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.
Learning Objectives
In this course, we will aim to accomplish the following:
- learning the terminology, practices, and economics of contemporary media industries, including print, electronic, and digital media
- understanding the relationship between contemporary media and society
- building a working understanding of contemporary media and a foundation for more advanced and in-depth courses in media studies
Remote Flipped Course
This course will meet remotely 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.
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 remotely for a discussion session, each week, 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 Brightspace, with captions and a transcript
- a reading quiz, available on Brightspace, about the assigned readings,
- a lecture quiz, available on Brightspace, about the lecture videos
- a weekly remote discussion session on Zoom
- review questions, available on Brightspace, based on and due during the 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 Brightspace.
CUNY Brightspace
We will be using Brightspace for all graded assignments, including quizzes and exams.
https://brightspace.cuny.edu
Sign in using your CUNY Login, not your college-specific address (the one you use for email).
Loaner Devices for Remote Instruction
Queens College offers loaner devices to students who need them for remote instruction. Contact Queens College ITS for how to request a device.
Instructor
Juan Monroy
Office Hours
Office hours are held remotely on Microsoft Teams. Sign up for an appointment at https://juanmonroy.com/officehours.
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/.
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 Brightspace.
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 CUNY Brightspace.
There will be a total of twelve quizzes. I will drop your two lowest reading quiz scores. The remaining ten quizzes are collectively worth 24% 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 CUNY Brightspace.
There will be a total of twelve quizzes. I will drop your two lowest lecture quiz scores. The remaining ten quizzes are collectively worth 24% of your final grade.
Weekly Discussion Session
All students must attend each week’s remote discussion session.
We will meet each week remotely 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.
Weekly Discussion Questions
Each week during class, I will post a set of discussion questions on Brightspace for you to complete during our Weekly Discussion Session. The questions are open-ended and due by the end of our meeting.
There will be a total of twelve discussion questions assignments. I will drop your two lowest scores. The remaining ten discussion question assignments are collectively worth 12% 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 on CUNY Brightspace, covering the following material
- Exam 1, on modules 1–6
- Exam 2, on modules 7–12
Both exams are required and constitute 30% of your final grade:
- your high exam score: 20% of your final grade
- your lower exam score: 10% of your final grade
All exams must be submitted by the final deadline, otherwise they will receive no credit.
Grading
Please submit your work on time. Quizzes and exams will not be accepted after they close on Brightspace.
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.
Getting Started, August 28
Module 1 • Media, Communication, and Culture, September 4
Assignments
- Read Chapter 1: Media and Culture
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Communication and Media (10 min.)
- Digital Media (9 min.)
- Convergence (7 min.)
- Contemporary Media and Digitalization (9 min.)
- Media Literacy (9 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 1: Media, Communication, and Culture
- Complete Lecture Quiz 1: Media, Communication, and Culture
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Review Slides (PDF) from this module’s presentation
- Complete Discussion Questions 1: Media, Communication, and Culture
Module 2 • Books, September 11
Assignments
- Read Chapter 3: Books
- Read Elizabeth Harris, “How a Book is Made,” New York Times, February 20, 2022
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Book Terminology (11 min.)
- Book Publishing (7 min.)
- Book Selling (6 min.)
- Books in the Digital Age (6 min.)
- Three Cs of Contemporary Books (4 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 2: Books
- Complete Lecture Quiz 2: Books
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Review Slides (PDF) from this module’s presentation
- Complete Discussion Questions 2: Books
Module 3 • Newspapers, September 18
Assignments
- Read Chapter 4: Newspapers
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Newspaper Terminology (10 min.)
- Types of Newspapers (5 min.)
- Newspaper Content (5 min.)
- Newspaper Circulation (5 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 3: Newspapers
- Complete Lecture Quiz 3: Newspapers
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Review Slides (PDF) from this module’s presentation
- Complete Discussion Questions 3: Newspapers
Module 4 • Magazines, September 25
Assignments
- Read Chapter 5: Magazines
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Magazine Terminology (4 min.)
- Types of Magazines (4 min.)
- Magazine Content (4 min.)
- Magazine Circulation (5 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 4: Magazines
- Complete Lecture Quiz 4: Magazines
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 4: Magazines
Module 5 • Music, October 9
Assignments
- Read Chapter 6: Music
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Tin Pan Alley to Rock ’n’ Roll (10 min.)
- Music Recordings (4 min.)
- Music in the Digital Era (7 min.)
- Recording Industry (14 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 5: Music
- Complete Lecture Quiz 5: Music
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 5: Music
Module 6 • Radio, October 16
Assignments
- Read Chapter 7: Radio
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Radio Terminology (14 min.)
- Radio Stations (10 min.)
- Radio Programming (6 min.) Reference the Guide to Radio Station Formats discussed in this video.
- Advertising and Audiences (6 min.)
- Radio in the Digital Age (7 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 6: Radio
- Complete Lecture Quiz 6: Radio
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 6: Radio
Exam 1, Due October 23
- Complete Exam 1
- Exam 1 covers the material from Modules 1–6
- There is no weekly discussion session today
Module 7 • Movies, October 30
Assignments
- Read Chapter 8: Movies
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Theatrical Film Industry (8 min.)
- Movie Production (4 min.)
- Movie Distribution (5 min.)
- Movie Exhibition (10 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 7: Movies
- Complete Lecture Quiz 7: Movies
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 7: Movies
Module 8 • Television, November 6
Assignments
- Read Chapter 9: Television
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Television Terminology (9 min.)
- Television Production (9 min.)
- Television Distribution (8 min.)
- Television Exhibition (8 min.)
- Television Audiences (5 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 8: Television
- Complete Lecture Quiz 8: Television
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions: Television
Module 9 • Internet, November 13
Assignments
- Read Chapter 11: The Internet and Social Media
- Read the series of articles by Kashmir Hill, where she tries to live “Life without the Tech Giants”
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Networking (13 min.)
- World Wide Web (5 min.)
- Contemporary Applications (13 min.)
- Internet Society and Culture (9 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 9: Internet
- Complete Lecture Quiz 9: Internet
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 9: Internet
Module 10 • Advertising and Public Relations, November 20
Assignments
- Read Chapter 12: Advertising and Public Relations
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Persuasion Industries (10 min.)
- Advertising Messages (9 min.)
- Public Relations Messages (8 min.)
- Integrated Marketing Communication (3 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 10: Advertising and PR
- Complete Lecture Quiz 10: Advertising and PR
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 10: Advertising and PR
Module 11 • Media Economics, December 4
Assignments
- Read Chapter 13: Economics of Mass Media
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Economies of Scale (7 min.)
- Genres of Media Content (12 min.)
- Financing Media Content (6 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 11: Media Economics
- Complete Lecture Quiz 11: Media Economics
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 11: Media Economics
Module 12 • Media Regulation, December 11
Assignments
- Read Chapter 15: Media and Government
- Watch the recorded lectures on Brightspace:
- Free Speech (15 min.)
- Role of US Government (10 min.)
- Media Regulations (6 min.)
- Self-Regulation (8 min.)
- Complete Reading Quiz 12: Media Regulation
- Complete Lecture Quiz 12: Media Regulation
- Attend the weekly discussion session on Zoom, today at 6:30 PM
- Complete Discussion Questions 12: Media Regulation
Exam 2, Due December 18
- Complete Exam 2
- Exam 2 covers the material from Modules 7–12
- There is no weekly discussion session today
- No late exams will be accepted