Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Background
How we consume and create media and content continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The Demystifying
Media seminar series, which the SOJC launched in January 2016, explores the impact of these changes
across the communications landscape and finds new ways to move forward.
Each term, leading media practitioners, academics, and researchers—working on the cutting edge of
these global changes – come to campus to discuss the impact of the 21st-century media revolution with
students, faculty, and staff.
New for Spring 2018, I’ve expanded the scope of the associated class to focus on guest speakers.
There will be guest speakers each class this term, covering each week except Weeks 1 and 10.
Talks from guests in Weeks 3, 5, 7 and 8 are open to all, but there will be more detailed discussions –
and additional networking opportunities with our guest speakers – are only available to people taking
this class. Guests sessions in Weeks 2, 4, 6 and 9 are only open to this class.
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Guest Speakers for Spring 2018
These are always subject to change, but here’s the current line-up of confirmed speakers:
You can find out more about this in the detailed class schedule outlined on the following pages.
Learning outcomes
The class will look at the rapidly changing media landscape, exploring market trends, strategies and
changes in both content consumption and content creation.
In doing this, the class will equip students with a richer understanding of the wider media and business
world. These trends are applicable to students across the SOJC and beyond.
Whatever your major (Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations or Media Studies) you’ll learn up to
date market knowledge which will inform your wider studies and career goals.
1. Understand and describe some of the major strategic challenges being faced by news and
other media outlets, particularly related to: business models, audience behaviours, distribution
and content Innovation, and the changing media industry.
2. Demonstrate examples of your own written research and analysis in this space.
3. Have a working knowledge of current industry “hot” topics that will allow you to sound smart
at interviews for job and internships.
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1. What employers are looking for in job hires.
Learning Methods
These will include:
Much of the learning from this class will derive from you.
1. Students will support each other by helping to assign reading and other prep ahead of visits
from our guest speakers.
2. A core group of students for each guest lecture will capture key lessons – and case studies –
highlighted in talks. These will be shared with the group.
3. Students will also produce a post-talk reflection from our group discussions.
4. You will each present conclusions from your industry reading to the group (twice in the term).
Assignments to be completed outside of class will include: reading, identification of questions for guest
speakers, preparation of in-class presentation materials and papers, keep a blog to track your learning
and analysis from the workshop, as well as an end of term assignment; reflecting on a big industry issue
of particular interest to you.
Some of this work will run concurrent with other tasks, so you will need to manage your time accordingly
to balance competing workloads from this class and others. This is a skill you will need for the workplace.
Undergraduate Courses
Under the UO quarter system, each undergraduate credit reflects approximately thirty hours of student
engagement. Therefore, this 2-credit course is akin to approximately 60 hours total of student time.
With 20 hours of class time (10 weeks at 2 hours per week), readings and assignments will account for
another c. 40 hours of your time this term.
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Graduate Courses
Graduate students are expected to perform work of higher quality and quantity, typically with forty
hours of student engagement for each student credit hour. Therefore, a 2-credit graduate course would
typically engage students c. 80 hours. For graduate students, with 20 hours of class time (10 weeks at 2
hours per week), readings and assignments account for another c.60 hours of your time this term.
Hour Two Reflections on previous week (group discussion culminating in live blog).
“12 Things You Need To Know” (group presentation on latest developments)
Look ahead to next week
Submitting questions for guest 11.59PM, Weds Everyone. Once a week (Weeks 2-9)
speaker to Google Doc.
Weekly journal: reflections 11.59PM, Weds Everyone. Once a week (Weeks 2-9)
from class and reading.
Individual entry for “12 Things 11.59PM, Weds Groups of 12 Twice during term.
You Need To Know” preso. (Weeks 2-10)
Creation of live blog reflection In-class (Thurs) 2 students from Once in term.
each group of 6
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Attendance
This workshop is designed to give you a foundation in some of the key developments impacting on the
media and communications landscape today. Attendance of classes, and completion of assignments - on
time - is essential. Miss the first and/or second class of the term, and you will be asked to withdraw.
Non-attendance and/or failure to complete work on time, will result in an F for that task.
Please notify me, in writing and with as much prior notice as possible, if you must miss a class or if work
will be delivered late. If you miss a class and you haven’t notified me beforehand, then I expect you to
get in contact with me ASAP to explain your absence and to agree the best way to catch-up on what you
missed.
You should treat attendance in class like you would a job – you wouldn’t miss a shift without telling
your supervisor. Please treat this class – and your classmates – with the same level of respect.
This means:
If you are sick, let me know as early as possible. Not after class. Or an hour before.
No, you don’t get class off if it’s your birthday. Or your roommates birthday etc.
Office Hours
My office hours each week are 1pm-2pm Monday, 2pm-3pm on Thursday. We can always meet at other
times by appointment.
Do use those times to drop by to talk to me about assignments, ideas for improving the class, feedback
on the things you like, or anything else you want to discuss.
The workshop may well challenge some of your assumptions and ideas about your future career, so by
all means come and talk these through with me.
Outside of my regular office hours, I’m always happy to schedule additional meetings with students.
Email me, or pop by my office, so that we can arrange a time to talk.
Participation
Our classroom is an active learning space. It is an arena for the exchange of ideas and knowledge.
This means that you need to be comfortable pitching ideas, sharing your growing expertise, receiving –
and giving – feedback, and treating everyone in the room with due respect.
This involves:
More details on these elements can be seen in the assignments section of this syllabus.
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Assignments
You’ll be given a brief for each assignment with clear directions of what’s expected and by when.
However, an overview of the key tasks can be found below:
Personal Blog: Each week – from Weeks 1-9 - you will write a reflection on what you have learned that
week.
To do this, you will need to set up a blog on WordPress, Tumblr, Medium or another
publishing platform of your choosing. If you’ve never done this before, here’s some tips:
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-WordPress
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Tumblr-Account
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-use-medium
https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-blogging-sites
https://makeawebsitehub.com/choose-right-blogging-platform/
Entries will be submitted by 11.59PM on Wednesday each week, via Canvas (you just
need to provide the URL. Reflections should be 400-800 words (undergrads) or 500 -
1,000 words (grads). Your reflections should include:
1. This is a large class of 45 students. Therefore, I will not grade every entry.
I will grade three blog/journal entries per student from the term. Graded entries
will be selected at random.
2. The average score from these three graded entries will then be assigned to the
other six. So, make all of them good, as you never know which entry will be
picked for grading!
3. Your journal is a key way to keep track of your learning this term, therefore it is
worth 45% of your grade for the term. Each entry is worth 5% of your grade.
Pro Tips:
Make your blog engaging to look at. Use images, sub-headings and other visual
cues to break up the text and make it interesting to read/look at. How many
websites do you read that are just plain text? Exactly.
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Always hyperlink to the stories you are sharing. In the digital age, hyperlinking
should be standard If you’ve shared – or summarized – something interesting,
make it easy for the reader to go to the original source.
Make sure your blog has a title. Even if it’s just your name and this class. Don’t
rely on defaults.
End reflection: At the end of term, you will publish an extended reflection (800-1,200 words) expanding
on a topic, theme or idea that we discussed during term.
This may be an idea you’ve not previously written about, or one that you have – but
which you add to, showing how your thinking and reading has helped your thinking to
evolve further. You will also publish this to your blog.
Your reflection can focus solely on your own opinions and insights.
You are welcome - and encouraged - to include a new interview/s (with subject matter
experts) as part of this submission; as this may make it richer.
o A global tragedy on a journalist’s doorstep, Ruben Garcia Jr, BBC Online, January
2016.
Where possible, I’ll try and get your best pieces from this class published, too.
Speaker Research
Questions Each week, you will be asked to submit a question, in advance, for our guest speakers.
You will submit these to a Google Doc. You get 10 points (1%) of your grade for each
question you submit (capped at a maximum of one per week).
Of course, this doesn’t preclude you from asking questions in class prompted by what
our speakers have said. But, these are a fallback and a useful guide for me (and our
guests) on the topics you’re keen to explore.
I may call on you in class to ask your pre-submitted question, so please remember (and
make a note) of what you asked!
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Pre/Post For each guest, six of you (there will be a sign-up sheet, you do this once in the term)
will be responsible for helping to prep – and reflect –the rest of the group.
How?
Two of you will compile a bio – and recommended reading – for the guests.
This is due on the Monday night, 72 hours (3 days) before our class.
o Building a “show notes” list (for our class blog) linking to case studies
and insights shared by our guests.
Every week, the second half of class will include a discussion, reflecting on what
we learned from the speaker in the previous week. This will culminate in a blog
post which we will build – and writing – in class. It will be in the vein of “10
things we learned about x.” Two of you will write and publish this live in class.
(NB: you can tinker with, and tidy this up post-class, revisions to be completed
that day by 11.59PM.)
The six of you will determine, between you, who will take on which roles.
Industry Knowledge/Developments
“Info-Share” A key feature of the class will be our regular “Info-share” sessions, where student will
share a key story/developments with the group that they have come across through
their own reading. You will each present this story twice in the term.
Each student will be assigned – or will select - two different industry source to track and
follow, so through this exercise you will be responsible for helping your peers to
improve their knowledge of the latest industry developments.
In the second half of class each week (Weeks 2-9) 12 of you will share something
interesting you’ve read/learned in the past week.
This will be in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, which we will also publish
afterwards to our class blog.
I’ll create a template for this – which will sit on Google Drive – and each of the 12
students in any given week will populate 1 slide. Use text, images, video, GIFs etc. to
help tell the story and share the learning.
You need to complete your entry by 11.59PM the night before class, so that I have this
ready to review – and play – in class the next day.
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Industry Reading
A key goal of this class is to help get you into the habits – and mindset – of an industry
professional. As part of this, you will be exposed to – and expected to read – key
industry news sources, which you will review and monitor throughout the term.
These websites – and newsletters - will be assigned during Week One (either at random,
or by area of subject matter expertise/interest, we’ll agree which approach we will take
together).
Each week you’ll include two takeaways from your reading as part of your Personal blog
reflections. This might be a key part of your entry for that week, or a “here’s what else
you need to know” type entry.
I’ll be tweeting out your recommendations during the week, so make them good!
These will also be the sources you use for the “12 things we need to know” group
presentation which will take place each week (from Week 2 onwards).
Please review Canvas for a list – and link to sign up – for these sources:
“Info 5. “What you need to know this week” (presentation and PPT) 7.5% 75
Share” > to be undertaken twice in the term (7.5%/75 points each). X2 X2
15% 150
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How Grades Will Be Determined
Category A B C D F
Clear and Clear and concise Basically clear Thorough Writing style is Unintelligible.
concise writing. and concise. editing inappropriate
writing. Appropriate needed to for a news
writing style (i.e., meet story.
Appropriate short paragraphs, standards.
writing and/or descriptive detail,
analytical active verbs, no
style. first-person).
Factually Mechanically 1-2 minor 1 major error 2 major errors Fatal flaws:
accurate. sound, no errors. errors. Style such as a and multiple Factual errors,
Correct inconsistent. fragment, minor issues. misspelling of
grammar, run-on, proper names,
spelling and comma splice, multiple
punctuation. or more than grammar,
two minor spelling errors.
errors.
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Course Schedule and Assignments
This schedule is a draft and is subject to amendment.
Homework:
Homework:
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Individual entry/slide for “12 Things You Need To Know” presentation.
Deadline: 11.59PM, Weds Who: 12 students each week.
3 Thursday Guest: David Bornstein, CEO and Co-Founder, Solutions Journalism Network.
19 April
Reflections on previous week (group discussion culminating in live blog).
Homework:
4 Thursday Guest: Jessica Clark, Director, Dot Connector Studio, Research Affiliate, MIT
26 April Open Documentary Lab, Editor http://immerse.news/
Homework
12
Individual entry/slide for “12 Things You Need To Know” presentation.
Deadline: 11.59PM, Weds Who: 12 students each week.
Homework
No class. View, and review, a lecture from the Demystifying Media archive.
(There are more than 25 to choose from.)
http://journalism.uoregon.edu/demystifyingmedia/
Homework
7 Thursday Guest: Joy Mayer, Director, The Trusting News project, Audience Engagement
17 May strategist.
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“12 Things You Need To Know” (group presentation on latest developments)
Homework
8 Thursday Guest: Tom Arviso Jr., CEO and Publisher, Navajo Times.
24 May
Reflections on previous week (group discussion culminating in live blog).
Homework
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9 Thursday Guest: Erin Krug, Vice President, Quinn Thomas Strategic Communications
31 May (Portland and Seattle).
Homework
10 Thursday “12 Things You Need To Know” (group presentation on latest developments)
7 June
Group discussion + feedback: Key takeaways this term.
Homework
End of term reflection. Due 11.59pm on Wednesday 13 June 2018.
Course policies
Attendance
As outlined above, this is mandatory for this class. I don’t expect to have to chase you up about any
absences. Be proactive. Treat me, and this class, as you would do a job.
Accessibility
The University of Oregon seeks to create inclusive learning environments. If aspects of this course result
in barriers to your participation, please notify me as soon as possible. You are also welcome to contact
Disability Services in 164 Oregon Hall at 346- 1155 or disabsrv@uoregon.edu.
Crisis Center
The University of Oregon Counseling Center provides students with confidential telephone crisis
intervention 24/7. The number is 541-346-3227.
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Diversity
Open inquiry, freedom of expression, and respect for differences are fundamental to a comprehensive
and dynamic education. SOJC is committed to upholding these ideals by encouraging the exploration,
engagement, and expression of divergent perspectives and diverse identities.
Discrimination of any kind, disrespect for others, and inequity in educational opportunity are not
acceptable. Students, faculty, and staff are expected at all times to maintain the School of Journalism
and Communication’s high standards of ethical and compassionate conduct.
Academic integrity
The U of O policy on academic dishonesty will be observed throughout this course.
We will also talk about the importance of proper attribution of your sources and providing credit where
it is due. In the digital arena, this is more important than ever, as the lifting of quotes or the creation of
false content, nevermind plagiarism can all be easily identified. Careers can – and have been – destroyed
as a result of breaking these rules. Don’t be foolish and make the same mistakes!
For the two extended papers, your “Hot Topic” feature and Extended End of Term Reflection” papers
should be emailed so that they can be reviewed and graded through the “Track Changes” function in
Microsoft Word. They should also be posted to your personal blog.
Mobile phones should be turned off in class. Laptops are allowed, but there will be “lids down”
moments throughout the course. Some weeks (Week 8, 9 possibly both) we will be researching some
content in class, which can be done on laptops or phones. I’ll advise nearer the time.
Writing Central
I encourage you take advantage of of the opportunities provided by Writing Central:
http://journalism.uoregon.edu/sojc-writing-central/
Writing coaches can help you to think through your blog entries/reflections, as well as your two major
written assignments for the term.
Questions
If you want to know more about anything mentioned here, or anything which you think is missing, then
please do not hesitate to email me! damianr@uoregon.edu (or pop by Allen Hall 201) at any time.
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Instructor bio http://journalism.uoregon.edu/member/radcliffe-damian/
Damian Radcliffe is the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism at the University of Oregon, a fellow
of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, an honorary research fellow at Cardiff
University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies, and a fellow of the Royal Society for the
Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
He is an experienced digital analyst, consultant, journalist, and researcher who has worked in editorial,
research, teaching, and policy positions for the past two decades in the UK, Middle East, and USA.
Damian is a regular contributor to the BBC Academy, CBS Interactive (ZDNet), Huffington Post,
MediaShift, and IJNet, where he writes about digital trends, social media, technology, the business of
media, and the evolution of journalism.
His experience encompasses roles at the BBC, the NGO Volunteering Matters, Ofcom (the UK
communications regulator), and Qatar’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology
(ictQATAR). He works across all media sectors (commercial, public, government, regulatory, academic,
and nonprofit/civil society) and platforms, from print and digital to TV and radio broadcasting.
Radcliffe has written, spoken to, or provided consulting services for a wide range of industry and
academic organizations, including Abramis Academic Publishing, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, BBC
Academy, BBC Media Action, BBC Monitoring, BBC World Service, Carnegie UK Trust, Cass Business
School, Centre for Research on Communities and Culture, City University London, Cognizant, Columbia
Journalism Review (CJR), The Conversation, Digital Content Next, Eyewitness Media Hub, FJUM (forum
journalism and media, Vienna), The Guardian, The Huffington Post, IBC Content Everywhere,
IJNET, journalism.co.uk, JustHere, Media Development Investment Fund, MediaShift, Middle East
Broadcast Network, NESTA, Nieman Lab, Northwestern University in Qatar, nuviun, Online Journalism
Blog, Qatar Today, Street Fight, TEDx Reset (Turkey), TheMediaBriefing, The Reuters Institute for the
Study of Journalism at Oxford University, Routledge, What’s New in Publishing and Your Middle East.
He has chaired sessions, provided training and spoken, at events around the world including: in the USA
(New York, Portland, Philadelphia, Colorado Springs, Chicago and Washington D.C.), the UK (London,
Edinburgh, Oxford, Cardiff, Belfast, Bristol), Europe (Paris, Strasbourg, Vienna, Barcelona, Istanbul,
Amsterdam, multiple cities in Germany) and the Middle East (Doha and Dubai).
Find out more about him on his website. Follow him on Twitter @damianradcliffe
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