COMM 525 Advanced Communications Management
Spring 2002
Wednesday 7:00-9:45 p.m.
Room: H-530
Course Objective
This course will explore some of the management challenges faced by media professionals in all aspects of the communications profession newspapers, broadcast media, public relations and advertising firms, etc. Some of the topics discussed in the course will focus on general management issues, such as working with people and coping with organizational change. Others will look at issues specific to the communications industry dealing with the impact of online journalism on daily newspapers, for example, or incorporating audience analysis into broadcast programming decisions.
The class is designed to introduce you to these topics through readings and discussions, case study analyses, individual research projects, and presentations from media professionals who work with some of these issues on a daily basis. By the end of the semester, you should have a good sense of basic management concepts and a firm grasp on some of the managerial challenges unique to the media business.
Readings
Books: Balancing on the Wire, by James Redmond and Robert Trager (Coursewise Publishing, 1998).
Media Management: A Casebook Approach by Sohn, Wicks, Lacy, and Sylvie (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999).
Other Materials:
Additional readings such as journal, trade publication, and newspaper articles will be assigned on an ongoing basis.
Course Requirements
Class Meetings:
The class meets once a week for two hours and 45 minutes per class session. Class meetings will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, student presentations, case study analysis, and guest speaker presentations. I am a very hands-on, interactive teacher, and I encourage a high level of participation in the classroom.
It is essential that you come to class having read the assigned material and prepared to discuss and evaluate it. Each week one student will be designated class discussion leader. This person will be responsible for presenting an overview of the weeks materials, developing a set of questions to initiate discussion, and moderating the in-class discussion process.
Assignments:
There will be several graded assignments for this course. These include:
Short Papers During the semester you will write two 3-5-page papers in response to questions related to the course readings.
Research Paper The primary assignment for this class will be a 15-20-page research paper on a communications management topic of your choice. For this assignment you will select a management issue related to the communications industry and explore it in depth through a combination of primary and secondary research. This might include the use of case study analysis, survey, content analysis, in-depth interviews, or other research methods. The paper will be due on the last day of class, May 22. More specific information about the paper will be given out in class.
Research Paper Presentation During one of the class meetings at the end of the semester, you will give a 20-30 minute presentation about the project for which you have written your research paper. This presentation should include an overview of the highlights of the issues, a description of your research process, and your analysis of the project.
There are no examinations for this class. There are also no extra credit options.
Attendance and Participation:
As this is a once-a-week seminar, attendance and class participation are required for this course. Since much of the course will be based on in-class discussion, it is important that you be there and contribute your own ideas to the class conversation. If everyone is willing to participate in class activities, the course will be much more interesting and informative for all of us. If you are ill or have an emergency, please let me know in advance of class.
Grades
Your grade for this class will be based on several factors. These include: two short papers (3-5 pages), an in-depth research paper (15-20 pages), research paper presentation, leadership of class discussion, and attendance and class participation. The breakdown for grades and due dates is as follows:
Assignments Due Dates
Short Papers 20% 3/13 and 4/17
Research Paper 40% 5/22
Research Paper Presentation 10% 5/8, 5/15, and 5/22
Leading Class Discussion 10%
Attendance and Participation 20%
One of the most important aspects of communications work is the ability to meet deadlines.
I take deadlines very seriously, and I expect you to do the same. All work will be due at the beginning of class unless otherwise announced. Late assignments will be marked down one grade for each day they are late.
This is a communications class, and accuracy counts. If your writing is filled with mistakes, readers will question your credibility as a practitioner. It is your responsibility to make sure that what you turn in reflects careful research, fact-checking, and proper spelling. In other words, I strongly encourage you to proofread your work carefully.
Honor Code
I trust that the work you turn in to me will be your own and will reflect your own singular efforts in researching and writing the material contained in each assignment. Please refer to the Universitys policy on Academic Dishonesty for information about plagiarism and cheating, which will be enforced in this class.
Office Hours
I will hold regular office hours during the week, and I encourage you to stop in and see me to discuss any questions or observations about the course you may have. If my posted hours conflict with your schedule, you are welcome to schedule an appointment at a time that is more convenient. For the record, I really enjoy seeing students during office hours, so I encourage you to take advantage of them.
Email
You are welcome to email me with any questions or comments you might have, and I will do my best to respond within 24 hours during the school week.
For the purposes of turning in assignments, you may use email only if you cannot be in class because of an emergency. An emailed assignment must reach me by the beginning of the class when it is due, or it will be counted as late.
Classroom Etiquette:
Out of respect for your fellow classmates and for the instructor, all cell phones and pagers should be turned off.
Course Outline and Assignments
The following is a list of topics we will cover during the class in the approximate order we will cover them. We may also have occasional guest speakers. For reading assignments, BW = Balancing on the Wire; MM = Media Management: A Casebook Approach.
Week Topics/Readings
1 - Feb. 6 Introduction to Communication Management
2 - Feb. 13 Theoretical Approaches to Management (BW 1, 2; MM 4)
3 - Feb. 20 Working with People (MM 3; supplemental readings)
4 - Feb. 27 Leadership and Communication (BW 6, 7; MM 2; supplemental readings)
5 - March 6 Strategic Planning and Decisionmaking (BW 5; MM 1, 7; supplemental readings)
6 - March 13 Audience Analysis (BW 11; MM 8) (First short paper due)
7 - March 20 Financial Management (BW 9; MM 10; supplemental readings)
8 - March 27 Impact of Technology (MM 5; supplemental readings)
9 - April 3 Spring Break no class
10 - April 10 Reorganization and Change (BW 12; supplemental readings)
11 - April 17 Marketing and Promotion (BW 8; MM 9; supplemental readings)
(Second short paper due)
12 - April 24 Customer and Client Relations (supplemental readings)
13 - May 1 Legal and Regulatory Issues (BW 13, 14, 15; MM 6)
14 - May 8 Case Presentations
15 - May 15 Case Presentations
16 - May 22 Case Presentations/Conclusions (Research Paper due)