CLASS SYLLABUS CMST 132

Fall Quarter 2012
INSTRUCTOR:	Michael Korolenko
PHONE:	425-564-4109
OFFICE HOURS:	by appointment
TEXTBOOKS:	AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH by Neil Postman

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course focuses on the technological and communicative techniques of film and video that allow information to be targeted at specific individuals and groups, to create opinions, generate sales, develop propaganda, and other goals of media persuasion. It is the goals to: 1) increase student awareness of media persuasion by examining a variety of historical and current media campaigns; 2) demonstrate the techniques and technologies of media-based persuasion; 3) give students the opportunity to test and validate persuasion techniques with simple media presentations; and 4) assist in the development of critical analysis skills as applied to the production of media messages. This will be accomplished through online "lectures", discussions, written assignments, and a variety of film and video clips.

THE ONLINE COURSE will be presented in the form of a museum or World’s Fair exhibit dealing with the technology of persuasion and propaganda. Each area will contain different forms of propaganda: print, television, etc. as well as the types of propaganda and persuasion we face in our technological society: political, product-oriented, philosophically oriented, etc.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of the class, the student will be able to:

1. define the terms: media, persuasion, propaganda, technology application, symbol, metaphor, "yellow journalism," editorial, sound bite, manipulation, soft sell, motivation, instructional training, education, hands-on, virtual reality, educational television, documentary film/video, docudrama, advertising, infomercial.
2. list and explain the significance of five or more historical examples of media persuasion and propaganda between 1600 and 1990.
3. list and discuss five or more criteria that are indicative of a media propaganda campaign.
4. compare and contrast the American political left and American political right in their approaches to televised media messages from 1939 to the present.
5. explain the development of the use of media by grass-roots organizations and trace the impact of its use from 1960 to the present.
6. compare and contrast the technology utilized in creating documentaries, instructional videos, infomercials, local and network news programs, and subjective propaganda messages.
7. compare and contrast the persuasion techniques utilized in creating documentaries, instructional videos, infomercials, local and network news programs, and subjective propaganda messages, based on the source and destination of the intended message.
8. list and explain five or more symbols that have been used to persuade, sell, or influence public opinion during the Twentieth Century.
9. analyze and explain the role of audience analysis and goals and objectives in the development of persuasion materials.
10. list and explain the application of camera and model placement, light and shadow, color, and editing techniques in media production and explain their effect on the audience's point of view.
11. list and explain five or more critical viewing skills that allow a media consumer to analyze a video news broadcast for fairness and objectivity.
12. list and explain five or more critical viewing skills that allow a media consumer to analyze a commercial, infomercial, or other product-related media production for accuracy and truthfulness.
13. list and explain five or more instructional tools utilized in educational and industrial training film/video that can (or cannot) assist in the persuasion and motivation of learners.
14. analyze five or more applications of persuasion in the "emerging technologies" and explain their possible effects on the present and future users of these technologies.
15. apply, as part of a production team, the techniques and concepts presented in the class in production of persuasive ad campaign.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Each student will develop case studies which demonstrate their ability to analyze a one-sided media campaign or advertisement and present both the pros and cons of the issue, subject, or product that is presented.
2. Throughout the course, there will also be a series of short essay assignments, some embedded in the material available online due at the end of each week.
3. To search out a specific propagandistic site either in print, on television, or on the web and do a detailed critique noting what types of persuasive techniques are utilized, who the site would appeal to, etc.
4. As a final project, students will be divided into groups which will present an online persuasive piece pertaining to one of the major subjects discussed in class.
5. Students are also required to put at least two postings on the Bulletin Board each week: one being your opinion concerning the particular week's material, the other being a response to a posting made by another member of the class. If a student fails to meet this requirement, his or her grade will drop a full grade point at the end of the quarter - in other words, if you earn a "B+" and do not post to the BB at least twice a week, the grade you receive will be a "C+".

GRADING will be as follows: To figure out your grade, simply add your grades together and divide by the number of assignments there are (for example: if there are four assignments, you add the four grades together and divide the sum by four).

STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO POST ON EACH BULLETIN BOARD AT LEAST TWICE!

WEEKLY TOPICS AND DISCUSSIONS:

Week 1 INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
	Overview and The Power of Images The meaning of propaganda The secret of propaganda - to simplify the complex and repeat the new "truth." Advent of Industrial Revolution - printing and pamphlets "Yellow" journalism The Twentieth Century and Film: the ability to reach millions! ASSIGNMENT FOR MID WEEK: Read chapter 9 in AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH. Research the variety of propaganda techniques utilized by the Allies and the Axis during World War II.
Week 2 - AMERICAN PROPAGANDA: LEFT AND RIGHT
	Persuasion and the use of symbols and metaphors Telecommunications technologies in Campaigns and Movements - Political Campaigns and The Selling of Candidates ASSIGNMENT DUE ASSIGNMENT: CASE STUDY 1 - TYPE A CONCISE OPINION PIECE ON "THE PROPAGANDA BATTLE" WAGED DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR - DUE WEEK 3. No more than 2 pages
Week 3 - MODERN MEDIA AND PERSUASION
	From McLuhan to the Information Infrastructure Grass roots movements and the media Utilizing film and video techniques to persuade (including camera angle, subject placement, lighting) ASSIGNMENT: Read chapter 7 in AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH -
Week 4 - FILM AND VIDEO TECHNIQUES
	Editing to persuade and/or inform Sound and visual "bites" Subtle manipulation - the soft sell Persuasion in the Information Age ASSIGNMENT: read chapters 1 and 2 in AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH - OPTIONAL - VIEW Bill Moyer's "Illusions Of News" on reserve at Library Media Center (CASE STUDY 2 DUE) See Calendar and Assignment pageWrite an essay on which one of the GUN CONTROL articles in the Gallery is the most persuasive and why and which is the least persuasive and why.
Week 5 - NEWS AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE
	The change in the newsroom: new rules, new technologies Is it news, opinion, or gossip? Is it journalism or editorializing?
Week 6 - EDUCATIONAL FILMS & VIDEOS: PERSUASION AS EDUCATION AND TRAINING
	How does instructional media really work? Training vs. education Techniques and applications of educational television Virtual reality vs. hands-on ASSIGNMENT: Read chapter 10 in AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH OPTIONAL - View "60 Minutes" segment on propaganda in schools CASE STUDY - ONE OPINION ESSAY DUE: Creationism vs. Evolution (see this Week's exhibits). Also - post on BB - do you think political correctness can be seen as a form of propaganda? Why or why not?
Week 7 - TEACHING AS AN AMUSING ACTIVITY
	Educational technology today and in the future - Is it necessary for education to be "fun"?
Week 8 - THE ART OF THE DOCUMENTARY
	Brief history of the documentary film/video Points of view and objectivity Documentary vs. docudrama Shooting and editing the documentary - applied technology ASSIGNMENT: Optional - View "THE WAR GAME" - on reserve at Library Media Center - also available in Seattle through Scarecrow Video CASE STUDY 3 WILL BE DUE Either View "The Atomic Cafe" (on reserve at the Library Media Center) or Research U.S. Atomic Policy for Civilians during the 1950s - Write and email a ONE PARAGRAPH OPINION PIECE ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU THINK OUR GOVERNMENT WAS ENGAGED IN PROPAGANDA CONCERNING ATOMIC POLICY/WHY OR WHY NOT OR WHETHER "THE WAR GAME" CAN BE VIEWED AS PROPAGANDA
Week 9 - ADVERTISING: TURNING FANTASY INTO REALITY
	Print advertising vs. television advertising Will these products really make your life better? Ethics & Analysis of commercials: can the product live up to the claim? What do commercials imply? 100 Years of "The Perfect Woman" Reprise - Subtle manipulation or the soft sell Read chapter chapter 11 in AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH - OPTIONAL - View Bill Moyers' "Consuming Images" and tape on Advertisements FINAL CASE STUDY DUE CASE STUDY 3 DUE - CHOOSE AN ADVERTISEMENT (PRINT, TV, OR NET) AND WRITE A SHORT ESSAY ON THE TACTICS USED, NOTING RANK'S MODEL OF PERSUASION AS NOTED BY LARSON
Week 10 - FINAL GROUP PROJECTS DUE
	Review: Who was right - Orwell or Huxley? Group meetings FINAL GROUP PRESENTATION SITE - DUE WEEK 11

ESSAYS

When composing your essays, remember that you will be graded on the following:
1) Organization/Focus: Do you provide a clear focus and point of view? Do your ideas make sense, and are they logically presented? 2) Observations: Do you have an interesting or original point of view? 3) Writing style: Read your essay out loud. Does it flow well, or is it awkward to read? 4) Details: Are there spelling or grammatical errors? 5) References: If you use statistical or factual information, do you include your sources? These can be provided as an online reference, Web link, or footnote.

HOW PRESENTATIONS AND CASE STUDIES ARE GRADED:

20% - Grammar and Spelling
20% - Look of the Piece
40% - Content and Understanding
20% - Organization
100% - TOTAL

ONLINE ETIQUETTE

Just as in a classroom, disruptions and impoliteness are not tolerated, neither will they be tolerated within the confines of our online "classroom." Students are to show respect towards each other and their instructor, which includes respect and tolerance for each other’s ideas. Any sort of disrespect will, at the very least, impact negatively on your class participation grade.

From The Arts and Humanities Guide:

3. Classroom Environment: The college's "Affirmation of Inclusion is posted in each classroom and sets forth the expectation that we will all treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of whether or not we agree philosophically. This expectation is in line with the principle of free speech in a free society: we have the right to express unpopular ideas as long as we don't show disrespect for reasonable people who might believe otherwise. In an on-line course, you will be expressing ideas through the medium of the course site rather than face to face in the classroom. In that case, these expectations refer to the courtesy with which you communicate with one another through e-mails and e-discussions. Part of this respect involves professional behavior toward the instructor, colleagues, and the class itself. Disruptive behavior is disrespectful behavior. The Arts and Humanities Division honors the right of its faculty to define "disruptive behavior," which often involves such things as arriving late, leaving early, leaving class and then returning, talking while others are trying to hear the instructor or their group members, doing other homework in class, wearing earphones in class, bringing activated beepers, alarm watches, or cellular phones into class, inappropriate comments or gestures, etc. In on-line courses, flaming anyone in the class is also considered disruptive behavior. Such behavior interrupts the educational process. When you are in doubt about any behavior, consult your instructor during office hours: we recognize the judgment of the instructor as the final authority in these matters.
When disruptive behavior occurs, instructors will speak to or e-mail the students concerned. Those students are then responsible for ending the disruptions at once. Failure to do so may result in removal of the students from class.
4. Values Conflicts:
Essential to a liberal arts education is an open-minded tolerance for ideas and modes of expression which might conflict with one’s personal values. By being exposed to such ideas or expressions, students are not expected to endorse or adopt them but rather to understand that they are part of the free flow of information upon which higher education depends.
To this end, you may find that class requirements may include engaging certain materials, such as books, films, and art work, which may, in whole or in part, offend you. These materials are equivalent to required texts and are essential to the course content. If you decline to engage the required material by not reading, viewing, or performing material you consider offensive, you will still be required to meet class requirements in order to earn credit. This may require responding to the content of the material, and you may not be able to fully participate in required class discussions, exams, or assignments. Consult the syllabus and discuss such issues with the instructor.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:

Thirty Seconds
Michael Arlen, Penguin Books, Ltd.

The Glass Teat
Harlan Ellison, Ace Books

The Selling of the President, 1968
Joe McGinnes, Pocket Books