CJ 480/580 SpTp: Crime & the Media
Section
201
Spring 2008
MW 2:00-3:15, Smith
Hall 418
Criminal Justice Department
Smith Hall 774
Phone:
304-696-3087
Fax:
304-696-3085
Email: bora@marshall.edu
Web Page: www.marshall.edu/criminal-justice/bora.htm
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 9:30-12:00
REQUIRED TEXTS
Kappeler, V., & Potter, G. (2005).
The Mythology of Crime and
Criminal Justice (4th Ed).
Prospect Heights, Ill: Waveland Press.
Muraskin, R., & Domash, S.F. (2007).
Crime and the Media: Headlines vs.
Reality. Upper Sadle River, NJ: Pearson
Publishing.
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
This course will analyze images of crime and criminal justice as
portrayed and presented by the mass media.
The focus will primarily be crime on television, movies, and news and
newspaper coverage; more specifically, how the media represents mankind’s
battle against crime and criminals. A
major theme of the course is whether media interpretations of crime, which are
acknowledged by the public to be accurate, complicate society’s understanding
of crime.
“If I use the media, even with tricks, to
publicize a black youth being shot in the back in Teaneck, New Jersey . . .
then I should be praised for it, and it’s more of a comment on them than me
that it would take tricks to make them cover the loss of life.” -Rev. Al Sharpton
PREREQUISITES
None
COMPUTER
REQUIREMENTS
A
student must have a computer or access to one, as well as access to the
Internet to send and receive email messages. If you are using an email account
other than your
DESIRED
LEARNER OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES
The course objectives will be centered on answering the following three
questions (as adapted from Dr. Cecil Greek, 1996):
- What types of criminal behavior and
criminal offenders does the media focus upon?
- How does the media portray the
police, the courts and the administration of criminal law, and the
American correctional system?
- Is media coverage of crime, in
itself, a cause of criminal behavior?
EVALUATION OF
LEARNER OBJECTIVES
·
Examinations
(60%)*:
There will
be two exams during the course of the semester and a final exam. Each exam will be worth 20% of the final
grade. The exams will consist of a
combination of multiple choice, true/false, completion, short answer and essay
questions. The final exam is not comprehensive. The dates for these exams are as follows:
Exam 1 – Monday, February 11
Exam 2 – Monday, March 17
Final Exam – Monday, May 5
(12:45-2:45pm)
*
The weighting for graduate students will vary slightly to account for the
debate requirement (see below). Thus, for graduate students, examinations will
be worth 15% each for a total of 45%.
·
Assignments
& Activities (20%): There
will be a number of activities and assignments (i.e. mini-papers, essays,
reflections, quizzes, etc.) throughout the semester. We will be viewing four feature films, and
you will be required to turn in three reflections on the films of your choice.
These reflections are brief (approx. 2 pages) insightful essays on the movies
as they relate to the readings and what we have discussed in class. They are
not meant to be a summary of the movie. The reflections must be typed and are
due on the class session immediately following the viewing of the film. The
four films we will be watching are: The
Untouchables, American Gangster, 15 Minutes, and Police Academy. There will
be a one-letter grade penalty for late take-home assignments and will not be
accepted after a two day period.
·
Group
Film Project (10%): The main project for the
semester will be the production of a short film. You will be divided into small groups of 4-6
students, and each group will make a “spoof” movie relating to some aspect of
criminal justice. The films will be
screened in-class at the end of the semester.
More information will be provided for this project during the second
week of class.
·
(Graduate
Students only) There will be two
required formal in-class group debates which will constitute 15% of your final
grade. You will be assigned two debate topics along with a corresponding
position on the issues. Your group must research the issues in-depth and prepare
a 30 minute debate on each topic. Specific details regarding the debates will
be provided during the second week of the course.
·
Class
Participation/Attendance (10%): This
class will be conducted as a seminar, which means that everyone is expected to
come fully prepared to discuss the readings. We will, as a group, discuss the
various readings and related issues. It
is absolutely imperative that each person become actively involved in the
discussions, as this is the best way for all of us to get an education. As discussion is such an integral and
important part of this class, 10% of your final grade will be assigned for
class participation/attendance. To earn these points is actually quite simple;
come to each class having read the assignments, having given some thought to
the issues, and prepared to share your thoughts, feelings, etc. Class participation involves not only
asking/answering questions and participation in discussions but attentiveness,
not being chronically late for class, and most importantly attendance (you
can’t participate if you’re not here!).
PAPER GUIDELINES
Brief assignments will be given, as needed, to
strengthen the understanding of concepts covered in class. Guidelines for these
assignments will be handed out in class accordingly. There are no major papers for this course.
READING
ASSIGNMENTS
Reading
assignments can be found on the tentative course schedule at the end of this
syllabus. These readings are meant to reinforce the class lectures/discussions,
and it is expected that the readings are completed prior to class. Quizzes on
the readings will be randomly given, so you will be responsible for all
readings assigned- no excuses!
ATTENDANCE
POLICY
Attendance will be recorded daily. Poor attendance will have an adverse
effect on your class participation grade because you can’t participate if you’re
not here! For classes that meet
twice per week 7.5 points will be taken off for each unexcused absence. These
points will be deducted from a total possible 100 points. Unexcused absences
are those that do not fall into the list of excused categories identified in
the university catalog: (1) university sponsored activities; (2) absences as a
result of personal illness or a death in the family; and (3) absences resulting
from major religious holidays. For a more detailed explanation of these
categories, please see the undergraduate catalog under the heading of “Class
Attendance.” All excused absences must be presented to the professor with
proper documentation. No excuses will be accepted after the class
period immediately following the class that was missed.
*Special Note about Attendance on
Video Days: There will be numerous videos shown throughout the course of
the semester. These videos are very important and are not meant to be “skip”
days. If you miss class on a video day, it is your responsibility to get the
notes on the video from a classmate. Please be advised that I do not loan out any of my tapes/DVDs,
as these are my only copies, and I doubt that some of them are available as
rentals.
If you miss an exam with no legitimate documented excuse a zero will be
given for that test with no make-up test.
If you are ill or know in advance that you will miss an exam for a
legitimate excuse, you (or your representative) must notify me BEFORE
the scheduled exam time (if I am not notified before the exam, you will be
given a zero regardless of the excuse). For those students who do contact me and
have a legitimate excuse (as defined in the preceding paragraph), an
alternative time to take the exam will be determined. The format of the
make-up exams will be left to my discretion. In addition, students who are late
on exam day will not be permitted to take the exam if another student(s) has
already completed the exam and has left the classroom; the exam in this case
has been compromised. In other words, you will NOT be able to take the
exam or take a make-up exam. There are no make-ups for pop quizzes or in-class
assignments with or without an excuse; however, if a valid documented
excuse is presented [and accepted by the professor] the score will be waived,
but it is the student’s responsibility to notify the professor regarding a
missed quiz (i.e., “I will not hunt you down”). Also, as stated previously, no
excuses will be accepted after the class period immediately following the class
that was missed.
GRADES
|
Criteria |
Weight (Undergraduate) |
Weight (Graduate) |
Scale |
|
Exam
1 |
20% |
15% |
90-100% = A |
|
Exam
2 |
20% |
15% |
80-89% = B |
|
Final
Exam |
20% |
15% |
70-79% = C |
|
Assignments/Activities/Quizzes |
20% |
20% |
60-69% = D |
|
Group
Film Project |
10% |
10% |
Below 60% =
F |
|
Class
Participation/Attendance |
10% |
10% |
|
|
Debates
(graduate students only) |
not
applicable |
15% |
|
|
TOTAL
|
100% |
100% |
|
BORA’S “TEN
COMMANDMENTS”
1. As a general rule, I don’t allow my lectures to be tape-recorded. Exceptions
are made for students with disabilities, however prior permission must be
obtained from the professor.
2. All cell phones must be turned off and put away (out of view) at the
commencement of class, with the exception of emergency service personnel. Cell
phones are disruptive not only to me, but your fellow students, so please be
courteous. You will receive only one warning if your cell phone goes off in
class, or if I catch you playing with it during class.
3. You may NOT eat during class. This means food of any kind (chips,
sandwiches, candy, etc.). However, drinks are permitted (non-alcoholic of
course). Also, you should not be working on anything not related to this class
once class commences (this includes reading, copying other’s notes, knitting,
playing games on your cell phone, etc.).
4. Do NOT leave the classroom once class has started, unless it is an
absolute emergency or you have notified me before class that you will be
leaving. You should use the restroom, get a drink of water, make a phone call,
etc. before class starts.
5. Don’t cheat or plagiarize!
Academic dishonesty is something I take very seriously and will not
tolerate. Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing will automatically receive a
failing grade for the course and will be referred to the dean for appropriate
disciplinary action. Plagiarism from the internet has become a very serious
problem and professors now have access to various software programs to identify
this behavior, so at this point in your academic career, don’t risk it!
6. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, the dumbest question is the one not
asked! If you ask a question I can’t
answer, I’ll find out the answer and get back to you. Please remember that as a teacher, I am
merely your guide through the field, I am not the field itself!
7. During discussions please respect different viewpoints; there is always
more than one side. Treat others’ views
as you would want your own to be treated, with an open mind. Personal attacks
on others will not be tolerated!
8. I like to run my classes as an open forum where we can all learn from
each other, so I encourage intelligent discussions, questions, and comments,
but at the same time we have to remember that we are at a university setting
and must act accordingly.
9. I encourage all my students to make use of my office hours, they are
there for you. If you can’t make it at the scheduled times, let me know and we
can arrange to meet at another time.
However, this invitation is only for those students who come to class on
a regular basis and put forth a genuine effort to learn. Also, please keep in mind that I have a life
too and while my office hours are mandatory, my other time is not, so my
flexibility can only extend so far.
10. Enjoy! Have fun! Learn! Some students
feel that each of these endeavors are independent of each other, they are
not. You can enjoy and have fun while
learning. I hope to make it as
comfortable as I can for you, but it will take some work on your part as well.
TENTATIVE
COURSE SCHEDULE
|
Week 1 |
Jan 14 & 16 |
|
-Mythmakers -The Media & Reality (Read Kappeler |
|
|
Jan 14-18: Late Registration
and Add/Drop (Schedule Adjustment) |
|
|
Week 2 |
Jan 21 & 23 |
|
-No class Monday,
January 21 (MLK Holiday) -What Makes Crime News? (Read Muraskin Ch. 3-6) |
|
|
Jan 22-Mar 21: “W” Withdrawal Period (for individual
classes) |
|
|
Week 3 |
Jan 28 & 30 |
|
-“Reefer
Madness” -Media Images of Crime & Criminals (Read Kappeler |
|
|
Week 4 |
Feb 4 & 6 |
|
-Varieties of Media Crime (Read Kappeler |
|
|
Week 5 |
Feb 11 & 13 |
|
-Exam 1 (Feb 11) -Graduate Student
Debate # 1 (Feb 13) -The Media & Organized Crime (Read Kappeler |
|
|
Week 6 |
Feb 18 & 20 |
|
-Movie: “The Untouchables” |
|
|
Week 7 |
Feb 25 & 27 |
|
-Juvenile Delinquency in the Media -Reel Cops vs. Real Cops (Read Kappeler Ch. 9 & 10 and
Muraskin Ch. 13) |
|
|
Week 8 |
Mar 3 & 5 |
|
-Police & the News Media -The Media & The Drug War (Read Kappeler Ch. 8 and Muraskin Ch.
14 & 15) |
|
|
Week 9 |
Mar 10 & 12 |
|
-Movie: “American
Gangster” |
|
|
Week 10 |
Mar 17 & 19 |
|
-Exam 2 (Mar 17) -Graduate Student
Debate # 2 (Mar 19) |
|
|
Mar 21: Last Day to Drop a Full Semester Individual Course |
|
|
Week 11 |
Mar 24 & 26 |
|
Spring Break- Classes Dismissed |
|
|
Mar 24-May 2: Complete Withdrawals Only |
|
|
Week 12 |
Mar 31 & Apr 2 |
|
- -Courts and the Media (Read Kappeler |
|
|
Week 13 |
Apr 7 & 9 |
|
-The Media as a Cause of Crime -Movie: “15 minutes” -No class Wednesday,
April 9 (Assessment Day) |
|
|
Week 14 |
Apr 14 & 16 |
|
-Finish “15 minutes” -Punishment & Prison in the Media
(Read Kappeler Ch. 12-14 and Muraskin
Ch. 16 & 17) |
|
|
Week 15 |
Apr 21 & 23 |
|
-Movie: “Police Academy” -The Media as a Cure for Crime (Read Kappeler
Ch. 15 and Muraskin Ch. 18-21) |
|
|
Week 16 |
Apr 28 & 30 |
|
-Student Film Screenings |
|
|
May 2: Last Class Day and Last Day to Completely Withdraw
for Fall Semester |
|
|
Week 17 |
May 5 |
|
Final Exam (Monday, May 5, 12:45-2:45) |
|
GRADE
INQUIRIES
Student materials will be returned as soon as
graded to the student. If the student has a question about a grade on an
assignment, the student must bring the assignment to the professor. No grade
inquiries about specific assignments will be explored without the questioned
assignment. It is the student's responsibility to keep their materials. Final
examinations and materials not picked up will be kept in my office for 30 days
into the next semester. At that time, all material not claimed will be
destroyed.