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 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. We will not be using Blackboard.

Most learning activities will be asynchronous, meaning that students complete learning activities on their own time by the deadlines noted on this course website.

We will meet for a weekly synchronous live discussion session, each Monday beginning at 7:00 PM, on Zoom.

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
  5. live discussion session on Zoom

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.

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

If you’re having trouble accessing the resources hosted on CUNY Office 365, including OneDrive and Microsoft Teams, take 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

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.

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 Monday, February 14. 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 reading quiz about the material you just read,
  • a set of pre-recorded video lectures
  • a comprehension quiz on each video,
  • a weekly live discussion session on Zoom

Modules are released, one at a time, on Tuesdays, for a total of one module per week, and are due the following Monday at 6:00 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.

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.

Your scores on the lecture comprehension questions count for 30% of your final grade. I will drop the combined lecture comprehension quiz scores from your two lowest performing modules.

Please complete each quiz on time. Because we will review each quiz during our weekly live discussion sessions, no quiz will be accepted after that module’s live discussion session has started.

Reading Quizzes

Each module requires you to take a quiz on the readings from the textbook. Each quiz consists of a mix of true-false and multiple-choice questions and is linked on the course schedule below as a Microsoft Office Form.

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

There will be a total of twelve quizzes. I will drop your two lowest quiz scores. The remaining ten quizzes are collectively worth 30% of your final grade.

Please complete each quiz on time. Because we will review each quiz during our weekly live discussion sessions, no quiz will be accepted after that module’s live discussion session has started.

Live Discussion Session

All students must participate in the live discussion session.

We will meet each week on Zoom to discuss the course material you covered in that week’s module. The meeting will take place at the following time:

Attendance to the weekly discussion session is mandatory and is worth 10% of your final grade.

These sessions will have live transcription and will be recorded for only students in our class.

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 Tuesday, March 22, 8:00 AM, due March 28, 11:59 PM
  2. Exam 2, available Tuesday, May 17, 8:00 AM, due Monday May 23, 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. 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
    • After a one-hour grace period, late work will be penalized by a 10% reduction up to 24 hours after the deadline. 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.

Welcome, January 31

Module 1 • Media, Communication, and Culture, February 7

Assignments

Module 2 • Books, February 14

Assignments

Module 3 • Newspapers, February 28

Assignments

Module 4 • Magazines, March 7

Assignments

Module 5 • Music, March 14

Assignments

Module 6 • Radio, March 21

Assignments

Exam 1, March 28

Exam 1 covers the material for the Modules 1–6

  • Available: Tuesday, March 22, 8:00 AM
  • Due: Monday, March 28, 11:59 PM

Module 7 • Movies, April 4

Assignments

Module 8 • Television, April 11

Assignments

Module 9 • Internet, April 25

Assignments

Module 10 • Advertising and Public Relations, May 2

Assignments

Module 11 • Media Economics, May 9

Assignments

Module 12 • Media Regulation, May 16

Assignments

Exam 2, May 23

Exam 2 covers the material for the Modules 7–12

  • Available: Tuesday, May 17, 8:00 AM
  • Due: Monday, May 23, 11:59 PM

Note: No late exams will be accepted