of an intention to cheat or plagiarize will be considered a legitimate defense. Violations will be punished to the full extent possible. Raise any questions and concerns you have with the instructor before problems arise. To learn more about the University Policy on Academic Dishonesty, read it at http://ww.uoregon.edu/~conduct/sai.htm and check out the libraries’ description of plagiarism at http://libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students/ .

Course Schedule:

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Date	Class	Assignment for Class
Week 1
March 31	Syllabus review / Introduction to class: The Medium & Message News & Democracy	Bennett, W. Lance. 2007. News : the politics of illusion. 7 ed. New York: Pearson Longman.-Chapter 1,pp. 1 – 35 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapter 1: pp. 1-27
April 2	Film: Triumph des Willens (1935) by Leni Riefenstahl	No reading required
Week 2
April 7	American Media before the 20^th century	Davis, Richard. 2001. The press and American politics: the new mediator. 3 ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.-Chapter 2, pp.25 - 64 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapter 1: pp. 1-27
April 9	American Media in the 20^th century	Davis, Richard. 2001. The press and American politics: the new mediator. 3 ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. – Chapter 3, pp. 65 - 86 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapter 1: pp. 1-27
Week 3
April 14	Theories of Media Influence: Is the media biased? Film: The Myth of the Liberal Media (2002) by Chomsky and Herman	Bennett, W. Lance. 2007. News : the politics of illusion. 7 ed. New York: Pearson Longman.-Chapters 2 and 3, pp. 36 - 108 Coulter, Ann. 2002. Slander : liberal lies about the American right. New York: Three Rivers Press.- Chapters 1 and 7, pp.1-33,153-190 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapters 2 and 3, pp. 28 - 74
April 16	Theories of Media Influence: Is the media biased? (Cont.)	Catch up with reading or read ahead
Week 4
April 21	Politicians & the Media: The Presidency Film: The 30-Second President (1988) with Bill Moyers	Bennett, W. Lance. 2007. News : the politics of illusion. 7 ed. New York: Pearson Longman.- Chapter 4, pp. 109 - 152 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapters 7 and 10, pp. 165 – 194 and 266 – 297 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapters 13 and 14, pp. 169 - 191
April 23	Politicians & the Media: The Presidency (cont.) Film: Journeys with George (2004) by Alexandra Pelosi	Brown, Tina. 2008. Hillary and the Invisible Women. Newsweek, March 17, 28 - 30.
Week 5
April 28	Politicians & the Media: Congress	Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapter 9: 236 -265 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapters 21 and 22, pp. 252 – 269
April 30	MIDTERM	Catch up with reading or read ahead
Week 6
May 5	Inside the Profession Film: Why America Hates the Press (1996)	Bennett, W. Lance. 2007. News : the politics of illusion. 7 ed. New York: Pearson Longman.-Chapter 5 and 6,pp. 153 – 219 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapter 28, pp. 326 - 336
May 7	Inside the Profession (Cont.)	Catch up with reading or read ahead
Week 7
May 12	Political Economy of News Film: Rich media, poor democracy (2003)	Bennett, W. Lance. 2007. News : the politics of illusion. 7 ed. New York: Pearson Longman.- Chapter 7, pp. 220 – 258 Graber, Doris A. 2006. Mass Media and American Politics. Washington D.C.: CQ Press.- Chapter 2, pp. 31 – 54 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapter 31, pp. 364 - 375
May 14	Political Economy of News (Continued)	Catch up with reading or read ahead
Week 8
May 19	Media & the Military Film: Reporters at War: War, Lies and Videotape (2003/2004)	Davis, Richard. 2001. The press and American politics: the new mediator. 3 ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.-Chapter 19, pp. 316 - 346 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapter 5, 9 and 27, pp. 56 – 65, 114 - 126 and 317 - 325 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapter 8: 195 - 235
May 21	Covering Foreign Affairs	Graber, Doris A. 2006. Mass Media and American Politics. Washington D.C.: CQ Press.- Chapter 11, pp. 318 – 351 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapters 25 – 26, pp. 294-316
Week 9
May 26	Memorial Day – No class	Catch up with reading or read ahead
May 28	Media and the Law	Graber, Doris A. 2006. Mass Media and American Politics. Washington D.C.: CQ Press.- Chapter 3, pp. 55 – 85 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapter 33, pp. 390 – 402 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapter 6: 135-164
Week 10
June 2	The Future of Media Politics	Bennett, W. Lance. 2007. News : the politics of illusion. 7 ed. New York: Pearson Longman.- Chapter 8, pp. 259 – 292 Mayer, Jeremy D. 2008. American media politics in transition. New York: McGraw-Hill.- Chapter 11, pp. 298 – 323 Graber, Doris A., ed. 2007. Media Power in Politics. 5 ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. – Chapter 32, pp. 376 - 389
June 4	Course Review	Catch up with reading
June 12 15:15 *Note different time!*	FINAL	No reading required

Recommended Readings:

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Macnamara, Jim R. Mass Media Effects: A review of 50 years of mass media effects research Carma International, 2003 [accessed January 29, 2008]. Available from http://www.mediamonitors.com.au/documents/Media%20Effects%20Paper.pdf .

Putnam, Robert D. 1995. Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital. Journal of Democracy 6 (1):65 - 78.

Schramm, Wilbur. 1962. Reviewed Work(s): The Effects of Mass Communication. by Joseph T. Klapper. The Public Opinion Quarterly 25 (2):321-324.

Recommended Movies:

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Noujaim, Jehane (Director). 2004. Control room [videorecording]. Santa Monica, Calif.: Lions Gate Home Entertainment.

Sloan, Robin; Thompson, Matt “EPIC 2014” – at http://www.robinsloan.com/epic/

ð A short, ominous, on-line movie on the future of media ownership and information management; an update “EPIC 2015” also available at http://www.robinsloan.com/

Wallace, Mike. 1996. Uneasy partners [videorecording] : the press and the military. New York: A & E Home Video.

Useful Websites:

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Accuracy in the Media – Conservative leaning organization

v http://www.aim.org

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting – Liberal leaning organization

v http://www.fair.org/

Agence France-Presse – French wire service

v http://www.afp.com/english/home/

Annenberg Political Fact Check (project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania) – non-partisan

v http://www.factcheck.org/

Associated Press – American wire service