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Media Studies 111: Media History Fall 2020

Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:10-2:00 PM Online Format: Lectures accessible via Zoom Link:

https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/96549667054?pwd=MmxoSUNscjlnNTdMU3pvaUtqQ2lWZz09

Instructor: Matthew Berry Instructor Email: matthewberry@berkeley.edu (please include “MS 111” in the subject line) Office Hours Zoom Link: https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/2721633070 Office Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 2:30-4:00 PM Readers:

• Sneha Chowdhary (snehachow@berkeley.edu) • Brinda Gurusamy (brinda_gurusamy@berkeley.edu) • Paulina Hartono (hartono@berkeley.edu) • Vineet Vashist (vineetvashist@berkeley.edu)

Course Overview

This lecture course covers the modern global history of media forms, with a focus on interactions between new media technologies and emerging modern power structures. We will examine how and why historical agents responded to, made use of, and tried to regulate new information technologies such as the printing press, the telephone, the radio, the camera, the television, and the internet. Lectures will consider the impact of specific media technologies on the historical development of colonial empires, nationalist revolutions, ideological movements, and the modern global economy. Special attention will be paid to the ways emerging media forms affected perceptions of politics, society, and culture.

Learning Objectives After taking this course, you should be able to:

1. Understand how new media technologies can either reinforce or disrupt modern power structures in different historical contexts.

2. Think and write critically about how historical agents perceived, capitalized on, and sought to mitigate the impacts of new media forms.

3. Use historical examples to consider the impact and implications of emerging information technologies in the present and future.

Course Policies

Academic Honesty

I expect all students in this class to abide by the UC Berkeley Honor Code: "As a member of the UC Berkeley community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others." The language of the UC Berkeley Honor Code addresses many aspects of academic conduct, including plagiarism and cheating.

• Plagiarism, or using someone else’s words or ideas without attribution, is a serious academic offense.

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• Cheating is the use or attempted use of materials that are prohibited or inappropriate in the context of the academic assignment in question.

• Assistance other students by providing prohibited or inappropriate materials is also considered cheating.

• Any proven act of plagiarism or cheating can result in a ZERO for that assignment or exam. Depending on the severity of the offense, I may send a report to the Center for Student Conduct as well.

Equity and Fairness

This course is designed with the needs of all students in mind. The guiding principle for this course is fairness and equality of opportunity for all students, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services. If you feel you have been unfairly treated or discriminated against for reasons related to any of these protective statuses or any other protected status, I encourage you to please contact me immediately to convey your concerns so that we can address them quickly and decisively.

Grading Policy

Grading in Media Studies 111 takes place under the assumption that students should receive equivalent grades for equivalent answers or work. The purpose of grading is to assess a student’s work based on how well a student meets criteria established for a given assignment. Grading shall be based solely on the instructor or reader’s evaluation of how well a student's performance (project, paper, exam question, or student participation) addresses specific requirements. Assignment criteria will be clearly established in assignment prompts and rubrics distributed to students at the time assignments are announced. Students shall have the opportunity to inquire about their grades or to seek additional explanation as needed. Readers will cycle through the student roster upon each new assignment, thereby ensuring that students will be graded once by each reader, or, alternatively, by the instructor. Once a graded assignment has been returned to a student and after any announced “cooling off” periods have elapsed, the student may contact the reader responsible for grading their work to obtain further feedback if students have unresolved questions or concerns about the grades or comments received. Both students and readers are expected to be respectful and professional in their communication. Any concerns regarding student-reader communication should be directed to the instructor. Any changes to a student’s grade must be made following the MS 111 Grade Dispute policy.

Grade Dispute Policy

If a student and reader both agree an error or misreading has taken resulted in an inaccurate grade, they may jointly submit a Request for Grade Change to the instructor, who holds sole and final authority for all grade changes. If a student and reader do not agree to a grade change, the student may contact the instructor in a timely manner to address their concerns. The

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instructor will make themselves available for individual Zoom sessions after graded assignments have been returned and students have had sufficient opportunity to reach out to readers with concerns. Students have the right to request the instructor grade their work anew. Any grade determined by the instructor is final and replaces any grades assigned by a reader, regardless of whether the instructor’s determination of the student’s grade is higher, lower, or the same as that of a reader who graded the same work. Students are encouraged to consider this option carefully prior to requesting the instructor grade an assignment. If students do not request the instructor grade their work anew, the grade assigned by readers will be considered final fourteen (14) days after the graded assignment has been returned to students.

Ability Accommodations

All students, regardless of ability or impairment, are welcome in MS 111. The University is available to help students with disabilities (this includes visible and nonvisible disabilities). Students with disabilities that require accommodations must make their status known to the University through consultation with the Disabled Students’ Program: http://www.dsp.berkeley.edu/. The instructor is unable to provide accommodations other than those identified in a DSP accommodations letter, so it is important that students with disabilities requiring accommodations reach out the Disabled Students’ Program early on to initiate the accommodations process. If you have any questions or concerns regarding DSP accommodations, please let me know via email (matthewberry@berkeley.edu). I will reach out to all students with DSP accommodations at the beginning of the semester, prior to major assignments and exams, and as needed during the semester. I will work closely with students needing DSP accommodations and, if needed, with DSP specialists, to ensure that disability needs are met. I understand that the shift to an online only format this semester creates added challenges for students with disabilities. If you have concerns related to how DSP accommodations can be met within the online only format or in regard to other University measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please reach out to me by email (matthewberry@berkeley.edu) so that we may discuss your needs and how they can be met.

Campus Resources for COVID-19

Below I provide a list of resources UC Berkeley has made available so that we may effectively adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 Pandemic

• I recommend that you download the Office of Emergency Management’s Cal Emergency Preparedness app for your phone.

• COVID-19 Resources and Support (https://coronavirus.berkeley.edu/)

• Student Technology Equity Program (STEP) (https://technology.berkeley.edu/STEP)- If you are an undergraduate or graduate student in need of hardware or internet access please visit the program’s webpage and complete the application to be considered.

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• University Health Services (UHS) COVID-19 Information webpage (https://uhs.berkeley.edu/coronavirus-covid-19- information)

Communication Policy

You may contact me via email (matthewberry@berkeley.edu) to address individual concerns and issues, as well as to ask questions about course policies, assignments, and content. I will do my best to respond to emails received by Thursday within 24 hours. For any messages sent on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, please anticipate a response by the following Monday. I expect email communication to be conducted in a respectful, professional, and direct manner. Any questions or issues of a sensitive nature are best handled in a private, individual Zoom meeting, as e-mail is often not the best way to discuss such topics. If you would like to set up an individual Zoom appointment outside of my regular Zoom office hours, please provide days and times that you are available. I will impose a 24-hour email blackout prior to essay deadlines. This policy is in place to dissuade students from waiting too long to begin working on their essays. I will respond to emails received during these blackout periods only if: A) you have a genuine, documentable emergency. B) you have a "Yes or No" question I can quickly and easily answer (please phrase your question so that I can answer "Yes" or "No"). C) I have previously granted you an extension on your assignment (in which case the 24-hour email blackout applies instead to your revised deadline)

Illnesses and Absences from

Lecture

Good health is essential to effective learning and productive work. This is especially true now that we are facing an international pandemic. If you find yourself becoming ill, please reach out to University Health Services or another suitable health provider to check up on your symptoms. I provide all students three free absences from lecture. Students are expected to use these three free absences in the event of minor illnesses. You are encouraged to use these three free absences wisely as any further absences beyond the third will impact your attendance and participation grades (see more in the Attendance and Participation sections below). In the event you become seriously ill, please reach out to me so that we can make address your attendance and participation grades as well as any course material you will miss. If I feel your circumstances warrant excusal beyond the three free absences, I may offer to excuse additional absences. Please note that unless I also grant an extension, the deadline for any assignments due will remain unchanged.

Dealing with Chronic or Acute

Stress

One of the most important, yet often overlooked aspects of a university education is learning how to manage stress. Here are some things that work for me and many of your peers: • Take breaks from studying and working. If possible, take the

opportunity to engage in physical activity as this relieves stress, supports general physical and mental well-being, and improves cognitive function. If your circumstances do not allow for physical activity, engage in an activity you find relaxing such as reading for pleasure, meditating, or listening to music.

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• Talk with a friend, a colleague, or an instructor (such as…me!). Many of us fail to share our feelings of stress because we think we are alone in experiencing those feelings. However, we are only alone if we choose to be. By sharing our feelings of stress and anxiety, we can help each other address those feelings and potentially find solutions to their underlying causes.

• Reach out to University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). This is an amazing resource staffed by caring people who understand stress and want to help you. You can reach CAPS at (510) 642-9494 (business hours) and after-hours (855) 817-5667.

Scheduling Conflicts

If you have scheduling conflicts that will interfere with the deadlines for assignments this course, please let me know as soon as possible and no later than the third week of the semester. I will work with you to arrange an appropriate alternative, although I cannot guarantee an accommodation in all cases.

Late Work and Extensions

An important part of studying at UC Berkeley is learning to manage deadlines. Please keep track of when assignments are due and make an effort not to turn in assignments late. Please note that for an assignment to be considered “submitted,” the complete assignment must be uploaded to Bcourses. You are responsible for ensuring you successfully upload your final draft. Please double-check! If you experience extenuating circumstances that you anticipate will impact your ability to turn in work in a timely manner, please contact me by email to discuss the matter. I may offer suggestions to help you meet an assignment deadline or, if I feel your circumstances warrant, I may offer a limited extension for a particular assignment. I generally do not offer extensions longer than three days, except in the event of an extraordinary emergency.

Paper Drafts, Rewrites, and

Writing Resources

I encourage you to join Zoom office hours when working on your essays for this course. I also encourage you to ask me general questions about researching, organizing, and writing as well as questions pertaining to specific aspects of your papers. In the interest of fairness to all students, I am not able to review full rough drafts, but I will gladly review and offer my thoughts on outlines, thesis statements, and short sections (roughly 1-2 paragraphs). I do not offer the option to rewrite papers in this course. It is your responsibility to adequately prepare your papers, which involves consultations in office hours, paper planning and drafting, and close proofreading. The Writing Program at the Berkeley Student Center is a fantastic resource available to all UC Berkeley students: http://slc.berkeley.edu/writing. I encourage you to reach out to the Writing Program during the earlier stages of essay writing to arrange a Zoom appointment or to attend a Zoom session.