Course Syllabus

Course Name and Number: POLI 301 (3) - Media and Government [Formerly MDCM 301]

Course credits: 3

Method of Delivery: Online

Term: Spring 2016

Course Start Date: April 4 2016

Course End Date: June 19 2016

Name of Instructor: Patty Zakaria

Instructor Contact Information: The main point of contact for all instructors is through MyUCW.

Additional Contact Information: patty.zakaria@myucanwest.ca

1.0 Course Description: In contemporary culture governments rely upon the mass media in the development and application of public policy. This course explores media roles in reporting and assessing the workings of legislative and administrative bodies; and government’s roles in regulating and monitoring media practices. Students will come to an understanding of how media and government depend upon each other.

1.5 Course Prerequisite(s): None

2.0 Learning Goals:

To define the media, politics, and government

To understand the role of the media in government

To explore the media's role in assessing the working of legislative and administrative bodies

of government

To understand the media's 'watchdog' role in politics and government

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3.0 Learning Outcomes: Understand the implication of media on political and government. In addition,

students should be able to identify and understand the media's watchdog role in government.

4.0 Required Course Materials, Resources, Textbook(s):

***All the textbooks and readings required for the course will be found at UCW library and links will be

posted on Moodle***

If you’re unable to open the link, then use the library search function to look for the work. Make sure you

search using the book title. If you’re still having difficulty, please contact Adrian Mitescu

(ucwlibrary@ucanwest.ca)

1. Waddell, C. R., & Taras, D. (2012). Media and Politics. Edmonton: Athabasca University Press. [Referred

to as Waddell & Taras (2012)]

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN

=463483&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,url,uid&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_1

2. Gorton, K. (2009). Media Audiences : Television, Meaning and Emotion. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University

Press. [Referred to as Gorton (2009)]

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN

=325006&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,url,uid&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_COVER_A

3. Sinclair, U. (1906). The Jungle. The Uncensored Original Edition. [Referred to as Sinclair,

(1909)].

http://darrow.law.umn.edu/documents/The_Jungle_Upton_Sinclair.pdf

4. Widdicombe, T. (2007). Upton Sinclair. The Jungle: Uncensored Original Edition. Utopian

Studies, (1), 75. [Referred to as Widdicombe, (2007)].

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=e

dsgcl.164878401&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,url,uid

5. Couldry, N. (2000). The Place of Media Power: Pilgrims and Witnesses of the Media Age. London:

Routledge.[Referred to as Couldry (2000)].

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN

=60638&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,url,uid&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_COVER

6. Caron, A. H., & Cohen, R. I. (2013). Regulating Screens: Issues in Broadcasting and Internet

Governance for Children. Montreal: MQUP. [Referred to as Caron & Cohen (2013)].

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN

=594604&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,url,uid&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover

UCW Course Syllabus for POLI 301

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7. Zappavigna, M. (2012). The Discourse of Twitter and Social Media. (Referred to as

Zappavigna, (2012)]

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.myucwest.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN

=593118&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,url,uid

8. Odugbemi, Sina and Norris, Pippa. (2015). Chapter 15 Do the news media act as watchdogs, agenda‐

setters and gate‐keepers? [Referred to as Odugbemi and Norris, (2015)].

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Acrobat/WorldBankReport/Chapter%2015%20Odugbemi%

20and%20Norris.pdf

5.0 Recommended Course Materials, Resources, Textbook(s):

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, APA, 6th edition ISBN: 978-

14338-0561-5

6.0 Course Schedule:

Week

Topic Learning Objectives Course Activities

1 Introduction to politics, government, and Media

- Define media and politics

- Understand models of media and politics

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 1 (1.5%)

Reading(s):

- Waddell & Taras (2012), p. 1 -26

- Waddell & Taras (2012), Chapter 2, p. 30 – 45.

2 Media and Audience

- Understand the Propaganda Model

- relationships between media and audience

-Understand the factors that influence audience patterns

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 2 (1.5%)

Reading(s):

- Gorton (2009), Chapter 1. P. 11 – 29

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3 Media's watchdog role - Understand the media's watchdog role

- Impact of the Jungle novel

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 3 (1.5%)

Reading(s):

- Sinclair, (1909), Chapters 14 & 31

- Widdicombe (2007), p. 75.

- Odugbemi and Norris (2015), Chapter 15.

4 Mid-term Exam This week will be used to complete the mid-term exam.

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 4 (1.5%)

- Mid-term (15%)

Reading(s):

Weeks 1 through 3.

5 Media and Elections - The media's role in the 2011 elections

- Negative Ads

- Media's coverage of political campaigns

- Media and voting effect

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 5(%)

Reading(s):

- Waddell & Taras (2012), Chapters 4 – 7, pages 71 – 168.

6 Media and War - Media coverage of wars

- Relationship between the media and the military

- Censorship of the media during wartime

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 6 (%)

Reading(s): - Waddell & Taras (2012), Chapter 10

7 Group Presentation

This week will be used to complete the group presentation.

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 7 (1.5%)

- Group Presentation (18.5%)

Reading(s):

No readings for the week

8 Media Power and Public Policy

- Theories about the power of media

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 8 (1.5%)

Reading(s):

- Couldry (2000) Chapter 1

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9 Government regulations of media

- CRTC regulations Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 9 (1.5%)

Reading(s):

- Caron & Cohen (2013) Chapters 1-4 and conclusion

10 Social Media and Politics - What is social media?

- Role of social media in protest

- Traditional media vs. Social media

- Internet role on democracy

- Internet role on protest

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 10 (1.5%)

- Research Paper (30%)

Reading(s):

- Zappavigna Chapter 9

11 Final Exam This week is devoted to completing the final exam.

Assignment(s):

- Discussion Question 11 (1.5%)

- Final Exam (20%)

Reading(s):

No Readings this week

7.0 Required Assignments or Activities, Distribution of Marks and Due Dates:

Assignment

Description Percent of Total Course Grade

Due Date

Discussion Questions 11 weekly discussion forums from the weeks readings

Participation is 1.5% per week, as follows: 5 Excellent 4 Good 3 Average below 3 – inadequate.

16.5% (1.5% each)

Week 1 - Week 11

Group Presentation Students will be expected to prepare a PowerPoint presentation (max. 25 slides) from the list below.

18.5% Week 7

Mid-Term Exam The mid-term exam consists of 3 short answer questions (essay style, 1-2 pages per question). Mid-term exam will cover all of the readings between weeks 1-3.

15% Week 4

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Research Paper Students will be expected to complete a

research paper from the list below. 1000 – 1500 (4-6 pages) word essay. (Note: Please use Times New Roman Font, size 12 and double spaced).

30% Week 10

Final Exam The final exam consists of 7 short answer questions (essay style, 1-2 pages per question). The exam will cover all of the readings between weeks 5 - 11.

20% Week 11

Discussion Question Participation:

Discussion question participation will provide an important opportunity to discuss ideas with classmate

and clarify issues covered in the readings. Students are required to answer questions as well as interact

with other student responses (minimum of 2 responses to fellow classmate’s posts). There will be 11

weekly forum participation to be completed on the assigned due dates.

Mid-Term Exam:

The online mid-term consists 3 short answer questions. The mid-term will cover all of the readings

between weeks 1 through week 3. The exam can be completed anytime during the assigned week,

however, if you fail to submit the exam after the due date, you will receive a grade of 0.

Group Presentation:

The group presentation will provide an important opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the course material. You are required to create a PowerPoint presentation on a selected issue and media coverage. You are required to select an issue and discuss how the media has covered this issue (negative/positive/ what spin have they put on the issue). You can selection from the following issues:

- Economy - Unemployment - War / conflicts - Crime

Final Research Paper:

The final research paper will be based on library resources, web-based materials, and media coverage.

Students must write a paper, which answers the following question: Discuss the role of traditional media

and social media. Analyze the effect on a certain topic (i.e. Social or political protest) and determine which

medial outlet (traditional media vs. Social media) had a greater influence on the public or transforming

the issue.

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Final Exam:

The final exam consists 7 short answer questions. The exam will cover all of the readings between weeks

5 through 11. The exam can be completed anytime during the assigned week, however, if you fail to

submit the exam after the due date, you will receive a grade of 0.

8.0 Assessment Rubrics:

Quality and substance of argument

Scale Total

points Content 5 4 3 2 1 0

I. Introduction

1) Clear thesis statement

2) Clear introduction of topic

3) Introduction thought-

provoking

Scale 25 20 15 10 5 0 Total

II. Arguments

1) Evidence based research

2) Clear arguments

Arguments backed up with

data/evidence

3) Organized information to

develop a central idea, using

well-linked and well-

developed paragraphs

4) Examples and details

support the main theme

Scale 5 4 3 2 1 0 Total

III. Conclusion

1) Clear summary

2) Main arguments restated

3) Consistency shown

throughout the facts

Organization, clarity and effectiveness of writing skills

Scale Total

points Content 10 8 6 4 2 0

I: Effective organization of

ideas

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1) Article fully cited, current,

relevant

2) Proper citation format APA

3) Citation from peer reviewed

journals

4) Reference sheet

5) Meaningful Title

Scale 5 4 3 2 1 0 Total

II. Proper format and neatness

1) Font size

2) Page Number

3) Spacing

Scale 10 8 6 4 2 0 Total

III. Writing style

1) Grammar

2) Spelling

3) Punctuation

9.0 Grade Point and Letter Grades:

DESCRIPTOR GRADE Exceptional: Normally achieved by a small minority of students who have consistently exceeded performance expectations in all evaluation criteria.

90 -100% A+ (4.33)

Outstanding: Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at the highest levels of performance in all evaluation criteria

85-89% A (4.00)

Excellent: Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at high levels of performance in almost all of the evaluation criteria.

80-84 A- (3.67)

Very good: Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at well above average levels of performance in most of the course evaluation criteria.

76-79% B+ (3.33)

Good: Demonstrates substantial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at average to above average performance levels in most of the course evaluation criteria

72 -75% B (3.00)

68-71% B- (2.67)

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Satisfactory: Demonstrates sufficient knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at average levels of performance in most of the course evaluation criteria.

64-67% C+ (2.33)

60-63 % C (2.00)

Pass: Demonstrates acceptable knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at low to average level of performance in many of the course evaluation criteria.

55-59 % C- (1.67)

Marginal Pass: Barely acceptable knowledge and understanding of the subject matter with considerable areas of weakness in many of the course evaluation criteria.

50-54% D (1.00)

Fail: Unacceptable performance in most or all of the course evaluation criteria

0-49% F (0)

10.0 Class Participation / Expectations: Campus students are expected to attend every class. Online

students are expected to access the course site several times a week, to participate in the weekly

discussions, and to stay up-to-date with all activities and announcements. If you must be absent, please

contact the instructor as soon as possible. For international students within Canada, or Canadians on

student loans, the university must report any absences over 8 hours in a semester (all classes combined)

to the appropriate authority. This may result in the revoking of a student’s study permit or student loan

status. Students for whom this doesn’t apply, still run the risk of grade penalties to their participation

mark.

11.0 Late Assignments: Late Assignments will be penalized at a rate of 10% per day.

12.0 APA Guidelines: UCW follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

(APA). All assignments must be submitted with the correct APA formatting and all sources cited

according APA standards. The UCW Library provides resources and reference materials for students and

faculty to utilize in order that their work meets APA standards.

13.0 Copyright Policy: University Canada West abides by all copyright legislation, regulations, and

agreements. All copying must be in accordance with these. Please refer to the Access Copyright

Repertoire Lookup Tool and/or consult the UCW Library."

14.0 Privacy Policy: University Canada West is committed to using personal information collected in

accordance with applicable provincial and federal privacy legislation. Use of the information collected

during this course will be used solely for purposes consistent with academic and support services of a

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post-secondary educational institution. This statement is consistent with UCW's Information Privacy &

Security Policy.

15.0 Turnitin Policy: This course requires you to submit some material in electronic form. When this requirement is in place, it will be noted in the course outline, the assignment, or both. The electronic material will be submitted to a service to which UCW subscribes, called Turnitin. This is a service that checks textual material for originality. Turnitin.com is used increasingly in North American universities. For additional information please visit: https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

16.0 Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct:

Please ensure that you read the section on Academic Misconduct in the University Canada West Calendar located in MyUCW. To find the calendar, click on ‘Library Resources’ then ‘Forms and Calendar.’

Plagiarism: includes, but is not limited to:

Submission of another person’s work as original;

Inadequate attribution given to an author or creator whose work is incorporated in the student's work; and

Paraphrase or use of material verbatim from a source without sufficient acknowledgement.

Falsifying Materials: includes, but is not limited to:

Fraudulently manipulating laboratory processes, electronic data, or research data in order to achieve desired results;

Submitting work prepared by someone else (e.g., commercially prepared essays) as one's own;

Citing a source from which material was not obtained; and

Submitting false records, information or data, in writing or orally.

Cheating : includes, but is not limited to:

Submitting the same work for different courses without prior permission from the faculty member;

Copying another person’s answers or other work;

Sharing information or answers when doing take-home assignments, tests, and examinations except where the instructor has authorized collaborative work;

Having any unauthorized materials or equipment in an examination or test;

Submitting an assignment completed (or partially completed) by someone else;

Falsifying or making up data or bibliographic information;

Impersonating a candidate in an examination or test, or being assigned the results of such impersonation;

Reproducing, sharing or otherwise making unauthorized copies of UCW materials in any format;

Using technological means such as cell phones, data storage units and other electronic devices without prior permission from the faculty; and

Assisting others or attempt to help others to engage in any conduct described above or any other activities prohibited by UCW.

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Penalties for Academic Misconduct Penalties for academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

At the course level: o Written reprimand for retention in the student file (no transcript entry) o Repetition of the assignment or completion of a different, but similar, assignment (no

transcript entry) o Failing grade for the assignment (no transcript entry) o Failing grade for the course (recorded on transcript)

At the program level: o Disciplinary probation for a defined period with written documentation retained in the

student’s file (transcript notation for period of probation)

At the University level: o Suspension (permanent transcript entry) o Expulsion (permanent transcript entry) o Rescission of degrees granted (permanent transcript entry)

17.0 Instructor Biography:

My name is Patty Zakaria I have a PhD in Political Science from Wayne State University. In

addition, I am also an adjunct instructor at Wayne State University’s Department of Political

Science and Public Administration, where I teach American Government and Politics courses. For

the 2012-2013 academic year I was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Dubrovnik International

University, where I taught courses in international politics and security. I received my Bachelor

of Arts (Honours) in International Relations and Development studies, with a minor in Economics

from the University of Windsor in 2002 and a post-Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Statistics as

well as Master of Arts in Industrial Relations from Wayne State University in 2003 and 2006

respectively. I also hold two Advanced Graduate Certificates from the Inter-University Center,

Croatia in 2008 and 2009. As a researcher, I have participated in several international and

regional conferences in political science and interdisciplinary studies, and I have published in the

International Political Science Review, Public Integrity, Atlantic Community, European

Perspective Journal, and Romanian Journal of European Affairs. I have provided my consultation

services to Transparency International in Berlin Germany and The Mackenzie Institute in Toronto,

Canada.