Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

Robert Scott 16
Student Resources Student SOQs Online My Institution

COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication Section Y1 Fall 2021 Assignments

Assignments

Media Journal

• ◦ Choose a current media piece from everyday life that you find intriguing.
This can be a post, article, video, tweet, news clip, etc. The media you
choose must be newsworthy.
◦ By current I mean something that is or has been making headlines.
◦ In at least 250 words, apply one of the seven theories of mass
communication from Chapter Two. (pages 36-41)
◦ Also, apply one of the four model of mass communication from
Chapter One. (pages 10 to 13)
◦ Elaborate and describe why this story is making headlines, who is
affected, and how this event fits into society.
◦ You must share a link to the media piece that you are discussing.
◦ Review the "Nike and Colin Kaepernick" media journal example in the
learning unit before completing this assignment. This example explains
how you should be applying a thoery and model to a media piece.

Note: Always explain the theory and model that you are using before applying
your example.

For example: Start with, "According to the Agenda-Setting theory,....". Then, go

on to elaborate on how that is an example of the media piece you provided.

Who Owns What? & Books as a Changing Medium

• First step is to choose a company. You can choose from the of media
companies below. Next, you will research it.
• Of course you should read what the textbook says about your company, but
you must also do some outside reading on your company as well.
• You are to find and link at least one current article about your company.
This should be from a major news outlet - not from the company's web site.
• Then you should discuss in 200 to 250 words, why your company is significant
and what you learned about the company from article or articles you linked to
about it. (By current article, I mean one published since July 20.)
• In addition to your link, make sure you give the title, author and source of your
article.
• Make sure to include examples of the major media outlets owned and/or
produced by the company you claimed.

1 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

• Choose one of the following companies:

◦ Disney
◦ Fox
◦ CBS
◦ Viacom
◦ Warner Media (Formerly Time Warner)
◦ Bertelsmann
◦ Comcast
◦ Alphabet (Google)
◦ Facebook
◦ Apple
◦ Amazon

Part Two:

In Chapters one and two, you read about a number of approaches to

communication theory and research.  One of these was that of "medium e"ects" in
which you heard about the ideas of Harold Innis and Marshal McLuhan.  They argue
that the nature of communication is changed by the medium being used.  Go back
and review those pages (32-35).

Then take some time to read the following links about what's been happening
currently in the textbook business:

• Many publishers are taking on a program known as "inclusive access" (Links

to an external site.) where a publisher licenses all or many or their books for
use at a given university.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/11/07/inclusive-access-takes-
model-college-textbook-sales
• How much do college students actually pay for textbooks? (Links to an
external site.) Using more accurate data.
https://eliterate.us/welcome-change-openstax-using-more-accurate-data-on-
student-textbook-expenditures/
• Rethinking college stores (Links to an external site.) - Can independent
campus stores survive the onslaught from the giants as textbook sales shrink
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling
/article/76150-rethinking-college-stores.html

After you've done that reading and review, you are ready to work on this week's
!
assignment. In 200 to 250 words , you should address the following prompts:

• How is the textbook industry changing in the 21st century? What is new about
it? What is the same? Be specific, arguing with examples from your readings.
• Are e-textbooks significantly different than books printed on paper? If they are
different, what makes e-books different? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of purchasing, renting, or getting books through inclusive access
programs? (Think about both the physical differences and the cultural/business
differences. Again, be specific with examples.)
• Have you used an e-textbook? Do you own a Kindle or use e-book software on
your computer or tablet? What do you think of the experience? Do you have
strong feelings about the differences?
• Have you had prices keep you from getting the textbooks you need?

2 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

The goal with this week's assignment is to get you thinking and talking about
the changes in the textbook industry using the concepts we have been reading
about. In addition to the assigned readings, you should include and reference at
least one recent outside article from a credible source. Make sure you reference
all the articles you use in your homework

Magazine Target Audience Analysis & Fake News

This is a two part assignment. Make sure to label each part.

Part One:

For this assignment, you are to choose a niche consumer, literary or trade

magazine and analyze its content. You can pick up any consumer magazine from
your home, o#ce, etc.  It does not have to be new. The goal of this audience analysis
is to focus on the values and beliefs of the targeted audience. Answer the following
3 questions. 

1.  First gather some demographic information about the audience for the
magazine that you are working with.  Conduct some online research, look
through the editorials, articles, advertisements, pictures, headlines, front cover,
and all clues that will help you identify the following demographic
characteristics of its target audience.  List each of these demographic
characteristics and try to be as accurate as possible:

a. Magazine title:
b. Age range:
c. Gender:
d. Nationality:
e. Heritage/Race:
f. Interests:
g. Job / Student:
h. Economic Status:
i. Lifestyle:

! 2.  Choose a product that you would advertise in your chosen magazine. In a
few sentences, clearly describe how it caters to the magazine’s targeted
audience. 

3. Now you have a concrete sense of the target audience, write a short
narrative that captures a day in the life of the targeted reader of the magazine.
For this exercise it is ok to caricature, as the marketers tend to do this for the
publications. Be as speci$c as possible in this description. For example, what
does the reader eat for breakfast? What kind of car do they drive? Where do
they work? What are their politics? To receive a full grade, your answer must
be at least one full paragraph of 4 to 5 sentences.

Read this link about how LuLu Lemon and how they created pro"les of their
ideal customers:

3 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

https://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-idea-customers-ocean-and-
duke-2015-2

Extra Credit:

You will receive 10 points extra credit for bringing with you a physical magazine
during our zoom meeting. 

Part Two:

Over the last several of years we've seen a lot of talk about fake news going on.
Some of this "fake news" is satire, some of it is news people don't like so they call it
fake, and some of it is genuinely made-up news. For this week's homework
assignment, I want you to  re-read pages 3-4 from Chapter 1. You should also look at
the Media Transformations, pages 153-154.  

In at least 250 words, discuss the following issues:

• How has the meaning of fake news changed over the years? Discuss with
examples.
• Is "fake news" always a bad thing? Why or why not? (Think about your readings
and the multiple definitions of "fake news.")
• Discuss at least two forms that fake news can take currently, with examples.
Make sure you describe the form the fake news is taking and why it exists.
• How do you think our media world is being changed by people routinely using the
term "fake news" as a way of insulting news they don't like?

The goal with this week's assignment is to get you to move beyond politics and start
thinking and talking about what all this talk about fake news is really about.

In addition to the assigned readings, you should include and reference at least one
recent outside article from a non-partisan, credible source. (Take a look at the Media
Transformations, pages 153-154.) Make sure you reference the article you use in
your assignment.

!
Please Note: I'm not looking for a partisan rant here from the left or the right.  I'm
looking for an analysis that is based on your readings. You may also express your
feelings at the end of your essay , but the rest is for academic analysis.

Audio & The Bechdel Test

This is a two part assignment. Make sure to label each part.

Part One:

4 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

The music and audio industry is going through an enormous period of change right
now with the rise of electronic music sales, YouTube artists, podcasts, peer-to-peer file
sharing, and unsigned bands using the Internet to promote themselves. Before
completing this assignment, review the concepts and characteristics of the long
tail on pages 74-77. Then, make sure to read Media Transformations "Working
and Living in The Long Tail" on page 191.

One of the ways music creation and marketing is changing is through the work
of mashups and remix artists such as Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis who builds all of his
music from unlicensed samples of work by other musicians. Go to YouTube and listen
to some remixes by Girl Talk. Others such as sports commentator &
television host Joe Rogan, have moved way from legacy media platforms and utilized
podcasts. You can also look for Joe Rogan's show online and listen to some samples.
These are all examples of the long-tail end of the media business.

For this week's assignment, search for a long tail audio podcast, musical artist or
mashup artist.

Then, answer the following questions in at least 200 words:

• What is the name of the artist or show you found?

• Clearly describe how this is an example of the long tail end of the media
business.
• Which channel(s) (medium) does the artist or show use?
• Who is the audience?
• How does this artist or talk show make money of their work?
• Make sure you provide a link
• If possible, please provide a sample in class. We would love to listen to the
musical artist or podcast that you are discussion. (make sure it is classroom
appropriate)

Part Two:

The Bechdel test—named for the cartoonist Alison Bechdel who wrote a long-running
comic strip called Dykes To Watch Out For and the critically acclaimed graphic novel
Fun Home—is a test to assess whether women have a meaningful presence in a movie.
It consists of three questions.

! 1. Are there two or more women in it that have names?

2. Do they talk to each other?
3. Do they talk to each other about something other than a man?

Once you start thinking about it, you’ll be surprised by how many !lms don’t pass this
test. In fact, there are entire genres (action-adventure, for example) that seem to fail
the Bechdel test, by and large.

Not surprisingly, male-centric movies such as Fight Club, or Lawrence of Arabia,

or Das Boot don't pass the test and other notable non-passing movies include:

• Shrek
• Clerks

5 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

• Big Lebowski
• Home Alone
• Slumdog Millionaire
• The Truman Show
• Lord of the Rings
• Tomb Raider
• and even.... The Princess Bride

This test doesn't judge the quality of the movie or whether it is misogynistic, only that it
doesn't portray the interaction of two women with names dealing with something other
than a man.

You are to perform the Bechdel test for a movie that has been released in 2020 or
2021. You need to view the movie with the Bechdel questions in hand. They are:

1. Are there two or more women in the movie who have names?
2. Do they talk to each other?
3. Do they talk to each other about something other than a man?

(NOTE: This means you need to watch a current movie for this unit as part of this
assignment - not look back at a movie you watched earlier this year. You can watch a
movie on streaming or other form of home video. Under more normal circumstances, I
would encourage you to see a movie in a real theater.)

After you have done so, you are to write at least 200 words answering all of the
following:

• Briefly discusses what the Bechdel test is for and what it tells us about a
movie.

• Give the name of the movie you are analyzing and when (specifically)
you watched it.

• Give detailed answers to the questions. (Who are the women characters?
What do they talk about? How is the presence of women in the film
different from that of men?) Make sure you are clear on whether the
movie passed the test.

• Breifly explain at least one weaknesses of the Bechdel Test.

! • Were you surprised by what you learned completing this assignment?

Why or why not?

• How do movies that fail the Bechdel Test effect society's viewpoints. Why
or why not? Apply one theory of mass communication to backup
your argument.

Let me reiterate - the Bechdel test doesn't say whether a movie is good or bad, or
whether it has positive portrayals of women. It only tells us how central the interactions
of women with other women are to the plot of the movie.

Note: to recieve a full grade for this part of the assignment, you must apply one
theory of mass communication to backup your argument.

6 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

Watching Television in 2021

Make sure you read the the section under the heading "Moving Beyond
Broadcasting," pages 250-253, including the Media Transformations box in Chapter
9.

You may $nd the following helpful as well:

• Another Big Tremor in the Earthquake in Slow Motion: Part 2 – Two New
Secrets (Links to an external site.)
https://www.ralphehanson.com/2016/08/11/another-big-tremor-in-the-
earthquake-in-slow-motion-part-2-two-new-secrets/

Then, I want you to think about how you and your friends watch television or other
forms of video programming.  In your assignment, I'm looking for you to talk about
some of the following issues:

• What does it mean to you when you say you are "watching television"? Or is that
even something you talk about?
• When you watch video programming, what are you doing? Where does your
programming come from (i.e. broadcast TV, cable
TV, Neflix, Hulu, BitStream Torrents, YouTube, Periscope, etc.)? What kind of
device do you use to watch it?
• How did you watch the most recent video program you've seen. (Discuss
something you watched in the last couple of days.)
• How important are mobile devices to you and contemporary audiences when it
comes to watching video?
• How do your video habits of your generation (and you) differ from those of your
parents (or your children)?
• How much do you pay a month to access video? How much would you be willing
to pay if free options went away? What is a typical amount to pay?
• What is cord cutting and how is it changing the video/television marketplace?
Have you "cut the cord" or considered cutting the cord? Why or why not?

Answer in at least 250 words. Please support your responses with outside
materials. Mention the article, author and article source in the text of your
! assignment. Make sure to include the link. 

NOTE: You don't have to address all of these issues in your assignment.
Just make sure the ones you do address you support with research.

Social Media & Privacy

The point of having social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and
the like is to be able to share aspects of your life with your friends and the rest of the
world.

7 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

Which is fine when you are going out to dinner with your parents or working on a
class project.

But what about when you are sharing pictures of the party you went to last night? The
party where you were drinking and you are under age? The party that violated the rules
of your athletic scholarship? The photo that shows you passed out as an example of
how you acted in college 5 years ago might be one that an employer wants to look at
today.

There’s been considerable talk lately about how much privacy you actually have with
your social media. Start with the notion that anything that you don’t make private is by
definition public. So anything that you post to social media that you don’t hide can be
seen by everyone. Including your parents, your future employers, reporters, and the
police.

Now that more and more adults are on social media, are you prepared to be friends
with your parents? Your uncle? Your grandmother? Rebecca S. Fahrlander, writing in
the Washington Post, said:

Social media is supposed to unite people by fostering regular communication

across generations and distance. But it can also divide families by making
relatives more aware of differences and stirring up fights, as when several
relatives argue over another’s stream of postings from a politician’s Web site,
asking for support . . .

Social media can also blur relatives’ roles. For example, a grandmother’s role
in a family member’s life is different from that of a friend, but that distinction
gets lost on social media . . . Having Grandma on Facebook is sort of like
taking Grandma to your fraternity party.

With your relatives, you are presumably letting them into your account voluntarily, but
what about being forced to grant access to your social media account to others?
Consider the following:

• Govt. agencies, colleges demand applicants' Facebook passwords

• Schools pay $70,000 to Minnesota student forced to give up
Facebook password
• Hey Teacher (And Employer), Leave Those Facebook Passwords
Alone
! • Watch What You Type: Social Media a Tool for Revolutionaries, and
Increasingly, for Security Agencies

Then:

• If you have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok account,

etc, visit them, and look at what you have on your page(s). Think about
what your “friends” can see about you. Think about what someone who
is not your friend can see about you.
• Take a look at what you have on any other social media accounts.
• Google yourself to check out what is publicly available about you on the
Web.

8 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

Now, in at least 250 words, I want you answer the following questions:

• If an employer, your parents, the police, a reporter, or a potential date were to

look you up online, what would they learn about you? Would letting them
“friend” you change what they would find?
• Do you think that it’s an invasion of your privacy to have someone investigate
you online without your permission? Why or why not?
• What would you look for if you were investigating someone online?
• How would you feel about being asked to let an employer, coach, teacher or
another parallel adult into your accounts? Why do you feel that way?
• Can anything you put online be considered private? Why or why not?
• What have you done to protect the image your project online?

VALS & Targeted Advertising

Before working on this, make sure you read the material on VALS from your textbook.
Then visit the VALS site, read about the VALS process, and take the VALS
questionnaire. After you have completed those steps, answer the following questions
in at least 250 words:

• What is VALS?
• In your own words, describe how did their questionnaire categorize you? Do
you agree with its classification? Why or why not?
• Briefly discuss at least one broadcast or print ad (be specific) that you feel
targets you and people in your VALS category. Include the ad or a link to it.

• OK, I'm ready to take the VALS survey.

http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/presurvey.shtml

9 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

Public Relations & Spin Control

First, read about spin control on pages 337-338. Then, watch any news commentary
from the television show Meet The Press. You must pick a commentry from a recent
episode (anything from 2020). You can find Meet The Press episodes on YouTube or
visit https://www.nbc.com/meet-the-press

Watch for examples of how the panelists or guests are attempting to “spin” the story
they are discussing. In at least 250 words, list two distinct spins on the story and
explain who would benefit from the spin. You have to be very specific to receive a
grade. In essence, it is Agenda Setting, which we discussed in Chapter 2. Elaborate
on how this is agenda-setting and provide a link to the episode you used for this
assignment. Specify the timing of the part you analyzed in the episode. For example:
(21:30).

NOTE: It is fashionable now to refer to every bit of political and business

communication as spin. But spin does have a specific goal beyond filling the world
with blather. It’s an attempt to assign meaning to a set of events or a story.

Would You Run That Photo?

Please note that you are going to be seeing a number of disturbing photos for
this Assignment.

Start by choosing at least one of the photos below:

• Photo of the man who got pushed on the sub way tracks

• Photo of Robert Griffin III injuring his knee

Pick one of the photos you read about. In at least 250 words, answering the
following questions:

• What does the photo you picked have to say? What news value does it have?
Does it tell you something important that words alone couldn't?
• Why do you think newspapers and other news outlets published this photo?
Why would editors decide not to publish this photo?
• How does this photo make you feel? Does it change your understanding of the
news?
! • Would you have published the photo in your local newspaper? Why or why not?
• Construct an ethical argument for or against publishing the photo using one of
the ethical principles. ( Ch. 14, pgs 376-381 - Virtue and the Golden Mean,
the Categorical Imperative, the Principle of Utility, the Veil of Ignorance, or
Social Responsibility.)

Media Campaign Topic Pitch

Submit the media campaign that you will analyze for next weeks final paper. In one

10 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM
Assignments – COM 130: Intro to Mass Communication ... https://blackboard.wccnet.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.j...

paragraph of 5 to 6 complete sentences explain the following:

• What is the campaign you are analyzing and what year was it launched?
• What is the goal of the campaign?
• What initial research/ information have you gathered about the campaign?
Make sure to provide a link.
• What will be the central argument of your paper? (for example: was the
campaign successful? was it a failure? did it reach it's goal?)

Media Campaign Analysis Paper

Submit your media campaign analysis paper here.

All the instructions for this assignment are located in the "Media Campaign Analysis"
learning units folder.

Use 12 Times New Roman font and double spaced. You can use MLA or APA format.
Make sure to include in-text citations and a works cited page.

Click on the grading rubric in this assignment to see how you will be graded.

Media Campaign PowerPoint Presentation

Submit a PowerPoint presentation of no more than 3 to
5 slides explaining/summarizing your analysis.

Your presentation should be 5 minutes.

The PowerPoint presentation should include two different media pieces from two
different platforms. For example: a video commercial, a billboard advertisement, a
radio announcement, a magazine feature, etc..

Please upload your PowerPoint slide show as a .PDF.

Click on the grading rubric in this assignment to see how you will be graded.

11 of 11 9/16/21, 3:34 AM