Course Description

A survey of contemporary media industries including their technical, economic, social, political and cultural implications. We will also examine the economic underpinnings of media, the role of advertising and public relations, and the policies that govern contemporary media industries.

This is a three (3) unit class: you’re expected to spend an average of nine (9) hours working on each module.

In-Person Flipped Course

This course will meet in-person each week with course materials available remotely over the Internet.

All course material, including links to graded assignments, is available on the course website at https://juanmonroy.com/contemporarymedia. We will not be using Blackboard.

In a flipped course, most learning activities will be asynchronous. You will complete these learning activities on your own time by the deadlines noted on this course website.

We will meet for a weekly in-person for a discussion session, each Thursday beginning at 1:40 PM, about the materials you studied for this module

This learning activities are divided into twelve modules on contemporary media. For each module, there will be:

  • assigned readings from the textbook, listed in the course schedule on the course website,
  • a set of pre-recorded video lectures, available on CUNY OneDrive, with captions and a transcript
  • a reading quiz, available on Microsoft Teams, about the assigned readings,
  • a lecture quiz, available on Microsoft Teams, about the lecture videos
  • a weekly in-person discussion session

After six modules, there will be an exam on the material you covered.

You must complete each module, each quiz, and each exam by the deadline specified on this course website.

We will not be using Blackboard.

Queens College offers loaner devices to students who need them for remote instruction. Contact Queens College ITS for how to request a device.

Backup Class on Microsoft Teams

In the unlikely event I cannot travel to Queens College, I will conduct our class remotely using Microsoft Teams.

I will send an email with information about joining the meeting in the event I cannot travel to campus.

Microsoft Teams

Follow these directions to join our course on Microsoft Teams:

  1. Open a browser window on your computer or device
  2. Go to https://login.microsoft.com/
  3. Enter your CUNY Login username as the username: firstname.lastname00@login.cuny.edu. Note that the username is @login.cuny.edu not @qmail.cuny.edu
  4. Sign in to CUNY Web Applications using your CUNY Login username and password
  5. Open another browser window and go to https://teams.microsoft.com
  6. Go to Join a Team using a code
  7. Enter the code I provided in class or by email

If you’re having trouble, note the following:

  • Make sure you’re logged into your @login.cuny.edu not your @qmail.cuny.edu account. 
* You can add another account to switch to the correct @login.cuny.edu account.
  • Microsoft Teams doesn’t work on Mac or iOS Safari. You can download the Microsoft Teams apps or use another browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.
  • Make sure you’re not signing in to live.com domain. Those are for personal accounts. The correct URL is https://login.microsoft.com for your CUNY account.

Learning Objectives

In this course, we will aim to accomplish the following:

  1. learning the terminology, practices, and economics of contemporary media industries, including print, electronic, and digital media
  2. understanding the relationship between contemporary media and society
  3. building a working understanding of contemporary media and a foundation for more advanced and in-depth courses in media studies

Instructor

Juan Monroy

Office Hours

Office hours will be held remotely. Sign up for an appointment at https://juanmonroy.com/officehours.

After you sign up, I will email you a Zoom Meeting link for you to join the meeting.

The G Building News

The Media Studies department has a newsletter. The newsletter aims to offer students an accessible platform to be informed about campus and departmental events, and hiring opportunities within the field. With all that happens throughout the semester, The G Building News overs the projects of students and faculty to inspire creativity and potential collaborations.

“The G Building News. Stay Informed. Stay Creative.”

Subscribe today at https://qcmediastudies.substack.com.

Counseling Services at Queens College

Counseling Services are available to any Queens College student. They assist students with personal concerns that can affect their enjoyment of and success in college. Services are free and confidential. All sessions take place on Zoom or by telephone, depending on student preference.

To make an appointment, students should call 718–997–5420 and leave a message with their phone number and CUNY ID. You can also e-mail counselingservices@qc.cuny.edu to set up an appointment.

https://www.qc.cuny.edu/studentlife/services/counseling/counseling/Pages/default.aspx

Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should register with the Special Services Office by emailing QC.SPSV@qc.cuny.edu​. For more information about services available to Queens College students, visit the Office of Special Services website: https://www.qc.cuny.edu/studentlife/services/specialserv/Pages/default.aspx.

CUNY Policy on Academic Dishonesty

Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion as provided at https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-procedures/academic-integrity-policy/.

Netiquette

Please maintain a professional demeanor when posting online. You can be respectful even when you have a difference of opinion. Treat others as you’d want to be treated yourself. Don’t type in all caps, as that is the online equivalent of shouting. If you need to emphasize a word or phrase, use italics.

Technical Support

The Queens College Helpdesk, (718) 997–4444, helpdesk@qc.cuny.edu) is located in the I-Building, Room 151 and provides technical support for students who need help with Queens College email, CUNY portal, Blackboard, and CUNYFirst.

Modules

This course is broken up into twelve modules.

Readings

Each module requires you to read a chapter or two from the following textbook:

  • Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication.

Downloadable editions are available from the Open Textbook Library.

Note: this book is woefully out of date, but we’re using it because it’s available as an Open Educational Resource, meaning it’s free. The video lectures, in tandem with the textbook readings, are vital for learning about contemporary media.

Lectures

Each module requires you to watch a recorded lecture. The recorded lecture is split into a series of videos, between three and five videos, and each video is between five and twelve minutes in length.

Each video contains captions and captions generated by Microsoft OneDrive.

In some cases, I will have updated the videos with new information and a slide will show different information than what I say in the audio track and what is documented in transcript and captions. In those cases, you should defer to what is written on the slide as it contains the most current information.

The videos move through the course material quicker than an in-person lecture. As you watch each video, pause and rewind the video as necessary to take notes on the material. This will help ensure you’re ingesting the course material.

Each video is linked on the course schedule below.

Quizzes

For each module, you will take two quizzes: one on the assigned readings and another on the recorded lectures.

Reading Quizzes

Each module includes a quiz on the readings from the textbook. Each reading quiz consists of a mix of true-false and multiple-choice questions. The quiz will be available on Microsoft Teams as a Microsoft Form.

There will be a total of twelve quizzes. I will drop your two lowest reading quiz scores. The remaining ten quizzes are collectively worth 25% of your final grade.

Lecture Quizzes

Each module includes a quiz on the recorded lectures. Each lecture quiz consists of a mix of true-false and multiple-choice questions. The quiz will be available on Microsoft Teams as a Microsoft Form.

There will be a total of twelve quizzes. I will drop your two lowest lecture quiz scores. The remaining ten quizzes are collectively worth 25% of your final grade.

Weekly Discussion Session

All students must participate in each week’s in-person discussion session.

We will meet each week in person to discuss the course material you covered in that week’s module. Attendance to the weekly discussion session is mandatory and is worth 10% of your final grade.

Exams

You are required to complete two exams. Each exam will consist of objective questions, a mix of true and false, and subjective questions, requiring answers in the form of explanations. Your answers to the exam questions should synthesize what you learned in the recorded lectures and the textbook readings.

Exams are available as Microsoft Office Forms, linked below on the course schedule, according to the following schedule:

  1. Exam 1, available Friday, October 14, 8:00 AM, due Thursday, October 20, 11:59 PM
  2. Exam 2, available Friday, December 9, 8:00 AM, due Thursday, December 15, 11:59 PM

Both exams are required and constitute 30% of your final grade. Your higher exam score will be worth 20%, your lower exam score will be worth 10%.

All exams must be submitted by the deadline, otherwise they will be penalized by reduction in a grade, according to the course policies.

Grading

Please submit your work on time. Late quizzes and take-home final exams will not be accepted after one business day.

Course Schedule

As the learning material is available asynchronously, you may complete each module as your schedule permits. However, the due dates for each assignment—including quizzes, lectures, and exams—are firm and must be completed on-time in order to receive credit. Please plan accordingly.

Welcome, August 25

Module 1 • Media, Communication, and Culture, September 1

Assignments

Module 2 • Books, September 8

Assignments

Module 3 • Newspapers, September 15

Assignments

Module 4 • Magazines, September 22

Assignments

Module 5 • Music, October 6

Assignments

Module 6 • Radio, October 13

Assignments

Exam 1, Due October 20

  • Complete Exam 1 on Microsoft Teams
  • Exam 1 covers the material from Modules 1–6
  • There is no live discussion session today

Module 7 • Movies, October 27

Assignments

Module 8 • Television, November 3

Assignments

Module 9 • Internet, November 10

Assignments

Module 10 • Advertising and Public Relations, November 17

Assignments

Module 11 • Media Economics, December 1

Assignments

Module 12 • Media Regulation, December 8

Assignments

Exam 2, Due December 15

  • Complete Exam 2 on Microsoft Teams
  • Exam 2 covers the material from Modules 7–12
  • There is no live discussion session today
  • No late exams will be accepted