CMNS 3725 3.

00 credits

Young People’s Media in Canada

Instructor: Dr. Natalie Coulter ncoulter@yorku.ca

Office Hours: 12:00 – 1:00 Wed. (or by apt) Office: TEL 3042

Course Description
This course explores the production of media for young people here in Canada. Canada
has a long history of producing media texts for children and youth. Our children’s
television, film, music, magazine and videogame industries are rich and diverse, and is
exported around the world. Yet, despite this richness and depth, the story of Canadian
children’s and youth media industries has not been told. The purpose of this course is to
overcome this deficit by undertaking an in depth political economic analysis of the history
of young people’s media industries in Canada. Throughout the course we answer why
there has been a dearth of scholarship on the a) history of young people’s media
production in Canada and b) the political economy of young people’s media in Canada.
We question what this absence reveals.

The course will also place the production of this media in Canada within the context of
the global economy as Canadian media is exported widely. Throughout the course we
will trace how various media products have circulated beyond Canadian borders and the
implication of this on both the content of the media and on the economy of the industry in
Canada.

Course Objective
The goals of this course are to:

o To critically analyze the social, political, cultural and economic realities of the
Canadian children’s and youth media industries

o To provide a theoretical background for a political economic examination of the

cultural industries of young people’s media.

o To compare technological, socio-cultural factors, regulation and political

economic factors of Canadian children’s media production with that in other
countries so that the students can develop their own critical assessments of
 these changes and developments.

o To examine the larger literature on Canadian media, young people and

globalization. And to question it from a framework of communication studies.

o The course will embrace interdisciplinary techniques familiar in the field of

communication studies.

Required Texts
Bredin, Marian, Scott Henderson and Sarah Matheson. (2011). Canadian Television:
Text and Context. Wilfrid Laurier Press.

Evaluation

All assignments must be handed into turnitin.com by their due date.

Failure to submit assignments in full to turnitin.com will result in a failing grade.

Participation/ Attitude / Attendance 20%

Oral History 15% Due Oct 16
Media Analysis Assignment 20 % Due Dec 4
Research Essay 35 % Due Nov 20
Discussion Leadership 10 %

Course Requirements
Participation / Attitude / Attendance Ongoing

Participation has a number of dimensions. Among these are:

Sharing, listening as well as speaking
Preparation, reading and carefully considering the assigned material each day
Openness to new ideas, challenges to your beliefs, values and understanding; and
viewpoints that may at times be diametrically opposed to your own.
Quality of your comments.

Note: Failure to address the readings in class discussion will result in a poor grad. Showing
up and not being part of the discussion is NOT PARTICPATION and will result in a low grade.

Attitude includes a number of dimensions related to civility:

Promptness
Being alive, awake, alert, perhaps even enthusiastic
Exhibiting common courtesy (no cell phones, text messaging or surfing online)

Note: If you use your phone during the tutorial your participation in that week’s
class will be registered as a “0”.

Media Analysis Assignment Due: Dec 4

Working in groups of 3 or 4
Choose an example of Canadian media from the past
o You will need to research this example, this might involve going to the
archives, interviewing audiences or producers, finding CRTC applications,
etc. More details will be given out in class. The idea to contribute to the
history of Canadian children’s media.
o You must submit this to turnitin.com

Oral History Due: Oct 16

You will need to interview someone on their experience and use of Canadian children’s
media. This assignment will provide the basis for your research essay.

Research Essay Due: Nov. 20

o 8-10 pages (2000 - 2500 word) research paper
o based on one issue raised in your oral history and offer an in-depth critical
analysis of that issue.
o further details will be given out in class.
o You must submit this to turnitin.com

Class discussion generator Sign up

o Working in teams, you will be required to initiate a 20 minute class
discussion.
o You will need to design a series of questions that allows the class to engage
in the course readings and also bring an example that further allows for
discussion. You are expected to be the expert on the week’s reading and to
run a forum for students to discuss this topic.
o The purpose of this is not to be a “talking head” but to encourage class
debate and discussion. You will also be required to submit a series of
questions that you use to engage the students in discussion.
o DO NOT begin you discussion by summarizing the articles.

Ground Rules

1. Multitasking in class is disrespectful to both myself and to your colleagues. It

does not contribute to an open and inclusive class environment and will not be
tolerated. Here’s the thing, if you don’t want to be present in class, don’t come.

2. I do not respond to long questions via email; this is what office hours are for. If
you cannot make office hours email me to make an appointment at another time If
you do need to email me please state your full name. I need at least 3 days to
respond to email, and I do not respond on weekends. Only emails with the YorkU
 address, and course code in the subject line will be open and read. All gmail,
Yahoo etc. addresses are automatically deleted as spam. Please note I get between
30-70 emails a day. If I miss your email you need to resend it. Also you must put
the course code in your subject line.

3. Emails in regards to course content will not be responded to for two reasons,
one it is very time consuming and two it is a bit tricky if I write a response to your
essay then you included those written statements into your essay. This is what office
hours and moodle are for.

4. If you need to hand in your work outside of the lecture it is your responsibility to
ensure that I have received your assignment. I do not accept work via email!

5. You must keep all rough work and back-up copies of your assignments as you
may be called to produce it. A failure to not produce this work may result in a failing
grade. Work lost on a computer does not warrant as an excuse. Back up your work
and email it to yourself.

Tips for Success

1. By third year it is expected that you are critical in your analysis. Your analyses and
arguments need to be constructed within critical and theoretical frameworks.

2. Read to write. Remember that good writing takes a lot of practice and hard work,
just like any other skill, paying attention to how people write when reading will help,
as will lots of practice.

3. You are completely responsible for your own learning. Doing the readings and
following up with questions in class is essential to understanding.

4. Following the instructions of the assignment is not a template for a perfect paper. An
average assignment is one that meets the criteria adequately, an excellent
assignment goes beyond the suggested criteria. Remember that an “A” is a very
special grade.

5. There is a large support system to assist you in getting the grades you want; come
to office hours, ask librarians for assistance and go to the writing centre. Each of
these resources are there to help you, if you ask (and they are free).

6. Come to my office hours! Talking about assignments, your ideas and views will
greatly improve your mark and your understanding of the material.

And now … the legal stuff

Grading: The grading scheme for the course conforms to the 9-point grading system used in
undergraduate programs at York (e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ - 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments and
tests* will bear either a letter grade designation or a corresponding number grade (e.g. A+ = 90
to 100, A = 80 to 90, B+ = 75 to 79, etc.)
(For a full description of York grading system see the York University Undergraduate Calendar -
http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/pdfs/ug2004cal/calug04_5_acadinfo.pdf)

Students may take a limited number of courses for degree credit on an ungraded (pass/fail) basis.
For full information on this option see Alternative Grading Option in the Communication Section of
the Undergraduate Calendar:

Assignment Submission: Proper academic performance depends on students doing their work
not only well, but on time. Accordingly, assignments for this course must be received on the due
date specified for the assignment. Assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of the
lecture, NOT in tutorials.

Lateness Penalty: Assignments received later than the due date will be penalized 2% per day
(including weekends and holidays). Exceptions to the lateness penalty for valid reasons such as
illness, compassionate grounds, etc., may be entertained by the Course Instructor but will require
supporting documentation (e.g., a doctor’s letter).

Missed Tests: Students with a documented reason for missing a course test, such as illness,
compassionate grounds, etc., which is confirmed by supporting documentation (e.g., doctor’s
letter) may request accommodation from the Course Instructor. Further extensions or
accommodation will require students to submit a formal petition to the Faculty.

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the following information, available on the
Senate Committee on Curriculum & Academic Standards webpage (see Reports, Initiatives,
Documents). http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate_cte_main_pages/ccas.htm

• York’s Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures/Academic Integrity Website

• Ethics Review Process for research involving human participants
• Course requirement accommodation for students with disabilities, including physical,
medical, systemic, learning and psychiatric disabilities
• Student Conduct Standards
• Religious Observance Accommodation

Course Readings (Subject to Change)

Week 1: Introduction Sept. 11

Week 2: The forgotten topic: Canada, children and media Sept .18

Bredin, M, S. Henderson and S. Matheson. (2012). Introduction. In Bredin, Henderson

and Matheson (eds.) Canadian Television: Text and Context. Waterloo ON:
Wilfrid Laurier Press. (Introduction)

Coulter, N. (2013). More “Missed Opportunities”: The oversight of Canadian children’s

and youth media.

Doyle, John. (2012). Foreward: One thing about television and ten things about
Canadian TV. In Bredin, Henderson and Matheson (eds.) Canadian Television:
Text and Context. Waterloo ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (Foreward.)
Week 3: Defining Children’s Media, who is the child? And what is the industry?
And how do we study it?
Sept. 25

Caron, Andre. (2010). A national study on children’s television programming in Canada.

Prepared for Alliance for Children and Television. Retrieved March 7 2013,
http://www.ymamj.org/pdf/nationalstudy.pdf

Miller, Mary Jane. (2012). From Kine to Hi-Def: A personal view of television studies in
Canada. In Bredin, Henderson and Matheson (eds.) Canadian Television: Text
and Context. Waterloo ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (Foreward.)

Rose, J. (1998). The case of Peter Pan: The impossibility of children’s fiction. In H.
Jenkins (Ed.). The children’s culture reader, New York: New York University
Press.

Youth Media Alliance. (2009). The case for kids programming. Retrieved from
http://www.ymamj.org/pdf/thecase2009.pdf

Week 4: Children as audiences Oct. 2

Davies, Hannah and D. Buckingham and Peter Kelley. In the worst possible taste.
Children’s television and cultural value. European Journal of Cultural Studies. 3
(1) pages 5-25. http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/622/1/Buckingham2000In5.pdf

Report: Are the Kids All Right? Canadian Families in the Digital Age.
Available at: http://www.ymamj.org/index_en.html

Buckingham, David. (2011) Screening the market: The case of children’s television.
Material Child. Polity Press (Chapter 10).

Week 5: National Identity” whose in who’s out? Oct. 9

Bredin, M. (2012). Producing Aboriginal Television in Canada: Obstacles and

Opportunities. In Bredin, Henderson and Matheson (eds.). Canadian Television:
Text and Context. Waterloo ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (Chapter 4).

Byers, Michele. (2012). Candianizing Canadians. Television, youth and identity. In S.

Henderson and S. Matheson (Eds), Canadian Television: Text and
Context. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. (Chapter 6).

Byers, Michele. (2008). Canadian Idol and the Myth of National Identity. In Between
Reality and Fiction on Canadian Television. Zoë Druick and Patsy Kotsopoulos
 (eds.). Wilfrid Laurier Press.

Diakiw, Jerry. (1997). Children’s Literature and Canadian National Identity. Journal of
Children’s Literature Studies. 87-94.

Week 6: Accessing Children’s Media Oct. 16

Oral History Due

Byers, Michele and Jennifer VanderBurgh. (2010). What Was Canada? Locating the
Language of an Empty National Archive. Critical Studies in Television 5(2). 105–
117.

VanderBurgh, J. (2012). (Who Knows?) What Remains to Be Seen: Archives, Access,

and Other Practical Problems for the Study of Canadian “National” Television. In
In Bredin, Henderson and Matheson (eds.) Canadian Television: Text
and Context. Waterloo ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (Chapter 2).

Week 7: Regulation Oct. 23

Advertising Standard Canada: Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children.
http://www.adstandards.com/en/clearance/childrens/broadcastCodeForAdvertisin
gToChildren-TheCode.aspx

Grimes, Sara M. (2008). Kids’ Ad Play: Regulating Children’s Advergames in the

Converging Media Context. International Journal of Communications Law and
Policy, 8 (12). pp.162-178

Lisosky, J.M. (November 2001). “For all kids’ sakes: Comparing children’s television
policy-making in Australian, Canada and the United States.” Media,
Culture & Society. 23, 6. pages 821-855.

Co Curricular Week Oct 30

Week 8: Consumer Culture Nov. 6

Asquith, Kyle. (2012). Hypercommericalism and Canadian Children’s Television: The

Case of YTV. In Bredin, Henderson and Matheson (eds.) Canadian Television:
Text and Context. Waterloo ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (Chapter 5).

Coulter, Natalie . (2013). From the Top Drawer to the Bottom Line: The
Commodification of Children’s Culture. Mediascapes. 4th edition. Leslie Regan
Shade, (ed). Nelson Education: Toronto.

http://www.nelvana.com/ConsumerProducts
Preston, E. and Cindy L. White. (2004). Commodifying Kids: Branded Identities and the
Selling of Adspace on Kids' Networks Communication Quarterly 52,( 2) pp. 115-
28.

Week 9: Media Literacy in Canada Nov. 13

Poyntz, S. (2006). Independent media, youth agency, and the promise of media
education. Canadian Journal of Education. Special Issue on Popular Media,
Youth and Resistance. 29, 1. pages 154-175.

Poyntz, S. R., & Hoechsmann, M. (2011). Children’s media culture in a digital

age. Sociology Compass, 5(7), 488-498.

Week 10: Digital Nov. 20

Research Essay Due

De Peuter, G. (2012). Level Up: Video Game Production in Canada. In Cultural

Industries.ca: Making Sense of Canadian Media in the Digital Age, ed. Ira
Wagman and Peter Urquhart. Toronto: Lorimer. pp. 78-94.

Regan Shade, Leslie. (2011). Surveilling the Girl via the Third and Networked
Screen. Mediated Girlhoods. New York: Peter Lang.

Week 11: Media Literacy, Food and Pester Power Nov. 27

Elliott, C. (2009). "Healthy food looks serious": How children interpret packaged food
products. Canadian Journal of Communication. 34(3). 359-380.

Elliott, C. (2008) Taste rules!: Food marketing, food law and childhood obesity in
Canada. Cuizine: The Journal of Canadian Food Cultures. Available
at: http://cuizine.mcgill.ca/

Kline, S, David Marshall and Stephanie O’Donohoe. Families, food and pester power:
Beyond the blame game? J. of Consumer Behaviour, (July-August) pp 162-181

Week 12: Media Analysis Presentations Dec. 4

Media Analysis Assignment Due