Course Contents

COMM 432, Media in Film, is an entirely online, asynchronous course. In case you do not know, asynchronous means, in the context of online teaching, that we will NOT meet at regular times as a group. You will find online all the material you need to success in the course. You will have the flexibility to work whenever you can plan it in your schedule. It is, thus, very important that you regularly (at least once a day) log in to Blackboard Learn in order to keep up to date.

Media in Film has to be regarded as a complement to the existing departmental courses in Mass Communication (COMM 230 Intro to Mass Communication, COMM 405 Principles and Process of Mass Communication and COMM 431 Mass Media and Society). In those courses, we study the nature and development of Mass Communication and the impact of Mass Media on individuals and society.
This course explores how the same topics are treated in filmic fiction. The human being is, as defined by Walter Fisher, a narrative animal. We invent and tell stories in order to make sense of the world around us, our society, our lives. There is a rich tradition of movies that delve into the media industry. The filmmakers study through their characters’ fates the nature of mass communication and how media shape the life of the people who work for them or are exposed to them. Filmmakers do not want to establish theories, systematic explanation of what Mass Communication is and how it works. Their approach is much more intuitive. Narrators usually have a stronger sensibility that allows them to cast a personal glance on the issues they touch and describe in their stories. We will use this especial feature of storytellers to approach the study of mass communication from a new perspective.
The course will analyze how advertising, public relations, TV or Radio, are portrayed in the selected films. We will try to compensate the visions. We will combine critical movies with other stories that deal with the subject in a more positive – in some cases also ideal – way. Since digital communication technologies are introducing a new communication paradigm that blurs the traditional difference between mass and interpersonal communication, we will end the course with a reflection on the power of new media to establish virtual relationships.
In addition to watching the mandatory movies, the course has a reading intensive aspect. Our methodology will base on a constant comparison of the film contents with theoretical work of classic authors in Mass Communication. We want to see to what extent the intuition of the filmmakers coincides with the observations of the experts in the field.

Literature

Public Opinion

Lippmann, Walter, 1922.

Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

McLuhan, Marshall, 1964

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Postman, Neil, 1985

The Disappearance of Childhood

Postman, Neil, 1982

PR! A Social History of Spin

Ewen, Stuart, 1996

Positioning, The Battle for your Mind

Ries, Al & Trout, Jack, 1982

Captains of Consciousness. Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture

Ewen, Stuart, 1976

New Media: A Critical Introduction

Lister, M et all, 2009

Grading

Exams
	Midterm Exam	20%
	Final Exam	35%
Film Analysis Paper		25%
Participation		20%

Grading Table:

A (94-100); A- (90-93); B+ (86-89); B (83-85); B- (79-82); C+ (76-78); C (73-75) C- (69-72); D+ (66-68); D (63-65); D- (60-62); F (0-60)

Graded Assignments:

Exams

There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. There will be no make-up exams (except for well documented medical emergencies). Exams will cover both the contents of the learning units and the readings. Midterm and Final Exam will be completed in Blackboard Learn.

Film Analysis Paper

You will have to write a Film Analysis Paper,  worth 20% of your final grade, following the APA style guidelines. The first step is to select a movie that deals with the subject of Mass Communication and analyze it on the basis of the theories discussed in the course. You can find a good selection of films in film collection page in this Website.
You can perfectly write your film analysis in 8-10 pages (doubles spaced, Times New Roman font size 12).

Papers are delivered online through the particular assignment’s page in Blackboard Learn. I will not accept papers sent through any e-mail system. Make sure that you attach you paper as a PDF or Microsoft WORD document. If you send the assignment in any other format, I may not be able to open it.

YOU CANNOT USE ANY OF THE MANDATORY FILMS FOR THE FILM ANALYSIS PAPER.

Participation

Each Student is expected to participate in the online discussion forums that will be announced every week in the course’s home page in Blackboard Learn. The participation grade will be based on the regularity of your participation and the quantity and quality of your entries.

Policies

Please Note: The instructor reserves the ultimate right to modify the schedule of activities, assignments and tests for the class as it deems necessary. In addition, the professor reserves his rights to assess the overall ability of the students to meet the expectations of the course and will exercise his right to pass or fail the student accordingly.

Incompletes: The University’s policy on the awarding of incompletes is discussed in the catalog and will be followed in this class.

Academic Integrity: CCSU has a zero tolerance policy on academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes cheating on homework or exams, and also plagiarism. The unauthorized use of AI can also be regarded as academic misconduct (for instance, the use of AI tools – ChatGPT, or similar – to answer multiple choice, true/false or short essay questions). In written assignments, submission of AI-generated text as one’s own work is considered plagiarism. Demonstrated cases of academic dishonesty can result in severe penalties, including receiving an “F” in the class.

To learn more about this subject, please read CCSU’s policy of academic misconduct at ccsu/academicintegrity

Particularly relevant is the page dedicated to academic misconduct.

Special Needs: Please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs if you believe you need course accommodations based on the impact of a disability, medical condition, or if you have emergency medical information to share. I will need a copy of the accommodation letter from Student Disability Services in order to arrange your class accommodations. Contact Student Disability Services, room 241, Copernicus Hall if you are not already registered with them. Student Disability Services maintains the confidential documentation of your disability and assists you in coordinating reasonable accommodations with your faculty. 

Diversity Statement

The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (“CSCU”) is committed to providing an educational and employment environment that is free from discrimination and/or harassment based on protected characteristics, and/or retaliation, including retaliation under applicable federal and state laws for engaging in protected activity. To ensure compliance with federal, state, and local civil rights laws and regulations, and to affirm its commitment to promoting the goals of fairness and equity in all aspects of its education program or activity, CSCU has developed this Discriminatory Harassment, Nondiscrimination, and Title IX Policy (the “Policy”) that provides for a prompt, fair, and impartial resolution of allegations of protected characteristic discrimination, harassment, and/or allegations of retaliation. CSCU values and upholds the equal dignity of all members of its community and strives to balance the rights of all individuals when resolving allegations during what is often a difficult time for all involved. https://www.ccsu.edu/OEI

I adhere to the university’s diversity policy. Please, take the time to read the whole statement.

Week	Course Contents
Week 0 1/21 to 1/23	Introduction to the Course
Week 1 1/26 to 1/30	The Medium is the Message Broadcast News (James L. Brooks, 1987)
Week 2 2/2 to 2/6	Amusing Ourselves to Death Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976)
Week 3 2/9 to 2/13	The Disappearance of Childhood Being There (Hal Ashby, 1979)
Week 4 2/16 to 2/20	Muckrakers All the President’s Men (Alan J. Pakula, 1976)
Week 5 2/23 to 2/27	Mass Media and Democracy The Front Page (Billy Wilder, 1974)
Week 6 3/2 to 3/6	Radio Radio Days (Woody Allen, 1987)
Week 7 3/9 to 3/13	Midterm Exam Friday, March 13
3/16 to 3/20	Spring Break
Week 8 3/23 to 3/27	Public Relations Thank You for Smoking (Jason Reitman, 2005)
Week 9 3/30 to 4/3	Political Communication Wag the Dog (Barry Levinson, 1998 )
Week 10 4/6 to 4/10	Advertising Advertising Rules (Lars Kraume, 2001)
Week 11 4/13 to 4/17	Cinema – Factory of Dreams The Purple Rose of Cairo (Woody Allen, 1985)
Week 12 4/20 to 4/24	Cinema: The Production Process La Nuit Américaine (François Truffaut, 1983)
Week 13 4/27 to 5/1	New Technologies The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010)
Week 14 5/4 to 5/8	5/8 Film Analysis Paper Due
5/11 to 5/15	Final Exams

University Calendar

Martin Luther King Holiday – No Classes	January 19
100% tuition refund withdrawal deadline (full-time students)	January 20
First Day of Classes	January 21
Last Day to Drop a Course without “W”	February 10
Withdrawal Period (no permission required)	February 11 – April 21
Presidents’ Holiday Recess – No Classes	February 13 – February 16
Spring Break – No Classes	March 17 – March 23
Fall 2026 Academic Advising period	March 23 – April 2
INC grades from Spring & Summer lapse to “F” (undergraduates)	March 24
Summer 2026 registration begins	March 25
Fall 2026 registration begins for matriculated students	April 2
Day of Reflection Recess – No Classes	April 3 – April 5
Late Course Withdrawal Period (permission required)	April 22 – May 17
Last Day of Classes	May 10
Final Exam Period	May 11 – May 17