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.
This class uses open educational resources or zero-textbook-cost materials. There are no required textbooks for purchase. All materials are freely available or will be provided by the instructor.
Funded in part by the CUNY OER Initiative
In this course, we will aim to accomplish the following:
This course will be conducted remotely over the Internet.
All course material is available on the course website at https://juanmonroy.com/contemporarymedia. Assignments are are available on Brightspace.
All learning activities will be asynchronous, meaning that you will complete learning activities on your own time by the deadlines noted on Brightspace.
The learning activities are divided into twelve modules. For each module, there will be:
After four modules, there will be an exam on the material you have covered.
Although the course is asynchronous, you must complete each module, each quiz, and each exam by the deadline specified on this course website.
We will be using Brightspace for all graded assignments, including quizzes and exams.
Sign in using your CUNY Login, not your college-specific address (the one you use for email).
Queens College offers loaner devices to students who need them for remote instruction. Contact Queens College ITS for how to request a device.
Juan Monroy
Office hours are held remotely. Sign up for an appointment at https://juanmonroy.com/officehours.
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.”
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.
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should register with the Special Services Office. For more information about services available to Queens College students, visit the Office of Special Services website.
Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.
Please complete the Welcome Survey on Brightspace for this course.
The survey serves to ensure that you can access Brightspace and that you agree to abide by the course policies.
Please complete the Welcome Survey by the deadline posted on Brightspace. 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.
There are twelve modules and three exams for this course.
Modules—four at a time—are released on Fridays and are due the following Friday at 11:59 PM. See Brightspace for exact dates.
Each module requires you to read a chapter or two from the following textbook:
Downloadable editions are available from LibreTexts.
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.
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.
The videos are inside the “Lecture Videos and Lecture Quiz” section of each module.
Each video contains captions and a transcript 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 listed on the course schedule below.
For each module, you will take two quizzes: one on the assigned readings and another on the recorded lectures.
You have two attempts to take each quiz: your score for each quiz is based on the average of your attempts.
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 Brightspace.
Note the quiz deadlines on Brightspace. Quizzes will will not be accepted after they close on 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 33% of your final grade.
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 Brightspace.
Note the quiz deadlines on Brightspace. Quizzes will will not be accepted after they close on 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 33% of your final grade.
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.
Exams are available on Brightspace:
All three exams are required and constitute 34% of your final grade:
All exams must be submitted by the deadline. Exams will not be accepted after each closes on Brightspace.
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.
Exam 1 covers the material for the Modules 1–4 and is available on Brightspace
Exam 2 covers the material for the Modules 5–8 and is available on Brightspace
Exam 3 covers the material for the Modules 9–12 and is available on Brightspace