Fall Semester 2009 — Brigham Young University

T-Th 1:00-2:15 p.m., Room 270 BRMB

Instructor: Dr. Dale Cressman email: [email protected]

Office: Room 308 BRMB, 422-1686 Twitter: @cressman

Office Consultations: Tuesdays 2:30-4:00 p.m. & Thursdays 3:30-5:00 p.m.

“The primary purpose of journalism is to provide

people with the information they need to be free and
self-governing.”
—Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel

Welcome to Comms 239!

During this semester we will have the opportunity to together explore, discuss, analyze,
and define the practice of journalism. Our class sessions will consist mostly of discussions
as we try to understand role journalism plays in a democracy. This is an exciting and
revolutionary time for journalists: there are many new developments that are changing the
field. Thus, this class will strive to be a community of learners, where each member will
contribute to another’s knowledge as we try to make sense of the current media
environment. We will not arrive at necessarily any “right” answers, but we will better
equip ourselves for understanding and adjusting to disruptive technologies that are sure to
be encountered in the course of your journalism careers.

Please note that this syllabus maps out the teaching strategies aimed at accomplishing the
course’s learning outcomes. At best it should provide you with a road map for navigating
your way to success in this course; at worst it is a good-faith effort to describe our plans.
Any changes will be announced in class and posted on Blackboard. It is your responsibility
to learn about any of these changes.

Learning Outcomes
Foundational knowledge
Through discussions, readings and assignments, you will be able to define the
characteristics, purposes, problems, and potential of journalism. This includes
understanding how journalism has evolved and shaped contemporary practice, and the role
it plays in democracy.

Application of knowledge
By participating in online and participatory journalistic outlets, you will be able to
demonstrate an ability to deploy Web 2.0 technologies for the purposes of newsgathering,
distribution and discourse.
 Comms 239 Syllabus – 2

Analysis, synthesis and reflection

Through readings, research, and writing, you will be able to articulate your personal code of
conduct for best practices of journalism.

Learning Activities
Class participation
(Understanding & evaluation)
You are invited to fully participate in class discussions: we will utilize such learning
activities as group presentations, classroom discussions, video presentations, quizzes, and
exams.

Assignments
(Application, Synthesis & Reflection)
Class assignments will allow you to apply, synthesize, and reflect on what you’ve learned in
class and in your readings. These assignments will include: Presenting material in class as
part of a group, then peer reviewing your classmates’ work; engaging in a substantive
discourse on journalism by maintaining a blog to comment on current journalistic practice
and developments in the media environment; producing a bumper sticker or fridge magnet
that expresses what you think is the purpose of journalism; and articulating your personal
code of conduct for best journalistic practices.

Required Readings
Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel, Detecting The Elements of
Journalism (2007). Available at the BYU Bookstore $14 (new) or $10.50
(used).

Jim Willis, The Mind of a Journalist

(2010). Available at the BYU Bookstore for
$35.15 (new).

The New York Times, which the

Department of Communications has
purchased for you and is available for
pickup (first come, first serve) in the
Brimhall Building. The Kennedy Center has
additional copies at the Herald R. Clark Building.

Additional required readings will be provided online and through the

library’s electronic reserve system (no cost to student). Students are
responsible for checking Blackboard before each class for additional
readings.

Assessment of Learning
Final grades will be derived from the following apportionment:
Class participation 30%
Assignments 30%
Presentation & peer review 30%
Final Exam 10%
 Comms 239 Syllabus – 3

There will not be a grading “curve.” Rather we will assess the quality and depth of
students’ intellectual work, as reflected in learning activities. In other words, students who
completely immerse themselves in learning about journalism and can demonstrate that
learning will receive higher grades.

The following grading scale will be used to calculate final grades:

A 94-100 B— 81-84 D+ 60-64

A— 90-93 C+ 78-79 D 56-59
B+ 87-89 C 70-77 D— 50-55
B 85-86 C— 65-69 E Below 50

Class participation
I want you to know how excited I am about sharing this course with you. One of my jobs is
to share that enthusiasm for this subject and guide you through the learning experience.
While I look forward to helping you however I can, I believe you are responsible for your
learning. Together we will create an enjoyable and fruitful learning community.

In order to do well in this class, you should attend all classes and come prepared to
participate. “Make up” opportunities will not be availed in the event that you have to miss
class (this includes quizzes). Please be prepared to work well in groups. Please be on time
for class. This isn’t just academic courtesy, but the behavior of the professional you are
striving to become. Please turn off your cell phone when you get to class and refrain from
using it for conversation or text messaging during the class. Also, please refrain from
surfing the web, reading the newspaper, emailing, or using other materials not related to
the class.

You are encouraged to visit me during my office hours—I’d love to visit with you and find
out more about you and how we can further your education and career. You are also
welcome to call me if you have an emergency. I can typically return calls within 24 hours.
However, please understand that I will not be able to return telephone calls for routine
matters, such as covering materials you missed in class. Please consult with your class
colleagues first to obtain such material.

Please read the department’s Statement on Professionalism, included with this syllabus, as
it will alert you of other expectations universal to all students in this department.

Recommended Study Habits & Tips

Readiness to learn means that you should come to class prepared to discuss assigned
readings and developments in journalism and media (as reported in the New York Times). I
recommend that you refer to the learning outcomes intended for this course to evaluate
your progress throughout the semester. Please refer to the assignment due dates,
evaluation criteria, and related information—all of which will be posted on Blackboard.

Description of Learning Activities

Quizzes (class participation)

There will be a number of unannounced quizzes (approximately every week) during
the semester. They will be based on the assigned readings, particularly the New
York Times.
 Comms 239 Syllabus – 4

Discussion (class participation)

It is hoped that you will fully participate in class discussions, offering thoughtful
viewpoints. Journalists are not wallflowers, it is hoped that journalism students
won’t be, either.

Group presentations (presentation and peer review)

You will be assigned to a group of students with whom you will make a presentation
in class of approximately 45 minutes. Your job will be to “bring to life” your assigned
topic, amplifying and expanding on the related assigned readings. This means that
presentations should be more than just a PowerPoint regurgitation of the readings.
For example, they may include such elements as video clips, role plays, debates,
current examples in the news, guest speakers, handouts, games, etc. Of course, you
are asked to use good judgment and don’t include material contrary to our values.
Also remember that this is a learning activity; you’re not graded on how
entertaining you are but how well you bring the subject matter to life and make it
relevant to your fellow students. On the day of your presentation, submit a short
report with your names, sources of information, and any notes you used.

Peer review (presentation and peer review)

After your presentation, you will be responsible for reviewing and grading class
members’ blog entries. As part of this process, you will provide to the instructor five
exam questions pertaining to your presentation, as well as any powerpoint file, web
links, or other files used in your presentation (the questions may be used in the final
exam; the electronic files & links will be put on Blackboard). See the class schedule
for due dates pertaining to these materials.

Blogging (assignments)
Each student is asked to maintain a personal blog for this class. The blog is to be
used to comment on the following:
• Issues discussed in class, particularly the group presentations
• Issues addressed in the assigned readings
• Current developments in journalism and media (as reported in The New York
Times and elsewhere).
Each student will print out blog entries to submit on the 12 due dates (see class
schedule). These entries will be peer reviewed, for a grade, by the presentation
groups.

Bumper sticker/fridge magnet (assignments)

You will be asked to creatively express your view of the role of journalism by
producing a slogan and displaying it in a bumper sticker or a fridge magnet. This
assignment is due on Tuesday, March 30.

Personal code (assignments)

The final assignment of the course will be an essay, not less than four pages and not
more than five, that articulate your code of conduct for practicing journalism—both
here at BYU and beyond. Further instructions will be provided in class. The
assignment is due Tuesday, April 13.

Final exam
A final exam will be given in the Testing Center during Finals Week. It will be based
on the assigned readings and class discussions.
 Comms 239 Syllabus – 5

Course Schedule
A course schedule is attached to this syllabus. It may have to change depending on student
needs, guest speakers, or breaking news. All changes will be announced in class and posted
on blackboard.

Course Policies
An incomplete grade will be granted only in unusual circumstances. You must submit a written
request for an incomplete grade, describing the circumstances, then have it approved by me.
Requests must be made prior to the end of the semester. Because so much of what happens in
journalism is deadline-critical, I will not accept late assignments.

Academic Honesty
The first injunction of the BYU Honor Code is the call to be honest. Students come to the
university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist
them in their life’s work, but also to build character. President David O. McKay taught
“character is the highest aim of education” (The Aims of a BYU Education, p. 6). It is the
purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim. BYU students
should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own
work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and
misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification,
cheating, and other academic misconduct.

Honor Code
In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all
of their academic work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you
present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this
principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the
university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards.
Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and
working environment. It is the university’s expectation, and my own expectation in class, that
each student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-
2847 if you have questions about those standards.

Plagiarism
Writing submitted for credit at BYU must consist of the student's own ideas presented in
sentences and paragraphs of his or her own construction. The work of other writers or speakers
may be included when appropriate (as in a research paper or book review), but such material
must support the student's own work (not substitute for it) and must be clearly identified by
appropriate introduction and punctuation and by footnoting or other standard referencing.
The substitution of another person's work for the student's own or the inclusion of another
person's work without adequate acknowledgment (whether done intentionally or not) is known
as plagiarism. It is a violation of academic, ethical, and legal standards and can result in a
failing grade not only for the paper but also for the course in which the paper is written. In
extreme cases, it can justify expulsion from the University. Because of the seriousness of the
possible consequences, students who wonder if their papers are within these guidelines should
visit the Writing Lab or consult a faculty member who specializes in the teaching of writing or
who specializes in the subject discussed in the paper. Useful books to consult on the topic
include the current Harcourt Brace College Handbook, the MLA Handbook, and James D.
Lester's Writing Research Papers.
 Comms 239 Syllabus – 6

Preventing Sexual Harassment

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any
participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is
intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education and pertains to admissions, academic
and athletic programs, and university-sponsored activities. Title IX also prohibits sexual
harassment of students by university employees, other students, and visitors to campus. If
you encounter sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your
professor; contact the Equal Employment Office at 801-422-5895 or 1-888-238-1062 (24-
hours), or http://www.ethicspoint.com; or contact the Honor Code Office at 801-422-2847.

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that
reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which
may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the Services for
Students with Disabilities Office (422-2767). Reasonable academic accommodations are
reviewed for all students who have qualified, documented disabilities. Services are coordinated
with the student and instructor by the SSD Office. If you need assistance or if you feel you have
been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution
through established grievance policy and procedures by contacting the Equal Employment
Office at 422-5895, D-285 ASB.

Devotional and Forum Attendance

Brigham Young University's devotional and forum assemblies are an important part of your
BYU experience. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks stated, "You neglect your education and fail to use a
unique resource of this university if you miss a single one" (from the address Challenges for the
Year Ahead, 6 September, 1973). Your attendance at each forum and devotional is strongly
encouraged.

About the instructor

Dr. Cressman has worked as a television news producer in South Bend, Indiana (WSBT); as
an Executive Producer in Waco, Texas (KWTX) and Salt Lake City (KUTV); as a Managing
Editor in Green Bay, Wisconsin (WBAY); and as a line-up editor at the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation. He was a chief liaison officer for the Host Broadcaster during the
2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games. In 1995, Dr. Cressman won an Emmy for writing
and producing the public television documentary "Russia: Hidden Memory." He has also
worked as a newspaper reporter at the Star-Phoenix in Saskatchewan, Canada. Before first
coming to BYU in 1993, he was an assistant professor and news director at Lyndon State
College in Vermont. He was an assistant professor at Brigham Young University and news
director of KBYU TV and FM between 1993 and 1996. He left BYU to work on a PhD,
which he completed in 2003. Before returning to BYU in 2000, he taught at Utah State
University for three years. Dr. Cressman’s research is on broadcast news history and he
has published in the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Journalism History,
American Journalism. He has also published in The Journal of Children and Media and his
research has been highlighted in the Columbia Journalism Review. He is working on
history textbook for Focal Press and a biography for the University of Missouri Press of
Elmer W. Lower, best known as President of ABC News. He has served as a division chair
for the Broadcast Education Association, is currently Historian of the American Journalism
Historians Association, and serves as a contributing editor for three academic journals. He
and his wife Rebecca (she’s also a broadcaster; you can hear her middays on FM100 in Salt
Lake City) are raising three active boys in Spanish Fork.
 Comms 239 Syllabus – 7

A Statement on Professionalism
Department of Communications
Brigham Young University

Professionalism
A key mission of our department is to prepare students for their eventual workplace experiences.
Whether a Communications graduate pursues a career in journalism, advertising, public
relations, law, business or any other field, he/she will be evaluated, in part, on professionalism.

Because we feel our responsibility strongly – and because it is essential to the career growth of
our graduates – the Department of Communications instituted a Professionalism policy effective
at the beginning of Fall Semester 2004.

This policy applies both to students who have been admitted to one of our five emphases and to
pre-communications students. Some key features:
• Any major found in violation of the university Honor Code, especially with regard to
cheating and plagiarism, will receive a zero for the assignment involved, may receive an
E in the course and will be referred to the Honor Code office. Execution of this policy
will be at the instructor’s discretion. In addition, the offending student’s case will be
reviewed by the department chair and/or associate chair for undergraduate studies. If the
offense is sufficiently serious, the student may be removed from his/her major – no
matter how close graduation may be. A second violation of academic honesty, whether
done concurrently or subsequently, will automatically result in dismissal from the major.
• Any pre-communications student found cheating will be denied the opportunity to apply to
any of our five emphases. This decision rests with the department chair and associate
chair for undergraduate studies.
• Students who demonstrate consistently unprofessional behavior in class may also be
dropped from his/her major or not allowed to apply in the first place. Examples of
unprofessional behavior include – but are not limited to – excessive absences, disruptive
behavior, sleeping in class, chronic tardiness, reading non-course material during class,
playing computer games and/or checking e-mail during class, use of cell phone or text-
messaging, and regularly leaving class early without making arrangements with the
instructor.

Policy Enforcement
If an instructor feels he or she has a student in violation of this policy, the following should be
followed:
• First warning: This will come from the instructor. A meeting between the instructor and
the student will be conducted to resolve the issues of unprofessional behavior. If the
violation is excessive enough, the department can be involved (cases of cheating and
plagiarism). Following this consultation, the professor and student will sign a letter that
describes the problem and subsequent resolution. The department will keep this letter in
the student’s file.
• Second warning: This will come from the department (either the Chair or Associate
Chair for Undergraduate Studies). At this time, the student will be reviewed for removal
from the department. Both sides of the case will be presented to a review committee
 Comms 239 Syllabus – 8

composed of faculty from the student’s emphasis, and a decision will follow a
deliberation. A letter explaining the decision must be signed by the members of the
committee and will be placed in the student’s file.
• Appeal: The first appeal will be to the Undergraduate Committee. Second appeal will be to
the Department Chair. Final appeal will be to the College.

Why a policy on Professionalism?

It begins with the demand for entrance into our emphases and the fact that some students are
being turned away. However, some who are successful in their pursuit of a particular major then
demonstrate unprofessional behavior. We have decided we would rather take a student who has a
less-impressive academic record but will work diligently than a higher ranking student who
treats the major casually and without respect.

A second factor is the tendency of some majors to “coast” once in an emphasis. This behavior is
potentially serious to a student, who is unlikely to suddenly develop professionalism if hired by
an agency, newspaper or television station, nonprofit organization or other employer. This, in
turn, reflects on the reputation of the university, our department and the degree conferred.

Our new policy is consistent with those already in effect elsewhere in the university. With
thousands of young people desiring to attend BYU – many with an interest in Communications –
we feel an obligation to admit and retain the students who demonstrate the kind of work ethic
and behavior that will enhance our collective academic and professional performance.