Course Information:

Media Narratives
Instructor: Scott Herndon
Office: FO 2.310
Phone: extension 4806
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: T-R 12-2, by appointment

Course Description:
We listen to the radio on the way to work or to the mall, “unwind” with the television,
and retrieve sports scores with our cell phones. What we don’t think about as we do these
everyday tasks are the role they play in defining our culture and indeed our very identity.
This class will investigate the intersections between the media and our lives. Specifically
we will look at how various media artifacts influence our understanding of race, class,
sexual orientation, gender, democracy, politics, etc.

Course Goals/Objectives:

1. Increase student awareness of their mediated environment. Specifically, students

will learn to interpret and analyze various media phenomenon. Students will focus
on three prominent critical methods (Narrative, Genre, Media Ecology) applying
them to various media artifacts.

2. Build critical writing skills. Students will apply what they learn by writing critical
essays, engaging in in-class discussions and debate, as well as other projects
designed to help students engage elements of our mediated reality.

3. Build critical thinking & discussion skills. This is a seminar, not a lecture class.
Students are expected engage not just the material and the instructor, but also each
other.

Texts and Readings:

Taylor, Lisa & Willis, Andrew. Media Studies: Texts, Institutions and Audiences.
Blackwell Publishing. 1999.

Kellner, Douglas. Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity and Politics Between the
Modern and the Postmodern. Routledge: London. 2003.

In addition to the texts, we will read a number of scholarly articles, as well as make use
of the Internet and view several films.
 Course Requirements:
There are no tests in this class. Instead, we will focus on discussion, various in-class
exercises and a series of written papers to explore various aspects of our mediated reality.
Some writing will be short, in-class writing on a suggested topic, others will be longer
analytical papers. These major assignments are described below. The instructor reserves
the right to alter assignments or point, if necessary.

1. Short writings (90 points) – 1-2 page papers, either taken home or written in-
class on a given subject or prompt. There are five “scheduled” writings and up to
three “pop-writings.” Each short paper is worth 15 points. Students will keep their
best six grades for these assignments.

2. Critical essays (300 points) – Early in the semester, you will select an artifact
that will become the basis for ALL of your critical essays. There are three critical
essays, each one focusing on your artifact through the lens of four critical
methods (narrative criticism, genre analysis and media ecology). Each essay is
worth 100 points.

3. Final essay & presentation (200 points) – This assignment is an extension of

your previous essays with a few extra sections that tie your research into one
cohesive final work of criticism (think of it as a paper about your artifact in four
chapters). These additional sections include an abstract, introduction justifying the
study of your artifact, discussion of your artifacts cultural and historical relevance
and a conclusion that ties your work together and provides closure and
conclusions. The final book is worth 100 points. The final presentation is worth
another 100 points.

4. Media journal (50 points) – Beginning the first day of class student will keep a
journal of their media exposure, thoughts, innovations, musing, etc. Students
should have at least one entry per week the course meets. We will throughout the
semester return to the journals to facilitate discussion or brainstorm.

5. Identizine (75 points) – Students will construct the front page of their own style
magazine. More interesting and fun than it sounds in one sentence.

6. Culture Jam (100 points) – Students will create and perform an original culture
jam.
 Grading Policies:

My grading policy is simple. Work is to be completed on time. Assignment due dates are
clearly marked in the syllabus but are subject to change based on our pace or other
unforeseen events. This class moves very quickly, and we pack a lot into the semester,
dalliances will result in you falling behind and will, in all likelihood, adversely impact
your chances for success.

Late work will be assessed a 15% penalty for every class meeting that an assignment is
late. For example, if you an assignment is due on Tuesday and a student turns it in the
Tuesday following the due date they will be assessed a penalty of 30%.

The grading scale will be: 100-90% = A, 89-80 = B and so on…students with less than
50% of the total points in the class will receive a grade of failing for the semester. UTD’s
incomplete policy will be observed and is explained in detail below.

Student Conduct & Discipline:

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility
of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and
regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student
conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is
provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1,
Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations
are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-
6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity:

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use:

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication
between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises
some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange.
The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university
personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class:

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures:

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other

fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a
serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If
the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student
may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate
or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy:

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An
incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services:

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example,
it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation
for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility
impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or
university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days:

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused,
will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time
after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one
week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose
of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the
student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or
examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief
executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or
designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student
and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

Off-Campus Instruction and Course Activities:

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
given below. Additional information is available from the office of the school dean.
(http://www.utdallas.edu/Business Affairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm)
 Course Schedule:

Thursday, 8-17 – Course Introduction (1)

Topics:
Course Introduction
Review of Syllabus, Class Procedures and Assignments
Assign Media Journal and Artifact Selection
Artifact Selection
Assign Manifesto Activity

Tuesday, 8- 22 - The Situationist International (2)

Topics:
The Situationist, consumerism, media and culture

Read:
Debord, Guy. “The Society of the Spectacle.” Situationist International, 1967.
http://library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/display/16

Kellner, Douglas. “Media Culture and the Triumph of the Spectacle.” Media Spectacle. Routledge, New
York. 2003, 1-33.

Debord, Guy. “Report on the Construction of Situations and on the International Situationist Tendency’s
Condition of Organization and Action.” Situationist International, June 1957.
http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/report.html.

Activities:
Manifesto-go-round

Thursday, 8- 24 - Culture Jamming (or, waging communication guerilla warfare) (3)

Topics:
Interpreting and re-interpreting mediated spectacle
The Biotic Baking Brigade and Ad Busters as media criticism?

Read:
Dery, Mark. “Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing and Sniping in the Empire of Signs.” Open Magazine
Pamphlet, 1993.

Eco, Umberto. “Towards a Semiological Guerilla Warfare.” Travels in Hyper-reality Trans: William
Weaver. Harcourt, New York. 1986, 135-145.

Cox, Ana Marie. “The Medium is the Meringue.” Mother Jones, March-April 1999.

Vanderford, Audrey. “Speaking Pie to Power.” Darkwing, University of Oregon. 2000.

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~audreylv/Pranks/pie.htm.

Baudrillard, Jean. “Simulacra and Simulations.” Jean Baudrillard, Selected Writings. Ed. Mark Poster.
Stanford University Press. 1998. 166-184.

Activities:
Ad-Busters, Biotic Baking Brigade
Assign Culture Jam
 Tuesday, 8-29 – Culture Jamming Continued (4)

Activities:
Viewing of film: Culture Jam

Read:
Media Studies – Chapters 103

Thursday, 8- 31 Culture Jamming (5)

Due:
Culture Jam Projects/Discussion

Tuesday, 9-5 - Critical Writing Skills and the Role of the Critic (6)

Topics:
The role of the critic
Writing the critical essay, expectations, form, etc.
Artifact selection revisited

Read:
Foss, Sonja. “Doing a Rhetorical Criticism” Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration & Practices. Ed: Sonja Foss.
Waveland Press. 1996. 399-477.

Ivie, Robert. “Productive Criticism.” Quarterly Journal of Speech. 81 (1995).

Activities:
In-class Writing # 1: “The role of the critic in media criticism?”

Due:
Artifact Selection

Thursday, 9-7 - Storytelling, Democracy and Media (7)

Topics:
Homo narrans and the logic of good reasons

Read:
Media Studies – Chapter 6

Fisher, Walter. “Narration as a Human Communication Paradigm: The Case of Public Moral Argument.”
Communication Monographs 51 (1984): 1-22.

Rivera, Roberto. “Elves, Wookies and Fanboys: Star Wars and Our Need for Stories.” Boundless Webzine.
1999. http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm.

Herman, David. “Toward a Trans-Media Narratology.” Narrative Across Media. Ed. Marie-Laure Ryan.
University of Nebraska Press. 2004. 47-75.
 Tuesday, 9-12 – More than Stories (8)

Topics:
Practicing Narrative Criticism

Read:
Narrative chapter from New Book
Foss, Sonja. “Narrative Criticism.” Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration & Practices. Ed: Sonja Foss.
Waveland Press. 1996. 399-477.

Activities:
Analyzing Contemporary Mediated Narratives

Thursday, 9-14 - Telling the Stories of Our Time (9)

Activities:
Viewing of Film: Fahrenheit 911

Tuesday, 9-19 – Telling the Stories of Our Time (10)

Activities:
Viewing of Film: Fahrenheit 911
In-Class Writing # 2: Designing a Thesis

Thursday, 9-21 – Swiss Cheese & Narrative (11)

Topics:
Perspective by Incongruity
Tragic Frame in the War on Terror
Assign Identizine

Read:
Media Studies – Chapter 4

Long, Mark C. “Tending to the Imagination: Perspective and Incongruity in William Carlos Williams and
Kenneth Burke.” Paper Presented at the Modern Language Association Conference. December, 1997.
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/dblakesley/burke/long.html.

Ivie, Robert. “The Rhetoric of Bushes War on Evil.” The KB Journal Online. 1:1, Fall, 2004.
http://kbjournal.org/node/53

Levasseur, David G. “Edifying Arguments and Perspective by Incongruity: The Perplexing Argumentation
Method of Kenneth Burke.” Argumentation and Advocacy. 29:4 (1993).
 Tuesday, 9-26 – Madonna & Gender (or the politics of dancing) (12)

Topics:
Performative Identity & Gender
Gender through the lens of popular culture: Music Videos

Read:
Ristry, Reena. “Madonna and Gender Trouble.” Theory UK Online. 2000.
http://www.theory.org.uk/madonna.htm.

Butler, Judith. “Bodies that matter: on the discursive limits of sex.” New York: Routledge. 1993.

Activities:
Paris is Burning Clips / Discussion

Thursday, 9-28 – Dreamworlds (13)

Activities:
Viewing of Film: Dreamworlds

Tuesday, 10-3 - Dreamworlds (14)

Activities:
Discuss Film
In-class writing #3: Reaction to Dreamworlds

Thursday, 10-5 – Identizines (15)

Activities:
Identizines Due / Discussion

Tuesday, 10-10 – Introduction to Genre (16)

Topics:
Genre, the good the bad and the misplaced
Basics of generic criticism

Read:
Media Studies – Chapter 6, 12 & 13

Foss, Sonja. “Generic Criticism” Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration & Practices. Ed: Sonja Foss. Waveland
Press. 1996. 483-531.

McDowell, Matt. “What Choice? Subculture Films, Naturalization, and the Post-Modern Condition.”
Washington State University. No date given. http://www.creighton.edu/~spoko/subculture/index.html.

Due:
Narrative Criticism
 Thursday, 10-12 – Genre Continued – Horror Films (17)

Topics:
Interpreting Genre – The Modern Horror Film

Read:
Reading TBD – Waiting on the ILL!

Tuesday, 10- 17 – Genre & Horror (18)

Topics:
Viewing of Scream

Thursday, 10 – 19 - Genre & Horror (19)

Topics:
Viewing of Scream

Activities:
In Class Writing #4: Scream Thesis

Tuesday, 10-24 – The Spectacle of Reality TV (20)

Topics:
(Re) interpreting Genre – TV Reality and the allure of spectacle

Read:
Freeland, Cynthia. “Ordinary Horror on Reality TV.” Narrative Across Media. Ed. Marie-Laure Ryan.
University of Nebraska Press. 2004. 244-276.

Christensen, Christian. “Tsunamis and Death-Toll Pornography.” Common Dreams News Center.
December, 29. 2004. http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1229-10.htm.

Activities:
Viewing of ‘Cops’ / Discussion

Thursday, 10-26 – Catch Up Day (21)

TBA:
This Day Will be used for Catch Up / Conferences
 Tuesday, 10-31 – The Mediated Environment (22)

Topics:
What is Media Ecology?

Read:
Media Studies – 14, 16 & 18

Heise, Ursuala K. “Unnatural Ecologies: The Metaphor of the Environment in Media Theory.”
Configurations. 10:1 (2002): 149-168.

Virilio, Paul. “Speed and Information: Cyberspace Alarm!” CT Theory Net. August 27, 1995.
http://www.ctheory.net/text_file.asp?pick=72.

Activities:
Envelope Reports

Due:
Genre Criticism

Thursday, 11-2 – Bowling Alone (23)

Topics:
Civic participation and media
Myspace/Facebook and other online environments

Read:
Putnam, Robert. “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital.” Journal of Democracy. 6:1 (1995):
65-78.

Activities:
In-class Writing # 5: Social Capital

Thursday, 11-7 – Cell phone, Ecosystem or Both? (24)

Topics:
Digital environments

Read:
Strate, Lance. “The Cell Phone as Environment.” Explorations in Media Ecology. 2:1 (2003).

Aarseth, Espen. “Quest Games as Post-Narrative Discourse.” Narrative Across Media. Ed. Marie-Laure
Ryan. University of Nebraska Press. 2004. 361-376.
 Tuesday, 11-9 – Myspace & Company (25)

Topics:
The Myspace/Facebook Polity
Frees Speech and Digital Environments

Read:
Watson, Paul & Jones, Alex. “Myspace is the Trojan Horse of Internet Censorship.” Prison Planet Online.
March 16, 2006. http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2006/160306myspace.htm.

11- 14, 11-16, 11-21 (26-28)

Activities:
Final Presentations

Due:
Media Ecology Due 11-21
Media Journal Due 11-21
Final Book Due 11-30