This document outlines the syllabus for a college course called "COMM 101: Understanding Mass Media". The course is taught by Professor Eric Luther and aims to foster students' understanding of mass media through readings, assignments, a research paper, and personal reflection. It covers topics like the history of mass media channels, media literacy, how mass media functions in society, convergence of media, and potential future directions of media technology. The first student assignment involves avoiding all mass media messages for 24 hours then writing a reflective paper on the experience.

1. COMM 101:
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
Professor Eric Luther
• TX Community College transfer student
• SMU: Dallas, TX – Bachelors of Humanities
• NYU: New York, NY – Masters in Arts & Humanities Education
• 10 years in media production (mainly TV news)
• Taught communications and media courses as adjunct at other
community colleges, but came full-time to WCC as of Fall 2010
• Curriculum Chair, Communications & Media Arts

2. COMM 101:
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
Students:
• Who are you and what brings you to
this class?
• What are your communications &
media interests?
• What do you expect/hope to get out
of this class?

3. COMM 101:
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
TODAY’S OVERVIEW:
• Go over Course Outline + Book +
Blackboard
• Discuss Course & Mass Media Basics
• Discuss Project #1
• Remember - Class Materials are posted on
Blackboard prior to meeting

4. COURSE OUTLINE HIGHLIGHTS:
BLACKBOARD
SECTIONS:

5. COURSE OUTLINE HIGHLIGHTS:
WEEKLY CLASS FOLDERS

6. COMM 101:
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
• This course has four distinct graded/credit parts:
• 25% = COURSE REFLECTIVE PROJECTS: 4 Informal Written
Reflective Projects
• 25% = COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:
• 14 LEARNSMART Chapters
• 14 CONNECT Chapter Quizzes
• 10 In-Class Media/Study Focus Questions
• (5 lowest scores from this category will be dropped)
• 25% = COURSE PAPER: Semester Research Paper/Discussion
• 25% = COURSE FINAL: Final Exam (online-cumulative from
chapter quizzes + in-class media work)
• Total = 100%

7. COMM 101H:
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
• Introduction to Mass
Communications-Media
Literacy and Culture; Baran,
Stanley; McGraw Hill, 11th
Edition
• 3 PURCHASING OPTIONS – ALL
INCLUDE CONNECT
COMMUNICATION (custom
edition may have plain blue
cover)

8. COMM 101:
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
• LATE WORK POLICY:
Any late reflective projects or research papers accepted are worth a
maximum of 50% credit.
• NO late LEARNSMART chapters are accepted for credit
• NO late IN-CLASS STUDY FOCUS QUESTIONS are accepted for credit
• CONNECT QUIZZES - You have two chances to take quizzes with the higher
of the two scores being recorded. You may submit quizzes after the due
date(s) but your score will be deducted 5% each day it is late.
• Material covered in class will always be posted in the appropriate area/class
folder on Blackboard so physical absences are not an excuse for falling
behind when completing work. You are held responsible for the material
whether you are physically present or not.
• Again, the five lowest scores found in the COURSE ASSIGNMENTS category
will be dropped when your final semester grade is calculated.

9. COMM 101:
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
•ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are allowed to miss a total of 2 class
periods (approximately six hours of
instruction) before being potentially
penalized. After that, each absence may result
in a 5% reduction of your final grade. In
addition, there will be in-class work that is
not available beyond the day/time of
assignment and, therefore, unavailable for
later completion.

10. What is “COMM 101: Understanding Mass
Media”?
•How will this class foster your
understanding of mass media?
•Provide history/context
•Provide opportunity for knowledge
application and research
•Provide opportunity for personal
reflection

11. MASS MEDIA ASBOLUTES
•“Mass Media” channels always use
technology of some kind to deliver
the SAME message to a great
number of people at widely
separated points who typically
don’t know each other.

12. MASS MEDIA ASBOLUTES
•“Mass Media” is basically the
opposite concept of
“interpersonal”
communication.

13. Why study “MASS MEDIA”?
•We need to understand it because it
informs and shapes just about every aspect
of our daily lives – it’s all around us, like
oxygen. Mass Media can be thought of as
the “nervous system” of society.

14. MASS MEDIA AS SOCIETY’S
“NERVOUS SYSTEM”
• The nervous system is a
complex network of nerves
and cells that carry messages
to and from the brain and
spinal cord to the body.
• Mass Media is a complex
network of technologies that
carry messages to and from
the brain to and from
various parts of society.

15. MEDIA LITERACY
•What does “Media Literacy” mean?
• Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate,
and create media. Media-literate youth and adults are
better able to understand the complex messages we
receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers,
magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all
other forms of media.

16. MASS MEDIA CHANNELS
•A Mass Media “Channel” is the delivery
system by which we get mass media; it’s how
we receive mass media information and
messages – specifically the technology
involved.
• REMEMBER: “Mass Media” channels always use technology of
some kind to deliver the SAME message to a great number of
people at widely separated points who typically don’t know each
other.

17. MASS MEDIA MESSAGES
•A Mass Media “Message” is the
content/message itself rather than
the delivery system/technology; it’s
what we receive via mass media
delivery system/technology
• e.g. “Modern Family” is the Mass Media
Message and Television is the Mass Media
Channel.

18. MEDIA LITERACY
•We’ll be looking at Mass Media (channels +
messages) of all kinds and examining how
we interact with them as both a society and
individuals so we can sharpen our “Media
Literacy” skills.
•Your feedback and input is crucial to getting
the most out of this class – I want to learn
from you, too…

19. •Print from the late 1400s
~ books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines,
etc.
•Recordings from the late 1800s
~ records, tapes, cassettes, 8-track
cartridges, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray
•Cinema/Film from about 1900
~ feature films, short films, documentaries –
all shown in theaters
MASS MEDIA CHANNELS

20. •Radio from about 1910
~ news/talk shows, music programs, live
concerts…(BROADCAST MEDIA)
•Television from about 1950
~ news, dramas, sitcoms, educational,
reality… (BROADCAST MEDIA)
MASS MEDIA CHANNELS

21. • By and large the previous 5 mass media channels were
clearly defined. TV and Radio programming were
broadcast through your TV & Radio, books and
newspapers were printed, movies were shown in theaters,
albums were played on your stereo, etc. In other words,
you didn’t go to one Mass Media Channel expecting
anything OTHER than what it specialized in and the
channels were distinct and different…but something
changed all that…
MASS MEDIA CHANNELS

22. MASS MEDIA CHANNELS
•Internet: from about 1990
~ websites, email, webisodes, chat rooms,
streaming audio/video, online
newspapers/magazines (DIGITAL MEDIA -
including video games)
•Mobile: from about 2000
~ text messaging, video, photos, music -
cell phone transmissions of all kinds
(DIGITAL MEDIA)

23. MASS MEDIA CONVERGENCE
•With the advent of DIGITAL MEDIA, mass
media of all kinds are converging into
one type of channel – you can now
watch TV, read a book, listen to music,
see a movie, play a game, and check in
on your favorite radio station all in the
SAME MASS MEDIA CHANNEL. This is
called “MEDIA CONVERGENCE”.

24. MASS MEDIA CONVERGENCE
•The merging of previously distinct
media technologies and media forms
resulting from digitization and
computer networking

25. 7 MAJOR MASS MEDIA CHANNELS
•Print=from the late 1400s
•Recordings=from the late 1800s
•Cinema/Film=from about 1900
•Radio=from about 1910
•Television=from about 1950
•Internet/Digital=from about 1990
•Mobile/Digital=from about 2000

26. REFLECTIVE PROJECT #1 DETAILS
•AVOIDING MASS
MEDIA
MESSAGES FOR
24 HOURS

27. FUTURE OF MASS MEDIA CHANNELS
•So, what will be the 8th, 9th,
10th, etc. Mass Media
Channel?
•What new media/information
delivery system is on our
horizon?

28. FUTURE OF MASS MEDIA CHANNELS
•Brain Implants
• Brain implants or other types of neural links, such as
Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) between the brain, the
internet, and the cloud, are quickly entering the realm
of science rather than science fiction.
• The Defense Advanced Research Agency is ready to run
trials with closed-loop mood control chips linked to AI
that can deliver an electrical impulse to regulate a
soldier’s mood. In the private sector, Elon Musk has
announced Neuralink — a neurotechnology venture that
will not only focus on fighting diseases but also on
augmenting humans so they can better compete with
machines.

29. FUTURE OF MASS MEDIA CHANNELS
•PROFESSOR GOOGLE?
•Humans, without making a sound or typing a
single thing, will hear the answer to any
question we may have inside our heads. “The
need to actually learn something parrot
fashion is going to disappear because we will
have access to that instantly.

30. FUTURE OF MASS MEDIA CHANNELS
REAL WORLD EXAMPLE:
•Microchip Implants
•More than 3,000 people in Sweden
have had microchips implanted under
their skin. The microchips eliminate the
need for car keys, credit cards and even
train tickets. Is this just cool technology
or could it increase surveillance?
•And it’s already here in the U.S.

31. LOOKING AHEAD
•Complete first LEARNSMART
READING & CONNECT QUIZ by due
date
•REFLECTIVE PROJECT #1: Avoiding Mass
Media Messages for 24 hours