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Media Management and Organization
Fall '05 through Spring '07
Changes to the media industry have brought changes to its people (organizational structure), its programs (content delivery methods), its revenue (business models) and every other area imaginable! The goal of this course is to help students interpret the current media landscape through the eyes of a media manager. The course presents a "real world" view of media structures and managerial roles and responsibilities.
This class explores the management structures and responsibilities of various communications and broadcasting industries including radio, television, cable, satellite, and online. Understanding the financial implications leading to profitability of media entities and challenges facing non-profit entities are considered. Other issues to be discussed include; how media managers are influenced by other media entities, the role of government, and the impact of technology on the future of broadcasting. The course will consist of lectures, classroom discussion and activities, online readings and research and written assignments.
Mass Media and Children
Fall '06, Fall '07 (planned)
Children spend a large percentage of their waking time with media, including television, videogames, movies, music and the internet. As new media technologies are created, that percentage continues to grow. What impact does this media use (both as individual media and as "media" overall) have on children? How does entertainment balance with developmental impact? Children's media may be only a small component of media industries in the U.S. and worldwide, but it aims to be a revenue-generating media business just the same.
The course is organized around 3 core themes: understanding what kids watch and use, understanding why they watch it, and understanding the impact. The goal of this course is to help students gain an understanding of the current children's media landscape. Discussions explore a) the various children's media companies, b) child development theories c) how and why content is created, d) influences on producers and show creators, e) how children's media affects how children see the world. Other topics include the history and economics of children's media, arguments about the educational value of television and a look at research that has investigated media's impact on development and learning. At its heart, this course approaches children's media as fun, entertaining, and a component of a child's development to be enjoyed...while making wise choices.
Mass Media and Society
Fall '06
Take a moment to think about the ways in which you "consumed" media in the past 2 days. Did you watch TV on a traditional television? On a computer? Through a satellite? On your cellphone? Did you read a book from the library? Buy one from amazon.com? Listen to a book in your car? Download one to your iPod? Did you surf the net, blog, podcast, chat, listen to radio by satellite, or "Google" a classmate or a teacher? Now think about how differently you "consumed" it 2 years ago. Media industries, including newspapers, radio, music recording, television, book and magazine publishing, and the internet, are going through a period of tremendous growth and change. The mass media that we experience today is best understood by examining the history, economics, and industry structure of these institutions, including the changing social and regulatory contexts. This course introduces specific approaches for becoming more enlightened media consumer and producer of mass media messages by strengthening skills of reasoning, research, critical thinking, creativity, and communication.
Public Broadcasting
Spring '07
In a media world with 500 cable channels, satellite radio, broadband networks and user-generated content, what is the role of public broadcasting? What purpose does public broadcasting play in democracy? In education? In entertainment? In creating a "public square" for a discussion with a diversity of voices? This course explores public broadcasting from its inception in the late-sixties through today.
Class discussions explore the Leadership (PBS, NPR, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, APTS), the Stations (WHYY, WYBE, WRTI, WXPN), the Business Model (pledge drives, sponsorship vs. commercials, ancillary products) and the Content (TV programs, Radio formats, online developments). The organizational structure of Public Broadcasting is unlike any other media company and will be explored in detail, including the relationship of the stations to their community, to PBS and/or NPR and to the government. What is public broadcasting doing to assure that it is a viable media alternative in the future? Guest Speakers will join our discussion and share some of their ideas with us.
Communication in Organizations
Online course, Spring '07, Fall '07 (planned)
Understanding how to work and lead within organizations means understanding how to be an effective communicator. This course is designed to blend the scholarship and foundational research on communication with the application and "real world" view of communicating within organizational structures of today.
What are the processes organizations use to communicate and what is the impact of those processes? Discussions explore communication from leader to worker(s), from worker to leader(s), from peer to peer, within teams, inside the structures and outside. In addition to reviewing the major theories of organizational communication, class discussions and readings examine the kinds of challenges faced by organizations today. Topics will include conflict resolution, managing cross-cultural workplaces, the impact of technology, emotions in the workplace and current global trends.
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