Marketing Fundamentals - BUAD 307



JOUR 375/COMM 372/SWMS 377

The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture

Four Units

Fall 2014—Tuesday —2 to 5:20 p.m.

Section: 21208R

Location: ASC 204

Instructor: Joe Saltzman, Professor of Journalism, Director of the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC), a project of the Norman Lear Center, USC Annenberg ()

Office: ASC 102B

Office Hours: Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. By Appointment

Contact Info: saltzman@usc.edu

Office: 213-740-3918. Home: 310-377-8883.

Cell: 310-663-1390

I. Course Description

The course concerns the impact of conflicting images of the journalist in movies and television on the American public’s perception of newsgatherers in the 20th and 21st centuries. The public takes its images wherever it sees and hears them and in the end, it really doesn’t matter to the public if these images are real or fantasy, true or false. The reality is that few people ever witness a journalist in action. They rarely visit a newspaper or magazine office or a broadcast newsroom or any other place where journalists work to report the news of the day. Yet they have a very specific idea of what a journalist is and what he or she does because they have read about journalists in novels, short stories and comic books, and they have seen them in movies, TV programs, plays, and cartoons. The public bases its impressions and understanding of the news media on these images. This class explores why this is so.

II. Overall Learning Objectives and Assessment

To gain an understanding of the various images of journalists in popular culture and how they influence the public’s perception of its news media. You will learn why these images are important to our way of life, our very democracy, and study the ramifications of how the public perceives and judges the media and why this can have a profound effect on the success or failure of our American democracy. One of the primary objectives of this course is to teach you to be more sophisticated in your understanding of the news media, their functions and the reasons the American people have a love-hate relationship with the messengers who bring the important news and information to them.

III. Assignments and Assessment

There are quickly quizzes on the reading assignments, a mid-term take-home examination-paper and a final take-home examination-paper.

The material covered in the examinations will be based on the lectures, readings and videos. You are expected to pay attention to themes and concepts.

IV. Grading Breakdown

|Assignment |Points |% of Grade |

|Class Participation |100 |10 |

|Weekly Reading Quizzes |100 |10 |

|Mid-Term Take-Home Examination/Paper |350 |35 |

|Final Take-Home Examination/Paper |450 |45 |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

|TOTAL |1000 |100% |

Grading Criteria:

A 950 points

A- 900 points

B+ 870 points

B 830 points

B- 800 points

C+ 770 points

C 730 points

C- 700 points

D 600 points

F Below 600 points

V. Assignment Submission Policy

All assignments are due on the dates specified. Lacking prior discussion and agreement with the instructor, late assignments will automatically be marked down.

The class will begin promptly at 2 p.m. Since each section of the class will include video, it is important that we start on time if you want to get out on time.

VI. Required Readings and Supplementary Materials

Required Reading: Heroes & Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture, by Matthew C. Ehrlich and Joe Saltzman (University of Illinois Press). Since the book won’t be available until 2015, the manuscript Introductions, Chapters and Conclusion are available on Blackboard.

Students will also be expected to be familiar with the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC) website () and the IJPC Database available on that website.

In addition, these books are recommended:

Ehrlich, Matthew C, Journalism in the Movies, University of Illinois Press, 2004.

Good, Howard, Girl Reporter: Gender, Journalism and Movies, Scarecrow Press. Published: May, 1998.

Ness, Richard R., From Headline Hunter to Superman: A Journalism Filmography, Scarecrow Press. Published: October 7, 1997. A guide to more than 2,100 feature films dealing with journalism. An excellent resource.

VII. Laptop Policy

Effective fall 2014, all undergraduate and graduate Annenberg majors and minors will be required to have a PC or Apple laptop that can be used in Annenberg classes. Please refer to the Annenberg Virtual Commons for more information. To connect to USC’s Secure Wireless network, please visit USC’s Information Technology Services website.

VIII. Course Schedule: A Weekly Breakdown

Note: There will be regular quizzes on the reading assignments due at the beginning of each class.

CLASS ONE: INTRODUCTION (August 26)

Required Reading: Ehrlich-Saltzman, “Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture: Introduction.”

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Park Row, Dispatch From Reuters

CLASS TWO (September 2): HISTORY I

Required Reading: Ehrlich-Saltzman, “Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture: Chapter One”

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Five-Star Final, The Front Page

CLASS THREE (September 9): HISTORY II

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Citizen Kane, Deadline U.S.A., All the President’s Men

CLASS FOUR (September 16): PROFESSIONALISM I

Required Reading: Ehrlich-Saltzman, “Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture: Chapter Two”

In-Class Video: Excerpts from The Daily Planet, Nancy Drew, State of Play

CLASS FIVE (September 23): PROFESSIONALISM II

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Call Northside 777, True Crime, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

CLASS SIX (September 30): DIFFERENCE I: GENDER

Required Reading: Ehrlich-Saltzman, “Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture: Chapter Three.”

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Torchy Blane, Mary Richards and Murphy Brown.

CLASS SEVEN (October 7): DIFFERENCE II: RACE

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Mystery in Swing, Black Like Me, Livin’ Large

CLASS EIGHT (October 14): DIFFERENCE III: THE GAY JOURNALIST

In-Class Video: Excerpts from In & Out, Devil Wears Prada, Capote-Infamous

TAKE-HOME MID-TERM/PAPER – DUE OCTOBER 21

CLASS NINE (October 21) – POWER I

Required Reading: Ehrlich-Saltzman, “Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture: Chapter Four.”

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Anonymous Journalists, Broadway Melody of 1936, Blessed Event, Malice in Wonderland, Rita Skeeter.

CLASS TEN (October 28): POWER II

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Network, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Insider

CLASS ELEVEN (November 4): IMAGE I

Required Reading: Ehrlich-Saltzman, “Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture: Chapter Five.”

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Picture Snatcher, Rear Window, Under Fire, Salvador, The Bang Bang Club, Margaret Bourke-White

CLASS TWELVE (November 11): IMAGE II

In-Class Video: Excerpts from Good night, and good luck, To Die For, Broadcast News, The Newsroom

CLASS THIRTEEN (November 18): CONCLUSION: Imagining the Future

Required Readings: Ehrlich-Saltzman, “Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture: Conclusion.”

In-Class Video: Excerpts from The Thing, RoboCop, Max Headroom, Video games.

CLASS FOURTEEN (November 25): Thanksgiving Week Review

CLASS FIFTEEN (December 2): FINAL EXAMINATION REVIEW

Take-Home Final Examination/Paper

FINAL EXAMINATION DEADLINE: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 4 PM.

NO FINAL EXAMINATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS FINAL DEADLINE

IX. Policies and Procedures

A. Plagiarism

Statement on Academic Integrity

USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Please see the SCampus () for the university’s Student Conduct Code.

USC School of Journalism Policy on Academic Integrity

The following is the USC Annenberg School of Journalism’s policy on academic integrity and repeated in the syllabus for every course in the school:

“Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found plagiarizing, fabricating, cheating on examinations, and/or purchasing papers or other assignments faces sanctions ranging from an ‘F’ on the assignment to dismissal from the School of Journalism.” All academic integrity violations will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Affairs & Community Standards (SJACS), as per university policy, as well as journalism school administrators.”

In addition, it is assumed that the work you submit for this course is work you have produced entirely by yourself, and has not been previously produced by you for submission in another course or Learning Lab, without approval of the instructor.

B. Additional Policies

Instructor: Add any additional policies specific to your class that students should be aware of: missed classes, attendance expectations, checking USC e-mail, use of technology in the classroom, dress code, etc.

C. Internships

The value of professional internships as part of the overall educational experience of our students has long been recognized by the School of Journalism. Accordingly, while internships are not required for successful completion of this course, any student enrolled in this course that undertakes and completes an approved, non-paid internship during this semester shall earn academic extra credit herein of an amount equal to 1 percent of the total available semester points for this course. To receive instructor approval, a student must request an internship letter from the Annenberg Career Development Office and bring it to the instructor to sign by the end of the third week of classes. The student must submit the signed letter to the media organization, along with the evaluation form provided by the Career Development Office. The form should be filled out by the intern supervisor and returned to the instructor at the end of the semester. No credit will be given if an evaluation form is not turned in to the instructor by the last day of class. Note: The internship must be unpaid and can only be applied to one journalism class.

D. Statement for Students with Disabilities

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Website and contact information for DSP: , (213) 740-0776 (Phone), (213) 740-6948 (TDD only), (213) 740-8216 (FAX) ability@usc.edu.

E. Stress Management

Students are under a lot of pressure. If you start to feel overwhelmed, it is important that you reach out for help. A good place to start is the USC Student Counseling Services office at 213-740-7711. The service is confidential, and there is no charge.

F. Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity in a Crisis

In case of a declared emergency if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.

X. About Your Instructor

Joe Saltzman, professor of journalism at USC Annenberg, has been a prolific print and electronic journalist for more than 50 years. He created the broadcasting sequence for the School of Journalism at the University of Southern California in 1974. He has taught for 47 years, is a tenured professor at USC and the winner of several teaching awards, including the Scripps-Howard National Journalism and Mass Communications Professor of the Year and the USC Associates Teaching Excellence Award. He is currently the Director of the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture, a project of the Norman Lear Center, USC Annenberg, and a former associate dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Before coming to USC, Saltzman was a senior writer-producer at CBS, Channel 2, in Los Angeles. His documentaries and news specials have won more than 50 awards including the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award in Broadcast Journalism (broadcasting’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize), two Edward R. Murrow Awards for reporting, five Emmys and four Golden Mike awards. Saltzman is listed in Who’s Who in America, the International Who’s Who in Literature, Who’s Who in California, Who’s Who in the West, Who’s Who in Education and International Biography.

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