syllabus: comm 3404

Arts and Sciences School of Communication

SYLLABUS:COMM3404MEDIALAW&ETHICSSPRING2018

CourseoverviewThisonlinecoursefocusesontheworldoflawandethicsastheypertaintoJournalismandtheFirst

Amendment.Itwillexplorelegalandethicalissuesfacingjournalists--asdramatizedinthemovies.Itisa

uniqueadaptationofthecasestudyapproachoftenusedinjournalismlawandethicsclasses.

Journalistshavebeenmajorcharactersinthemoviessincefilmbegan,anduseoffilminthiscoursewill

helpyouvisualizeandunderstandthebasicprotectionsandrestrictionsofferedbylegalinterpretations

oftheFirstAmendment,aswellastoseeanddealwiththeethicalproblemsanddilemmasjournalists

face.Examiningtheseissuesthroughfilmwillletusseemedialawandethicsin“reallife”situationsto

betterunderstandFirstAmendmentrights,andjournalists’legalandethicalresponsibilitiesand

limitationswhilelookingatthemfromapractical,historicalandsocietalcontext.

Inthiscoursestudentswilllearnbyexaminingthesefictionalandtrue-lifescenarios—aswellas

recreatingsignificantcourtcasesthathaveshapedjournalismlaw,craftingargumentsrepresentingboth

sidesoflegalandethicalissues,anddebatingkeyissuesthatariseinthefilms.

Thefocuswillbeonsuchcoreconceptsas:

•Libel

•Privacy

•Priorrestraints

•Newsgathering

•Privilege

•Objectivityinreporting

•Biasandtransparency

•Conflictsofinterest

•Sources

ThisisanONLINECLASS,butitisnotacoursewherestudentscanbepassiveanddowell.Engagement

andparticipationisakeypartofstudentsuccessinthecourse.

InstructorInstructor:NicoleKraft

Emailaddress:[email protected]

Phonenumber:614-620-2476

In-Personofficehours:Tuesday,1:30-3:30p.m.(217Journalism),Thursday2-3:30p.m.(3045E

DerbyHall)

Onlineofficehours:8-9p.m.Wednesday.Pleasejoinviathislink:

https://zoom.us/j/3757865340

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GentleReminders

AttheendofeveryweekwillreceiveviaSlacka“GentleReminder”tolookaheadat

assignmentsandgoalscominginthenextweek.

ReadingyourGentleReminderisrequiredanditemsintheremaybeincludedonweekly

assessments.

Pleasereadthe“gentlereminders”andletmeknowanyotherideasforwhatmightaugment

theclassorbetterservethelearningexperience.

CatalogcoursedescriptionThisonlinecoursewillexplorethetheory,history,andethicalissuesassociatedwiththefree

speechandfreepressareasoftheFirstAmendment.Studentswillanalyzekeylegalandethical

issuesthataffectjournalismandmediainthepast,presentandfuture,withafocusoncases

thathaveshapedmedialawandtheoriesthathelpjournalismprofessionalsmakedecisions.

Thiscourseisentirelyonlinebutwillhaveaweeklysynchronousmeeting.

Prereq:Notopentostudentswithcreditfor3404H,604,604H,607,or607H.

CourselearningoutcomesBytheendofthiscourse,studentsshouldsuccessfullybeableto:

1. a.DevelopanunderstandingofhowtheFirstAmendmentisinterpretedthroughU.S.

legaldecisions

2. Developanunderstandingoftheethicalconsiderationsreportersfaceandhowthey

makedecisionsinthoseareas.

3. IdentifythesignificanceofkeycourtdecisionsinthehistoryofAmericanjournalismthat

haveshapedmodern-daymedialaw.

4. Distinguishbetweenethicalandnon-ethicalconductbyjournalists.

5. Demonstrateanabilitytothinkcriticallyandmakefairandreasonedjudgmentabout

news,issuesandevents.

6. Employjournalisticstandardsandpracticesinavarietyofnewsgatheringsettings.

Coursematerials

Required§ TheLawofJournalismandMassCommunication(5thedition),Trager,Ross&Reynolds

(ISBN:978-1-5063-0341-3)--PurchasethroughPerusall

§ TheLawofJournalismandMassCommunicationstudypage:https://study.sagepub.com/medialaw5e

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§ TheLawofJournalismandMassCommunicationwebsite:https://www.ohiobar.org/General%20Resources/LawandYou/TLAY_Chapter15.pdf

§ iMediaEthics:http://www.imediaethics.org/

FilmsTherewillbeviewingofsixfilmsinthiscoursetoaugmentunderstandingofmedialawandethics.Thefilmsinclude:

§ AbsenceofMalice

§ AllthePresident’sMen

§ TheBangBangClub

§ NothingButtheTruth

§ ShadowsofLiberty

ThesefilmsareaccessedthroughtheOhioStateSecuredMediaLibrary.Onceyoulogin,you

willlookfor“AssignedPlaylists,”andseethefilmsassignedtoyou.Everyfilmwillbe

availableforatleastoneweekbeforethefilmchallengeisdue.

SynchronousMeetingTimeEveryweek,wewillhostasynchronousmeetingtimeusingthefreeweb-basedprogramZoom

(zoom.us),Wednesdayfrom9-10p.m.EST,todiscusskeyconceptssurroundingmedialawand

ethics,aswellasassignmentsandclassreadings.Wewillalsohaveactivitiesrelatedtothe

week’scontent.Youareencouragedtoattendasmanyaspossible,buttheywillalsobe

recorded,withthevideospostedtotheweeklymodule.Hereisthelink:https://zoom.us/j/3757865340

CoursetechnologyForhelpwithyourpassword,universitye-mail,Carmen,oranyothertechnologyissues,

questions,orrequests,contacttheOSUITServiceDesk.Standardsupporthoursareavailable

athttps://ocio.osu.edu/help/hours,andsupportforurgentissuesisavailable24x7.

• Carmen:o Carmen,OhioState’sLearningManagementSystem,willbeusedtohost

materialsandactivitiesthroughoutthiscourse.ToaccessCarmen,visit

Carmen.osu.edu.LogintoCarmenusingyourname.#andpassword.Ifyouhave

notsetupaname.#andpassword,visitmy.osu.edu.

o HelpguidesontheuseofCarmencanbefoundat

https://resourcecenter.odee.osu.edu/carmen

o ThiscourserequiresuseofCarmen(OhioState'slearningmanagementsystem)

andotheronlinecommunicationandmultimediatools.Ifyouneedadditional

servicestousethesetechnologies,pleaserequestaccommodationswithyour

instructor.

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§ Carmenaccessibility

• Slacko Thisonlinemessageandworkspacewillbeutilizedforallclasscommunication

andsomesharingoffiles.

o Helpguidescanbefoundhere:https://get.slack.help/hc/en-

us/categories/202622877-Slack-Guides

• SecuredMediaLibrary

o MediamaterialsforthiscoursewillbemadeavailableviatheSecuredMedia

Library.go.osu.edu/SecuredMediaLibrary

o FrequentlyAskedQuestionsandsupportcanbefoundat

https://resourcecenter.odee.osu.edu/secured-media-library

ToobtainadditionalhelpforuseoftheSecuredMediaLibrary,[email protected]

• Zoom

o ThewebinartoolZoomwillbeusedtohostsynchronousclassmeetingsand

onlineofficehours.

o HelpguidesontheuseofZoomcanbefoundathttps://support.zoom.us/hc/en-

us/categories/200101697-Getting-Started

• VoiceThread

o Thisweb-basedtoolallowsstudentstocreate,share,andcommentonimages,

MicrosoftPowerPointpresentations,videos,audiofiles,documents,andPDFs,

usingmicrophone,webcam,text,phone,andaudio-fileupload.Wewilluseitfor

yourteamprojectsinclass.

o HelpguidesonVoiceThreadcanbefoundathttps://voicethread.com/support/.

• Perusall

o Thisonlineappallowsstudentsandinstructorstocollaborativelymarkuptext

booksand.pdfdocuments.Insteadofreadingadocumentanddiscussing

it,Perusallbringsthediscussionintothetext.

o YouwillorderyourtextthroughPerusallwhenyouclickonthefirstreading

assignment.

o PleasevisittheHelpCenterforanyquestions:

http://support.perusall.com/knowledge_base/categories/students-2

o Emailingsupport@perusall.comisagreatwaytogetassistancestraightfromthe

developer.

Baselinetechnicalskillsnecessaryforcourses• Basiccomputerandweb-browsingskills

• NavigatingCarmen

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Necessaryequipment• Computer:currentMac(OSX)orPC(Windows7+)withhigh-speedinternetconnection

Necessarysoftware• Wordprocessorwiththeabilitytosavefilesunder.doc,.docx,.rtf,or.pdf.Mostpopular

wordprocessingsoftwareprogramsincludingMicrosoftWordandMacPageshave

theseabilities.

• OSUstudentshaveaccesstoMicrosoftOfficeproductsfreeofcharge.Toinstall,please

visithttps://osuitsm.service-now.com/selfservice/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=kb04733

SupplementalMaterialsTherewillbeadditionalreadingsoffeaturearticleseveryweek,andtheywillbeavailableas

linksor.pdfsintheCarmencourse.

MakingDeadlines

Allassignmentsaredueeitheratthebeginningorendofclassonthedatelistedonthe

syllabus.

Injournalism,storiesthatmissthedeadlineoftendonotmakeittopublication,andyourswill

notbegraded.AssignmentswillbesubmittedtoCarmen.

Thiscourse,likejournalismasawhole,reliesheavilyonaccesstocomputers,specificsoftware,

andtheInternet.

Computers:FriendorFoe

Atsomepointduringthesemesteryouwilllikelyhaveaproblemwithtechnology.Yourlaptop

willcrash;youriPadbatterywilldie;arecordingyoumakewilldisappear;youwillaccidentally

deleteafile;thewirelesswillgodownatacrucialtime.

These,however,areinevitabilitiesoflife,notemergencies.Technologyproblemsarenot

excusesforunfinishedorlatework.Badthingsmayhappen,butyoucanprotectyourselfby

doingthefollowing:

Planahead:Adeadlineisthelastminutetoturninmaterial.Youcanstart--andfinish--early,

particularlyifchallengingresourcesarerequired,oryouknowitwillbetimeconsumingto

finishthisproject.

Saveworkearlyandoften:Thinkhowmuchworkyoudoin10minutes.Iautosaveevery2

minutes.

Makeregularbackupsoffilesinadifferentlocation:BetweenBox,GoogleDrive,Dropboxand

iCloud,youhaveampleplacestostoreandbackupyourmaterials.Usethem.

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Gradingandfacultyresponse

Grades

Seecourseschedule,below,forduedates

Thesepointstalliedtogetherwillgiveyouyourfinalgradeofthefollowing(100-93=A;92-90=A-;89-88B+;87-82=B;81-80=B-;79-78=C+;77-72=C;71-70=C-;69-60=D;59andbelow=E).Iamnotabletonegotiategrades,eitherduringorafterthesemester.

DATEOFFINALEXAM:CheckOhioStatelink

Assignmentsubmissions

Allassignmentsaredueatthebeginningoftheclassonthedatelistedonthesyllabus.In

journalism,storiesthatmissthedeadlineoftendonotmakeittopublication,andyourswillnot

begraded.AssignmentswillbesubmittedtoCarmen.

Assignmentorcategory PointsandPercent

Perusallreadings 50/5%

Discussionposts(10@10pointseach) 100/10%

CourtCasesChallenges(10@10pointseach) 100/10%

FilmChallenges(5@30pointseach) 150/15%

EthicalDebate(finalassignmentandweeklyupdates) 150/15%

RealWorldLaw(finalassignmentandweeklyupdates) 150/15%

YouBetheJustice(finalassignmentandweeklyupdates) 200/20%

Final 100/10%

Total 1000/100%

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Assignmentguide

Perusall

Yourreadings,whicharedueBEFOREourliveclasssessionmeets,areprovidedthrougha

programcalledPerusall.

YouwillpurchaseyourtextbookaccessthroughPerusallandreadthesectionsassignedthrough

eachCarmenassignment.Foreachreadingsectionyoucommentatleastseventimesandbe

scoredbasedonthequalityandtimelinessofyourcomments,questions,andresponses.

Whenyouopenadocument,you’llseehighlightssuperimposedonthedocumentthat

representcomments(yellow)orquestions(orange)thatyouandotherstudentshaveentered.

Whensomeonerespondstoyourquestionorcomment,youwillreceiveanotificationbyemail

andyoucanpostareplybysigningonormerelyreplyingtotheemail.Ifyouaskaquestionyou

canindicatethatoneormoreoftheresponsesanswersyouroriginalquestion.

Whilereadingthedocument,youcanchangewhichcommentsyouseebyclickingthe"All

Comments"dropdownatthetopofthepageandselectingeither"Mycomments"or"No

comments."

Youcanviewyourscoresbyclickingthe“Mygrades”buttonatthetopofyourcoursehome

page.

Youmaycontinuetoaskquestions,answerquestions,andmakecommentsoutsideofthe

contextofaparticularreadingassignment.However,notethatifyoueditacommentthatwas

countedtowardsanassignmentwhosedeadlinehaspassed,thatcommentmaynolonger

counttowardsyourscoreforthatassignment.

CourtCaseChallenges(100points—10pointsperweek/10weeks)

Everyweekyouhaveanonlineassessmentactivitytoseehowwellyouknowthecasesand

ethicalissueswearestudyinginthelectures.

TenquestionswillbepostedinanassignmentinsideyourweeklyCarmenmodule,andstudents

have10minutesonceyoustarttoanswer.Youwillbeallowedtouseyournotes.

Youwillbeabletousethisasastudyguidetocompleteourfinal,somakesureyoudoa

completejobandgetthecorrectanswersthroughoutthesemester.

DiscussionPosts(100points—10@10pointseach)

Eachweekstudentswillbeconfrontedwithalegalorethicalchallengerelatedtomedia,and

youwillbeaskedtowritea300-500-worddiscussionpostonthetopic,andthenrespondtoat

leasttwoclassmates.Thequestionswillinvolvekeytopicsfromourreadingsandfromthe

news.PleaseseeAppendixIfordetailsonpostexpectations.

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FilmChallenges(150points—5@30pointsforeach)

Fivetimesinthesemesteryouwillwatchafilmthatwillhelpframeourdiscussionsarounda

keyjournalisticlegalorethicalissue.Forexample,watching“AbsenceofMalice,”whichwill

helpframediscussionsrelatedtolibel,workingwithsources,revelationofprivatefacts,etc.

Foreachfilmyouwillwritea500-700word(giveortake50words)postsummingupthelegal

orethicalissuesinthefilmswewatchanddiscussduringtheclass,givingbothsidesofthe

argumentleadinguptohowyouwouldhandlesuchasituation.Thestudyquestionsyou

receiveshouldhelpguideyourdiscussion.

EthicalDebate(150points)

Everystudentwillbepartofadebateteamtoarguefororagainstajournalisticmoralorethical

issuetheismentionedorappearsinthefilmsweview,andpresentittotheclassfordiscussion

ofthecentralthemesandexplorationofhowtohandlesuchasituation.Thisassignmentwill

utilizeaprogramcalledVoiceThreadtorecordapresentationandvideo.

RealWorldLawandEthics(150points)

Smallgroups(youhavebeenassignedonCarmen)willresearchandreportonalegalissuefrom

therealmedialandscapeandcreateaninteractivemultimediaexperienceusingPrezi,

VoiceThread,FinalCut,iMovieoranyotherinteractivecollaborativetool,withalinksubmitted

toCarmen.

YoubetheJustice(200points)

YourfinalwillinvolveyouplayingthepartofaSupremeCourtjusticetoexplainalegalcase

fromhistory,howyouresearchedanddecidedthecase,andwhatyoubelievehasbeenthe

impactsincethecasewasdecided.Youwillbeassignedthecaseandjusticerandomlyand

presentyourviewsintheformofapodcastpostedtoSoundcloud,withalinksubmittedto

Carmen.

DetailsforallassignmentsareinCarmen.

FinalExam

Attheendofthesemester,youwillhavea100-pointshortanswer,multiplechoiceandfill-in-

the-blankfinalexam,administeredthroughCanvas,thatwillencompassquestionsfromour

readings,SpeedCourtCasesandfilms.

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Lateassignments

AlatedeadlineforanassignmentmustbeapprovedBEFOREthedeadlineandwillonlybe

consideredunderthemostsignificantemergencycircumstances.Assignmentsthatmissthe

deadlinewithoutpriorapprovalwillnotbeaccepted.

Additionalinformation

ExtraCreditEveryonewillhavetheopportunitythroughoutthesemestertoattendeventsordoresearch

forextracredit,upto20points.

Activities:Participateintheoutsideclassactivitiesidentifiedduringthesemester

Research:TakepartinSchoolofCommunicationresearch,andreceive5pointsperactivity.

http://osucomm.sona-systems.com

AllextracreditwillbereportedinCarmen.ThedeadlineforcompletionandreportingtomealloftheextracreditisthelastFridayofclasses.

SyllabusThissyllabusisanagreementbetweentheinstructorandthestudent.Theinstructorreserves

therighttomakechangestothesyllabusasdeemednecessary.Bystayingenrolledinthisclass,

thestudentagreestoabidebythepoliciesdescribedherein.

Everyefforthasbeenmadetocreateasyllabusthatisascomprehensiveandaccurateas

possible,buteachclassisalivingentityandchangesmayarise.PleaseknowIwillnotifyyouby

emailandinournextclasssessionassoonasanysyllabuschangemayarise.

ResourcesDuringthecourseofthisclassandthroughoutyouruniversitycareer,youmayfindthe

followinghelpful:

TheWritingCenter.Thismaybethelasttimeinyourlifethatyouhaveeasilyaccessible,free

helpavailableforyourwritingskills—useit.Beingagoodwriterwillgiveyouanadvantagein

everywalkoflife,andifyouareaCommunicationmajor,itisexpected.Visit

http://cstw.osu.edu/writingcentertolearnmoreortoscheduleanappointment.

Strunk&White’sTheElementsofStyle.Ifyouareuncertainofwhatconstitutesgoodwriting,thisclassicbookisverystraightforwardandextremelyhelpful.Theadviceanddirectionoffered

inthisbookappliestowritinginallfields.Finditatthecampusbookstoreorataused

bookstoreforcheap.PurchasethroughAmazon:https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-

William-Strunk-Jr/dp/194564401X.

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AttendanceandMake-UpPolicyOnlystudentsenrolledinthissectionarepermittedtoattendclass.Attendance(bothphysical

andmental)iskeytoyoursuccessinthisclass.Yourgradeislargelycontingentonyour

presenceandparticipationinclass.Listen,takenotes,andaskquestions.Muchofthematerial

presentedinlectureisnotfoundinyourreadings.Ifyoumissclassforwhateverreason,itis

yourresponsibilitytoobtainnotesfromaclassmate;theinstructorwillnotprovidenotesinany

circumstance.Ifyoumissclass,youwillnotbeabletomakeupanyin-classworkorextracredit

opportunities.

FacultyfeedbackandresponsetimeIamprovidingthefollowinglisttogiveyouanideaofmyintendedavailabilitythroughoutthe

course.(Rememberthatyoucancall614-688-HELPatanytimeifyouhaveatechnical

problem.)

GradingandfeedbackForlargeassignments,youcangenerallyexpectfeedbackwithin5days.

DiscussionboardIwillcheckandreplytomessagesinthediscussionboardsevery24hoursonschooldays.

SlackThiscourseDOESNOTuseemail,andIwillnotberespondingtoanyemailorCarmen

messages.Instead,itusesanappcalledSlacktocommunicateinsideandoutsideofclassandit

will,forallintentsandpurposes,replaceclassemail.Slackisfundamentallyaninstant

messagingandcollaborationsysteminwhich“channels”areusedtoseparatecommunitiesand

discussions.

Wecanalsohaveprivate,one-on-oneconversationsthroughSlackbysendingadirectmessage.

IwillrespondtocommentsonSlackconsistentlybetweenthehoursof9a.m.and8p.m.

weekdays,exceptwhileIaminclass.

AllstudentshavebeeninvitedtotheclassSlackandareencouragedtosign-upandaccept

ASAP.

Iamalsohappytomeetwithyoubyappointment,orforcoffeeorlunch.PleasereachoutsoI

cangettoknowyouandyourclassneedsbetter!

Attendance,participation,anddiscussions

StudentparticipationrequirementsBecausethisisadistance-educationcourse,yourattendanceisbasedonyouronlineactivity

andparticipation.Thefollowingisasummaryofeveryone'sexpectedparticipation:

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• Loggingin:ATLEASTTHREETIMESPERWEEKBesureyouareloggingintothecourseinCarmeneachweek,includingweekswith

holidaysorweekswithminimalonlinecourseactivity.(Duringmostweeksyouwill

probablyloginmanytimes.)Ifyouhaveasituationthatmightcauseyoutomissan

entireweekofclass,discussitwithmeassoonaspossible.• Participatingindiscussionforums:2TIMESPERWEEK

Asparticipation,eachweekyoucanexpecttopostatleastoncebyThursdayand

respondtwicebySundayaspartofoursubstantiveclassdiscussionontheweek's

topics.

DiscussionandcommunicationguidelinesThefollowingaremyexpectationsforhowweshouldcommunicateasaclass.Aboveall,please

remembertoberespectfulandthoughtful.

• Writingstyle:Whilethereisnoneedtoparticipateinclassdiscussionsasifyouwere

writingaresearchpaper,youshouldremembertowriteusinggoodgrammar,spelling,

andpunctuation.Informality(includinganoccasionalemoticon)isfinefornon-academic

topics.

• Toneandcivility:Let'smaintainasupportivelearningcommunitywhereeveryonefeels

safeandwherepeoplecandisagreeamicably.Rememberthatsarcasmdoesn'talways

comeacrossonline.

• Citingyoursources:Whenwehaveacademicdiscussions,pleaseciteyoursourcesto

backupwhatyousay.(Forthetextbookorothercoursematerials,listatleastthetitle

andpagenumbers.Foronlinesources,includealink.)

• Backingupyourwork:Considercomposingyouracademicpostsinawordprocessor,

whereyoucansaveyourwork,andthencopyingintotheCarmendiscussion.

StudentAcademicServicesArtsandSciencesAdvisingandAcademicServices’websiteprovidessupportforstudent

academicsuccess.Informationonadvisingissuessuchastutoring,transfercredits,academic

standing,andcontactinformationforArtsandSciencesadvisorscanbeobtainedthroughthis

website.Thesiteis:http://advising.osu.edu/welcome.shtml

StudentServicesTheStudentServiceCenterassistswithfinancialaidmatters,tuitionandfeepayments.Please

seetheirsiteat:http://ssc.osu.edu

CopyrightDisclaimerThematerialsusedinconnectionwiththiscoursemaybesubjecttocopyrightprotectionand

areonlyfortheuseofstudentsofficiallyenrolledinthecoursefortheeducationalpurposes

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associatedwiththecourse.Copyrightlawmustbeconsideredbeforecopying,retaining,or

disseminatingmaterialsoutsideofthecourse.

DiversityTheSchoolofCommunicationatTheOhioStateUniversityembracesandmaintainsan

environmentthatrespectsdiversetraditions,heritages,experiences,andpeople.Our

commitmenttodiversitymovesbeyondmeretolerancetorecognizing,understanding,and

welcomingthecontributionsofdiversegroupsandthevaluegroupmemberspossessas

individuals.InourSchool,thefaculty,students,andstaffarededicatedtobuildingatraditionof

diversitywithprinciplesofequalopportunity,personalrespect,andtheintellectualinterestsof

thosewhocomprisediversecultures.

TitleIXTitleIXmakesitclearthatviolenceandharassmentbasedonsexandgenderareCivilRights

offensessubjecttothesamekindsofaccountabilityandthesamekindsofsupportappliedto

offensesagainstotherprotectedcategories(e.g.,race).Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowhasbeen

sexuallyharassedorassaulted,youmayfindtheappropriateresources

athttp://titleix.osu.eduorbycontactingtheOhioStateTitleIXCoordinator,KellieBrennan,

[email protected]

ManagingStressCollegecanbeastressfultime,andIamalwaysheretohelpyou—inthisclassandbeyond.If,

however,youfeelyouneedmoresupport,IencourageyoutoreachouttotheStudent

AdvocacyCenterat292.1111.Theywillalwaysworkwithprofessorsonyourbehalf.

MentalHealthAsastudentyoumayexperiencearangeofissuesthatcancausebarrierstolearning,suchas

strainedrelationships,increasedanxiety,alcohol/drugproblems,feelingdown,difficulty

concentratingand/orlackofmotivation.Thesementalhealthconcernsorstressfuleventsmay

leadtodiminishedacademicperformanceorreduceastudent’sabilitytoparticipateindaily

activities.TheOhioStateUniversityoffersservicestoassistyouwithaddressingtheseand

otherconcernsyoumaybeexperiencing.Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowaresufferingfromanyof

theaforementionedconditions,youcanlearnmoreaboutthebroadrangeofconfidential

mentalhealthservicesavailableoncampusviatheOfficeofStudentLife’sCounselingand

ConsultationService(CCS)byvisitingccs.osu.eduorcalling614-292-5766.CCSislocatedonthe

4thFlooroftheYounkinSuccessCenterand10thFloorofLincolnTower.Youcanreachanon

callcounselorwhenCCSisclosedat614-292-5766and24houremergencyhelpisalsoavailable

throughthe24/7NationalSuicidePreventionHotlineat1-800-273-TALKor

atsuicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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Academicintegritypolicy

Policiesforthiscourse• Writtenassignments:Yourwrittenassignments,includingdiscussionposts,shouldbe

yourownoriginalwork.Informalassignments,youshouldfollowAPstyletocitetheideasandwordsofyourresearchsources.Youareencouragedtoaskatrustedperson

toproofreadyourassignmentsbeforeyouturnthemin--butnooneelseshouldrevise

orrewriteyourwork.

• Reusingpastwork:Ingeneral,youareprohibitedinuniversitycoursesfromturningin

workfromapastclasstoyourcurrentclass,evenifyoumodifyit.Ifyouwanttobuild

onpastresearchorrevisitatopicyou'veexploredinpreviouscourses,pleasediscuss

thesituationwithme.

AcademicMisconductItistheresponsibilityoftheCommitteeonAcademicMisconducttoinvestigateorestablish

proceduresfortheinvestigationofallreportedcasesofstudentacademicmisconduct.The

term“academicmisconduct”includesallformsofstudentacademicmisconductwherever

committed;illustratedby,butnotlimitedto,casesofplagiarismanddishonestpracticesin

connectionwithexaminations.Instructorsshallreportallinstancesofallegedacademic

misconducttothecommittee(FacultyRule3335-5-487).Foradditionalinformation,seethe

CodeofStudentConducthttp://studentlife.osu.edu/csc/

Accessibilityaccommodationsforstudentswithdisabilities

RequestingaccommodationsTheUniversitystrivestomakealllearningexperiencesasaccessibleaspossible.Ifyouanticipateorexperienceacademicbarriersbasedonyourdisability(includingmentalhealth,chronicortemporarymedicalconditions),pleaseletmeknowviaemailimmediatelysothatwecanprivatelydiscussoptions.YouarealsowelcometoregisterwithStudentLifeDisabilityServicestoestablishreasonableaccommodations.Afterregistration,makearrangementswithmeassoonaspossibletodiscussyouraccommodationssothattheymaybeimplementedinatimelyfashion.SLDScontactinformation:[email protected];614-292-3307;slds.osu.edu;098BakerHall,113W.12thAvenue.

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Courseschedule(tentative)Week Dates Topics,Readings Media Assignments

1 1/8

Introductionto

MediaLawandEthics

Read:Chapter1(pgs.2-49)

AddressingtheRealCrisisofFree

ExpressiononCampus

Videos:

TheFirstAmendmentin5

Minutes

SourcesofLaw

MediaInstitutions:Crash

CourseinGovernment

Due:

SyllabusQuiz(1/14)

Discussion1:Introduceyourself

andsayhitotwootherpeople!

Whatareyourgoalsandwhat

areyouapprehensiveabout?

CourtCaseAssessment1(due

1/14)

2 1/15

MediaasGovernmentWatchdog

Carmenreadings:

• Righttoknow:the‘nation’,

the‘people’andtheFourth

Estate

• Viewpoints:4thEstatehelps

keepgovernmentincheck

• NewsCoverageofDonald

Trump’sFirst100Days

• IsaC+scoregoodenough

whenitcomestoFirst

Amendmentfreedoms?

Videos:

1. DonaldTrumpwarnedus

abouthimself

2. Immigrationissues

distortedbybiasedmedia

3. SNLmocksCNNTrump

coverage

4. TheWatergatescandal

Due:

FilmChallenge1:Allthe

President’sMen(watchand

postby1/18,respondby1/21)


1/21)

3 1/22

SpeechandPressFreedomsin

TheoryandReality

Read:Chapter2

(pgs.50-97)

Videos:

1. FiveFreedoms

2. FirstAmendmentTheories

3. Studentscondemnfree

speech

4. SilenceU:Istheuniversity

killingfreespeech

Due:

Discussion2:Whatisthe

media’sroleastheFourth

Estateofgovernment?


1/28)

4 1/29

TheEthicsofMediainTheory

Read:Chapter3

(pgs.98-151)

Videos:

1. Natureofethics

2. ArtofDebate

3. CreatingVoiceThread

Due:

Discussion3:PoliticalSpeech

andactivism

Draft:Firstsubmissionon

debatetopic(submitby2/1)

CourtCaseAssessment4(2/4)

15

5 2/5

TheEthicsofMediainPractice

Carmenreadings:

• SPJCodeofEthics

• The5PrinciplesofEthical

Journalism

• Americans'TrustinMass

MediaSinkstoNewLow

• LookingToTheFuture:

RestoringPublicTrustInThe

Media

• AwomanapproachedThe

Postwithdramatic—and

false—taleaboutRoy

Moore.Sheappearstobe

partofundercoversting

operation.

Video/audio:

Ethics:Whatisreasonable

OntheMedia(audio):Lawsof

theLyingGame

Due:

FilmChallenge2:Absenceof

Malice(watchandpostby2/8,

respondby2/11)


2/11)

6 2/12

LibelandDefamation

Read:Chapters4and5

(pgs.153-246)

Videos

1. Libel

2. Libelplaintiffs

3. Libeldefenses

Due:

Discussion4:CanDonaldTrump

changelibellaws?

EthicalDebatewithVoiceThread

(postby2/15,respondtoother

side’sdebateby2/18)


2/18)

7 2/19

ProtectingPrivacy

Read:Chapter6

(pgs.249-304)

Videos:

1. Newsgatheringand

harassment

2. Privacy

3. PrivacyFalseLight

4. OliverSipple

Due:

DiscussionPost5:Howmuch

privacydoyoulegallyor

ethicallydeservefrommedia?

Activity:RealWorldMediaLaw-

FirstSubmission(submitbyFeb.

22)


2/25)

8 2/26

ElectronicMedia

Read:Chapter10

(pg.451-494)

Videos:

1. Mediaregulationcrash

course

2. Electronicmedia:

profanity

3. ImpactofTwitteron

Journalism

Due:

DiscussionPost6:Howhas

DonaldTrumphaschanged

newsdisseminationthrough

socialmedia?


3/4)

16

9 3/5

Reporter’sPrivilege

Read:Chapters7and8

(pgs.307-396)

Videos:

1. Newsgatheringand

access

2. Priorrestraint

3. Priorrestraintexamples

Due:

DiscussionPost7: Shouldjournalistsuseconfidential

sources?

Filmchallenge4:NothingBut

theTruth(due3/8,comment

3/11)


3/11)

10 3/12 SPRINGBREAK

11 3/19

TheRighttoKnow

Read:Chapter9

(pgs.399-448)

Videos

1. OJSimpson

2. CaseyAnthony

3. DukeLacrosse

Due:

Due:RealWorldLawandTeam

assessment:RealWorldLaw

Discussionpost8:Howfastis

toofast?


3/25)

12 3/26

Understanding(Changing)Social

Norms

Read:Chapter11

(pgs.497-541)

Videos:

1. CommunityCensorship

2. Ethicsandphotography

Due:

FilmChallenge:“TheBangBang

Club(due3/29,comment4/1)


4/1)

13 4/2

Battlingfakenewsandmedia

manipulation

Read:Chapter12and13

(pgs.543-637)

Videos/audio:

1. Howtoseekthetruthin

theeraoffakenews

2. CNN/CIAManipulation

AgainstTrump

3. Audio:RadioLabpiece

Due:

Filmchallenge5:Shadowsof

Liberty

Discussionpost9:Isthemedia

stillthe4thEstate

Draft:YouBetheJustice

Script/Paper(due4/8)

14 4/9

StudentMediaLegal/Ethicalissues

Carmenreadings:

• 5EthicalDilemmasJournalism

StudentsFace

• Schooltransparencychallenges

studentjournalists

• Alackofdiversityinstudent

mediasparksfrustration,

debatesacrossthecountry

Videos:

1. Schoolsarewatching

studentsocialmedia

2. HSjournalismteacher

suspended

3. FIREexplainsstudent

journalistrights

Due:

Discussion10:Whatareyour

contemporarycommunity

standards?

17

• Legalguidesforstudentmedia

15 4/16Whathavewelearned

Video

1. Shapingpublicopinion

Due:

YouBetheJusticefinalproject

Finals 4/23 FinalExam FinalExamDue

11:59pm

18

Links to articles

Module 2

• Right to know: the ‘nation’, the ‘people’ and the Fourth Estate (Martin Hurst, The Conversation, 2013): https://theconversation.com/right-to-know-the-nation-the-people-and-the-fourth-estate-21253

• Viewpoints: Fourth Estate helps keep our government in check (Sen. Charles Schumer, Buffalo News, May 17, 2017) http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/18/viewpoints-fourth-estate-helps-keep-government-check/

• News Coverage of Donald Trump’s First 100 Days (Thomas, Patterson, Shorenstein Center, May 18, 2017): https://shorensteincenter.org/news-coverage-donald-trumps-first-100-days/?utm_source=POLITICO.EU&utm_campaign=ab6d830a9d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10959edeb5-ab6d830a9d-189799085

• Is a C+ score good enough when it comes to First Amendment freedoms? (Newseum, Spring 2017) http://www.newseuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/reportcard/

Module 5

• SPJ Code of Ethics | Society of Professional Journalists | Improving and protecting journalism since 1909: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

• The 5 Principles of Ethical Journalism (Ethical Journalism Network): http://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/who-we-are/5-principles-of-journalism

• Americans' Trust in Mass Media Sinks to New Low (Gallup): http://www.gallup.com/poll/195542/americans-trust-mass-media-sinks-new-low.aspx

• Looking To The Future: Restoring Public Trust In The Media (Elizabeth Jensen, On The Media/WYNC, May 15, 2017): https://www.wnyc.org/story/looking-to-the-future-restoring-public-trust-in-the-media/

• A woman approached The Post with dramatic — and false — tale about Roy Moore. She appears to be part of undercover sting operation. (Shawn Boburg, Aaron C. Davis and Alice Crites, Washington Post, Nov. 11, 2017): https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/a-woman-approached-the-post-with-dramatic--and-false--tale-about-roy-moore-sje-appears-to-be-part-of-undercover-sting-operation/2017/11/27/0c2e335a-cfb6-11e7-9d3a-bcbe2af58c3a_story.html?utm_term=.7f2b309497ca

Module 14

19

• 5 Ethical Dilemmas Journalism Students Might Face (Ashford University, November 2016): https://www.ashford.edu/online-degrees/communications/5-ethical-dilemmas-journalism-students-might-face

• School transparency challenges student journalists (Student Press Law Center): http://www.splc.org/page/school-transparency

• A lack of diversity in student media sparks frustration, debates across the country (Student Press Law Center, November 2015): http://www.splc.org/article/2015/11/lack-of-diversity-in-student-media-sparks-debates

• Legal guides for student media (Student Press Law Center): http://www.splc.org/page/knowledge-base

20

How to be Successful in Online Discussions This course utilizes discussion boards to assess your learning and engagement with the material. A word count of 250-500 words is provided on each post prompt.

Becoming a better communicator involves practice expressing our own thoughts and responding to the thoughts of others. To successfully complete discussion assignments, please note the following guidelines:

• The post must demonstrate your understanding (and where necessary, application) of the materials using specific examples and concepts related to the course.

• Think of this as your chance to provide materials for others to learn. A post merely reiterating a point does not provide your classmates with any new insight. Share your thoughts and ideas appropriate for a college-level course.

• Think of this as a true discussion, just as if your classmates were face to face with you. If you were talking over the material with a classmate in-person, what would you say?

• Quantity is not a substitution for quality. A lengthy answer that does not address the prompt is not as effective as a concise answer that directly addresses what is asked.

• Think beyond the bare minimum. Bare minimum responses may receive bare minimum grades. Think carefully about what you want to say, how this makes you feel, and questions that may engage your classmates.

• Use evidence and cite. Your responses will be stronger if you If you are stating facts and not just opinions. Cite or include a link where applicable.

• Think about how you are presenting yourself to the class. Do not type in all caps or all lowercase. Proofread your submission. Read before posting and ask yourself if the submission could be taken as abrasive or offensive. It may be useful to work offline in a Word or other document and then copy and paste in your response.

• This is not social media. Don’t put it all out there. This is a forum for academic discussion, not a place for political rants, unloading of personal problems, adverting for product, or any other conduct that may be unprofessional. It is great to be yourself here, maybe just not all of yourself.

Responding to the thoughts of others may be difficult. Here are some guidelines for a successful response post:

• Acknowledge the original writer as a person and a peer. Use his or her name, do not talk down or use sarcasm. Sarcasm does not always come across in an online forum.

• Be constructive. If you disagree, that is OK. Explain why you disagree in a manner that is respectful. Acknowledge why your classmate may feel differently if you can see his or her side.

• Be critical. Even if you do agree, don’t leave the conversation at “Great job!” Be specific on where you agreed and possibly even where you may diverge. Point out ideas that you had not previously thought of or find intriguing.

21

• Don’t post and ghost. Subscribe or check back in to see what others have said. Respond to one another and keep the conversation going.

Thisethicaldebateexercisewillallowteamstoinvestigate,analyzeandpubliclydebateajournalismethicsissuethatinvolvetopicsfromclassworkandthefilmswewatch,withthegoalofswayinganaudiencetosupportingtheirposition.Thisassignmentinvolvesbuildingapresentation(inGoogleSlides)withyourEthicalDebatethemeanduploadingittoanonlineplatformcalledVoiceThread.Youwillthenrecordyourdebateargumentovereachslideasavideooraudiofile(yourchoice).Therewillbetwoteamsoneachtopic(forandagainst),andyouwillgettowatchthedebatefromanotherpairofteamstodeterminewhowinstheir"debate."Objectives

• Touseyourknowledgeofmediaethicstodebateanethicalissueagainstanopponentontheotherside.

• Toconvinceanaudienceofyourviewpointusingfactsandacompellingargument,notopinion.

• Tobeabletoexplainhowethicaltheoryandexamplesfityourposition.• Todemonstrateknowledgeabouttheimpactthisethicalissuehason

journalismasawhole.• Toapplyethicaltheorytoreal-lifeethicalissues.• Topostitonlineusingavideoplatform

Directions1. FindyourteamanddebatetopicunderPeople>DebateTopic2. Researchyourdebatetopic--whatarethetwosidestothisargument,what

ethicaltheoriesapply,whatfactswouldsupportyourargument.3. Outlinethekeypointsofyourargument.4. Researchtosupportyourargumentbasedonfacts.5. Researchreal-lifeexamplestosupportyourissue.6. Identifyatleastthreesourcesandlinkstomaterialsforcitation.7. Whatareatleastthreepointsthatwillbemadebyyouropponents.8. CreateGoogleSlideswithyourteamthatincludesthese6slides:

o Thefactsoftheissueo Howandwhyitoccurredo Theethicalconsideration,basedinfact,notopinion,citingspecific

ethicaltheorieswediscussedinclass.o Theramificationsofthetopicforjournalismo Whatyou,personallylearnedfromito Asourcelistfromyourdebate(fromwheredidthefactscome?)

9. Exportpresentationas.pdf.10. SignupforVoiceThread.11. Reviewhandoutsandvideosonhowtousetheplatform.12. Uploadyourteam's.pdftoVoiceThread.13. RecordyourcommentsovereachslideasaudioORvideo.Donotjustread

theslide--maketheargumentforyoursideofthedebate.14. Yourrecordingshouldbenomorethan20minutestotal.15. GotoSHAREonVoiceThreadandgetlink.16. SubmitlinktoCanvas.

17. YouwillbeassignedtheVoiceThreadpresentationforoneotherdebatetopic(bothsides).

18. Reviewthatdebatetopicandwrite(350-400word)reflectionbyThursdayat11:59p.m.,onhoweachteamdidpresentingtheirargument,andwhowon.Citefacts,notjustopinion.

ToolsHerearesomeresourcestohelpyouwithVoiceThreadandGoogleSlides

• GettingstartedwithGoogleSlides.• VoiceThreadTutorialdocument• CreatenewVoiceThread

Academicintegrity

• Gettinghelpontheassignmentispermitted• Collaborating,orcompletingtheassignmentwithothers,ispermitted.• Copyingorreusingpreviousworkispermitted.• Open-bookresearchfortheassignmentispermittedandencouraged.

syllabus: comm 3404

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