BROOKLYN COLLEGE
Department of Television and Radio
MEDIA CRITICISM (Television and Radio Criticism)
TV/R 30.5W Section MW12 (Course Code 0879)
Spring, 2010, Mon & Wed, 12:50pm-2:05pm
402A Whitehead Hall

Dr. Foulger
Office: 404S Whitehead Hall

Class Schedule and Assignments

Semester Syllabus / Discussion Notes / Class Moodle

Session Date Subject Reading/Assignment (due before class on the date specified)
1 M, Feb 1 Introductions No Reading
2 W, Feb 3 The Landscape of Media Criticism Read http://davis.foulger.info/research/unifiedModelOfCommunication.htm and http://evolutionarymedia.com/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi?IntroductionToMediaCriticism
3 M, Feb 8 Exploring and Explaining Media Read Allen, Introduction
4 W, Feb 10 Doing Media Criticism TBD
- M, Feb 15 Presidents Day, Classes Cancelled
5 W, Feb 17 Semiotics Read Allen, Chapter One; Bring body of content to class
6 M, Feb 22 Semiotics (Continued) TBD
7 W, Feb 24 Narratology Read Allen, Chapter Two
8 M, Mar 1 Narratology (Continued) TBD
9 W, Mar 3 Writing Media Criticism TBD; First Annotated Bibliography Due
10 M, Mar 8 Genre Theory Read Allen, Chapter 4
11 W, Mar 10 Genre Theory (continued) Read Medium as an Ecology of Genre (web reading)
12 M, Mar 15 Auteur Theory and Production-Oriented Approaches TBD; Short Paper 1 Due
13 W, Mar 17 Medium as Message Theory Read "The X is the Message"
14 M, Mar 22 Audience-Oriented Criticism Read Allen, Chapter 3
15 W, Mar 24 Audience-Oriented Criticism (continued) TBD
- Mar 29-Apr 6 Spring Recess
16 W, Apr 7 Ideological Analysis Read Allen Chapter 5; Optionally Read Allen, Chapter 7
17 M, Apr 12 Ideological Analysis (Continued) Short Paper 2 Due
18 W, Apr 14 Cultural Theory Read Allen, Chapter 8
19 M, Apr 19 Theories of Mind Read Allen, Chapter 6; Second Annotated Bibliography Due
20 W, Apr 21 The Post-Modern Turn Read Allen, Chapter 9
21 M, Apr 26 Uses of Media TBD; First Complete Draft of Term Paper Due
22 W, Apr 28 Term Paper Presentations No Reading
23 M, May 3 Term Paper Presentations No Reading
24 W, May 5 Term Paper Presentations No Reading
25 M, May 10 Term Paper Presentations No Reading
26 W, May 12 The Rearview Mirror TBD; Final Submission of Term Paper for Grading
27 M, May 17 Thinking Systematically about Media; Exam Preview Read Allen, Afterword.
28 May 19-25 Final Exams, Date TBD