James A. Brown (jbrown@bamanet.ua.edu), Telecommunication and Film Department, P.O. Box 870152, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
* * *
TEXTBOOKS
Jay Black, Bob Steele, & Ralp Barney. Doing Ethics in Journalism: A Handbook with Case Studies. Greencastle, Indiana: Sigma Delta Chi/Society of Professional Journalists, 1993. 252 pp.
Philip Patterson & Lee Wilkins. Media Ethics: Issues and Cases. Dubuque, Iowa: W.C.Brown, Publishers, 1991. 238 pp.
CLASSES
Discussion and student involvement are central in this advanced seminar. Regular attendance and active participation count significantly toward the final grade.
EXAMINATIONS
Mid-term Exam - Wednesday, June 22
Final Exam - Saturday evening, July 9, 7:00-9:30 PM [!]
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: JOURNALS, BOOK REVIEW/TERM PAPER
[tentative, to be confirmed]
(a) Typewritten weekly journal, analyzing and reflecting on previous week's assigned readings and class discussions. DUE: each Monday
(b) Either: A formal term paper of 10 to 15 pages-- including bibliography and notes--discussing "An Ethic of Mass Media" or else "An Ethic of ...." (depending on major: advertising, public relations, journalism, telecommunication/film). Or: A carefully written 2-page review of a book related to any major theme in this course. DUE: Wednesday, July 7, at class
(#) Oral reports or panel presentations in class may be substituted for part of the journals, or to supplement the book report (see below on points toward grade*). DATES and TOPICS to be arranged with instructor
GRADES
The final grade for the course is based on:
25%* Attendance and participation, including informal class presentations
20% Midterm Exam
20% Final exam
10% Term Paper or 5% Book review (other 5% to attendance/class presentations)*
25%# Term Paper or Weekly "Journal" [a more extended paper for graduate students] 100% TOTAL possible points
INSTRUCTOR
James A. Brown, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Office: 432d Phifer Hall (Communication Building) Phone: 348- 6350
MASS MEDIA ETHICS DATE TEXTS: CHAPTERS/MATERIAL COVERED (Tentative)
[ P&W = Patterson & Wilkins softcover; BSB =Black/Steele/Barney 3-ring]
JUNE 7 Tue (Buy book & notes) Intro. to course: syllabus; source books (biblio.) 8 Wed P&W:xiii-15 BSB: 7-18 "Ethics"=? + John Chancellor/NBC video: news+/- 9 Thur 16-50 221-252 Case studies + Bibliographical sources 13 Mon ---- Explore books, sources for reports/papers 14 Tue 265-275 1-6, 19-42 JRNL #1 Biblio. sources + 2-3: ethical decisions 15 Wed 51-81 107-120 Adv & PR + 6: Deception 16 Thur 82-108 183-202 Loyalty + 11: Sources/Reporters relationships 20 Mon ---- JRNL #2 [Term paper proposals due] 21 Tue 109-135 167-182 Privacy + 10: Privacy 22 Wed (Review) MID-TERM EXAM 23 Thur 136-167 43-78 Media/Society + 4: Accuracy & Fairness 27 Mon ---- JRNL #3 28 Tue 168-192 79-106 Media economics + 5: Conflicts of Interest 29 Wed 193-226 143-158 Photo/Video ethics + 8: Photojournalism 30 Thur 227-253 121-142 & Art & Entertainment + 7: Diversity & 9: Plagiarism 159-166 4 Mon * * * [ H O L I D A Y ] * * * 5 Tue 254-270 203-220 JRNL #4 Moral adulthood + Survey about media 6 Wed ---- [Book reviews/Term papers due] 7 Thur (Review) Professionalism 9 Sat 2:00-4:30 PM F I N A L E X A M I N A T I O N
Alley, Robert S. Television: Ethics for Hire? Nashville: Abingdon, 1977. 192 pp.
Avery, Robert K. & David Eason. Critical Perspectives on Media and Society. Guilford, 1991. 417 pp.
Bosell, L. Brent III & Brent H. Baker. And That's the Way It Is(n't). Alexandria, Virginia: Media Research Center, 1990. 339 pp.
Braestrup, Peter. Big Story: How the American Press and Television Interpreted the Crisis of TET 1968 in Vietnam and Washington. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday/Anchor Books, 1978. 606 pp. (abridged ed.)
Carter, Stephen L. The Culture of Disbelief. New York: QPB Publishers [softcover ed.], 1993. 328 pp.
Christians, Clifford C., Kim B. Rotzoll, & Mark Fackler. Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning. 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 1991. 446 pp.
Cohen, Elliot D. (ed.). Philosophical Issues in Journalism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. 288 pp.
Cooper, Thomas W., Clifford C. Christians, Frances Plude, & Robert White. Communication Ethics and Global Change. New York: Longman, 1989. 416 pp.
Curran, James & Michael Gurevitch. Mass Media and Society. New York: Routledge, 1992. 352 pp. Czitrom, Daniel J. Media and the American Mind: From Morse to McLuhan. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1982. 254 pp.
Dates, Jannette L. & William Barlow, eds. Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media. Iowa: Univ. of Iowa Press, 1990. 493 pp.
Day, Louis A. Ethics in Media Communications: Cases and Controversies. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1991. 365 pp.
Dennis, Everette E. & John C. Merrill. Media Debates: Issues in Mass Communications. New York: Longman, 1991. 228 pp.
Dennis, Everette E., Donald M. Gillmor, & Theodore L. Glasser (eds.). Media Freedom and Accountability. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989. 210 pp.
Ferré, John P. Channels of Belief: Religion and American Commercial Television. Ames, Iowa: Univ. of Iowa Press, 1990. 152 pp.
Fore, William F. Television and Religion: The Shaping of Faith, Values, and Culture. Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987. 219 pp.
Friendly, Fred W. Due to Circumstances Beyond Our Control... New York: Random House, 1967. 326 pp.
Friendly, Fred W. The Good Guys, the Bad Guys, and the First Amendment: Free Speech vs. Fairness in Broadcasting. New York: Random House/ Vintage, 1975. 268 pp.
Friendly, Fred W. Minnesota Rag: the Dramatic Story of the Landmark Supreme Court Case That Gave New Meaning to Freedom of the Press. New York: Random House/Vintage, 1981. 243 pp.
Gross, Larry, John Stuart Katz, & Jay Rube (eds.). Image Ethics: The Moral Rights of Subjects in Photographs, Film, and Television. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Sotcover ed. 1991. 400 pp.
Gross, Gerald (ed.). The Responsibility of the Press. New York: Simon & Schuster/Clarion, 1966. 416 pp.
Hardt, Hanno. Critical Communication Studies: Communication, History & Theory in America. New York: Routledge, 1992. 256 pp.
Hausman, Carl D. The Decision Making Process in Journalism: A Practical Guide to Journalism Ethics. Iowa: Univ. of Iowa Press, 1990. 140 pp.
International Advertising Association. Controversy Advertising: How Advertisers Present Points of View in Public Affairs. New York: Hastings House, 1977. 188 pp.
Jamieson, Kathleen Hall & Karlyn Kohrs Campbell. The Interplay of Influence: News, Advertising, Politics, and the Mass Media. 3rd ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1992. 336 pp.
Jansen, Sue Curry. Censorship: The Knot that Binds Power and Knowledge. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Softcover ed. 1991. 288 pp.
Johannensen, Richard L. Ethics in Human Communication. 2nd ed. Prospect Heights, Ill: Waveland Press, 1983. 244 pp.
Klaidman, Stephan & Tom L. Beauchamp. The VIrtuous Journalist. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. Softcover ed. 1988. 256 pp.
Krasnow, Erwin G., Lawrence D. Longley, & Herbert A. Terry. 3rd ed. The Politics of Broadcast Regulation. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1982. 304 pp.
Kuhns, William. The Electronic Gospel: Religion and the Media. New York: Herder & Herder, 1969. 173 pp.
Lambeth, Edmund B. Committed Journalism: An Ethic for the Profession. Bloomington, Ind.: Univ. of Indiana Press, 1986. 208 pp.
Lee, Martin A. & Norman Solomon. Unreliable Sources: A Guide to Detecting Bias in News Media. New York: Carol Publishing, 1990. 420 pp.
Lowenstein, Ralk L. & John C. Merrill. Macromedia: Mission, Message, Morality. New York: Longman, 1990. 310 pp.
Mander, Jerry. Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television. New York: Wm. Morrow, 1978. 371 pp.
McQuail., Denis. Media Performance: Mass Communication and the Public Interest. London: Sage, 1992. 350 pp.
Merrill, John C. The Imperative of Freedom: A Philosophy of Journalistic Autonomy. New York: Hastings House, 1974. 228 pp.
Merrill, John C. & Ralph D. Barney, eds. Ethics and the Press: Readings in Mass Media Morality. New York: Hastings House, 1975. 338 pp.
Moore, Roy L. Mass Communication Law and Ethics. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 1994. 616 pp.
Nimmo, Dan & James E. Combs. Nightly Horrors: Crisis Coverage in Television Network News. Knoxville: Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1985. 216 pp.
Phelan, John, ed. Communications Control: Readings in the Motives and Structures of Censorship. New York: Sheed & Ward, 1969. 238 pp.
Rivers, William L. The Opinion Makers. Boston: Beacon Press, 1965. 207 pp.
Rivers, William L. & Wilbur Schramm. Responsiblity in Mass Communication. New York: Harper & Row, 1969. 314 pp.
Robinson, John P. & Mark R. Levy. The Main Source: Learning from Television News. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Sage, 1988. 272 pp.
Rubin, Bernard (ed.). Questioning Media Ethics. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1978. 309 pp. Selnow, Gary W. & Richard R. Gilbert. Society's Impact on Television: How the Viewing Public Shapes Television Programming. New York: Praeger, 1992.
240 pp.
Turow, Joseph. Media Systems in Society: Understanding Industries, Strategies, and Power. New York: Longman, 1992. 265 pp.
Winklein, John. Electronic Nightmare. New York: Viking Press. 1979/1981. HE 7631. W53
Wolseley, Robert E.. The Black Press, U.S.A. 2nd ed. Iowa: Univ. of Iowa Press, 1990. 478 pp.