Journalism 200 Prof. Carl Sessions Stepp
Journalism History, Roles Room 4121
Journalism Bldg.
and Structures 301-405-2428
Fall 2006 cstepp@jmail.umd.edu
Office
hours: TTh 10-11, 1-2; W 10:11:30; also by appointment or dropin
Description: Journalism 200 is an introduction to the
history and heritage of journalism. The course will explore the rise of various
mass media, along with their roles, functions, structures, and the laws and
ethics that apply to them.
Textbooks: Media
Impact by Biagi
American Journalists
by Ritchie
Format: The course meets twice a week. You are
expected to attend regularly, complete all assigned readings before class,
and participate in class discussions showing you have studied the material.
Grading: Your course grade will be based on two tests,
a final exam, a book report and a term paper, each counting about 20%. In addition, class participation, quizzes and smaller assignments may affect your grade.
Book Report: a 2- to 3-page report on a major book, selected by you and approved by me, by or about an
important journalist and written before 1975. It can be a biography,
autobiography, anthology or other key work. DEADLINES:
Choose book by Sept. 26. Report due Oct.
26.
Term Paper: a
formal research paper of 5 to 7 pages. It should include endnotes and a
bibliography, and it should follow proper research paper style. Your
bibliography must include at least two books, at least two newspaper or
magazine articles, and at least two additional online citations. For your
topic, you should select a person you believe significantly influenced
journalism; profile the person, stressing career highlights and key
contributions to journalism. The person should be someone not profiled in the
Ritchie text and who died before 1960. DEADLINES: Topic due, Oct. 3. Paper due Dec.
7.
Deadlines: Meeting deadline is vital for journalists.
Late papers will receive the average of an F and the grade the paper would have
received if submitted on time. For long-range assignments like the book report
and term paper, an excused absence for the day the paper is due doesn’t cancel
the late penalty.
Academic
integrity: As college
students, you are expected to know and comply with all academic integrity
provisions. As journalism students, you are expected to be especially vigilant
about doing original work, properly citing all sources, and meeting exemplary
standards of integrity.
Invitation: Please feel free to contact me by phone,
e-mail or in person if you have special needs or concerns or if I can help in
any way.
WEEK OF: TOPIC ASSIGNMENT
Aug 31 Roles
and Functions/Rise of Print
Sept 5 Heritage: Free Press Biagi
1,3,12; Zenger, Frnkln,
and the Birth of News Draper,
Freneau, Bennett,
Greeley,
Ossoli, Pulitzer
Sept 12 Heritage: Editorialists, Crusaders Lovejoy,
Nast, Douglass,
and Watchdogs Swisshelm,
Bly, Steffens,
Wells-Barnett,
Tarbell
Sept 19 Heritage:
Barons and Hearst,
Field, Neuharth,
Entrepreneurs Murdoch
Sept 26 Heritage: Women and Boudinot,
Cahan, Barnett, the
Minority Press Thompson,
Unanue
BOOK TOPIC
DUE
Sept 28 FIRST TEST
Oct 3 Rise
of Photography, Biagi
4; Bourke-White
Rise of the Magazine Luce PAPER
TOPIC DUE
Oct 10 Rise
of Radio Biagi
6; Murrow
Oct 17 Rise of Television Biagi 8; Cronkite
Oct 24 Rise of Entertainment Biagi 2,
5, 7
Oct 26 BOOK REPORT DUE
Oct 31 Rise
of Advertising; Biagi
9, 10
Rise of New Media and
Problems of Online Regulation
Nov 7 Some
Effects of the Media Biagi
13
Nov 9 SECOND
TEST
Nov 14 Law, Ethics and the Media Biagi 14, 15
Nov 21 First Amendment Overview
Nov 23 THANKSGIVING
Nov 28 International Media, Biagi
16,
War Reporting Pyle,
Stone, Higgins
Dec 5 Modern Journalism, Watergate Winchell, Lippmann,
Dec 7 TERM PAPER DUE Payne,
Wood.-Brnstein
Dec 12 Future of Journalism
FINAL EXAMINATION: Thursday,
Dec. 14 at 8 a.m..