American Mass Media

elective courses

The class is for students familiar with the U.S. history and civilization.

Classroom

This course is designed to provide students with an outline of a historical growth and development of American mass media - press, radio, television, and also the Internet. The history and evolution of media will be closely related to the political, economic, and social progress of the American society. This course aims at discussing such issues as social functions of media, journalistic ethics, schools and types of journalism, legal regulations affecting media, media as "the Fourth Estate", theory of media.

This course is designed to provide students with an outline of a historical growth and development of American mass media - press, radio, television, and also the Internet. The history of media will be closely related to the political, economic, and social progress of the American society. The evolution of media will be discussed from the days of hand-written news-letters to the printed and modern newspaper, from amateur wireless communication to commercial radio broadcasting. The influence of each new medium on the already existing media mix will be also discussed. This course aims at discussing such issues as social functions of media, journalistic ethics, schools and types of journalism, legal regulations affecting media, media as "the Fourth Estate", theory of media.

Topics for discussion:

1. American media today.

2. Trends in the media market.

3. History of press.

4. History of radio.

5. History of television.

6. History of the Internet. Social Media.

7. Legal framework of the media.

This class shall include optional topics, always in response to the specific interests of the students. Examples:

- schools and types of journalism,

- news agencies,

- cable television,

- radio formats,

- Marshall McLuhan's work as one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory ("global village", "the medium is the message"),

- journalistic ethics, objectivity and bias,

- media and politics,

- media and political correctness,

- selected press titles and radio and television networks.

Terms and conditions:

- participation in class discussions,

- attendance, as required by the Institute of English Studies Rules and Regulations,

- presenting a selected topic in the class,

- semestral test.

Emery, Michael, Emery Edwin. Roberts, Nancy,L.The Press and America: An Interpretative History of the Mass Media. Pearson, 1997

Fellow, Anthony. American Media History. Wadsworth Publishing, 2012

Head, Sydney W., Spann, Thomas, McGregor Michael A. Broadcasting in America. A Survey of Electronic Media. Boston, New York: Haughton Mifflin Company, 2001.

primary source documents (official sites) available online

periodic handouts

BEFORE 2022/23

KNOWLEDGE students:

- know the U.S. media market

- know main stages and logic of media development

SKILLS

- can analyse media market

- can present the evolution of media

- can explain mechanisms of media

ATTITUDES

- understand mechanisms of media market

- appreciate power of media and their influence on society

- evaluate media

In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.

Language training level: minimum B2+.

SINCE 2022/23

Knowledge: the graduate will be able to

K_W02 understand key terminology, well established methods and theories of culture studies, in particular of media studies

K_W04 describe the relation between media and cultural-historical cultural processes on an advanced level, based on the example of the US media

K_W07 explain principles of designing culture studies, with special focus on selecting appropriate methods and tools in formulating research questions in the scope of mass media

K_W09

identify on an advanced level the multiplicity of cultures and their complexity, cultural codes, as well as structural and institutional background of culture, with special focus on the US mass media

K_W10 describe on an advanced level the geography, history, politics, economy, as well as cultural and societal problems of the United States

Abilities: the graduate is able to

K_U01 employ the terminology and methodological tools in the field of cultural studies

K_U02 employ the methodology of media studies, respecting the ethical norms and copyright law

K_U03 analyze cultural phenomena and draw generalizations on their basis with respect to the social, historical and economic context, based on the US media

K_U04 implement knowledge to describe a problem and identify means to solve it, thereby completing a project in cultural studies on American media

K_U05 collect information from various sources, critically assess a source and usefulness of information; analyze and draw generalizations on the basis of information so obtained

K_U07 employ modern technology for the sake of obtaining information and using various communication channels and techniques

K_U08 plan and organize working alone and/or in a team

K_U09 present knowledge and communicate in a cohesive, precise and linguistically correct manner in the English language at level C1 as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Social competences: the graduate is ready to

K_K01 fulfill societal obligations and perform actions benefiting the social environment in accordance with the knowledge, skills and competences obtained in the course of studies, and , among others, in the class on the American mass media

K_K02 undertake life-long learning and personal development, applying skills and competences to select subjects and projects optimally suiting one’s personal interests

K_K03 value responsibility for one’s own work and respect the work of others

K_K04 apply the skill to critically assess communicated content to think and act independently in various social situations, in particular based on the example of mass media in the US

K_K05 function effectively in social and cultural interactions, through various forms and media, thanks to the ability to express oneself in a cohesive and lucid manner

K_K06 value cultural heritage and cultural diversity, using one's knowledge of American mass media

In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.

Language training level: minimum B2+.

1. Presentation, participation in classroom discussions, test in the end of semester; retake: test; three absences allowed

2. On-line edition using Moodle IA, GoogleMeet, @uw.edu.pl

Assessment: as above

No