JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY



COURSE CODE: CMS/CW 329-1

COURSE NAME: "Media Criticism"

SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2018

TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45

CREDITS: 3

PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110; COM 221 recommnended

OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

Prof. Allison Grimaldi-Donahue

[email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course offers the student practical and theoretical experience in the field of cultural criticism and writing reviews for print and online publications. Topics will include looking at the history of criticism and the review, critical theory, analyzing a work of art, research, different forms of writing, pitching articles to publications and the craft of writing itself. Students are required to read critically and spend class time in lectures, discussions and workshops. Students will have the opportunity to develop straightforward review writing skills as well as more critical and nuanced essay/long form criticism skills. Students will develop a criticism project, pitch an idea to a publication and write short and long form essays.

The course focuses on practical and theoretical approaches in the field of cultural criticism and in writing reviews of culture/cultural objects and events. It provides a firm introduction to the skills of review-writing and criticism: in different forms and styles, and for different media. The course considers the history and contemporary directions of criticism for an understanding of the context and scope of the field within culture, it discusses aspects related to the role of the critic and the curation of the piece, and it engages with the craft of writing from pitch to publication.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

We will look at writing reviews and criticism about literature, art, music, performance, film, television and theater. This will take us from writers of the early 20^th century to present day. Each student will work on research and reporting while also finding ways to express personal voice, taste and critical perspective. Each week will have both practical and theoretical components and students should be prepared to discuss challenging readings and to share their written work. We will move through diverse­ styles— write ups, opinion pieces, interviews, polyphonic writing, auto-theory, the critic as artist. This will then shift to focus on a longer form project where the student will write a piece of criticism on a chosen culture object or event such as a book, album, work of art, exhibition, concert, film, television show. This does not, however, mean that the research stops.

Class work will involve the discussion of readings, active research workshops, and activities that challenge what we perceive of as “good or bad” art. This class aims to look at writing through form and function, analyzing the text and how it works. Students must be prepared to actively learn and research, understanding culture is an ongoing and never-ending process. We will practice disagreeing while always remaining respectful and open to change. We will often be working with works of criticism that open us to new worlds, works of art and literature we may not have encountered before, this course will hopefully teach all of us about the wideness of the world of culture and how much we can learn from developing our critical capacities to understand it.

Weekly writing assignments and participation in class are required and will affect your grade.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this course you will be able to:

·         Write a short description of a cultural event for publication

·         Write a review of a work of art

·         Write a mid-length review of a work of art, book, concert, album, film, exhibit

·         Write and pitch a proposal to a publication

·         Write feature-length work of criticism (2500-3000 words)

·         Develop a personal writing style

·         Integrate various personal and academic interests into essay writing

·         Read critical essays with a writer’s eye

TEXTBOOK:

Readings will be available with a course reader, online links and handouts. See course schedule for a list of readings.

GRADING POLICY

-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

A Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course

B This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised. There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material. Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included. In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.



-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

This class is about ideas, feedback, listening and participating, which means the student is expected to attend every class and to be on time. More than four unjustified absences will make your maximum grade a B.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

SCHEDULE