Course Syllabus

Ithaca College

Entertainment Media Industries

TVR 124000

Fall 2011

Instructor: Jack Powers

Office: Park #368

E-mail: jackpowers2@gmail.com

Office Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Wednesdays; 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., TR; and by appointment

Class website: http://ICentertainmentmedia.blogspot.com

Course description: Entertainment Media Industries is a course designed to introduce the new communication student to the vast and ever-so-pervasive world of the entertainment mass media. Through lectures, class discussions, debates, videos, presentations, and assignments, and projects we shall examine the impact the entertainment media industries have had on American society. We’ll begin with a brief history of the entertainment media industry followed by a more in-depth look at each industry and how it has impacted society including how we spend our time, our expectations, society’s emphasis on showbiz and celebrity, influence of entertainment media as it pertains to socialization and politics, legal and economic aspects of the industry, etc.

Course Objectives/Goals: By the end of the term, students enrolled in Entertainment Media Industries should be able to:

• Recognize the elements of the communication process in different settings and understand how these processes play a role in entertainment media;
• Explain the implications of “disintermediation” of the entertainment media;
• Understand and explain the concept of convergence and critically analyze its impact on the entertainment industry;
• Identify a variety of career options in entertainment media;
• Know about and recognize the impact of media regulation;
• Describe and recognize the major events/developments of the entertainment media industry;
• Understand and explain important ethical principles of entertainment media;
• Discuss the societal impact of media in terms of social effects and how these effects are measured.

Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate the meeting of these objectives/goals by performing well on exams, participating in intellectual class discussions, completing assignment, and completing a final project.

Required texts:

Sayre, S., King, C. (2010). Entertainment and society: Influences, impacts, and innovations, Second Edition. Sage: New York.

Examinations and grading:

There will be three examinations—two exams and a final. The first two exams are worth 100 points each. The final exam is worth 150 points. Exam grades and overall grades will be based on the following percentages:

93 – 100 A

90 – 92 A-

87 – 89 B+

83 – 86 B

80 – 82 B-

77 – 79 C+

73 – 76 C

70 – 72 C-

67 – 69 D+

63 – 66 D

60 – 62 D-

00 – 59 F

There is no curve.

Entertainment Media Group Project

The entertainment media represent one of the few industries where those outside the profession consistently believe they can do a better job than those working inside the profession. The entertainment media are constantly under attack by different groups—including college students. This group project represents your chance to prove that you can do just as good a job (or better) producing entertainment media. Specifically, each group will be assigned to complete a working interactive media application. Additional material regarding the project will be provided during the first few weeks of class.

Each group will make a formal (graded) 10-15-minute presentation worth 100 points to each student. Group members will be graded individually.

The projects will be evaluated as follows:

Project Content (media) 60 points

Presentation (physical/verbal) 20 points

Production fluency (video, audio, etc.) 10 points

Creativity 10 points

Again, more specific information regarding the group project will be provided in class. Group assignments will be made known by the third week of class.

Evaluation and grading:

Students will be evaluated on the following—

1) two exams—200 points total

2) final quantitative project—100 points total

3) final exam—150 points

Overall grades will be based on the following percentages:

93 – 100 A

90 – 92 A-

87 – 89 B+

83 – 86 B

80 – 82 B-

77 – 79 C+

73 – 76 C

70 – 72 C-

67 – 69 D+

63 – 66 D

60 – 62 D-

00 – 59 F

Standards of Academic Conduct

A.	Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the mission of the College. Unless it is otherwise stipulated, students may submit for evaluation only that work that is their own and that is submitted originally for a specific course. According to traditions of higher education, forms of conduct that will be considered evidence of academic misconduct include but are not limited to the following: conversations between students during an examination; reviewing, without authorization, material during an examination (e.g., personal notes, another student's exam); unauthorized collaboration; submission of a paper also submitted for credit in another course; reference to written material related to the course brought into an examination room during a closed-book, written examination; and submission without proper acknowledgment of work that is based partially or entirely on the ideas or writings of others. Only when a faculty member gives prior approval for such actions can they be acceptable.
B.	It is the responsibility of instructors to inform students clearly in writing specific rules, procedures, and/or expectations pertinent to their particular course that differ from those identified in paragraph A of this section. In those courses where limited consultation among students is permitted in the preparation of assignments, it is extremely important for instructors to clarify the guidelines for appropriate conduct.
C.	In situations where a student may have difficulty in distinguishing between acceptable behavior and academic misconduct, it is the responsibility of the student to confer with the instructor. This is particularly important for avoiding plagiarism when written sources are used in the preparation of papers or take home examinations.
	Because Ithaca College is an academic community, ignorance of the accepted standards of academic honesty in no way affects the responsibility of students who violate standards of conduct in courses and other academic activities.
D.	All members of the academic community are expected to assist in maintaining the integrity of Ithaca College, which includes reporting incidents of academic misconduct. Such instances may be reported to a faculty member, the dean of the school involved, or the director of judicial affairs.

7.1.4.1 Plagiarism

Whether intended or not, plagiarism is a serious offense against academic honesty. Under any circumstances, it is deceitful to represent as one's own work, writing or ideas that belong to another person. Students should be aware of how this offense is defined. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of someone else's published or unpublished ideas, whether this use consists of directly quoted material or paraphrased ideas.

Although various disciplines follow styles of documentation that differ in some details, all forms of documentation make the following demands:

• That each quotation or paraphrase be acknowledged with a footnote or in-text citation;
• That direct quotations be enclosed in quotation marks and be absolutely faithful to the wording of the source;
• That paraphrased ideas be stated in language entirely different from the language of the source;
• That a sequence of ideas identical to that of a source be attributed to that source;
• That sources of reprinted charts or graphs be cited in the text;
• That all the sources the writer has drawn from in paraphrase or direct quotation or a combination of paraphrase and quotation be listed at the end of the paper under "Bibliography," "References," or "Works Cited," whichever heading the particular style of documentation requires.

A student is guilty of plagiarism if the student fails, intentionally or not, to follow any of these standard requirements of documentation.

In a collaborative project, all students in a group may be held responsible for academic misconduct if they engage in plagiarism or are aware of plagiarism by others in their group and fail to report it. Students who participate in a collaborative project in which plagiarism has occurred will not be held accountable if they were not knowledgeable of the plagiarism.

What, then, do students not have to document? They need not cite their own ideas, or references to their own experiences, or information that falls in the category of uncontroversial common knowledge (what a person reasonably well-informed about a subject might be expected to know). They should acknowledge anything else.

7.1.4.2 Other Forms of Academic Dishonesty

Other violations of academic honesty include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors:

• Handing in to a class a paper written by someone else;
• Handing in as an original work for a class a paper one has already submitted to another course;
• Handing in the same paper simultaneously to two courses without the full knowledge and explicit consent of all the faculty members involved;
• Having someone else rewrite or clean up a rough draft and submitting those revisions as one's own work.

These offenses violate the atmosphere of trust and mutual respect necessary the process of learning.

Note: Students who would like help in learning how to paraphrase or document sources properly should feel free to come to the Writing Center in 228 Roy H. Park Hall for assistance.

Attendance:

Here is the official Ithaca College stance on attendance:

Students at Ithaca College are expected to attend all classes, and they are responsible for work missed

during any absence from class. At the beginning of each semester, instructors must provide the students in their courses with written guidelines regarding possible grading penalties for failure to attend class. Students should notify their instructors as soon as possible of any anticipated absences. Written documentation that indicates the reason for being absent may be required. These guidelines may vary from course to course but are subject to the following restrictions:

• In accordance with New York State law, students who miss class due to their religious beliefs

shall be excused from class or examinations on that day. The faculty member is responsible for

providing the student with an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work

requirement which the student may have missed. It is suggested that students notify their course

instructors at least one week before any anticipated absence so that proper arrangements may be

made to make up any missed work or examination. Any such work is to be completed within a

reasonable timeframe, as determined by the faculty member.

• Any student, who misses class due to a verifiable family or individual health emergency, or to a

required appearance in a court of law, shall be excused. The student or a family member/legal

guardian may report the absence to the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life, which will

notify the student’s dean’s office, as well as residential life if the student lives on campus. The

dean’s office will disseminate the information to the appropriate faculty. Follow-up by the

student with his or her professors is imperative. Students may need to consider a leave of

absence, medical leave of absence, selected course withdrawals, etc., if they have missed a

significant portion of class work.

A student may be excused for participation in College-authorized cocurricular and extracurricular

activities if, in the instructor’s judgment, this does not impair the specific student’s or the other students’ ability to succeed in the course.

For all absences except those due to religious beliefs, the course instructor has the right to determine if the number of absences has been excessive in view of the nature of the class that was missed and the stated attendance policy. Depending on the individual situation, this can result in the student’s being removed from or failing the course.

It is expected that students will regularly attend class, take notes, pay attention, and participate in discussion/activities.

Students who miss class (unexcused) will not be able to make up in-class assignments.

Students with disabilities:

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Students must register with the Office of Academic Support Services and provide appropriate documentation to the College before any academic adjustment will be provided.

Mental health:

Diminished mental health, including significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, or problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance. The source of symptoms might be strictly related to your course work; if so, please speak with me. However, problems with relationships, family worries, loss, or a personal struggle or crisis can also contribute to decreased academic performance.

Ithaca College provides a Counseling Center to support the academic success of students. The Counseling Center provides cost-free services to help you manage personal challenges that threaten your well-being.

In the event I suspect you need additional support, I will express my concerns and the reasons for them, and remind you of resources (e.g., Counseling Center, Health Center, chaplains, etc.) that might be helpful to you. It is not my intention to know the details of what might be bothering you, but simply to let you know I am concerned and that help, if needed, is available.

Getting help is a smart and courageous thing to do -- for yourself and for your loved ones.

Student safety:

You must respond to and report conditions and actions that may jeopardize your safety, or that of other people and/or equipment. Report to the responsible College employee. During class sessions that person would be your instructor or lab assistant. Outside of class the person might be your instructor, lab supervisor, co-curricular manager, equipment and facilities manager, or one of the engineering support staff. You must be aware that misuse of equipment or use of damaged equipment can create the risk of serious injury, infectious contamination, and expensive damage. You may be liable for damage or injury resulting from such use. Unsupervised use of facilities puts you at risk. Failure to be alert to safety problems, or to report them, may have serious consequences for you or others.

Course material: Assigned readings should be completed prior to class. Lectures and assignments are intended to enhance and/or supplement the readings. Some of the material will come from sources other than the assigned readings. You are responsible for this material as well as for the material in the readings—even if it is not specifically covered in class. If you have any difficulty understanding the material, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification. Often, I will ask if anyone has any questions.

Make-up policy: As a general rule, make-up assignments are not allowed except in cases of emergency. It is your responsibility to complete the assignments. If an emergency does arise, it is imperative for you to contact me PRIOR to the scheduled due date. Do not expect to make-up a missed assignment without clearing it with me ahead of time. Incompletes are rarely given. In fact, an incomplete is only given if you are unable to complete the coursework because of a serious illness, accident, emergency, or other crisis. A formal request must be made prior to the end of the term. An incomplete can only be granted with permission from the Dean.

Tentative Course Schedule:

September

2011

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Entertainment Media Industries (Course Schedule) Below is the course schedule in calendar format. The instructor reserves the right to amend the schedule, but any/all changes will be announced in class.

Sun.	Monday	Tuesday	Weds.	Thursday	Friday	Sat.
				1	2	3
				First day of class; Syllabus; course overview
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
	Labor Day— No classes	Key players in Entertainment Industry		Entertainment and Society
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
		Entertainment and Society, continued		Principles of convergence
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
		Convergence, continued		Understanding entertainment media audiences
25	26	27	28	29	30	1
		Audiences, continued		Rosh Hashanah Audiences, continued	Rosh Hashanah
October
2011
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Entertainment Media Industries (Course Schedule)

Sun.	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sat.
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
		Drama and Storytelling		Drama and storytelling, continued		Yom Kippur
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
		Drama and Storytelling (TV, Movies, Video Games)		Economics of Entertainment Media
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
		Midterm Exam		Fall Break— No classes	Fall Break— No classes
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
		Economics, continued; Entertainment Media Effects		Entertainment Media effects; Entertainment Media Law
30	31

November

2011

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Entertainment Media Industries (Course Schedule)

Sun.	Monday	Tuesday	Weds.	Thursday	Friday	Sat.
		1	2	3	4	5
		Entertainment Media and the Law, continued		Ethics in Info Age
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
		Ethics in the Info Age		Exam #2
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
	Thanksgiving Break	Thanksgiving Break	Thanksgiving Break	Thanksgiving Break	Thanksgiving Break
27	28	29	30
		Ethnicity, culture and globalization

December

2011

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Entertainment Media Industries (Course Schedule)

Sun.	Monday	Tuesday	Weds.	Thursday	Friday	Sat.
				1	2	3
				Trends and practices
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
		New Media and Entertainment		New Media Entertainment, continued
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
		Media Projects		Media Projects	Last day of classes
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
					Last day of final exams
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Final Exam Times and Days will be announced in class.