Media and War (Media Studies 385.01) syllabus

Media Studies 385.01

William Hoynes

Media and War

Fall 2005

Office: 306B Blodgett Hall

P.O. Box 552; ext. 7013

Office Hours:
Tuesdsay: 10:00 - 11:30 am
Wednesday: 1:30 - 3:00 pm

e-mail: wihoynes@vassar.edu

Senator Hiram Johnson's 1917 remark "The first casualty when war comes is truth" is often repeated.
But the processes through which (mis)information and images circulate in wartime are less well known.
This course explores the role of popular media in the production and circulation of knowledge about war.
Drawing on both news and entertainment media, we will examine how war is represented and remembered
in various media, and explore topics such as the practices of the war correspondent, strategies of news
management by military planners, the relationship between media images and public attitudes toward war,
media as a propaganda tool, and the role of popular media in constructing and contesting national myths and
memories of war.

Course Texts
(available in the college store)

Susan Sontag. Regarding the Pain of Others (Picador, 2004).

Andrew Hoskins. Televising War (Continuum, 2004).

George H. Roeder, Jr. The Censored War (Yale University Press, 1993).

Daniel C. Hallin. The "Uncensored War" (University of California Press, 1989).

Jonathan Mermin. Debating War and Peace (Princeton University Press, 1999).

Paul Rutherford. Weapons of Mass Persuasion (University of Toronto Press, 2004).

Jean Baudrillard. The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (Indiana Univeristy Press, 1995).

James Der Derian. Virtuous War (Westview Press, 2001).

(Additional articles will be distributed in class.)

Requirements

1.

Attendance and Participation.
Remember, this class is a seminar; it is not a lecture.
I expect each of you to come prepared to contribute.

2.

Weekly Commentaries, 1-2 pages, due at the beginning of class each week.
You may either submit a hard copy of your commentary in class or e-mail it to me prior to class.
(You may take one "pass" during the semester, electing not to submit a commentary that week.
Don't worry... I'll keep track.)

3.

Lead a Class Discussion.
In pairs, students will serve as discussion leaders each week (beginning September 20 or 27)
steering the class through the assigned readings. Each of you will serve in this role once during
the semester. More details in class.

4.

Final Project on a topic of your choice. You may elect to write a paper, approximately 15 to 20 pages) or complete a multi-media project (working on your own or in a group of no more than 4 students; multi-media projects must include a short companion paper). Students will present a draft version of their project/paper during the final two weeks of class. The final version will be due on December 14, 2005. Brief project proposals will be due in early November.

Media Studies 385.01
Media and War
Fall 2005
Course Schedule

[** = readings to be distributed in class]

Introduction

September 6

Film: "Independent Media in a Time of War"

Read: Chris Hedges, "On War" **

Part I:

Starting Points: Media and the War in Iraq

September 13

Read:W. Lance Bennett. "The Perfect Storm? The American Media & Iraq" **
Andy Grundberg. "Point and Shoot" **
Mariah Blake. "From All Sides"
Kenneth Payne. "The Media as an Instrument of War"
C. Paul and J. Kim, Reporters on the Battlefield, excerpts **

Part II:

Representations of War and Peace

September 20

Read: Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others, entire book

September 27

Read: Hoskins, Televising War, entire book

Part III:

War and Censorship

October 4

Read: Roeder, The Censored War, entire book

October 11

Read: Hallin, The "Uncensored War", entire book

October Break
No Classes: Week of October 17

Part IV

The Battle Over Public Opinion

October 25

Read: Mermin, Debating War and Peace, entire book

November 1

Guest Lecture: Media Critic Jeff Cohen

November 8

Read: Rutherford, Weapons of Mass Persuasion, entire book

Part V

The Spectacle of War

November 15

Read: Baudrillard, The Gulf War Did Not Take Place, entire book.

November 22

Read: Der Derian, Virtuous War, entire book

November 29

Final Project Presentations

December 6

Final Project Presentations

Media Studies 385.01	William Hoynes
Media and War	Fall 2005
Office: 306B Blodgett Hall	P.O. Box 552; ext. 7013
Office Hours: Tuesdsay: 10:00 - 11:30 am Wednesday: 1:30 - 3:00 pm	e-mail: wihoynes@vassar.edu

Requirements
1.	Attendance and Participation. Remember, this class is a seminar; it is not a lecture. I expect each of you to come prepared to contribute.
2.	Weekly Commentaries, 1-2 pages, due at the beginning of class each week. You may either submit a hard copy of your commentary in class or e-mail it to me prior to class. (You may take one "pass" during the semester, electing not to submit a commentary that week. Don't worry... I'll keep track.)
3.	Lead a Class Discussion. In pairs, students will serve as discussion leaders each week (beginning September 20 or 27) steering the class through the assigned readings. Each of you will serve in this role once during the semester. More details in class.
4.	Final Project on a topic of your choice. You may elect to write a paper, approximately 15 to 20 pages) or complete a multi-media project (working on your own or in a group of no more than 4 students; multi-media projects must include a short companion paper). Students will present a draft version of their project/paper during the final two weeks of class. The final version will be due on December 14, 2005. Brief project proposals will be due in early November.

Media Studies 385.01 Media and War Fall 2005 Course Schedule [* = readings to be distributed in class]*
	Introduction
September 6	Film: "Independent Media in a Time of War"
	Read: Chris Hedges, "On War" **

Part I:	Starting Points: Media and the War in Iraq
September 13	Read:W. Lance Bennett. "The Perfect Storm? The American Media & Iraq" Andy Grundberg. "Point and Shoot" Mariah Blake. "From All Sides" Kenneth Payne. "The Media as an Instrument of War" C. Paul and J. Kim, Reporters on the Battlefield, excerpts **

Part II:	Representations of War and Peace
September 20	Read: Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others, entire book
September 27	Read: Hoskins, Televising War, entire book

Part III:	War and Censorship
October 4	Read: Roeder, The Censored War, entire book
October 11	Read: Hallin, The "Uncensored War", entire book

	October Break No Classes: Week of October 17

Part IV	The Battle Over Public Opinion
October 25	Read: Mermin, Debating War and Peace, entire book
November 1	Guest Lecture: Media Critic Jeff Cohen
November 8	Read: Rutherford, Weapons of Mass Persuasion, entire book

Part V	The Spectacle of War
November 15	Read: Baudrillard, The Gulf War Did Not Take Place, entire book.
November 22	Read: Der Derian, Virtuous War, entire book

November 29	Final Project Presentations
December 6	Final Project Presentations