James A. Brown (jbrown@bamanet.ua.edu), Telecommunication and Film Department, P.O. Box 870152, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
ISSUES
Are media freedom and accountability correlatives or contradictory? Accountable to whom?
Can media managers (publishers, editors, agency and broadcast executives) serve the public while also "serving up" the public to advertisers?
What is the proper role of public interest groups regarding mass media in a free society?
What mechanisms and procedures have media established as internal "watchdogs" for their integrity and professionalism?
Is "self-regulation" a contradiction for a fully free press?
Do codes of practices by industry and professional organizations intrude on media autonomy? ...second-guess media practitioners on the scene? ...serve merely to insulate against public criticism and potential governmental intrusion? ...have impact on media practices, on behalf of the public?
How do major forces among newspapers, magazines, advertisers and agencies, public relations, and broadcasting interact with one another and with non- media critics in tempering or promoting media practices--both good and bad?
How do/should media companies respond to public complaints? ...to consumer activists? ...to threats of boycott? ...to Congressional and other governmental inquiries?
What about the dual role of mass media as distributors of both entertainment and news/information? Do responsibilities differ for each function?
What about conflicts between the public's "right to know," the media's "right to find out" (as the public's surrogate), and private individuals' "right to privacy"? Who sets what standards, before or beyond the courts?
Can mass media companies that themselves are profit-making corporations report fully and fairly on the operations of other corporations in a competitive free enterprise society? ...on government that regulates many aspects of corporate life? ...on movements in culture and social affairs which the media affect directly?
Themes and specific topics for the course will be selected by those enrolled, reflecting their range of interests.
REQUIRED READING [students may share books to lessen costs]
Dennis, Gillmor & Glasser (eds.), Media Freedom and Accountability (1989)
John Merrill, The Imperative of Freedom: A Philosophy of Journalistic Autonomy (1990, rev. ed.)
Dennis & Merrill, Media Debates: Issues in Mass Communication (1991)
COURSE STRUCTURE: MODULES OF CONTENT
a. Theories, concepts, principles
b. Readings, applications to areas
c. Codes, standards
d. Samples in class
e. Topics for student investigation & class reports
After exploring theoretical foundations of the topic, directed readings outline major issues in mass media freedom and account ability, including internal standards for professional and ethical conduct among media personnel and systems. Students will determine more specific areas for analysis, by selecting topics and readings for class presentations as individuals and/or as teams. The course expects active participation in gathering and presenting data and in discussing conceptual and applied points with colleagues. Some videotaped and audiotaped interviews with national media leaders will be supplemented by speaker-telephone conversations with them during class periods.
GRADES will be based on class presentations, written reports, participation in class discussions, and a final term paper. The final examination will be partly written, partly oral.
25 Based on required readings, first five weeks of course:
10 Report #1
10 Report #2
5 Participation in class discussions (first 5 wks.)
20 Special topics (alone, or on team), presented in class
during last ten weeks of course
10 Participation, contribution to discussions (last 10
weeks)
25 Term paper
20 Final examination (written, oral)
100 TOTAL possible points for course grade
NOTE: Distribution of points will be tentatively determined according to students' preferences and abilities, and may be modified midway by students and instructor as the course develops.
COURSE STRUCTURE
A. THEORIES, CONCEPTS, PRINCIPLES
Context--economic forces at work (draw audience and not offend): advertisers; owners-stockholders;
subscribers (newspaper, mags, pay-TV, + theater boxoffice tickets)
B. CODES, STANDARDS
Sources of standards/guidelines?
Common sense, Taste, Ethics, Morality + Laws/Regulation
"Ethics" = ? (ballot)
ASNE
Sigma Delta Chi
RTNDA
NAB
Networks (ABC spiral book)
(FCC--and not "self-regulatory")
Natl Adv Rev Board, of Nat. Council of BBB Inc., NAdvDiv
C. READINGS, APPLICATIONS TO AREAS
Geoffrey Cowan, See No Evil (Family Viewing & net standards)
Jack Vizzard?, Motion Picture boards, ratings
D. SAMPLES IN CLASS:
Newspaper/magazine column, piece
Broadcast: radio sample; TV excerpt (news, entertainment)
E. TOPICS FOR STUDENT INVESTIGATION & CLASS REPORTS:
--1st Amendment as bedrock (not electronic media)
--commercials (per hour + content) in children's TV programs
--coverage of war: news -- censorship (military, political?)
--violence, sex: radio (language, rock songs, Carlin decision)
TV (MTV, dialogue, drama, comedy ...
--1970s: Norman Lear
All in the Family, etc. Social-oriented comedy
--docudrama: fact? fiction? blend? accuracy? history?
--network standards: structures, processes
1950-61 ... 1980s
--station/groups policy books
--newspapers/magazines policy statements, guidelines
--deregulation of broadcast media: pros, cons
--local stations, local newspapers (B'ham, T'a, other)
re commercials (loca/regional)
re syndicated packages, movies leased
re their networks
--newspapers & media generally: naming juveniles, victims of rape
--cases from NARB/NCBBB
--issue advertising (print YES, electronic SOMETIMES
cf. Mobil video (Beta)
--news reporting, editing, interpreting
CBS "60 Minutes" on barrio in L.A. (video sample case)
LA "SLA shootout" live coverage (KNXT docu)
--cameras in courtrooms (Zamora Miami video sample case +
Persian Gulf war coverage
Interviewing in tragedy (next of kin, participants)
--editing wire service and owned/publisher syndicated material
AP, UPI, NYTimes News Service, Cox syndication, etc.
--?survey of practitioners: newspapers editors, assignment desk, TV newsrooms (news directors), etc.
--selected other topic: readings, paper, oral report (with samples if possible)