JOUR 601 Theories of Journalism and Public Communication Fall 2006
Prof. Linda Steiner
Office hours: Wednesday 2-5; Thursday 1-3 Office: room 401; Tel: (301) 405-2426
E-mail: lsteiner@jmail.umd.edu
Theories of Journalism and Public Communication
The course is designed to introduce various theoretical and conceptual perspectives regarding journalism/news and mass media that are relevant to both mass communication researchers and journalism/news practitioners.
The focus will be the “canon”—the major theories that have emerged and been elaborated over the last century, especially ones developed to explain media effects on and relationship to individuals, social groups, social processes and societal/macro level institutions and processes. Some of these theories are specific to specific problems (professionalism/professionalization), to specific fields (e.g., politics), or to specific political positions (deliberative democratic theory, Marxism). Other theories have emerged in the context of research methods. We will also evaluate some more contemporary theories, including reception analysis, approaches to the public sphere, and feminist theorizing. We will examine the cultural/political/economic/historical context of these theories, the fundamental assumptions of the theory, and claims each makes. One of the ongoing questions will be why or how certain theories or approaches that scholars develop or reject resonate in very different or even opposite ways with popular/lay audiences.
Our goal is to be able to critical evaluate these theories, in order to have an understanding of the potential of these theories to explain how journalism processes/news organizations as well as other media work, but also to see the limitations/blind spots of each theory. Ultimately you may take the position that any particular theory is never helpful, is helpful under certain conditions, or is consistently helpful.
Class meetings will be divided into two parts: a lecture session, and a discussion session, based on students' (paired) presentations of essays from the Reader.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
McQuail, Denis, McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory, 5th edition, Sage Publications, 2005
Boyd-Barrett, Oliver and Chris Newbold, Approaches to Media, Oxford, 1995
ASSESSMENT AND GRADING: The grade will be based on the basis of a short essay (on a topic to be assigned, 30%); a longer paper (on a topic of your choice), 50%; class presentation and topical exercises (20%). Active participation in class discussions is expected of all students for the duration of the semester.
CLASS PRESENTATIONS: These will be based on the chapters in Approaches to Media . Each student will be assigned one chapter and prepare a presentation, based on that chapter. The presentations should: 1) outline the essay's main points; 2) indicate its theoretical assumptions and identify its contribution to the topics discussed in the course; 3) offer a substantive critique of the article.
READINGS AND PRESENTATIONS
Date: To be read/discussed
Sept 5 Introduction
Sept. 12 Approaches to Communication
James Carey, from Communication as Culture
Sept. 19 Theory as critique, as ideology
McQuail. Ch. 2-4; Boyd-B-N chs. 2, 3, 6, 44-46
Sept. 26 Functionalism & Normative Theory
McQuail. Ch. 5; Boyd-B-N, Ch. 11-12; 27-29
Oct. 3 Media Economics/regulation
McQuail. Ch. 9; Boyd-B-N, Ch.22, 24, 26
Oct. 10 Organization and professionalization
McQuail, Ch. 11-12 Boyd-B-N, Ch.33-35, 37
Oct. 17 Strong Effects Content-specific theories
McQuail Ch. 13, 17; Boyd-B-N, 3, Ch. 15-17
Oct. 24 Genre Theory & Feminism
McQuail Ch. 14; Boyd-B-N, Ch. 58-60; 50-52
Oct. 31 Agenda Setting, Cultivation, Priming. Framing
McQuail Ch. 19-19; Boyd-B-N, Ch. 18-19
Nov. 7 Reception and Audience Theories
McQuail. Ch. 15-16; Boyd-B-N, Ch. 20-21, 66, 68
Nov. 21 Media imperialism and globalization
McQuail, Ch. 10; Boyd-B-N, Ch. 10, 23, 41
Nov. 28 New Technology & “medium” theory
McQuail. Ch. 6; Boyd-B-N, Ch. 70, 47
Dec. 5 Future of theory and research; Paper due.
McQuail. Ch. 20. Boyd-B-N, Ch. 54-65
Dec. 12 Wrap-up
Sept. 19 Theory as critique, as ideology
Thompson 6
Hall, 44, 46
Sept. 26 Functionalism & Normative Theory
Lasswell 11
Wright 12;
Habermas 28
Oct. 3 Media Economics/regulation
Murdock24,
Smythe 26
Oct. 10 Organization and professionalization
Breed .34
Tuchman 37
Oct. 17 Strong Effects Content-specific theories
Gitlin 3,
Katz and Lazarsfeld 16
Oct. 24 Genre Theory & Feminism
Brown 51
Tuchman 52
Solomon 58
Oct. 31 Agenda Setting, Cultivation, Priming, Framing
Gerbner 18
McCombs and Shaw 19
Nov. 7 Reception and Audience Theories
Katz/Blumler 20
Radway 66,
Ang 68
Nov. 21 Media imperialism and globalization
Scannell 41,
Schiller 23
Nov. 28 New Technology and medium theory
Carey, 47
Dec. 5 Future of theory and research; Paper due.