University of Washington School of Communications

Winter 2000

Communication 341/Political Science 304

Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-1:20 p.m., Communications 120

Professor: David Domke

Office: Communications 225

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; and by appointment

Office Phone: 685-1739

e-mail: domke@u.washington.edu

Teaching Assistant: Meg Spratt

Office: Communications 251

Office Hours: Mondays, 1:30-3:00 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00 a.m.; and by appointment

Office Phone: 543-2717

email: mspratt@u.washington.edu

This course examines the interaction of mass communication and political actors — politicians, interest groups, strategists, and others who play important roles — in the American political process. The contemporary political arena is a dynamic environment in which communication, particularly journalism in all its forms, substantially influences and is influenced by both elites and regular citizens. In this course we will explore several elements of political discourse, including the role and impact of news media; the goals and success of public relations and advertising strategies used by politically engaged individuals; and the rising influence of new media technologies such as the Internet. We will look at these relationships from three perspectives: (1) that of politically active individuals and groups; (2) individuals and institutions of the news media; and (3) citizens in general. In combination, these topics and perspectives will help you to gain an understanding of how various communication processes contribute both positively and negatively — sometimes simultaneously — to our present democratic environment.

Course readings, assignments, and exams have been selected and designed with two goals in mind: (1) to increase your knowledge and understanding of the interaction between mass communication and individuals and institutions engaged in the political process; (2) to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge through evaluation and study of contemporary social problems related to the course concepts. The course grade will consist of several components, added together and converted into a letter grade through a scale that begins with the average of the five highest scores in the class. You will notice that the points are spread out across your in-class participation (includes Stump-the-Prof questions), out-of-class politics discussion, one paper, and three course exams. The point distribution is as follows:

There are three examinations: mid-term exam #1 on Wednesday, January 26; mid-term exam #2 on Wednesday, February 16; and a final exam on Wednesday, March 15. All exams will cover assigned readings, lectures, and other classroom presentations (such as guest lectures). The exams will consist of a variety of questions, including multiple-choice, matching, short answer, and essay. Approximately one week before each exam students will be given a study guide, which will include the potential essay questions.

There is one paper in this course, 8 to 10 pages in length. For this paper you will need to do two things: (1) choose a social topic that you find interesting, and (2) examine the role of particular forms of communication in putting that topic on the public agenda or in increasing the public salience of the topic as a social problem. For the paper you have the choice of one of two ideas, which are discussed in depth on pages 5 and 6 of this syllabus. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point type font, with margins no greater than 1 inch. At the top of each paper, please put your name, student ID number, and a title.

In general, I try to be very flexible in working with students. Certain standards do exist, though. Except in the case of dire emergencies (such as illness, family problem, accident), there is a hefty penalty for late papers — minus 5% of total points for each day the paper is late. For example, if you hand in a paper 1 day late, 6 points automatically will be taken off. Exams cannot be made up unless you encounter a dire circumstance or discuss time conflicts with me ahead of time. By all means, if troubles arise with the paper or some things in your life are getting in the way of this class, come and talk with me before things get out of hand. Let’s work together on things.

Every Wednesday class meeting during the quarter, students will have an opportunity to ask a question that, they hope, is tough for the prof to answer well. All students who produce a question on their eligible days will receive 5 points for simply coming up with a good question and suggested answer. Students can create only one question each eligible day. These questions and answers must be typed and should be given to the Teaching Assistant at the beginning of class on Wednesdays. One of the questions will be randomly chosen as the one read to the prof, and he will have 90 seconds to offer his best answer. The student whose question was chosen will then read his/her answer, and the rest of the students will then have an opportunity to offer additional ideas. If the students’ ideas, considered as a whole, are evaluated as better than the prof’s ideas, then every student in the class earns 2 points. Here are the Wednesdays during the quarter that students are eligible to create STP questions:

Everyone in this class is expected to participate in a research project in the School of Communications on media and politics. Several faculty and graduate students are interested in what political issues are of interest to undergraduate college students, how undergraduates use differing forms of mass media, and the manner in which undergraduates interact in talking about political issues. As you will see as you participate, several components of this project are relevant to the ideas and concepts discussed in this course. At the same time, the ideas that you offer and create in your participation in this research project will, faculty and graduate students hope, help to generate some new insights regarding current social problems in Seattle. In short, this out-of-class experience is not merely busy work designed to help faculty collect research; it has intrinsic benefits for both your learning in this course and social life in general.

Your participation in this project will occur in two phases. The first will require roughly 1 hour of your time and will occur in the fifth week of the quarter outside of class time. The second will require roughly 3-4 hours of your class time and will occur in the seventh, eighth, or ninth week of the quarter, again outside of class time. More details will be forthcoming as the quarter progresses. Participation in this project will earn students 5 points.

Politics is a dynamic arena in which countless and often competing individuals, groups, and institutions attempt to (a) place certain topics on the public agenda, (b) keep those topics there, and (c) shape how citizens think about the topics once they do think about them at all. For example, the abolitionist struggle prior to the Civil War, the original feminist movement in the early 1900s, civil rights in the 1960s, and environmentalism in recent decades are just a few of the social issues that evolved from ideas held by relatively few people to the implementation of national policy changes. These developments occurred because individuals and groups committed to these goals worked tirelessly and wisely to influence public discussion about these topics. In so doing, these people played important roles in constructing — that is, initiating and shaping — the discourse of American politics.

At the heart of this construction of public discourse in today’s media-saturated culture are the communications strategies used by individuals, groups, and institutions to promote their values and goals. These strategies go by various names (public relations, public service campaigns, advertising, neighborhood awareness programs, and so on) and differ widely among politically engaged entities. For example, many large organizations — such as the Sierra Club or National Rifle Association — have million-dollar budgets to influence media members and influence public opinion; in contrast, smaller groups — such as Project VoteSmart, CyberAngels, or Friends of Tobacco — tend to have much smaller budgets and often are less systematic in attempting to influence the mass media and public. However, all politically involved groups, regardless of size, adopt certain strategies with the goal of shaping public discourse so as to persuade policy-makers and citizens that specific social issues deserve public attention.

For this assignment, you are to select a current social issue that interests you and then do research on some of the communications strategies that individuals, groups, or institutions are using (or have used) to influence public perceptions of this issue. You are to contact at least three politically engaged groups that hold differing views in regard to this issue, and you are to talk with them about what kinds of approaches they use to promote their goals. Do not be shy about doing this. Because you are a citizen and a student interested in both the social issue and the communication processes in political discourse, it is appropriate for you to contact these folks. At the same time, this assignment provides you with a legitimate, professional opportunity to make some contacts in a topical area of interest to you.

In your paper you should begin by discussing your general topic (e.g., civil rights) and why, in the scope of politics and society, it is important. Consider the context in which this topic has developed. For example, what are some of the social, political, legal, or economic forces involved in this situation? Next, based upon your research and discussions with the three groups, in your paper focus on these two points: (1) the communications goals (e.g., who is the target of influence and why?) that are common among these differing groups, and (2) the communications strategies that seem to be particularly effective (and in what ways) for these groups. The second point can be based on perceptions or research of either you or the people you contact, but be certain to identify the evidence upon which you are making your claims. In addressing these two points in your paper, consider whether any of the approaches of these groups are similar to, or vastly different than, the strategies discussed in Spin Cycle and during class lectures. Your paper should conclude with a final section in which you thoughtfully discuss whether these politically engaged individuals, groups, and institutions and their communications strategies are (a) part of the problem, (b) part of the solution, or (c) part of both in regard to the current political apathy that marks much of the American citizenry.

A few important specifics about the paper:

· No friends or family should be affiliated with the groups you contact.

· When citing information provided by groups or individuals, give appropriate credit where it is due.

· At the end of the paper, provide (a) the name of each group you contacted, (b) names of people you talked to, and (c) phone numbers and addresses (postal, email, or WWW) for these groups.

Journalism is an easy and all too often well-deserving target for criticism. A great deal of news coverage is sensational, titillating, and out of touch with the reality experienced by most people. In this environment, public opinion polls show that citizens tend to have a fairly poor impression of news media and the role that journalists play in contemporary politics. Two books that we are reading in class, Breaking the News and Out of Order, point out the shortcomings of the news media and argue that they, in the words of James Fallows, "undermine democracy." Perhaps this is inevitable in a society in which media are commercial entities, dependent on profits to survive. Perhaps not, though.

If we shift our perspective a bit, we can quickly identify many positive things that journalism does in U.S. political culture. For example, last spring four undergraduate journalism students from Northwestern University working on a class project produced evidence that freed a man wrongfully convicted for murder and awaiting execution on death row. Other examples of journalism providing an important public service are readily available: news coverage of racial inequities in the Washington state courts; news about sexual harassment by former U.S. senators; reports on fund-raising corruption by politicians and interest groups. We all know about the "big" news stories that produce change — such as Watergate — but every day there are news stories that are ethical, courageous, far-sighted, and brilliant. And each one of these, in some degree, changes our world in a positive way.

For this assignment, you are to select a particular instance of media performance that demonstrates excellence and ultimately (though perhaps not necessarily immediately) resulted in positive political and/or social impact. This might be a specific investigative reporting series (print or broadcast) that led to important changes in policy. It might be television images or newspaper or magazine photographs that changed people’s lives and/or American politics for the better. It may also be a journalist whose behavior in a particular circumstance made a positive difference. The time frame for this assignment is from 1945, the end of World War II, to today. The only topic you can not choose is Watergate.

In your paper you should begin by discussing your general topic (e.g., civil rights) and why, in the scope of politics and society, it is or was important for news media to cover. Consider the context in which this instance of journalistic excellence occurred. For example, what were some of the social, political, legal, or economic forces involved in this situation? Next, you should discuss what journalists and/or news organizations specifically did in this particular instance and why these actions qualify as a demonstration of excellence. What evidence suggests that the news media’s actions in this instance made a difference? Your paper should conclude with a final section in which you discuss whether, and if so how, journalists and/or news organizations in this instance operated in ways that differed or were similar to the criticisms of journalism discussed in Breaking the News, Out of Order, and/or during class lectures. Is it possible for journalists and/or news organizations to follow bad habits most of the time and yet still produce some excellent journalism? Or is excellent journalism produced only when journalists and/or news organizations break the patterns and routines that are commonplace in contemporary press and politics?

A few important specifics about the paper:

· If your instance of journalistic excellence is from print media, attach a copy of some or all of the coverage.

· If your instance of journalistic excellence is from television or radio, briefly describe the coverage and the journalist or news organization from which it originated.

· When citing information provided by other individuals, give appropriate credit where it is due.