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Contemporary Media, Summer 2022

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.

Remote Asynchronous Online Course

This course will be conducted remotely over the Internet.

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

All learning activities will be asynchronous, meaning that you will complete learning activities on your own time by the deadlines noted on this course website.

This course consists of twelve modules on contemporary media. For each module, there will be:

  1. assigned readings from the required textbook
  2. a reading quiz covering the material you just read
  3. a set of pre-recorded video lectures
  4. comprehension questions on each video lecture

After four 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.

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

CUNY Microsoft Office 365

To access CUNY Microsoft Office 365,

  1. Go to the following website on your browser: https://login.microsoftonline.com/?whr=login.cuny.edu
  2. Sign in to CUNY Web Applications using your firstname.lastname##@LOGIN.cuny.edu credentials

You have two cuny.edu Microsoft accounts: one that ends in qmail.cuny.edu and another that ends in login.cuny.edu. The first gets you access to email, and the latter grants you access to all of Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Teams, the assignments, and the Welcome Survey.

To sign in to your login.cuny.edu account, follow these steps:

  1. In your web browser, go to https://myaccount.microsoft.com and click on your initials in the top right corner of the screen.
  2. Do you see an option to “Sign in with a different account?” Click that and then “Use another account.”
  3. Under “Pick an Account,” select “+ Use Another Account"
  4. Type in your username (firstname.lastname##@LOGIN.cuny.edu) and click “Next”
  5. Wait for the page “Taking you to your Organization Page” to finish loading
  6. Sign in to CUNY Web Applications using your firstname.lastname##@LOGIN.cuny.edu credentials
  7. Test that it works by completing the Welcome Survey at https://juanmonroy.com/welcomesurvey

Microsoft Teams

We will be using Microsoft Teams for all graded assignments, including exams.

To join the Microsoft Team for our course:

  1. Go to https://teams.microsoft.com
  2. Sign in using your CUNY credentials
  3. Click to Join or Create Team
  4. Select Join Team with a Code
  5. Enter the code that I emailed you

After this initial set up, you can find our Team through this direct link, or finding it at https://teams.microsoft.com.

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.

Need to Borrow a Computing Device for this Class?

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

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.

Welcome Survey

Please complete the Welcome Survey for this course.

The survey serves to ensure that you can access Microsoft Forms and that you agree to abide by the course policies.

Please complete the Welcome Survey by Friday, July 8, 6:00 PM. If you cannot complete this by the deadline, please email me. Otherwise, I will have to report you as not attending the class and you will be dropped from the course.

Modules

This course is broken up into twelve modules. Each module consists of:

  • 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,
  • a reading quiz, available on Microsoft Teams, about the assigned readings,
  • a lecture quiz, available on Microsoft Teams, about the lecture videos

Modules are released, one at a time, on Tuesday through Friday, for a total of four modules per week, and are due the following Monday at 11:59 PM. See the course schedule for exact dates.

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 and answer the comprehension question based on that material. 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 generated by Microsoft OneDrive.

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 recorded lectures and another on the assigned readings.

Lecture Quizzes

Each module requires you to take a quiz on the lectures from the textbook. 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.

Note the quiz deadlines on the course schedule and on Microsoft Teams. No late quizzes will be accepted.

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.

Reading Quizzes

Each module requires you to take 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.

Note the quiz deadlines on the course schedule and on Microsoft Teams. No late quizzes will be accepted.

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.

Exams

You are required to complete three exams. Each exam will consist of objective questions, a mix of true-and-false and multiple-choice, 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.

Exam are available and due on Microsoft Teams, according to the following schedule:

  1. Exam 1, available Monday, July 11, 8:00 AM, due July 14, 11:59 PM
  2. Exam 2, available Monday, July 18, 8:00 AM, due July 21, 11:59 PM
  3. Exam 3, available Monday, July 25, 8:00 AM, due July 28, 11:59 PM

All three exams are required and constitute 50% of your final grade. Your highest score will be worth 25%, your second-highest exam score will be worth 15%, and your lowest exam score will be worth 10% of your final grade.

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. In some cases, assignments due at the end of the term will not be accepted. In-class exams must be taken at the date and time listed below unless we make other arrangements.

All other work will be penalized as follows:

  • Fall and Spring Courses
    • After a 24-hour grace period, late work will be penalized by a 10% reduction for each 24-hour period it is late. After one calendar week, the assignment will not be accepted, and you will likely fail this class.
  • Summer and Winter Courses
    • There is a 24-hour hour grace period. Late work will not be accepted after 24 hours.
  • All courses
    • No work will be accepted after the last class session.

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

Module 1 • Media, Communication, and Culture, July 5

Assignments

Module 2 • Books, July 6

Assignments

Module 3 • Newspapers, July 7

Assignments

Module 4 • Magazines, July 8

Assignments

Exam 1, July 11

Exam 1 covers the material for the Modules 1–4 and is available on Microsoft Teams

Module 5 • Music, July 12

Assignments

Module 6 • Radio, July 13

Assignments

Module 7 • Movies, July 14

Assignments

Module 8 • Television, July 15

Assignments

Exam 2, July 18

Exam 2 covers the material for the Modules 5–8 and is available on Microsoft Teams

Module 9 • Internet, July 19

Assignments

Module 10 • Advertising and Public Relations, July 20

Assignments

Module 11 • Media Economics, July 21

Assignments

Module 12 • Media Regulation, July 22

Assignments

Exam 3, July 25

Exam 3 covers the material for the Modules 9–12 and is available on Microsoft Teams