Borchard JMS 713

JMS 713
T 4-6:45pm
GUA 1120

Professor Gregory Borchard
(O) 702-895-4868
<gregory.borchard@unlv.edu>

Office Hours
M 1-4pm; T 11-noon; Th 11-noon;
and by appointment
2134 Greenspun Hall

Course Overview: This course is designed to help you develop a familiarity with concepts, tools, methodologies, and theories useful in interpreting the history of journalism and media. The course will emphasize the necessity for determining how your research can contribute to the pool of historical knowledge of contemporary scholars. You will examine history from a topical perspective, not a chronological one, and your research will require you to think critically as you focus on questions of how and why the media of a given era was significant. You will learn to evaluate information and judge the validity of primary and secondary sources, and to explore a diverse selection of writers and their ideas in researching the media for academic and professional purposes. You will demonstrate proficiency in developing and writing a research paper appropriate for submission to reviewers that explains the historical significance of journalism and media, drawing from inter-disciplinary theories, methods, and sources.

This course emphasizes historiography, a broad concept relevant to a number of disciplines, but it is essentially the history of history, a meta-history used to understand the basis of narratives. Historians have explained the role of communications in relation to social organization, but one of the few issues upon which they agree is the development of journalism and media have been a significant part of modern civilization. Journalism and media histories have subsequently had a unique role in the social sciences — some scholars have described it as a reconstructing the first draft of history. Because we will focus on the history of journalism and media, you will in effect write about writers who not only wrote about history, they provided an eyewitness account of it, or as one editor described it, a first rough draft of history.

Required Textbooks: Check the schedule for assigned readings. Weekly reading assignments are subject to change at the instructor's discretion.
• The American Journalism History Reader , eds. Bonnie Brennen and Hanno Hardt. New York: Routledge, 2011. ISBN 978-0-415-80187-4.
• Sloan, Wm. David, and Michael Stamm. Historical Methods (3rd edition). Northport, AL: Vision Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-885219-38-1.
Note: The bookstore should have these issues in stock. You may purchase the most recent edition of paperback or hardcover.

About the Readings: The schedule below includes a variety of readings from different disciplines designed to help you develop an angle for a research paper you will complete for this class. A number of the readings address complex and challenging issues generally not addressed in journalism, media studies, or communication studies. However, you will be asked to interpret the texts from a historiographic perspective — that is, you will be writing about the material without necessarily having to master technical language or aspects of particular disciplines. We're interested primarily in exploring how and why the authors wrote about their material, so be prepared to read in the context of meta-historical issues raised.

Course Requirements: You will complete a research paper for a major portion of your grade. We will discuss ways to integrate a working bibliography (an annotated list of sources indexed by historiographic themes) and a prospectus (a proposal of your paper idea) throughout the semester. Another major portion of your grade will be based on weekly discussion and accompanying reaction papers about assigned readings. The reaction papers are designed to help conceptualize tools that will be useful in writing your research paper.

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 or a zero ("0") on the assignment.

Attendance: Please attend every class. Your chances of succeeding in this course depend 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.

Religious Holidays Policy: Any student missing class quizzes, examinations, or any other class or lab work because of observance of religious holidays shall be given an opportunity during that semester to make up missed work. The make-up will apply to the religious holiday absence only. It shall be the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor no later than the end of the first two weeks of classes of his or her intention to participate in religious holidays that do not fall on state holidays or periods of class recess. This policy shall not apply in the event that the alternate time would impose an undue hardship on the instructor or the university that could not reasonably been avoided.

Rebelmail: By policy, faculty and staff should e-mail students' Rebelmail accounts only. Rebelmail is UNLV's official e-mail system for students. It is one of the primary ways students receive official university communication such as information about deadlines, major campus events, and announcements. All UNLV students receive a Rebelmail account after they have been admitted to the university. Students' e-mail prefixes are listed on class rosters. The suffix is always @unlv.nevada.edu.

Academic Misconduct: Academic integrity is a legitimate concern for every member of the campus community; all share in upholding the fundamental values of honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and professionalism. By choosing to join the UNLV community, students accept the expectations of the Academic Misconduct Policy and are encouraged when faced with choices to always take the ethical path. 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 using the words or ideas of another, from the Internet or any source, without proper citation of the sources. See the Student Academic Misconduct Policy (approved 12/9/05).

Copyright: The University requires all members of the University Community to familiarize themselves 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 UNLV policies.

Office Hours: I will be in my office during the hours listed in this syllabus, and I can be available at other hours if arranged in advance. 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 or at another time we arrange. 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.

Disability Resource Center: The DRC determines accommodations that are "reasonable" in promoting the equal access of a student reporting a disability to the general UNLV learning experience. In so doing, the DRC also balances instructor and departmental interests in maintaining curricular standards so as to best achieve a fair evaluation standard amongst students being assisted. In order for the DRC to be effective it must be considered in the dialog between the faculty and the student who is requesting accommodations. For this reason, faculty should only provide students course adjustment after having received an "Academic Accommodation 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. The DRC is located in the Student Services Complex (SSC-A), Room 143, phone 895-0866, fax 895-0651.

Your grade will be determined by your performance in the following areas — failure to complete an item will result in a zero ("0") for that portion of the course.

Presentations: Five times this semester, you will make 10- to- 15- minute presentations based on the material you have read. Along with the presentation you will make to the class, you will submit to me a 2- to- 3-page reaction paper that addresses any or all of these questions:

What is the author's thesis?
What sources does the author feature?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author's argument?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author's style?
What do other sources say about the author's contributions to scholarly literature?
In what way might you consider this particular piece a primary source? Alternatively, how might you consider it a secondary source? (Look at it through different lenses.)

You will receive a score out of 7.5 points based on your combined work on the presentation (5 points) and the reaction paper (2.5 points). We will discuss the specifics of each session in the preceding week(s).

Along with presentation materials, you will also need to demonstrate that you have read the assigned materials. You will receive an additional 2.5 points based on materials you will bring to class.

1) Two questions you have about the materials that you would like the presenter, other students, or your instructor to address.

2) An additional source about the subject presented — citation information or copies of the material for distribution if available.

Please type these items for submission at the end of class. You will receive points based on completion.

Prospectus = 10 percent
Early in the semester, you will begin work on a topic for development into a research paper. To develop an effective draft of your paper, you must first write a Prospectus, which will be due March 29. The prospectus is not the same thing as your paper — it tells the reader (Dr. Borchard, for now) what you plan to address in your paper and how you will do it. While your final paper is not due until the end of the semester (May 10), you will need to address in your prospectus these areas before you proceed

There is no minimum or maximum page count for a Prospectus, but plan on having at least 10 pages ready by March 20.

Your Paper: Presentation = 5 points
Toward the end of the semester, you will make a presentation to the class about the paper you have developed. You will receive 5 points toward your final score based on essentially the same criteria used to evaluate your reaction papers. The purpose of this exercise will be to receive feedback from your classmates on your paper before submitting the final version.

Final Paper = 35 percent
Your final paper, due at the end of the semester, will explore a topic chosen by you based on historiographic concepts discussed in the course. You will focus on a particular era and subject, and media-related events and individuals. You will be expected to develop an original idea and angle for your research, but 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.

Incomplete Grades: The grade of Incomplete ("I") can be granted when a student has satisfactorily completed all course work up to the withdrawal date of that semester/session but for reason(s) beyond the student's control — and acceptable to the instructor — in which the student cannot complete the last part of the course, and the instructor believes that the student can finish the course without repeating it. A student who receives an "I" is responsible for making up whatever work was lacking at the end of the semester. If course requirements are not completed within the time indicated, a grade of "F" will be recorded and the GPA will be adjusted accordingly. Students who are fulfilling an Incomplete do not register for the course but make individual arrangements with the instructor who assigned the "I" grade.

Due Jan. 23: E-mail a research topic to Dr. Borchard, detailing in 1 paragraph your w/w/w/w/w/h + "so what?" Also, send citations (in APA) for three secondary sources on the subject. Note: All subsequent assigned readings should be read before class meetings; for next week, read the materials assigned for Jan. 23.

WEEK 2: Tuesday, Jan. 23
UNLV Library Resources (session with Susie Skarl)
Also, for discussion: Burns and Rayment-Pickard, eds., "On Philosophizing about History," in Philosophies of History (Malden, Mass: Blackwell Publishers, 2000), 1-28;
• Ibid, "Immanuel Kant," 52-6;
• Ibid, "Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel," 84-9;
• Ibid, "Søren Kierkegaard," 143-46.

In Historical Methods, read:
• Ch. 1: "The Nature of History"
• Ch. 2: "Interpretation in History"
• Ch. 3: "The Fundamentals of Good History"

WEEK 3: Tuesday, Jan. 30
Presentations #1; plus, papers & Qs = 10 pts.
Write a Reaction Paper, from American Journalism History Reader:
• Ch. 1: "American Journalism and its Historical Treatment"
• Ch. 2: "The Problem of Journalism History"
• Ch. 3: "The Ossification of Journalism History"
• Ch. 4: "Theory and History"
• Ch. 5: "A Revolution in Historiography?"
• Sumpter, "Core Knowledge," Journalism History, 35, 1 (Sp2009): 42-51, at <http://www.library.unlv.edu>.

WEEK 4: Tuesday, Feb. 6
Historiography and Theory
Find and read the following items using <jstor.org>.
• Dryzek and Leonard, "History and Discipline in Political Science."
• Hughes, "The Fruits of Cultivation Analysis: A Reexamination of Some Effects of Television Watching."
• McCombs and Shaw, "The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media."

WEEK 5: Tuesday, Feb. 13
Presentations #2; plus, papers & Qs = 10 pts.
Write a Reaction Paper, AJHR
• Ch. 6: "Apology for Printers"
• Ch. 7: "The Fourth Epoch, 1783-1832"
• Ch. 8: "Printers and the American Revolution"
• Ch. 9: "The Colonial Journalist"
• Ch. 10: "The Federal Era III: Scissors, Paste, and Ink"
• Ch. 11: "The End of the Beginning"

WEEK 6: Tuesday, Feb. 20
Pre- and Post- Postmodernism
• Bloom, "Music," in The Closing of the American Mind (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987), 68-81.
• Foucault, "What is Enlightenment?"
• Himmelfarb, "Telling it as you like it: postmodernist history and the flight from fact," in The Postmodern History Reader, Keith Jenkins, ed. (London: Routledge, 1997), 158-74.

WEEK 7: Tuesday, Feb. 27
Presentations #3; plus, papers & Qs = 10 pts.
Write a Reaction Paper, AJHR
• Ch. 12: "Reflections on Journalism"
• Ch. 13: "The Immigrant Press and Assimilation"
• Ch. 14: "Front-page Girl
• Ch. 15: "The Editorial Staff"
• Ch. 16: "Technology and Ideology"
• Ch. 17: "Changes in News in the 19th Century"
• Ch. 18: "Paper Prints for the Masses"
• Ch. 19: "American Political Parties and the Press"

WEEK 8: Tuesday, March 6
Media, History, and Academia
Before class, read:
• Croteau and Hoynes, "Media Technology and Social Change," in Media, Society Industries, Images, and Audiences (Thousand Oaks, CA.: Pine Forge Press, 1997), 261-86.
• Severin and Tankard, "Models in Mass Communication Research," in Communication Theories: Origins, Methods and Uses in the Mass Media (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2001), 36-54.

Before Spring Break: Read the following chapters in Historical Methods:
• Ch. 4: "Basic Procedures and Techniques"
• Ch. 5: "Searching for Historical Materials"
• Ch. 6: "Historical Research on the Internet"
• Ch. 7: "Historical Sources, Evaluation"
• Ch. 8: "Explanation in History"
• Ch. 9: "Writing"

WEEK 9: Tuesday, March 13
Presentations #4; plus, papers & Qs = 10 pts.
Write a Reaction Paper, AJHR
• Ch. 20: "Writing News, Telling Stories"
• Ch. 21: "The Reporter and the News"
• Ch. 22: "Pay and Pecuniary Reward"
• Ch. 23: "House of Lords"
• Ch. 24: "A Neglected Story"
• Ch. 25: "The Disappearing Daily"

WEEK 10: Tuesday, March 20
Prospecti (10 percent)
Bring drafts to class. We'll discuss your research to date and see what kind of revisions you might make before break. (Final due date TBA).

Spring Break (class does NOT meet). Before April 3, Read Historical Methods, "Presentation and Publication," 279-91; have a draft of your paper ready for an editing session April 10.

WEEK 11: Tuesday, April 3
Presentations #5; plus, papers & Qs = 10 pts.
Write a Reaction Paper, AJHR
• Ch. 26: "Voices"
• Ch. 27: "The Beginnings"
• Ch. 28: "Democracy and the News"
• Ch. 29: "Dialectical Tensions"
• Ch. 30: "Fact and Fiction"
• Ch. 31: "A Fighting Press"

WEEK 12: Tuesday, April 10
Editing Sessions: I'll announce plans for editing sessions Week 11, but plan to have a draft of your paper ready for class on April 10. You won't receive a grade on it, but without a draft, you won't have the opportunity to receive feedback before the final version is due.