CMST A240: Media Literacy
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 03/12/2014 |
| Top Code | 061000 - Mass Communications |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S) |
| Associate Arts Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Associate Science Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
An introduction to the critical consumption of media. Focuses on ability to access, analyze, & evaluate media messages, and to construct argumentative and analytical essays. Develop tools to evaluate credibility, truth & accuracy through critical examination of news, opinion, advertising, PR, entertainment, and social media. Explore political/ economic/social contexts of media production & consumption. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Recognize and explain the difference between news and opinion, evidence and inference.
- Critically evaluate the quality and credibility of information sources.
- Use inductive and deductive reasoning to evaluate claims.
- Structure and write an argumentative paper demonstrating persuasive reasoning, sound logic and argumentation and appropriate use of evidence.
Course Objectives
- 1. Read, view, listen to, and understand different types of media messages.
- 2. Recognize his/her own blocks to critical thinking.
- 3. Identify claims and arguments.
- 4. Identify evidence that supports claims.
- 5. Evaluate the credibility of information sources.
- 6. Explain and defend appraisals of credibility of media sources.
- 7. Identify fallacious reasoning in persuasive media.
- 8. Recognize and identify bias in news media.
- 9. Evaluate semiotic and symbolic claims using communication theories.
- 10. Discuss the impacts of technology on media content, credibility, and accuracy.
- 11. Distinguish between different information neighborhoods.
- 12. Explain the influence of hegemony and ideology on media content.
- 13. Provide ethical feedback to media creators and gatekeepers.
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Instructional Techniques
Instructors may make use of lectures, discussion, and oral and written feedback. Course instruction will include exposure to and discussion of current events and contemporary media topics, written feedback.
Reading Assignments
Students will have regular reading assignments in a selected textbook.
Writing Assignments
Students will keep a media journal. Short-answer essays, articles, or speeches written during class. One research paper of term paper length.
Out-of-class Assignments
Students will be required to consume news/information media each week.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Students will demonstrate the ability to assess credibility of news sources and articulate reasons for their assessment. Students will be able to discern between relevant and irrelevant information. Students will identify fallacious reasoning. Students will identify and explain instances of media bias and audience bias.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Students will select entries from their ongoing media journals for evaluation and written feedback. Student research papers will receive written feedback. Students will create written or mediated feedback for media producers or gatekeepers, in which they will identify one or more ethical, factual, or policy problem(s) and support their viewpoint with logical examples.
Eligible Disciplines
Communication studies (speech communication): Masters degree in speech, speech broadcasting, telecommunications, rhetoric, communication, communication studies, speech communication, or organizational communication OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in drama/ theater arts, mass communication, or English OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required McManus, J.. Detecting Bull, ed. Sunnyvale, CA: Unvarnished Press, 2012 2. Required Kovach, B. Rosenstiel, T.. Blur: How to Know Whats True in the Age of Information Overload, ed. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2010 3. Required Mihailidis, P.. News Literacy: Global Perspectives for the Newsroom and the Classroom, ed. New York: Peter Lang, 2012 4. Required Potter, W. J.. Media Literacy, 6 ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013 5. Required Keen, A.. Digital Vertigo: How Todays Online Social Revolution is Dividing, Diminishing, and Disorienting Us, ed. New York: St. Martins Press, 2012