BROOKLYN COLLEGE
Department of Television and Radio
MEDIA CRITICISM
TV/R 30.5W Sections EM6 (Mon, Course Code 2098) and EW6 (Wed, Course Code 3797)
Fall, 2007, 6:40pm - 9:20 pm
403a Whitehead Hall

Class Schedule and Assignments - Fall, 2007

Semester Syllabus / Discussion Notes / Blackboard

Draft. The details of the schedule are likely to change.

Session Date Subject Reading (complete before class) Discussion Notes
1 Sep 13 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication No reading, obviously ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn01
2 Sep 20 How Communication shapes us Chapters 1 and 2 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn02
3 Sep 27 How perception shapes what we hear Chapter 3 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn03
4 Oct 4 How to be a better listener Chapter 4 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn04
5 Oct 11 Language, verbal and non-verbal Chapter 5 and 6 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn05
6 Oct 18 Principles of Interpersonal Relationships Chapter 7 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn06
7 Oct 25 The Interpersonal Relationship Process Chapter 8 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn07
8 Nov 01 Dealing with Disagreement in Relationships Chapter 9 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn08
9 Nov 08 Dealing with Conflict in Relationships Chapter 10 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn09
10 Nov 15 No Class. At NCA in Chicago Work on Class Project ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn10
- Nov 22 Thanksgiving. No class
11 Nov 29 Dealing with Cultural Diversity Chapter 11 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn11
12 Dec 06 Dealing with Families Chapter 12 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn12
13 Dec 13 Making and Keeping Friends Chapter 13 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn13
14 Dec 20 Interaction with Colleagues Chapter 14 ?HealthInterpersonalFall2007Sn14

 

Session Monday Wednesday Subject Assignment (to be completed before class on the date assigned)
1 Aug 27 Aug 29 Introduction No Reading.
2 Sep 10 Sep 5 The Landscape of Media Criticism;
Exploring and Explaining Media
Read Levinson, Chapters 1, 2, 3; Read Models of the Communication Process and Introduction To Media Criticism
3 Sep 17 Sep 19

Doing Media Criticism
Semiotics

Read Allen, Introduction, Chapter One; Bring body of content to class
4 Sep 24 Sep 26 Semiotics (continued)
Narrative Theory
Read Medium as an Ecology of Genre; Read Allen, Chapter 2
5 Oct 1 Oct 3

Narrative Theory (continuted)
Writing Media Criticism

Read Levinson, Chapters 4, 5, 6, Read An Introduction To Five Paragraph Media Criticism, First Annotated Bibliography Due.
6 Oct 15 Oct 10

Genre Theory
Auteur Theory and Production-Oriented Approaches

Read Allen, Chapter 4; Levinson, Chapters 7 and 8; Short Paper 1 Due
7 Oct 22 Oct 17

Medium as Message
Audience-Oriented Criticism

Read Levinson, Chapters 9 and 10; Read Allen, Chapter 3
8 Oct 29 Oct 24

Ideological Analysis

Read Allen Chapters 5; Optionally Read Allen, Chapter 7
9 Nov 05 Oct 31

Cultural Studies;
Theories of Mind

Read Allen, Chapters 6 and 8; Short Paper 2 Due
10 Nov 12 Nov 7

The Postmodern Turn;
Deconstruction of Media Content

Read Allen, Chapter 9; Term Paper Introduction Due; Web Readings. See Online Syllabus for links.; Second Annotated Bibliography
11 Nov 19* Nov 14* Uses of Media; Read Levinson, Chapters 11, 12, 13; First Complete Draft of Term Paper Due. *Class will be conducted online via Blackboard from Nov 14-19. Term paper drafts must be submitted as hard copy by Monday, Nov 19.
12 Nov 26 Nov 28

Term Paper Presentations

No Reading
13 Dec 3 Dec 5 Term Paper Presentations No Reading
14 Dec 10 Dec 12

The Rearview Mirror;
Thinking Systematically About Media

Read Message Ecology; Read Allen, Afterword. Read Levinson, Chapters 14 and 15. Final Submission of Term Paper for Grading
Final     Final Exam Formally scheduled from 6:00pm - 8:00pm on the normal class day, but will not start until 6:40pm. Term papers and, if possible, final grades will be returned at this time.