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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CMS 200"
COURSE NAME: "Media Industries"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Antonio Lopez
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 4:30 PM 5:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: COM 111 or permission of the Chair
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course offers a historical overview of the mass media communication industries, including print, visual, electronic, and digital media. It looks at issues such as the institutional, social, and technological histories of the media, the impact of economic factors and business models in shaping content, and regulatory policies. It introduces students to the study of the political economy of media, offering a critical understanding of the ways in which contemporary creative industries function.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on print, audiovisual, and electronic media offering a historical perspective on their development, and looking at their infrastructure, business models, regulations.

The second part explores the political economy of media industries by examining audiences, concentration of ownership, emerging business models, and how the impact news, democracy, and the public sphere. Through the analysis of compelling case studies, students will gain a critical understanding of how media industries operate, and how their political economy shapes the content we consume daily.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

- Develop an understanding of the origins, forces, and principles that helped to shape today’s media industries.

- Develop a critical understanding of key issues and current debates around media industries.

- Assess and critically discuss available literature on topics related to media industries.

- Understand key debates and show ability to critically discuss a contemporary issue or event in today’s media industries.

- Examine current and future trends in media industries and how technological change affects infrastructure, ownership, regulations, etc.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Revolutions in communication: Media history from Gutenberg to the digital age (2nd edition)Kovarik, Bill Bloomsbury Academic9781628924787     
The media studies toolkitMichael Z. NewmanRoutledge978-0-367–44115-9      
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Questioning the media: A critical introduction (2nd ed.)John Downing; Ali Mohammadi; Annabelle Sreberny-Mohammadi Sage Publications 978-0803936423   

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Quiz 10%
Mid-Term Exam  25%
Research paper 30%
Final Exam 25%
Attendance and participation 10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork 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.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis 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.
FThis 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:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Please note that this schedule subject to change. Always consult the class Moodle for the most current schedule and assignments.

COURSE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1. INTRODUCTION: TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION (MEDIUM, TECHNOLOGY, AND COMMUNICATION )

·      Revolutions in Communication: Introduction

·      Brian Winston, “How Media are Born and Developed?” (Questioning the Media: Ch. 4)

·      Neil Postman, “Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change,” Talk delivered in Denver Colorado March 28, 1998 (PDF)

SECTION I: MEDIA REVOLUTIONS (A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW)

WEEK 2. PRINTING REVOLUTION PART I (WRITING, BOOKS, PRINTING PRESS)

·      Revolutions in Communication, Part I (pp. 17-28), Ch. 1

·      TBA

WEEK 3. PRINTING REVOLUTION PART II (NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, JOURNALISM)

·      Revolutions in Communication, Chapts. 2-3

WEEK 4. VISUAL REVOLUTION PART I (PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM)

·      Revolutions in Communication, Part II (pp.139-150), chapts. 4-5

WEEK 5. VISUAL REVOLUTION PART II (ADVERTISING, PR, CRAFTED IMAGE)

·      Revolutions in Communication, ch. 6

·      Douglas Kellner, “Advertising and Consumer Culture” (Questioning the Media: ch. 19)

·      People Don’t Buy Products, They Buy Better Versions of Themselves (PDF)

WEEK 6. ELECTRONIC REVOLUTION (TELEGRAPH, RADIO, TV)

·      Revolutions in Communication, Part III (pp. 139-150), chpts. 7-9

WEEK 7. THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION (COMPUTERS, DIGITAL NETWORKS)

·      Revolutions in Communication, chpts. 10-12

WEEK 8. RECAP & MIDTERM

SECTION II: POLITICAL ECONOMY OF MEDIA INDUSTRIES

WEEK 9. MEDIA INDUSTRIES

·      Media Studies Toolkit, ch. 2

·      Phelan, S. (2018). Neoliberalism and Media. In D. Cahill, M. Cooper, M. Konings, & D. Primrose (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Neoliberalism (pp. 539–550). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526416001.n41

WEEK 9. AUDIENCES

·      Media Studies Toolkit, ch. 4

·      Oscar H. Gandy, “Tracking the Audience” (Questioning the Media: ch. 12)

·      Ien Ang - The Nature of the Audience (Questioning the Media: ch. 13)

WEEK 10. IDEOLOGY AND HEGEMONY

·      Media Studies Toolkit, ch. 6

·      TBA

WEEK 11. NEWS AND PROPAGANDA

·      Ed Herman, Media in the U.S. Political Economy (Questioning the Media: ch. 5)

·      Fuchs, C. (2018). Propaganda 2.0: Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model in the age of the internet, big data and social media. In J. Pedro-Carañana, D. Broudy, & J. Klaehn (Eds.), The propaganda model today: Filtering perception and awareness (pp. 71–92). University of Westminster Press. https://doi.org/10.16997/book27.f

WEEK 12. POLICY AND REGULATION

·      Media Studies Toolkit, ch. 7

·      Curran, J. (2005). Mediations of democracy. In J. Curran & M. Gurevitch (Eds.), Mass media and society (4th ed, pp. 122–149). Hodder Arnold ; Distributed in the U.S.A by Oxford University Press.

WEEK 13. CITIZENSHIP AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE

·      Media Studies Toolkit, 8

·      TBA

WEEK 14. WRAP UP & FINALS