Journalism 112
History of American Journalism
Spring Semester 2003
Prof. Woodward

The purpose of this course is to give students an overview of the history of the media in America and to relate that history to contemporary journalism. Through classroom lectures, discussions, readings, videos and historical research, students will be encouraged to develop a greater appreciation of their media heritage.

REQUIREMENTS

A. Each student will be required to write a major analytical research paper of no more than 20 double-spaced pages on the media coverage of some incident, situation or theme in American history, drawing significantly on the microfilm of one or more newspapers or magazines or on microfiche for broadcast journalism material.

B. Each student will be expected to achieve passing grades on two essay examinations and any quizzes during the semester.

C. Each student will be expected to attend class regularly and to participate in classroom discussions.

TEXTBOOKS

Bernstein, Carl, and Woodward, Bob. All the President's Men.

Donovan, Robert, and Scherer, Ray. Unsilent Revolution: Television News and American Public Life. Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Folkerts, Jean, and Teeter, Jr., Dwight. Voices of a Nation: A History of Mass Media in the United States. Allyn and Bacon, 4th edition, 2002.

To provide an additional common ground for discussions, a series of handouts will be provided during the semester to deal with contemporary situations in the media. We also will be reading chapters in Barbara Belford's book, Brilliant Bylines: A Biographical Anthology of Notable Newspaperwomen in America. Copies of the book will be on reserve in Cowles Library.

MAJOR PAPER

In consultation with the instructor, students should carefully select a subject for the major research paper, ensuring that sufficient material is available through Cowles Library.

The word "significantly" is a key in developing the core of your major paper--i.e., you must make major use of microfilm and/or microfiche in researching your paper. It's okay to use books and articles for additional insights on your material, but your own research should be the main element in your research paper.

Guidelines for the paper will be discussed in class early in the semester. Topics should be chosen by Thursday, Feb. 6, at classtime, and a one-page summary of the proposed paper should be submitted to the instructor for approval. The final paper--double-spaced with standard margins--will be due at classtime Thursday, April 24.

ASSIGNMENTS

Calendars of reading assignments will be distributed several times during the semester. All reading is subject to examination, although all of the material may not be dealt with in class lectures and discussions.

GRADING

The following factors will be used in determining a student's final grade: Quality and originality of your research and written work; performance in quizzes and examinations; worthwhile contributions to classroom discussions, and attendance. More than two unexcused absences will result in the lowering of a student's final grade. The deadline for the major research paper will be set at the beginning of the semester. Late papers initially will be graded down by one letter grade, but if the papers are excessively late, you will be failed for the course. Papers with bad writing and inaccuracies, such as misspellings and sloppy documentation, will be graded down.