Course No.: FTVS 200

Course Title: Survey of Mass Communications

Prerequisites/Recommended Background: NONE

Course Description (Principal Topics covered):  

Today, the phrase "mass media" covers considerable territory. While once restricted to newspapers and magazines, mass media now means anything from a magazine for vegetarian yoga aficionados to direct television from satellites to a home page on the World Wide Web.

In many respects, the mass media are all different; yet, there is a certain commonality among them that seems to increase every year as film, television, and media companies merge, altering the news and entertainment landscape for all of us as media "consumers."

This course surveys and, to some degree, dissects the mass media, exposing their histories, inner structures and workings. Through lectures, screenings, and readings, you acquire a feel for the different media, and understand them in a new way, preparing you for a more proactive role either as a consumer of mass media or a creator of its content.