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:

  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

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 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 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.

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 both in-person and remotely. Sign up for an appointment at https://juanmonroy.com/officehours.

  • In-Person: Thursdays, 4:30–5:30 PM, G Building, Room 102-D
  • Remote via Zoom: 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

Microsoft Teams

We will use Microsoft Teams to submit your assignments. We will not be using Blackboard.

To access our course on Microsoft Teams, follow these steps:

  1. Go to https://teams.microsoft.com
  2. When you see the Microsoft Sign In page, enter your @login.cuny.edu username: firstname.lastname##@login.cuny.edu. Note: This is not the same as your qmail.cuny.edu username.
  3. When you see the CUNY Web Applications Login page, enter your CUNY Login username and password and complete the two-factor authentication.
  4. Locate our Team: Contemporary Media, Spring 2023.

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.

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 30% 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 30% of your final grade.

Weekly Discussion Session

All students must attend 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, March 10, 8:00 AM, due Thursday, March 16, 11:59 PM
  2. Exam 2, available Friday, May 12, 8:00 AM, due Thursday, May 18, 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.

Getting Started, January 26

  • Make sure you have access our course on Microsoft Teams. Sign in with your @login.cuny.edu Microsoft 365 account, not your Microsoft 365 @qmail.cuny.edu
  • Read the policies governing this course
  • Get the required textbook: Understanding Media and Culture.
  • Attend the in-person discussion session, 6:30 PM, Kiely Hall 312
    • The handout distributed in class today is available to download on Dropbox

Module 1 • Media, Communication, and Culture, February 2

Assignments

Module 2 • Books, February 9

Assignments

Module 3 • Newspapers, February 16

Assignments

Module 4 • Magazines, February 23

Assignments

Module 5 • Music, March 2

Assignments

Module 6 • Radio, March 9

Assignments

Exam 1, Due March 16

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

Module 7 • Movies, March 23

Assignments

Module 8 • Television, March 30

Assignments

Module 9 • Internet, April 20

Assignments

Module 10 • Advertising and Public Relations, April 27

Assignments

Module 11 • Media Economics, May 4

Assignments

Module 12 • Media Regulation, May 11

Assignments

Exam 2, Due May 18

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