UNDERSTANDING MEDIA
CORE 114 / 164
Course
Overview and Objectives
Media seem to be everywhere and it is almost impossible to go
anywhere without being confronted by a steady stream of media messages. In
the U.S., people can choose daily from broadcast media – radio and TV; cable
TV; print media – newspapers, periodicals, and books; recorded media – CDs and
audiotapes; visual media – videocassettes, DVDs and motion pictures; and the
fastest growing form – computer-based media.
How can we make sense of this media mix? How can media
consumers tell the difference between news, propaganda, advertising, and
entertainment? What, if anything, are the differences? What factors determine the media messages that
get produced and the ones that don’t?
Whose interests are being served; whose
ignored? What are the implications of all this for our political system and our
culture?
In this course, we will explore these and other questions in the
attempt to DEVELOP A HIGH DEGREE OF MEDIA LITERACY. This is our primary Course Objective. Additional course objectives which tend to
both lead to and flow from media literacy include:
·
Learn to think
critically and independently
·
Develop
analytical skills that encompass social and historical understandings
·
Understand
the influence of media on constructing culture (including values and the
perceptions of self and reality in general)
·
Recognize
the racist, sexist, and classist dimensions of overtly neutral media messages
Closely entwined with these objectives are the University-Wide
Learning Outcomes which will also
shape our course content:
Learn and integrate: Through
independent learning and collaborative study, attain, use, and develop
knowledge in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences, with disciplinary
specialization and the ability to integrate information across disciplines.
Think and create: Use multiple
thinking strategies to examine real-world issues, explore creative avenues of
expression, solve problems, and make consequential decisions.
Communicate: Acquire,
articulate, create and convey intended meaning using verbal and non-verbal
methods of communication that demonstrate respect and understanding in a
complex society.
Clarify purpose and perspective: Explore one’s life
purpose and meaning through transformational experiences that foster an
understanding of self, relationships, and diverse global perspectives.
Practice citizenship: Apply principles
of ethical leadership, collaborative engagement, socially responsible behavior,
respect for diversity in an interdependent world, and a service-oriented
commitment to advance and sustain local and global communities.
______________