Concordia

University
Department of Communication Studies

COMS 360: Mass Communication
Winter 2018


Instructor: Sarah Christina Ganzon Class: M 16:15-19:00
Office: FB 501 Location: CJ 1.114
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1-4 PM
Email: scvganzon@gmail.com


Course Description:
Mass communication represents the process of creating and sending messages, with
the use of technologies, to large diverse audiences, and its study highlights the
varied responses of these audiences, the uses and effects of media, and the ways in
which ownership of media technologies are organized in different societies.

This course reflects on the ways in which people live in increasingly globalized and
mass mediated societies. It will examine the nature and forms of mass
communication, the social sources and uses of mass communication, its audiences
and effects. Through the various readings and case studies, issues such as media
organization, ownership, representation consumption, identities, etc. will be
discussed. The course aims to equip students to critically engage with issues in mass
communication in their daily lives.

Course Objectives:

The course aims to help students approach mass communication critically, to
question its place in their own everyday lives, and to engage with mass
communication as a participatory process and possible forms of intervention. We
will discuss and differentiate approaches and methodologies for studying mass
communication, and unpack, question and contest mythologies around buzzwords
such as "new media.”

Prerequisites:
None.

Course Requirements:
Participation 10%
Content Specialist Panel 20%
Reading Responses 30%
Final paper 40%

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Course Readings:
Readings will be available as PDFs through the Concordia University library’s online
course reserve system. Any material that is not listed in the course reserve system
can be found online in an academic journal through the library website. In cases of
texts that are easily available via the web, the link will be posted on the class
schedule. Should you be unable to access the site, please contact me immediately.

Course Requirement Details:

Participation

The number of times you ask questions and speak up in class, and the quality of
your questions and points raised will determine your participation grade. While you
may not be able to speak every session because of the size of the class, make every
effort so I would notice you.

Content Specialist Panel

For every reading, small groups will be assigned to be the “experts” on that
particular assigned text. Each group will be required to lead a 15 min. discussion on
the text, and help stir the discussion alongside myself during the lecture. Of course,
this will require a meeting prior to the lecture to discuss each group’s list of
discussion questions. This will be graded by group, and failure to consult before the
lecture will generate an automatic deduction.

Reading Response (2 x 15%)

These are low stakes assignment designed to help you with the readings. A reading
response is a short synthesis paper (3-4 pages, double spaced, font size 12, Times
New Roman) highlighting one concept, idea, and/or argument, etc., that the authors
discuss, compelling or even problematic, and compare how these authors tackle this
concept—whether they complement, contradict, or build on up each other. You may
also discuss how this particular concept connects to larger themes discussed in the
course. In cases wherein there is only one text for the week, pick one of the
recommended readings as a second text. Do not merely state your opinion, but
support your argument by citing from the text. Use MLA citations.

You are required to submit at least two responses, but you are allowed to submit up
to three responses to increase your grade. In cases where the student submits three
responses, I will take the three highest marks.

You also cannot write a reading response on essays that have already been
discussed.

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They must be submitted before the class starts. Otherwise, see late assignment
policy.

Final Paper Proposal

A one to two page written abstract or proposal describing your project—clearly
identifying the ideas/themes in mass communication that it will engage with (you
must cite at least two readings), and a specific question and/or argument that will
be expanded in your paper. This will compose 10% of your final paper’s grade.

Due on the 5th of March.

Final Paper

Your final paper must be a work that critically engages with the concepts and
theoretical issues discussed in class. It can take the form of a research paper on a
topic of your choice. Papers should be 10-12 (Double spaced, font size 12, Times
New Roman) pages in length, and research creation projects must not exceed ten
minutes whatever the medium. Research creation projects must have a 4 page
written component. Use MLA citations.

Due on the 16th of April

Grading Scale:

Numerical Letter Official Grade
Grade Grade Point
94 – 100 A+ 4.33
90 – 93 A 4.0
86 – 89 A- 3.67
82 – 85 B+ 3.3
78 – 81 B 3.0
74 – 77 B- 2.67
70 – 73 C+ 2.33
66 – 69 C 2.0
62 – 65 C- 1.67
58 – 61 D+ 1.33
54 – 57 D 1.0
50 – 53 D- 0.67
0 – 49 F 0.0

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Please note the individual instructors may elect to use numerical grades, letter grades or both for
individual assignments, while all final marks for the course are given as letter grades at the
university level.

A = Superior work in both content and presentation. This is a student who appears, even at an early
stage, to be a potential honours student. The work answers all components of a question. It
demonstrates clear and persuasive argument, a well-structured text that features solid introductory
and concluding arguments, and examples to illustrate the argument. Few, if any
presentation errors appear.

B = Better than average in both content and presentation. This student has the potential for honours,
though it is less evident than for the A student. Student’s work is clear and well structured. Minor
components of an answer might be missing, and there may be fewer illustrations for the argument.
Some minor but noticeable errors in presentation may have interfered with the general quality of the
work.

C = Student demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of the material. Ideas are presented in a style
that is at least somewhat coherent and orderly. Occasional examples are provided to support
arguments. Presentation errors that affect the quality of the work are more apparent than in B work.
Some components of a question may have been omitted in the response.

D = Student has only a basic grasp of the material. Sense of organization and development is often
not demonstrated in the response. Few, if any, examples are provided to illustrate argument. Major
components of a question might have been neglected; and major presentation errors hamper the
work.

F = Shows an inadequate grasp of the material. Work has major errors of style; and provides no
supporting illustration for argument. Ideas are not clear to the reader. Work lacks a sense of
structure

Additional criteria, parameters and guidelines will be handed out in class when each assignment is
introduced and discussed.

Late Assignment Policy:
All assignments are due before the lecture begins on the assigned date. Unexcused
late assignments that are submitted more than 30 minutes after the scheduled start
of class will be penalized by one-third of a letter grade (i.e., your grade will be
reduced from A to A-). Assignments that are submitted a day after the submission
date will be penalized by another one-third of a letter grade, and then another every
succeeding day.

However, I will grant extensions in very exceptional circumstances. In this case, it is
your responsibility to speak with me well in advance of the assignment deadline.
Bear in mind that it would be impossible to grant extensions after the deadline has
passed.

Email Policy:
I typically return emails within 24 hours. However, emails sent on weekends may
not be read or replied to until the next working day.

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Please be sure to add the name of the course on the subject line, and your full name
and student number in the body of the email.

University Rights and Responsibilities

We would like to begin by acknowledging that Concordia University is located on
unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians
of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal is historically
known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse
population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections
with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and
other peoples within the Montreal community. (Indigenous Directions Leadership
Group, Feb. 16, 2017)

Academic Integrity: “The Academic Code of Conduct sets out for students,
instructors and administrators both the process and the expectations involved when
a charge of academic misconduct occurs. The regulations are presented within the
context of an academic community which seeks to support student learning at
Concordia University.” (From Article 1 of the Academic Code of Conduct). Full text:
http://www.concordia.ca/students/academic-integrity/offences.html

Plagiarism: The most common offense under the Academic Code of Conduct is
plagiarism, which the Code defines as “the presentation of the work of another
person as one’s own or without proper acknowledgement.” This includes material
copied word for word from books, journals, Internet sites, professor’s course notes,
etc. It refers to material that is paraphrased but closely resembles the original
source. It also includes for example the work of a fellow student, an answer on a
quiz, data for a lab report, a paper or assignment completed by another student. It
might be a paper purchased from any source. Plagiarism does not refer to words
alone –it can refer to copying images, graphs, tables and ideas. “Presentation” is not
limited to written work. It includes oral presentations, computer assignment and
artistic works. Finally, if you translate the work of another person into any other
language and do not cite the source, this is also plagiarism.

In Simple Words: Do not copy, paraphrase or translate anything from
anywhere without saying where you obtained it!

Source: Academic Integrity
Website: http://concordia.ca/students/academic-integrity

Disabilities: The University’s commitment to providing equal educational
opportunities to all students includes students with disabilities. To demonstrate full
respect for the academic capacities and potential of students with disabilities, the
University seeks to remove attitudinal and physical barriers that may hinder or
prevent qualified students with disabilities from participating fully in University life.

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Please see the instructor during the first class if you feel you require assistance.
For more information please visit http://concordia.ca/offices/acsd

Safe Space Classroom: Concordia classrooms are considered ‘safe space
classrooms’. In order to create a climate for open and honest dialogue and to
encourage the broadest range of viewpoints, it is important for class participants to
treat each other with respect. Name-calling, accusations, verbal attacks, sarcasm,
and other negative exchanges are counter-productive to successful teaching and
learning. The purpose of class discussions is to generate greater understanding
about different topics. The expression of the broadest range of ideas, including
dissenting views, helps to accomplish this goal. However, in expressing viewpoints,
students should try to raise questions and comments in ways that will promote
learning, rather than defensiveness and feelings of conflict in other students. Thus,
questions and comments should be asked or stated in such a way that will promote
greater insight into the awareness of topics as opposed to anger and conflict. The
purpose of dialogue and discussion is not to reach a consensus, nor to convince each
other of different viewpoints. Rather, the purpose of dialogue in the classroom is to
reach higher levels of learning by examining different viewpoints and opinions with
respect and civility.

Department Policies

Participation: This grade is based on overall punctuality and attendance in the
classes, labs and workshops. Student preparedness, initiative and level of class
engagement is evaluated (this means participating in discussions and
demonstration of familiarity with required readings). Participation also includes
completing all required readings and all assignments on time. Students are expected
to be collegial, respectful and tolerant of peers, teaching assistants, technical
instructors and professors. The best classroom experience will occur with courteous
and engaged participation and interaction with each other, the work, the discussions
and debates.

Attendance: Regular attendance is a requirement. Students are expected to actively
participate in all classes, workshops, critiques, discussions and labs associated with
courses, and to complete all required course work according to deadlines and
guidelines as assigned. Failure to comply can result in loss of marks.

Electronic Devices: No electronic devices may be used once the class starts. All
mobile phones, iPods, PDAs, cell phones, laptops etc. must be turned off and put
away. The only exceptions are if the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities has
authorized such use or the instructor specifically grants permission for use.

Class Schedule

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Note: I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus during the semester as
necessary, with the goal of fully addressing class needs and improving your learning
experience.

Date Class Readings
Jan 8 Introductions


Jan 15 Media and Memory

Erll, A. “Media and Memory.” Memory in Culture. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2013.

Recommended Reading

Halbwachs, M. On Collective Memory. Trans. L. Coster. Chicago & London:
University of Chicago Press, 1992.

Harju, A. “Socially shared mourning: construction and consumption of
collective memory.” New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia. 21.1-2
(2015): 123-145.

Zelizer, B. Covering the Body: the Kennedy Assassination, the Media and the
Shaping of Collective Memory. Chicago & London: University of Chicago
Press, 1992.

Sugawa-Shimada, A. “Rekijo, pilgrimage and ‘pop-spiritualism’: pop-
culture-induced heritage tourism of/for young women.” Japan Forum.
27.1 (2015): 37-58

Jan 22 Media and Democracies

Livingstone, S, & Lunt, P. “The mass media, democracy and the public
sphere.” Talk on Television: Audience participation and public debate.
London: Routledge, 1994. 9-35.

Recommended:

Chadwick, A. “The Political Information Cycle.” The Hybrid Media System:
Politics and Power. Oxford: OUP, 2013.

Downing, J. “Participation and/or Deliberation? The Internet as a Tool for
Achieving Radical Democratic Aims.” Radical Democracy and the Internet:
Interrogating Theory and Practice. Ed. Lincoln Dahlberh and Eugenia
Siapera. NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

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Voltmer, K. The Media in Transitional Democracies. London: Polity, 2013.

Jan 29 Culture Industries and Commodification

Adorno, T. & Horkheimer, M. “The culture industry: Enlightenment as
mass deception.” Media and Cultural Studies: KeyWorks. Eds. Meenakshi
Gigi Durham and Douglas M. Kellner. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2001.
41-72.

Recommended Reading:

Mattelart, A., & Piemme, J.M. “Cultural Industries: The Origin of an Idea.”
Creative Industries: A Challenge for the Future. UNESCO.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0004/000499/049972eo.pdf

Jin, D. Y. “Hallyu 2.0: The New Korean Wave in the Creative Industry”
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/i/iij/11645653.0002.102/--hallyu-20-the-
new-korean-wave-in-the-creative-industry?rgn=main;view=fulltext

Smith, D. “Charlie-is-so-‘English’-like: Nationality and the branded
celebrity person in the age of YouTube.” Celebrity Studies. 5.3 (2014): 256-
274.

Nava, M. Consumerism Reconsidered: Buying and Power. Cultural Studies.
5:2 (1991): 157-173

Feb 5 Media and Globalization

Appadurai, A. Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy.
Theory, Culture and Society. 7 (1990): 295-310.

Shim, D. “Hybridity and the rise of Korean popular culture in Asia.” Media,
Culture and Society. 28.1 (2006): 25-44.

Recommended reading:
Orgad, S. Media Representation and the Global Imagination: a Framework.
Media Representation and the Global Imagination. Cambridge: Polity Press,
2012.

Iwabuchi, K. Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese
Transnationalization. Durham and London: Duke UP, 2002.

Nava, M. Visceral Cosmopolitanism: Gender, Culture and the Normalisation
of Difference. Oxford & NY: Berg, 2007.

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Allison, A. Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination.
Berkeley and LA: University of California Press, 2006.

Feb 12 Texts and Audiences

Hall, S. “Encoding, Decoding” The Cultural Studies Reader, 2nd ed. Ed.
Simon During. London: Routledge, 1999. 507-517.

Gray, J. “New audiences, new textualities: Anti-fans and non-fans.”
International Journal of Cultural Studies. 6.1 (2003): 64-81.

Recommended reading:
Hills, M. Fan Cultures. London: Routledge, 2012.

Otsuka, E. “World and Variation: the Reproduction and Consumption of
Narrative.” Mechademia. 10 (2010): 99-116.

Morimoto, L, & Chin, B. “Reimagining the Imagined Community: Media
Fandoms in the Age of Global Convergence.” Fandom. 2nd ed. Eds. Jonathan
Gray, Cornell Sandvoss & C. Lee Harrington. NY: NYUP, 2017.

Feb 19 Midterm Break

Feb 26 Ideology and Discourses of Diversity

Roth, L. “’No Longer ‘the Other’: A Reflection on Diversity on Canadian
fiction television.” International Communication Gazette. 71.5 (2011):
380-399.

Shaw, A. “A Future Free of Dickwolves.” Gaming at the Edge: Sexuality and
Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture. Minneapolis and London:
University of Minnesota Press, 2016.

Recommended Reading:
Hall, S. “The Whites of Their Eyes: Racist Ideologies and the Media.”
Gender, Race and Class in Media: a Text-Reader. Ed. Gail Daines and Jean
Humes. London: Sage, 1995. 18-22.

Kellner, D. “Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism and Media Culture.” Gender,
Race and Class in Media: a Text-Reader. Ed. Gail Daines and Jean Humes.
London: Sage, 1995. 7-18.

Mar 5 Participation, Media Convergence and Cultural Production

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 Jenkins, H. “Worship at the Altar of Convergence: A New Paradigm for
Understanding Media Change.” Convergence Culture: Where Old and New
Media Collide. NY: NYU Press, 2006. 1-24.

Postigo, H. “Cultural Production and the Digital Rights Movement:
Framing the right to participate in culture.” Information, Communication
and Society. 15.8 (2012): 1165-1185.

Recommended:

Duffy, B. E. “The romance of work: Gender and aspirational labour in the
digital culture industries.” International Journal of Cultural Studies. 19.1
(2015): 441-457.

Terranova, T. “Free Labor.” Digital Labor: the Internet as Playground and
Factory. Ed. T. Scholz. NY & London: Routledge, 2013.

Ito, M. “Ethics of Fansubbing in Anime’s Hybrid Public Culture.” Fandom.
2nd ed. Eds. Jonathan Gray, Cornell Sandvoss & C. Lee Harrington. NY:
NYUP, 2017

Lindtner, S., & Dourish, P. “The Promise of Play: A New Approach to
Productive Play.” Games and Culture 6.5 (2011): 453-47

Project proposals due

Mar 12 Copyright and Piracy

Lobato, R. “The Six Faces of Piracy: Global Media Distribution from
Below.” The Business of Entertainment: Movies (vol. 1). Ed. R.C. Sickels.
Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood, 2008: 15-36

Tolentino, R. “Piracy Regulation and the Filipino’s Historical Response to
Globalization.” Social Science Diliman. 5.1 (2006): 1-25

Recommended reading:
Bannerman, S. “’We Are All Developing Countries’: Canada and
International Copyright History.” Copyright Future: Copyright Freedom.
Sydney: Sydney University Press, 2011: 79-96

Consalvo, M. “Unintended Travel: ROM Hackers and Fan Translations of
Japanese Video Games.” Gaming Globally: Production, Play and Place. Eds.
Nina B. Huntemann and Ben Aslinger. NY: Pargrave Macmillan, 2013.

Lobato, R. & Thomas, J. “Formal and Informal Media.” The Informal Media

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 Economy. Cambridge: Polity, 2015.

Mar 19 Networked Selves and Engineered Sociality

Boyd, D. “Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances,
Dynamics, and Implication” Networked Self: Identity, Community, and
Culture on Social Network Sites. Ed. Zizi Papacharissi. London: Routledge,
2010. 39-58.

van Dijck, J. “Engineering Sociality in a Culture of Connectivity.” The
Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media. Oxford: Oxford
UP, 2013.

Recommended Reading:
Stein, L. “Collective Authorship and the Culture of Feels.” Millennial
Fandom: Television Audiences in the Transmedia Age. Iowa: University of
Iowa Press, 2015. 154-170.

Pearce, C. “Being Artemesia: My Life as an Avatar.” Communities of Play:
Emergent Cultures in Multiplayer Games and Virtual Worlds. Cambridge,
MA: MIT Press, 2009.

Mar 28 Media Rituals

Couldry, N. “Media Rituals: The short and the long route.” Media Rituals: A
Critical Approach. London: Routledge, 2003: 1-20

Eriksson, M. “Managing collective trauma on social media: the role of
Twitter after the 2011 Norway attacks.” Media, Culture and Society.
(2015): 1-16.

Recommended Reading

Cottle, S. “Mediatized rituals: beyond manufacturing consent.” Media,
Culture and Society. 28.3 (2006): 411-432.

Alexander, D. “Celebrity Culture, Entertainment Values and Disaster.”
Cultures and Disasters: Understanding Cultural Framings in Disaster Risk
Reduction. Ed. Fred Kruger, Greg Bankoff, Terry Cannon, Benedikt
Orlowski and Lisa Schipper. NY: Routledge, 2015.

Apr 2 No classes

Apr 9 Alternative Media

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 Klein, N. “Culture Jamming: Ads Under Attack.” No Logo: Taking Aim at the
Brand Bullies. UK: Flamingo, 2000. 204-224.

Deuze, M. “Ethnic media, community media
and participatory culture.” Journalism. 7.3 (2006): 262-280.

Recommended reading:

Rodriguez, C. “The Bishop and his Star: Citizen’s Communication in
Southern Chile.” Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a
Networked World. Ed. Nick Couldry and James Curran. Oxford: Rowman
and Littlefield, 2003: 177-194.

Kenix, L. J. Alternative and Mainstream Media: The converging spectrum.
London and NY: Bloomsbury, 2011.

Apr 16 Wrap Up – Final Projects due


List of Student Services and Useful Resources

1. Communication Studies Academic Advisor: Ms. Jennifer Botsford
Jennifer.Botsford@concordia.ca
2. Counselling and Psychological Services: http://concordia.ca/students/counselling-life-
skills
3. Concordia Library Citation and Style Guides:
http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations
4. Student Success Centre: http://concordia.ca/students/success
5. Health Services: http://concordia.ca/students/health
6. Financial Aid and Awards: http://concordia.ca/offices/faao
7. HOJO (Off Campus Housing and Job Bank): http://csu.qc.ca/hojo
8. Academic Integrity: http://concordia.ca/students/academic-integrity
9. Access Centre for Students with Disabilities: http://concordia.ca/offices/acsd
10. CSU Advocacy Centre: http://csu.qc.ca/advocacy
11. Dean of Students Office: http://concordia.ca/offices/dean-students
12. International Students Office: http://concordia.ca/students/international
13. Student Hub: http://concordia.ca/students
14. Department of Communication Studies: http://www.concordia.ca/artsci/coms.html
15. BA Coms announcement list: To subscribe, send an email to
majordomo@lists.concordia.ca with ‘subscribe bacoms’ (no quotes) as the only text in your
message. Save the reply for future reference as we cannot unsubscribe you!
16. Postings for internships and paid work for students in the Department of
Communication Studies only: http://comsopps.concordia.ca BA students cannot take
internships in their first year.
17. Sexual Assault Resource Centre: http://concordia.ca/students/sexual-assault.html
18. Indigenous Directions: http://concordia.ca/about/indigenous.html

Emergencies at Concordia – Be Informed, Get Connected

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In case of an emergency on campus, call Security at (514) 848-3717 or ext. 3717 from an internal
phone. Security dispatchers will connect you directly to emergency services where necessary,
whilecoordinating the response and saving valuable time.

Important Phone Numbers:

Security - (514) 848-3717
Emergency Information Hotline - (514) 848-8800
Here are a few steps you can take as a Concordia student to prepare for an emergency:
1. Attend an Emergencies at Concordia – What You Need to Know session in person or online
(www.concordia.ca/emergency)
2. Download the Alertus+ mobile application to receive emergency notifications (organization
code: Concordia).*
3. Download the Alertus+ computer application in the MyConcordia portal (under Software and
Applications) to receive pop-up emergency alerts.
4. Add the campus Security (514-848-3717) and emergency information hotline (514-848-8800)
phone numbers to your contact list.
5. Follow Emergency Management on social media for emergency alerts and updates (Twitter:
@Concordia911 / Facebook: University of Concordia Office of Emergency Management)
6. Visit www.concordia.ca/emergency to review emergency procedures and more.
Important: If you, or someone you are with has reduced mobility during a building evacuation,
use the
red fire phone (located next to the emergency stairwell) to notify Security of your location. Wait
outside
of the emergency stairwell for assistance. In case of an immediate threat to life or safety, move
inside
the emergency stairwell. For more information, visit www.concordia.ca/emergency.

* Note the Alertus+ mobile application is called “Alertus” in the Google Play store.

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