1 - 10 of 118 results for: COMM

(Graduate students register for COMM 211.) Open to non-majors. Introduction to the concepts and contexts of communication. A topics-structured orientation emphasizing the field and the scholarly endeavors represented in the department.

The institutions and practices of mass media, including television, film, radio, and digital media, and their role in shaping culture and social life. The media's shifting relationships to politics, commerce, and identity.

The impact of media entertainment on individuals, social groups, and societies. Sources include a diverse cross-section of entertainment. Introduction to psychological and socio-psychological theories. Empirical findings relating to media entertainment as a stimulus and a reception phenomenon. What renders diverse genres of media content and format enjoyable? Why do individuals pursue entertainment experiences in ever-increasing numbers? What is the political impact of apolitical media entertainment?

Techniques of news reporting and writing. The value and role of news in democratic societies. Gateway class to journalism. Prerequisite for all COMM 177/277 classes. Limited enrollment. Preference to sophomores and juniors.

(Graduate students register for COMM 206.) Conceptual and practical concerns underlying commonly used quantitative approaches, including experimental, survey, content analysis, and field research in communication. Pre- or corequisite: STATS 60 or consent of instructor.

(Graduate students register for COMM 207.) Interdisciplinary. Legal, institutional, sociological, and technological framework for free expression in democracy. History, values, and principles of the First Amendment. The challenge of new technology to old doctrine. Impact of the Internet on issues of free speech, such as political criticism, fair use, defamation, low value speech, professional privilege, and public forum in an era of private networks. How do new social networking technologies produce the expertise and accountability promoted by the First Amendment?

(Graduate students register for COMM 208.) The process of communication theory construction including a survey of social science paradigms and major theories of communication. Recommended: 1 or PSYCH 1.

The impact of new media technologies on electoral campaigns, the political process, and democratic practice. Major theoretical perspectives on new media and collective action, political communication, the public sphere, and social movements. Are digital media altering the balance of political power in American democracy? Do digital networks reshape the way we elect presidents and contest public issues? Is the Internet undermining the ability of journalists and political elites to set the public agenda?

What is propaganda? What role does it play in our lives? And how do we conceive of propaganda's relationship to politics and culture? This course will examine the evolution of propaganda from the early 20th century to the present. It will take up examples from advertising, journalism, cinema, painting and digital media. By the end of the course, students will have a broad understanding of the tactics by which various interest groups have sought to influence public communication.