JMS 710
Greenspun Hall 1125
M 5:30-8:20 p.m.
Instructor: Gregory Borchard, Ph.D.
Telephone: (O) 702-895-4868
Office: 2134 Greenspun Hall
gregory.borchard@unlv.edu
Office Hours: M 1-4pm, W 10-11am, R 1-2pm,
and by appointment

Course Overview: Welcome to Survey of Journalism and Media Studies, an introduction to graduate research writing. You will learn the proper technical aspects of academic writing style, survey the fields and interrelationships of journalism and media studies, study past, present, and future issues in their disciplines, and familiarize yourself with the graduate program. This course will provide an overview of the media studies disciplines with emphasis on theory, method, and research skills. As the first required course in the master's curriculum, this course will prepare you for the rest of your required courses. You will also get hands-on experience as you explore literature and apply thoughts and ideas with several written assignments. This is a writing-intensive course designed to familiarize you with the ways in which ideas are stylistically communicated through the written word for academic purposes.

Required Textbooks: Check the schedule for assigned readings. Weekly reading assignments are subject to change at the instructor's discretion.
• Barzun, Jacques and Henry F. Graff. The Modern Researcher. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2004.
• Jensen, Klaus Bruhn. A Handbook of Media and Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies. London: Routledge, 2002.
Note: The bookstore should have these issues in stock, but you may purchase paperback or hardcover (most recent edition preferred).

Recommended:
• American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association <http://www.apastyle.org/products/4200067.aspx>.

Attendance: Please attend every class. Your success in this course depends upon active class participation and discussion. If you miss class, the quality of your work will suffer, as will your final grade. If you know you cannot attend a particular class, please notify me in advance. We can arrange a time to discuss key items, or you will be directed to an appropriate resource for help. You will also benefit from reviewing course materials with classmates.

Academic Honesty: Be aware of UNLV's commitment to academic honesty. Review policies on cheating, plagiarism, and academic dishonesty at <http://www.unlv.edu/pubs/catalogs/graduate> (Graduate Catalogue, p. 37). Students enrolling in UNLV assume the obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with UNLV's function as an educational institution. An example of academic misconduct is plagiarism.
• Plagiarism is a serious offense – in this course, at the university, and in media careers. You must attribute information to a source appropriately. If you use information from a publication, you must credit that publication. Using someone else's work as your own will result in a zero ("F") for an assignment. Plagiarism may also result in an "F" for the class, and in some cases, it can lead to expulsion from the University.
• When you have time out of class to work on an assignment, you must do your own work. Friends may proofread, but the research and writing must be yours.
• Please notify me if you are aware of a climate that promotes academic dishonesty.

Copyright: The University requires all members of the University Community to be familiar with and to follow copyright and fair use requirements. You are individually and solely responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. The University will neither protect nor defend you nor assume any responsibility for employee or student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability as well as disciplinary action under University policies. To familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its copyright Web site at <http://www.unlv.edu/committees/copyright>.

Office Hours: I will be in my office during the hours listed in this syllabus, and I can be available at other hours by appointment. We can discuss specific questions you may have or review your work to see how it may be refined. I will not discuss grades in class. If you have a question about how I've evaluated your work, please see me during office hours. If you do have a question about a specific grading issue on an assignment, you must talk to me within two weeks after the assignment deadline.

Students with Disabilities: If you have a documented disability that may require accommodations, you will need to contact the Disability Resource Center for the coordination of services. The DRC coordinates all academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities, and is the official office to review and house disability documentation for students, and to provide them with an official Academic Accommodation Plan to present to the faculty if an accommodation is warranted. The DRC strongly encourages faculty to provide accommodations only if and when they are in receipt of said plan. Faculty should not provide students accommodations without being in receipt of this plan. UNLV complies with the provisions set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, offering reasonable accommodations to qualified students with documented disabilities. The DRC is located in the Student Services Complex (SSC), Room 137, and the contact numbers are: VOICE (702) 895-0866, TTY (702) 895-0652, FAX (702) 895-0651. For additional information, please visit <http://studentlife.unlv.edu/disability/>.

Grading for the Course: Your grade will be determined by your performance in the following areas – failure to complete an item will result in a zero for that portion of the course.

Papers/Presentation = 25 percent
Each week, you will either lead class discussion or submit a paper. Discussion points to feature in your paper and in your presentation include (but are not limited to) these questions:
• What are the theses, central arguments, or main points of the selected writing?
• What particular methodological approach (explicit or implicit) can you identify?
• What theories (explicit or implicit) can you identify?
• What sources do the authors feature? How do they interpret them?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of each author's writing style? Their presentation of information?
• Are their analyses sound and credible? What do other sources say about each author's contributions to scholarly literature? (Note: The final question will require extra secondary reading).
Note: If you are not scheduled to present a reaction paper or lead class discussion, you will still need to read the materials listed on the syllabus.

Working Bibliography = 25 percent
You will compile and index a list of sources used for your final paper. The bibliography will categorize sources based on the techniques and methodological approaches explored in your texts and in class. You will include in the bibliography notes, quotes, and useful information about your sources. I will distribute a sample bibliography in class. Your final draft will be due at the end of the semester.

Prospectus = 25 percent
Your prospectus will outline your idea for your research paper. The prospectus is essentially a rough draft of your final project. I will distribute a sample for discussion and review. I will return your prospectus to you with comments. Please re-submit the prospectus with my comments at the end of the semester along with your final paper.

Paper = 25 percent
Your paper will explore a topic chosen by you. You will focus on a particular subject and develop an original idea and angle for your research. We will review common topics and approaches used by students and scholars of the media. If you follow instructions and keep up with your readings, your final draft should reflect the style and quality appropriate for submission (with revisions) to an academic conference.

Note: Extensions for assignments will be issued at the instructor's discretion. Late submissions not approved by the instructor in advance will result in a lower grade on the assignment.

Schedule

Aug. 24: Course Overview
• Read: Jensen, Chs. 1-8.
• Recommended: Hardin <The Tragedy of the Commons>, Orwell <Politics and the English Language> <Why I Write> and <Writers and Leviathan>, Weber, <Politics as a Vocation> [online], accessed 7/2/09.

Aug. 31: Lied Library Session One
For Sept. 14 presentations/papers on Methods, read:
• Jensen, Chapters 9, 10, 13, 14;
• Randall S. Sumpter, "Core Knowledge," Journalism History 35, 1 (Spring 2009): 42-51. available using Communication and Mass Media Complete via UNLV libraries: accessed 8/3/09.
• Also, click here for a primer on methods.
• Homework: By Sept. 7, e-mail Dr. Borchard a description of an idea for a paper. For now, your topic idea is preliminary only, but in a few paragraphs, include the following: A general description of the topic, a focus, a summary of the key "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how" issues, using as much specific detail as possible, a "so what?" plus a list of at least three related sources.

Sept. 7: NO CLASS, Labor Day

Sept. 14: Methods, Discussions/Papers #1
For Sept. 21 (Research Principles) read:
• Barzun and Graff, Chs. 2-7.

Sept. 21: Research Principles, Discussions/Papers #2
For Sept. 28 (Systematics) read:
• Barzun and Graff, Chs. 10, 11
• Jensen, Chs. 11, 12, 15, 16
• Daniel Schneider, "A Dynamic and Integrated Model of Motivations of Media Use and Media Effects in Political Communication," Paper presented at: International Communication Association, 2006 Annual Meeting; accessed 8/3/09. Search using Communication and Mass Media Complete via UNLV libraries.

Sept. 28: Systematics, Discussions/Papers #3
For Oct. 5 (Theory), find the following items at <http://www.jstor.org/jstor/>.
• Hughes: "The Fruits of Cultivation Analysis: A Reexamination of Some Effects of Television Watching."
• McCombs and Shaw, "The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media."
• Zinkhan, Kwak, Morrison, Okleshen Peters: "Web-Based Chatting: Consumer Communication in Cyberspace."

Oct. 5: Theory, Discussions/Papers #4
Note: Prospectus due Oct. 12.

Oct. 12: Faculty Visits, Prospectus Due
• Oct. 12, 19, and 26, anticipate visits from graduate faculty, including Stephen Bates, Barbara Cloud, Tony Ferri, Julian Kilker, Gary Larson, Larry Mullen, Susanna Priest, Ardyth Sohn, Dan Stout, Paul Traudt.

Oct. 19: Faculty Visits (prospecti returned, discussed)

Oct. 26: Faculty Visits, Working Bibliography Due

Nov. 2: Video Presentations (bibliographies returned, discussed)

Nov. 9: First Draft of Paper Due, editing sessions

Nov. 16: TBA
Note: You will give a presentation on your paper topic to the class on either Nov. 23 or Nov. 30. Develop materials for a 15-minute, conference-like setting. You may use PowerPoint or audio-visual materials, but do verify the equipment we'll use has compatible programs for your work.

Nov. 23: End-of-semester in-class presentations, Part 1

Nov. 30: End-of-semester in-class presentations, Part 2

Dec. 7: Final Papers Due