Core 498 K

Ethical Considerations in Communication

Prof. Fred Berger Office: Chapel lower level B108

Department of Communication Office Hours: M-F 9-10:50 a.m.

M-TR 1-2:30 p.m.

Text: Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Mass Media and Society. Alexander and Hanson 9^th ed.

This seminar explores the values and ethics present in various forms of communication including advertising, the mass media, public relations, the news industry and others. Serving as a base will be readings in Taking Sides by Alexander and Hanson.

SPECIFICS:

• From readings in the text you will be asked to hand in issue summaries worth 10 points each. These will be helpful in preparation for class discussion, thus timeliness in a factor. Late summaries will be worth no more than 50% of the original point values. Students will submit all papers through our class Moodle site, and to the Internet resource, Turnitin.com as a way of assisting you in preparing papers. Class ID and/or password will be provided.

• Students in this seminar will be asked to select and lead discussion on one of the issues presented in Taking Sides. All students will be enrolled in a Moodle section of this course, and will be participating in on-line discussion forums related to the readings.

• You will be asked to rely on your Christian Humanist Manifesto which outlined your vision of Christian Humanism in Core 9. This should serve as a foundation upon which to work toward a practical application to solve concrete problems. One of the ways the course will assist you is in construction your personal “Code of Ethics,” which will be handed in. A grade will be assigned - not based on your ethics, but on the manner in which you arrive at and the way you explain the ethics.

• Each student will be responsible for a lengthy (20+) research paper on an ethical topic of your choice. Core 10 professors have agreed to the following collegial agreements:

A. The paper “… addresses an ethical issue from an interdisciplinary perspective and addresses a Christian Humanist perspective. This paper would account for at least 40% of final grade.

B. A formal oral presentation that would count for 15% of final grade.”

These research papers will be due in April. Prior to the due date, a draft deadline will be established. During the month of April, each student will be asked to make a detailed, 20-minute oral presentation to class.

There are a number of journals in the SJC library which might help the student to gel ideas on traditional ethical thinking. Those will be provided in handout form later in the course. In addition, due to the nature of study students will be asked to use the most up-to-date information obtained from both traditional (magazines, journals, newspapers) and non-traditional (internet, television programs, etc.) sources.

There will be a few announced quizzes.

All late, half-credit issue summaries due May 1 during Final Exam period.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated based on the following point system:

Class Participation/Forum 10

Code of Ethics 10

Quizzes 20

Discussion Leader 20

Issue Summaries 12 @10 = 120

Research paper 160

Oral Presentation 60

TOTAL 400

A 100-93 B+ 89-86 C+ 79-76 D+ 69-66

A- 92-90 B 85-83 C 75-73 D 65-60

B- 82-80 C- 72-70

F – 59 or below