Political Communication syllabus

School of Media and Communication Department of Communication

COMM 4020 Political Communication

Fall 2016

Professor: Dr. Lara Martin Lengel, Professor, Department of Communication, School of Media and Communication

Time and place of class: Wednesdays, 6 – 9 pm, 208 Kuhlin Center Office: 314 Kuhlin Center, 419-372-7653 Office hours: Tuesdays, 2:30-4:00 pm, and Thursdays, 2:30–4:00 pm

(or by appointment; please email with “appointment” in your subject header if the above times do not work with your schedule)

E-mail: [email protected]

COURSE OVERVIEW

University Catalogue Course Description: Rhetorical theories and practices are central in this study of political campaign communication. Emphasis is placed on contemporary presidential campaigns and mediated messages. Prerequisites: COMM 1020 and COMM 2010, or consent of instructor. Purpose of the Course: The course provides a detailed overview of research on political communication and its role in informing, influencing, and legitimizing decisions is crucial to both domestic and international politics. By analyzing the relationship between political actors, communication channels, and the public, students will gain an understanding of the ways in which dominant ideologies shape communication strategies, an understanding of the ways in which communication strategies shape political public opinion. Students will evaluate the effects of political communication campaigns on people’s attitudes, opinions and systems of beliefs. Analyzing the actors, technologies, and forms of communication that together constitute public debate, the course focuses closely on the processes of political communication, with an eye to how the state, press, political parties, civil society organizations, social movements, campaigns, and the public interact to shape public life and produce political culture. It considers the social and technological contexts that shape the production, distribution, and reception of political communication. At the same time, the course situates political communication broadly to encompass the vast range of symbolic political expression, from political advertisements to protest events. This course sets itself off from those situated in mediated communication as it focuses on how politics shapes our identity, our relationships, and our communities, and highlights relational/interpersonal, rhetorical aspects of politics, and the role of engaged citizenship in political processes and deliberative democracy.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Course learning objectives: By the end of this course, learners will:

Learning Objective (hereafter: LO) 1: Read and critically analyze current research in political communication from multiple research paradigms in the communication discipline and related disciplines.

COMM 4020 Political Communication 2

LO2: Understand the production, dissemination, procession and effects of information, both through media and interpersonally, within a political context. LO3: Investigate the complexity of political communication and its relationship with culture and communication. Through this investigation, you will become critical consumers of media as well as sensitive and articulate global communicators. LO4: Understand both fundamental and advanced concepts of political communication, and connect theory and practice of political communication, linking the theories taught in this course to your own life experiences and views on the world. LO5: Identify and analyze major trends in political campaigning, with a special attention to the role of relational and interpersonal communication in the formation of political opinions and in the emergence of political discourses and identities. Department of Communication learning objectives: This course also aligns with the learning objectives of the Department of Communication: Recognize the importance of communication across three related areas of emphasis: a) relational communication, b) intercultural/global communication, and c) advocacy; Understand core communication theories and concepts and apply them in their daily lives; Demonstrate competence in theories and concepts from one of the three areas of emphasis (i.e., relational communication, intercultural/global communication, rhetoric and public communication) and be prepared to apply them in their daily lives; Evaluate communication research studies critically; Research, develop, organize, and deliver effective and ethical written and oral presentations.

READINGS Required readings: Gastil, J.W. (2008). Political communication and deliberative democracy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN-13: 978-1412916288; ISBN-10: 1412916283 Lilleker, D. (2006). Key concepts in political communication. London, England: Sage. ISBN-13: 978-1412918312; ISBN-10: 1412918316 Required chapters from the following book are posted on Canvas: McNair, B. (2011). An introduction to political communication (5th edition). London, England: Routledge. ISBN-13: 978-0415596442 ; ISBN-10: 0415596440 Additional required and recommended readings will be chosen from the following. Permalinks from the BGSU libraries databases are available on Canvas: Alesina, A. & Giuliano, P. (2009). Family ties and political participation. IZA discussion papers, No. 4150. Retrieved from http://nbn-resolving.de/ Anduiza, E., Jensen, M., & Jorba, L. (2012). Comparing digital politics: Digital media and political engagement around the world. New York: Cambridge University Press. Arceneaux, K., & Johnson, M. (2013). Changing minds or changing channels? Partisan news in an age of choice. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.


Austin, E. W., & Pinkleton, B. E. (2001). The role of parental mediation in the political socialization process. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 221-240. Bächtiger, A., Niemeyer, S., Neblo, M., Steenbergen, M.R., & Steiner, J. (2010). Disentangling diversity in deliberative democracy: Competing theories, their empirical blind spots and complementarities. Journal of Political Philosophy, 18(1), 32-63. Baum, M., & Groeling, T. (2008). New media and the polarization of American political discourse, Political Communication, 25, 345-365. Baumgartner, J., & Morris, J. (2006). The Daily Show effect: Candidate evaluations, efficacy, and the American youth. American Politics Research, 34, 341-367. Baym, G. (2007). Representation & the politics of play: Stephen Colbert’s Better Know A District. Political Communication, 24(4). Baym, G., & Jones, J.P. (Eds.) (2012). News parody and political satire across the globe. London, England: Routledge. Bennett, W. L., Breunig, C., & Givens, T. (2008). Communication and political mobilization: Digital media and the organization of anti-Iraq war demonstrations in the U.S. Political Communication, 25(3), 269-289. Bennett, W. L., & Iyengar, S. (2008). A new era of minimal effects? The changing foundations of political communication. Journal of Communication, 58(4), 707–731. Bennett, W. L., & Segerberg, A. (2012). The logic of connective action: Digital media and the personalization of contentious politics. Information, Communication & Society, 15(5), 739–768. Bimber, B., Stohl, C., & Flanagin, A. J. (2009). Technological change and the shifting nature of political organization. In A. Chadwick & P. N. Howard (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Internet Politics. London: Routledge. Boulianne, S. (2009). Does Internet use affect engagement? A meta-analysis of research. Political Communication, 26, 193-211. Cao, X. (2010). Hearing it from Jon Stewart: The impact of The Daily Show on public attentiveness to politics. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 22 (1), 26-46. Carlin, Diana B. and Kelly L. Winfrey. 2009. “Have You Come a Long Way, Baby? Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Sexism in 2008 Campaign Coverage,” Communication Studies, vol. 60 (4): 326-343. Cassara, C., & Lengel, L. (2014). 100Reporters whistleblower’s alley. In K. Harvey (ed.), Encyclopedia of social media and politics (pp. 912-913). Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press/SAGE. Chernyuk, I. (2013). Interpersonal communication about politics among Russian migrants in Finland. Unpublished masters thesis, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. Cho, J. (2005). Media, interpersonal discussion, and electoral choice. Communication Research, 32(3), 295-322. Couldry, N. (2010). Why voice matters: Culture and politics after neoliberalism. London: Sage. Dalton, R. (2008). Citizenship norms and the expansion of political participation. Political Studies, 56, 76-98.


Davis, A. (2010). Political communication and social theory. London, England: Routledge. De Vreese, C. H., & Boomgaarden, H. G. (2006). Media message flows and interpersonal communication: The conditional nature of effects on public opinion. Communication Research, 33, 1-19. Druckman, J. N. (2000). The power of television images: The first Kennedy-Nixon debate revisited. Journal of Politics, 65, 559-71. Entman, R. (2007). Framing Bias: Media in the Distribution of Power. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 163–173. Fahey, A. C. (2007). French and feminine: Hegemonic masculinity and the emasculation of John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential race. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 24(2), 132-150. Frank, D. (2009). The prophetic voice and the face of the Other in Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” address. Rhetoric and Public Affairs, 12(2). Ghonim, W. (2012). Revolution 2.0: The power of the people is greater than the people in power. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Graber, D.A., & Smith, J. (2005). Political communication faces the 21st century. Journal of Communication, 55(3), 479-507. Groeling, T., & Baum, M.A. (2008). Crossing the water’s edge: Elite rhetoric, media coverage and the rally-around-the-flag phenomenon. Journal of Politics, 70, 1065-1085. Hart, R.P., & Hartelius, J. (2007). The political sins of Jon Stewart. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 24, 263-272. Hayes, D. (2013). The news anew? Political coverage in a transformed media age. In T. N. Ridout (Ed.), New directions in media and politics (pp. 193-209). New York, NY: Routledge. Hopmann, D. N. (2012). The consequences of political disagreement in interpersonal communication: New insights from a comparative perspective. European Journal of Political Research, 51(2), 265-287. Iskander, E. (2011). Connecting the National and the Virtual: Can Facebook Activism Remain Relevant After Egypt's January 25 Uprising? International Journal of Communication, 5, 1225-1237. Johansen, M. S., & Joslyn, M. R. (2008). Political persuasion during times of crisis: The effects of education and news media on citizens’ factual information about Iraq. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 85(3), 591-608. Jomini Stroud, N. (2011). Niche news: The politics of news choice. New York, NY: Oxford University. Jones, A. S. (2009). Losing the news: The future of the news that feeds democracy. In D. A. Graber (Ed.), Media power in politics (Sixth Edition) (pp. 57-65). Washington, DC: CQ Press. Jones, J. P. (2010). New political television: Questioning news media’s regime of truth. In Entertaining politics: Satiric television and political engagement (Second Edition) (pp. 63-92). Boulder, CO: Rowman and Littlefield. Jorba, L. & Bimber, B. (2012). The impact of digital media on citizenship from a global perspective. In E. Anduiza, M. Jensen, & L. Jorba (Eds.). Digital media and political engagement


worldwide: A comparative study (pp. 16-38). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Karpf, D. (2012). The MoveOn effect: The unexpected transformation of American political advocacy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Kreiss, D., & Tufekci, Z. (2013). Occupying the political: Occupy Wall Street, collective action and the rediscovery of pragmatic politics. Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies, 13(3). Lawless, J., & Fox, R L. (2010). It still takes a candidate: Why women don't run for office. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Lengel, L. (2014). Geo-locational enabling; Mobile connectivity, trends in politics; Pretty Good Privacy (PGP); and TunilLeaks.org. In K. Harvey (ed.), Encyclopedia of social media and politics. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press/SAGE.

Lengel, L., & Warmuth, A. (2014). Google AdWords/AdSense in campaign strategy. In K. Harvey (ed.), Encyclopedia of social media and politics (pp. 591-593). Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press/SAGE.

Lengel, L. (2014). Mobile connectivity, trends in politics; Pretty Good Privacy (PGP); and TunilLeaks.org. In K. Harvey (ed.), Encyclopedia of social media and politics. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press/SAGE.

Morris, J.S., & Baumgartner, J.C. (2008). The Daily Show and attitudes toward the news media. In J.C. Baumgartner & J. S. Morris (Eds.), Laughing matters: Humor and American politics in the media age (pp. 315-331). New York, NY: Routledge. Mutz, D. C., & Reeves, B. (2005). The new videomalaise: Effects of televised incivility on political trust.” American Political Science Review, 99, 1-15. Neuman, W. R., Bimber, B., & Hindman, M. (2011). The internet and four dimensions of citizenship. In G. C. Edwards III, L. R. Jacobs, & R. Y. Shapiro (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of American public opinion and the media (pp. 22-42). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Prior, M. (2007). Post-broadcast democracy: How media choice increases inequality in political involvement and polarizes elections. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Norton, Q. (2012, July 2). How Anonymous picks targets, launches attacks, and takes powerful organizations down. Wired, 1-16. Reilly, I. (2011). “Amusing ourselves to death?” Social media, political satire, and the 2011 election. Canadian Journal of Communication, 36, 503-11. Roessler, P. (1999). The individual agenda-designing process: How interpersonal communication, egocentric networks, and mass media shape the perception of political issues by individuals. Communication Research, 26(6), 666-700. Rosalee A. Clawson and Zoe M. Oxley. 2013. “Public opinion in a democracy” (pp. 1-12) and “Trust in government, support for institutions, and social capital” (pp. 303-317) in Public opinion: Democratic ideals, democratic practice (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. Rowling, C., Jones, T., & Sheets, P. (2011). Some dared call it torture: Cultural resonance, Abu Ghraib, and a selectively echoing press. Journal of Communication, 61, 1043-1061. Schudson, M. (2007). America’s ignorant voters. In S. Kernell & S. S. Smith (Eds.), Principles and practice in American politics, Fifth Edition (pp. 588-595). Washington, DC: CQ Press.


Scammell, M. (2007). Political brands and consumer citizens: The rebranding of Tony Blair. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 611, 176-192.

Semiu, B. The Dynamics of Interpersonal Communication System in Political campaign and Election Process. New Media and Mass Communication, 10. Southwell, B., & Yzer, M. (2009). When (and why) interpersonal talk matters for campaigns. Communication Theory, 19, 1-8 Terzis, G., & Daremas, G. (2000). Televisualization of politics in Greece. Gazette: The International Journal for Communication Studies, 62(2), 117-131. Trent, J.S., & Friedenberg, R. V. (2011). Political campaign communication: Principles and practices, 7th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Wojcieszak, M. (2009). “Carrying online participation offline”: Mobilization by radical on-line groups and politically dissimilar offline ties. Journal of Communication, 59(3), 564-586. Wolfsfeld, G. (2011). Telling a good story. In Making sense of media and politics: Five principles in political communication (pp. 72-83). New York, NY: Routledge. Yang, G. (2009). The power of the Internet in China: Citizen activism online. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. Young, D. G., & Tisinger, R. (2006). Dispelling late-night myths: News consumption among late-night comedy viewers and the predictors of exposure to various late- night shows. Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 11(3), 113-134. Additional required and recommended readings will be chosen from the following. Permalinks from the BGSU libraries databases will be available on Canvas: Links to required and recommended readings from the following communication journals will be available on Canvas: Canadian Journal of Communication Communication Studies Communication Yearbook Critical Studies in Media Communication International Journal of Communication Journal of Communication Journal of Communication Inquiry Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly New Media and Society Quarterly Journal of Speech Political Communication Text and Performance Quarterly Links to recommended readings from the following interdisciplinary journals will be available on Canvas: American Political Science Review Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Citizenship Studies Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies Ethnic and Racial Studies European Journal of Political Research Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics International Journal of Women’s Studies


Journal of Politics Perspectives on Politics Public Opinion Quarterly Rhetoric and Public Affairs Studies in Symbolic Interaction

ASSESSMENT AND GRADING Grading Methods and Weights of the Criteria: The letter grade for the course will be based upon the accumulation of points for completing the Course Requirements.

Grading Scale Points A 1,160 – 928 B 927 - 828 C 827 - 728 D 727 - 628 F 627 and below Evaluation Techniques and Learning Outcomes Assessment Evaluation and grading are conducted through an international communication curricular plan that links outcomes, learning activities, and assessment practices. Each of the above Learning Objectives (LOs) will be assessed through the three assignments, quizzes, and examinations. LO1, LO2, and LO5 will be assessed via the completion of Assignment 1, quizzes, and examinations. LO3 will be assessed through performance in Assignments 1 and 2. LO4 and LO6 will be assessed through performance in Assignments 2.

Quizzes and Examinations will assess LO1, LO2, and LO5. The format of quizzes and exams will be multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank questions followed by one or 2 longer essay questions. A detailed study guide will be posted in a module one week before the midterm and final. Students will have an hour to take each quiz and two hours for the midterm and final exams. Please see late policy below for missing a quiz/exam or going over in time.

Assignments and Formative Assessment

Points Possible

Assignment 1: Political Communication News Analysis

110

Assignment 2: Deliberative Democracy Project

250

Assignment 3: Semester-Long Political Communication Research Project

250

Quizzes and Presentations 200 Midterm 150 Final 200 Total 1,160


Day/Time of Final: The COMM 4020 final exam will be held in our classroom during finals week. Important: In the Event of Technical Challenges: If you get an error message while taking a quiz on Canvas, do not panic and do not send a flurry of emails or phone calls to me; one will suffice. If there is a legitimate error (which instructor can view in Canvas), it can normally be corrected and the quiz or test can be reset for you by the next business day. Technology is not perfect, errors can and often do occur, so please remain calm and the course instructor and Canvas Administrator will do everything thing we can to help fix it. In the mean time, remain calm. Rubrics for Assessing Assignments:

Assessment rubrics for all assignments are posted in the Assignments module on Canvas. Note on discussion of grades: Please be aware that I will not send information about grades and other confidential material by BGSU email because it is not a secure communication medium. I will use the Canvas Gradebook to exchange confidential information about grades. Overview of Assignments: Note to my students/learners: The three main assignments will provide opportunities to engage in scholarly inquiry in current, relevant, and, I hope, interesting, topics in politics, culture, and communication, and cultures:

Assignment 1: Political Communication News Analysis; Assignment 2: Advocacy and Deliberative Democracy Project; and Assignment 3: Semester-Long Political Communication Research Project

Scholarly inquiry can be exciting and fun. It is an accessible form of undertaking for anyone who is curious and willing to explore ideas. The assumption entering the class is that you are beginning your steps on a new journey to new parts of the world you have not yet discovered. Over the course of the semester you will develop some of ideas and insights about international communication and, perhaps most importantly, begin to formulate important questions that can guide you to be critical thinkers, during the course and well afterwards. In the end you may even surprise yourself when you realize what you have accomplished. Initially, however, you will need to relax and enjoy the challenge of being a beginner. Rather than letting established scholars intimidate you, be open to learning and build on their work with your own ever-increasing expertise. It probably goes without saying that all written work will be computer generated. As indicated below, Assignment 3 must be submitted as a word-processed double-spaced paper using a standard 12-point font and abiding by standard 1” margins. I do recommend, however, that you compose your postings for Assignment 1 in a word processing application, saving the document for future reference. Remember that operating in Canvas means your work is subject to a momentary lapse in internet connection, after which point your work is likely to be lost. Take great care to save your written work! Detailed rubrics for all assignments are provided on Canvas. All assignments will be graded for content and style. They should be clearly written, well organized, and comply with basic rules of grammar and style. All assignments should be turned in on time, as assignments that are more than two days late will be docked at least one letter grade. Assignment 1: Political Communication News Analysis


In order to understand the presentation and representation of current political incidents, news, and events, one must be aware of these events and their impact on you and others – locally and globally. Before class each week, starting in week 2, please post an analysis of a news story in the weekly Assignment 1: Political Communication News Analysis forum found in the discussion board section of Canvas. I encourage you to choose timely news stories that are 1) timely (ideally one that was released in the news that week), and 2) from international and/or independent news organizations. There are links to examples of these news organizations on Canvas.

§ Create a title for the news analysis that briefly, but clearly indicates the news item. § Remember the news item will be very timely (ideally one that was released in the news

that week). § The news item should be from international and/or independent news organization. § Briefly discuss the story. You may include the lead paragraph. § Include the news organization. § Include a URL (Uniform Resource Locator – commonly known as the web address). § Write 100+ words on what are the key international issues and implications of the news

item. § Provide at least two discussion questions about the international news item.

In addition, at minimum, please respond to two discussion questions in one of your classmates’ international news postings. Finally, each student will present her or his political news piece at the beginning of class. A sign-up sheet will be distributed in week 1, then uploaded to Canvas. Assignment 1 overview: 1) All 4020 students will post a political news analysis every week before class (at or before Wednesday, 5:59 p.m.) 2) All students will respond to at least two discussion questions in other students’ political news analysis each week before class (at or before Wednesday, 5:59 p.m.)

§ After posting your initial response, you will respond to two other postings of your course colleagues. Again, write thoughtfully.

§ Interact with each other; Write to engage in an intellectual dialogue. § Check the discussion board forums frequently, ideally every weekday. § Post your original response, and the two responses to your colleagues’ postings on at

least two different days. This will enhance the online dialogue. § Note on online course size: Given the large size of the class, it is a challenge for any of

us to comment on every individual post and all subsequent comments, however, I will be reading all postings.

3) Each student will present her or his political news piece at one point during the semester at the beginning of class. Presentations will be scheduled in week one. Assignment 2: Advocacy and Deliberative Democracy Project The assignment will provide an opportunity for you to exhibit your skill development in reading and analysis of scholarly/academic journal articles relevant to the study of political communication, in enhancing your research writing abilities, and analysis of current issues related to the impact of political communication. You will work in teams to choose and analysis political communication in a particular context. Students will normally receive the same evaluation for the assignment, unless the instructor decides there is a compelling reason to assign a different grade to each student.


Assignment 2 due date: Submissions of written materials for Assignment 2 due in class, Wednesday, November 16. Please submit the completed written assignment as an attachment in the appropriate Canvas assignment space. Assignment 3: Political Communication Semester-Long Project This is a research project on a topic related to political communication. While I am open to alternative formats, normally the semester-long project is a research paper, 6-8 double- spaced pages in length, including references. The idea here is to provide you with an opportunity to apply what you have read in the course, either to a substantive research problem, or to stepping back and crystallizing your own perspectives about the theories, topics, and current issues covered in class. The assignment will provide an opportunity for you to exhibit your skill development in reading and analysis of scholarly/academic journal articles relevant to the study of political communication, in enhancing your research writing abilities, and analysis of current issues related to the impact of political communication locally, nationally, and transnationally. The paper should be informed by course readings, however, you must go beyond the class readings and use outside, scholarly sources specifically from the field of political communication. Cite at least 6 scholarly research articles from the various interdisciplinary fields informing political communication (including, but certainly not limited to, political science, economics, and public policy). Due date: Assignment 3 is due on the final day, of class, Wednesday, December 7. Please submit the completed written assignment as an attachment in the appropriate Canvas assignment space. I set the deadline as late as possible, as well as aligned the deadline with the final exam schedule, so that you can benefit from the extra time to write, receive guidance from others, and revise numerous times. Notes on approaching this major assignment: Even though it should go without saying, I will say it again: All written work should be typed or computer generated. It should be double-spaced, using a standard 12-point font and should abide by standard 1” margins. All assignments will be graded for content and style. They should be clearly written, well organized, and comply with basic rules of grammar and style. This assignment must be submitted on time; submissions of this major assignment that are more than two days late will be docked at least one letter grade. Technical aspects and writing quality: Technical aspects: The project should have saved in a MS Word or other word processing application and submitted as an attachment in the Canvas assignment space by the due date indicated in this section of the syllabus. Please name the file as follows: 4020_final_project_[lastname].doc (Obviously include your last name in place of ‘lastname’). Citation style: Correct and current source citation style of your choosing. I recommend APA (current edition is 6th), but you are welcome to use your preferred style. Please note at the end of the essay what style you have chosen as often it is difficult to tell what style has been used. I encourage you to:


1) Work with a librarian to seek additional scholarly/academic journal articles relevant to the study of political communication, and to 2) Make an appointment with the writing experts at the Learning Commons to develop your writing and analytical skills, enhance your research writing abilities in clearly articulating current issues related to the impact of political communication locally, nationally, and transnationally. Note on approaching assignments, particularly Assignment 3: It will be important that you set manageable goals for yourself, particularly in regard to the scope of the course assignments. My commitment is to work with you, to help you develop focused and feasible projects and to shape those projects so that they can be accomplished during your tenure as graduate students. For that to happen, however, you will need to begin your research early, work on it regularly, and interact with your peers and me. Examinations:

• Quizzes: Several brief quizzes may be scheduled throughout the semester. Each quiz consists of multiple choice, true/false questions.

• Midterm examination: The format of midterm exam will be multiple choice, true/false, and fill in the blank questions followed by two essay questions.

• Final examination: The format of final exam will be multiple choice, true/false, and fill in the blank questions followed by four essay questions. Some concepts are comprehensive, but most questions are based on last half of semester.

• For further details, please see the above section, Evaluation Techniques and Learning Outcomes Assessment.

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS Required Readings (please see pages 2 and 3 above). Required books can be found at the BGSU Bookstore http://www.bgsu.edu/bookstore.html or various bookstores. PermaLinks to required and recommended journal articles will be included in weekly course modules on Canvas. Required Resources/Texts:

• Access to an Internet connection (High Speed). • A MyBGSU account to access the Canvas online course delivery system. • Software: No specific software/plug-ins are needed for this class.

Course Navigation: There is a large number of resources located on our Canvas course space. The Canvas space designed for ease-of-use. Navigation buttons are situated along the left side of the screen to access all the key areas for the course: Home: The Home navigation button links to the course home page. Announcements: Please check announcements on Canvas where I will also post updates,

clarifications, and news and events at BGSU relevant to this course and to communication studies generally. It is students’ responsibility to read all announcements. If students have questions or comments about any announcement, they may be posted as a reply.

People: The People navigation button is a list of our course learning community. Modules: Each week’s subject areas, activities, required and recommended readings are

housed in a module. In each week’s module there are links to assignments 1 in Discussions.


Discussions: As indicated immediately above, there are links to the weekly Assignment 1 discussion boards in each week’s module starting with week 2.

Assignments: The Assignments navigation button links to the page giving details about each assignment and due dates.

Quizzes: This navigation button links to the quizzes and the midterm and final examinations. Grades: This navigation button links to an individual student’s grades. Please note that the

quizzes and exams that include essays will not be graded immediately upon completion of the quiz or exam. This may be confusing because a grade for multiple choice, true/false and other questions will be available immediately after taking the quiz or exam. Please be patient while the essay responses are graded.

LEARNER ENGAGEMENT Course Delivery/Instructional Strategies: The course will emphasize a collaborative approach through a combination of student and faculty lecture/presentations and student-directed in-class critique. I consider students my colleagues. As colleagues in a shared learning journey, I hope that the course will be driven by questions and concerns raised by student interest. My goal as a facilitator of learning is not merely presenting you with an understanding of international communication, but inviting you to take an active role in shaping understandings of international, transnational and global practices and processes. Attendance/Participation in Learner Activities and Assignments: Attendance and participation are required as they are extremely important to an interactive class experience. Attendance (regular participation in the online classroom) is essential for maintaining the best learning environment and achieving the learning objectives for the course. Learning occurs in relationship not only between student and course materials, but, just as importantly, peer to peer, professor to student, and student to professor. Time Commitment: Please keep in mind that this is not a 1000-level course; this is a very labor-intensive, 4000-level course, so budget your time accordingly. Respect for Others / Class Conduct: Throughout the semester we will be discussing sensitive topics. For true learning to take place, an open and free range of ideas must be presented; therefore, we expect the highest level of respect to be shown towards each other in our learning community, both in and out of class. Any behaviors that do not contribute to the well-being of our community will not be tolerated. For the online aspects of Assignment 1, please converse with others the same way you would in a traditional classroom. Comments and language should be respectful and appropriate for a college community. All comments should also follow acceptable grammar and spelling. Students in Assignment 1 online discussions are expected to conform to the norms of “netiquette” to maintain a friendly, open virtual classroom environment that is respectful of others and that is conducive to free, open and friendly and fun discussion. For details, see http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

Communicating with Instructor: Outside of class time, the preferred way of contacting me is through the Canvas mail system. I check the Canvas e-mail system regularly in order to access messages from students and will


typically respond to messages within 24-48 hours. However, any communication sent after 5:00 pm on Friday through Sunday may not receive a response from me until the following Monday. Please use the Canvas email system. Please note that, because I receive upwards to 100 messages each day on the bgsu.edu email system, I am less likely to respond efficiently to email messages sent to [email protected], especially if the subject header does not include COMM 4020. Submitting Assignments: Please review requirements for Assignments 1, 2 and 3 above for submission guidelines and details on where graded and returned assignments will be located. In the unlikely event that the Canvas Learning Management System is down, please send any assignments to me by the BGSU email system to [email protected]. I will only accept assignments by email during emergency situations. Make-Up And Late Assignment/Exam Policy: Please review requirements for Assignments 1, 2 and 3 above for submission deadlines. Weekly assignments and exams must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern on the date they are due. Assignments 1 and 2 may be submitted late, but are subject to a 20% reduction provided that they are submitted within 5 days following the due date. Any work submitted after the 5-day grace period, will not receive any credit. Attendance and Make-up Work Policy: Students should be aware that each and every class session is considered important and should be treated as such. Participation in the online discussion forums is required and essential to students’ performance in this class. More than three absences/non-participations, whether excused or unexcused, have a negative impact on a student’s performance, understanding of material, and as a consequence, the student’s final course grade. Make-up work will only be accepted under documented circumstances, including official university excuses, letters from physicians, jury summons, military duty, or death of an immediate family member. Students with excused absences have one week to submit excuses and make-up work; late term make-up work must be submitted by the last class day. Incomplete Work Policy: An incomplete grade will be permitted only when: (a) the student has made sufficient progress in meeting the minimum requirements of the course for the grade of C or better, and (b) a compelling, documented reason necessitated the incomplete. A student proposing an Incomplete must submit a plan specifying the remaining course work to be completed with due dates. It is up to the student to be aware of the university requirements and deadlines for completing an incomplete. The current university policy is as follows:

The mark of "INC" (incomplete) is given when, for some acceptable reason, a student fails to meet a definite requirement in a course as established by the instructor. The mark of "INC" may be removed and a grade (if taken for a grade) or the letter "S" (if taken "S/U") may be substituted for it by a student making up the deficiencies to the satisfaction of the instructor.

Unless an extension of time is granted by the academic dean, a mark of "INC" must be removed by March 1, Aug. 1, and Nov. 1 for the fall and spring semesters and summer session, respectively. For courses taken "S/U," any mark of "INC" not removed by these deadlines will change to "U." For courses taken for a letter grade, any mark of "INC" not removed by these deadlines will change to "I" and be calculated as "F" in the cumulative grade point averages of all undergraduate students, with or without an extension of time. The student who has been granted an extension, however, will have the opportunity to have his or her grade point average recalculated and the "I" changed to the grade assigned.

Source:


BGSU Office of Registration and Records. (2014). Fall 2014 Undergraduate Catalog. Academic Policies. Grading Policies. Retrieved from: http://www2.bgsu.edu/catalog/Acad_policies/Acad_policies15.html

LEARNER SUPPORT General Support (e.g., Computer Labs, Writing Center):

• Writing Center: http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/acen/writingctr/ • Counseling and Wellness

Services: http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/health/wellness/index.html • Disability Services: http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/disability/ • Student Technology Center: http://www.bgsu.edu/its/software/page10725.html#q1

Students with Disabilities: If you have a documented disability which may require some modification of test-taking or other class requirements, please let me know so that I can make appropriate arrangements. If you have a documented disability which might require modifications in a particular assignment, please contact me at least a week prior to the assignment due date so that I can assist you with realigning assignment parameters. The Office of Disability Services can help provide equal access and reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities attending BGSU. Students wishing to discuss their eligibility for such accommodations are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services at 419-372-8495. More information about the Office of Disability Services can be found here: http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/disability/ Religious Holidays: It is the policy of the University to make every reasonable effort allowing students to observe their religious holidays without academic penalty. In such cases, it is the obligation of the student to provide the instructor with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which he or she will be absent. Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve the student of responsibility for completing required work missed. Following the necessary notification, the student should consult with the instructor to determine what appropriate alternative opportunity will be provided, allowing the student to fully complete his or her academic responsibilities. (As stated in The Academic Charter, B-II.G-4.b at: http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/bgsu/file919.pdf). Student Veteran-Friendly Campus: BGSU educators recognize student veterans’ rights when entering and exiting the university system. If you are a student veteran, please communicate with your instructor so reasonable accommodations can be made for absence when drilling or being called to active duty. For more information, please see http://www.bgsu.edu/veteran/ for more information

COURSE AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES Academic Honesty: Cheating, Copying, Cutting and Pasting Text from Internet, and Other Types of Plagiarism: Much of your college education will involve learning what others have written and then integrating those ideas into your own thinking. However, in academic writing any ideas or words not credited to another are assumed to be those of the author. Plagiarism occurs when you fail to give credit for those ideas which are not original to you.


You are urged to read BGSU’s Academic Honesty Policy found in section B-II.H of the University Charter. The policy is “designed to enhance and sustain an environment of ethical and principled intellectual pursuit, consistent with the core values of the University. This policy is based on respect for intellectual property as well as for one another. Academic honesty is essential to the academy. Honest pursuit of academic challenges and higher learning are the essence of the University experience. Respect for one another is fostered when our academic environment is free from cheating, lying, and stealing not only of property, but ideas as well.” Plagiarism is defined as:

• Submission of an academic assignment as one’s work, which includes critical ideas or written narrative that are taken from another author without the proper citation. This applies both to direct quotes and to critical ideas paraphrased by the student.

• Submitting the work of others as your own. • Submitting others’ work as your own with only minor changes. • Submitting others’ work as your own without adequate footnotes, quotations, and other

reference forms. • Multiple submission of the same work, written or oral, for more than one course without

both instructor’s permission, or making minor revisions on work which has received credit and submitting it again as new work.

Cheating is defined as:

• Use of unauthorized material or assistance to help fulfill academic assignments. This material could include unauthorized copies of test materials, calculators, electronics, crib sheets, and help from another student.

Collusion is defined as: • Assistance to another student or among students committing the act of cheating or

plagiarism. Much of your university study involves learning what others have written and then integrating those ideas into your own thinking. However, in academic writing any ideas or words not credited to another are assumed to be those of the author. Plagiarism occurs when you fail to give credit for those ideas which are not original to you. The purchase of research papers or the employment of a person or agency to prepare such papers is plagiarism. The BGSU Academic Honesty Committee considers the purchase of research papers or the employment of a person or agency to prepare such papers to be plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism range from failure on the paper to failure in the course to suspension from the University. For further details on standard of conduct please read the BGSU Student Handbook. Studies have shown that in some cultures students believe that copying a small amount of someone else’s work is not considered plagiarism. If you are not sure, please speak with the professor. Cite all outside sources used, whether quoting, paraphrasing, or borrowing ideas. In addition, it is important to always know whose words or ideas you’re using. When preparing a paper, take careful notes from books, articles, websites, and journals. Note specifically page numbers, authors’ full names, and publication dates. Avoid downloading information from Internet sources directly into your own files. As you continue to prepare your paper, it is helpful to put quotation marks around any notes you make in which you are using the source’s words or ideas. Use proper footnotes and quotation marks in your final paper. The penalties for plagiarism range from failure on the paper to failure in the course to suspension from the University. Every instance of dishonesty will be reported.


The BGSU Academic Honesty policy can be retrieved from http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/bgsu/file921.pdf BGSU Student Code of Conduct: As an enrolled student at Bowling Green State University, you have agreed to abide by the Student Code of Conduct as outlined in the Student Handbook. You should familiarize yourself with the Code which was established to foster the scholarly and civic development of the university's students in a safe and secure learning environment, and to protect the people, properties and processes that support the university and its missions. Students who violate faculty expectations as outlined in this syllabus may be subject to the Code of Conduct. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 419-372-2843. More information and the Code of Conduct can be found here: http://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/student-affairs/Student-Conduct/documents/2014-15-Student-Handbook.pdf and http://www.bgsu.edu/studenthandbook University Closure: In most cases, the University will not close for winter conditions unless the Wood County Sheriff’s Department declares a Level 3 emergency. Information about University-wide closures is communicated by the BGSU Office of Marketing and Communications, which will notify the University Fact Line, local FM & AM radio stations and the four Toledo television stations (see Weather Policy for lists). For changes in individual class meetings, please refer to the online course for postings by the instructor.

COURSE SCHEDULE Week Weekly topics, discussions and

assignments Readings

Week 1, August 24

Introduction to the course. Introduction to key concepts: Numerous contextualizations of “political”. Political communication as a field of research. Assignment 1: Sign up for assignment 1 presentations of political news analysis. Begin exploring international and independent news sources for political news.

McNair, “Introduction to Political Communication” chapter 1

Week 2, August 31

Political communication, political economy, and national identity. Assignment 1: Assignment 1 presentations begin. Assignment 2: Choose advocacy project groups and begin analysis of key

Links to readings on Canvas, in the week 2 module.


political/politicized issues and concerns that will help focus your advocacy project topic area.

Week 3, Sept. 7

The history of political communication.

Guest presentation by Dr. Scott Martin, Chair, Department of History, and Professor, History and American Culture Studies, BGSU.

Assignment 1: Political News Analysis presentations begin and continue through end of semester.

Steele Gordon, J. (2012, October 16). A short history of presidential debates. The Wall Street Journal, A17.

Week 4, Sept. 14

Role 4 of culture, ideology, and

consciousness in political communication.

Assignment 2: Choose advocacy project groups and begin analysis of key political/politicized issues and concerns that will help focus your advocacy project topic area.

Review selection of readings to help choose topics/geographic areas for Assignment 2: Esarey, A. & Qiang, Z. (2011). Digital communication and political change in China. International Journal of Communication (5), 298-319. Lei, Y-W. (2011). The political consequences of the rise of the Internet: Political beliefs and practices of Chinese netizens. Political Communication, 28(3), 291-322. Lim, M. (2012). Clicks, cabs, and coffee houses: Social media and oppositional movements in Egypt, 2004-2011. Journal of Communication, 62(2), 231-248 Tufecki, Z. & Wilson, C. (2012). Social media and the decision to participate in political protest: Observations from Tahrir Square. Journal of Communication, 62(2), 363-379. Valenzuela, S., Arriagada, A., & Scherman, A. (2012). The social media basis of youth protest behavior: The case of Chile. Journal of Communication, 62(2), 299-314.

Week 5, Sept. 21

The public sphere. Political deliberation. Deliberative democracy. Public deliberation, discursive participation, and citizen engagement. Assignment 2: Finalize group and topic selection. Begin researching relevant advocacy efforts in related topics/issues. Quiz (Link to the quiz will be in the week four module on Canvas).

Habermas, J. (1962 [trans. 1989]). The structural transformation of the public sphere: An inquiry into a category of bourgeois society. Cambridge: Polity.

Wojcieszak, M. (2012). On strong attitudes and group deliberation: Relationships, structure, changes, and effects. Journal of Communication, 33(2), 225-242.

Wojciezsak, M. & Price, V. (2012). Facts versus perceptions: Who reports disagreement during deliberation and are the reports accurate? Political Communication, 29(3), 299-318.


Week 6, Sept. 28

How politics shape identity. Assignment 2: In-classinformal group reports on progress.

Knobloch-Westerwick, S. (2012). Selective

exposure and reinforcement of attitudes and partisanship before a presidential election. Journal of Communication, 62(4), 628-642.

Stroud, N.J. (2010). Polarization and partisan

selective exposure. Journal of Communication, 60, 556-576.

Week 7, Oct. 5

Political rhetoric Global political communication Politics in authoritarian regimes. Thurlow, Lengel & Tomic, “Political Communication and CMC.” Bakker, T. & de Vreese, C. (2011). Good news for the future? Young people, Internet use, and political participation. Communication Research, 38(4), 451-470. Bennett, W.L. (Ed.). (2007). Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Assignment 2: Formal group progress presentations.

Anduiza, E., Jensen, M., & Jorba, L. (2012). Comparing digital politics: Digital media and political engagement around the world. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Bellin, E. (2012). Reconsidering the robustness of authoritarianism in the Middle East: Lessons form the Arab Spring. Comparative Politics, 44(2), 127-149.

Tufecki, Z. & Wilson, C. (2012). Social media and the decision to participate in political protest: Observations from Tahrir Square. Journal of Communication, 62(2), 363-379.

Lim, M. (2012). Clicks, cabs, and coffee houses: Social media and oppositional movements in Egypt, 2004-2011. Journal of Communication, 62(2), 231-248.

Esarey, A. & Qiang, Z. (2011). Digital communication and political change in China. International Journal of Communication (5), 298-319.

Lei, Y-W. (2011). The political consequences of the rise of the Internet: Political beliefs and practices of Chinese netizens. Political Communication, 28(3), 291-322.

Week 8, Oct. 12

Midterm exam (in class)

Review for midterm (review guidelines will be posted in this week’s Canvas module).

Week 9, Oct. 19

Deliberative environmental politics for Sustainability Week at BGSU.

Readings posted in week 9 module of Canvas.

Week 10, Oct. 26

Analyzing the nuances of political rhetoric. Intersubjective and multisubjective perspectives. Ideological commonplaces and ideological dilemmas.

Condor, Tileaga, and Bilig (2013), “Political rhetoric” In Sears (chapter 9), (pp. 262-275). (File name: 4020_Political_rhetoric_chapter.pdf located in Canvas)

Week 11, Nov. 2

Political rhetoric and identity. Hegemonic competition. Explicit appeals to common in-group membership.

Condor, Tileaga, and Bilig (2013), “Political rhetoric” In Sears (chapter 9), (pp. 276-297).


Construction of aspirational identities. First-person plural (“We”) to convey ideological messages.

Week 12 Nov. 9

Independent group project work for Assignment 2 (Advocacy Project) while Dr. Lengel is presenting research at the National Communication Convention. Assignment 2: Prepare for final written documentation and final formal group presentations (Nov. 16). Note: Thursday office hours will be online only; Dr. Lengel will be presenting research at the National Communication Association this week.

Work in the Assignment 2 teams.

Week 13 Nov. 16

Political communication and online spaces. Assignment 2: Submit written documentation. Assignment 2: Final formal group presentations.

Bennett, W. L., Breunig, C., & Givens, T. (2008). Communication and political mobilization: Digital media and the organization of anti-Iraq war demonstrations in the U.S. Political Communication, 25(3), 269-289. Chadwick, A. (2007). Digital network repertoires and organizational hybridity. Political Communication, 24, 283-301. Selections from Karpf, D. (2012). The MoveOn effect: The unexpected transformation of American political advocacy. New York: Oxford University Press.

Week 14 Nov. 23

Thanksgiving break (Nov. 23 – 25)

Work on Assignment 3.

Week 15 Nov. 30

Time for peer and professor feedback guidance about Assignment 3.

Work on Assignment 3. Before class on Wed., Dec. 7, please present an abstract (summary) of your individual Assignment 3 projects in Canvas and discuss and give peer guidance to at least two students' Assignment 3 projects in Assignment 3 discussion board.

Week 16 Dec. 7

Final presentations of Assignment 3. Assignment 3: Submissions of written materials.

Present and discuss (full) Assignment 3 projects in the Assignment 3 discussion board.

Finals Week (Week

Final exam to be taken in our classroom. See further information on exams in the above section, Evaluation Techniques and Learning Outcomes Assessment.


of Dec. 12)

Key calendar points: October 10-11, 2016: Fall Break December 9, 2016 (Friday): Last Day of Classes December 12-16, 2016: Exam Week (exam schedule posted on Canvas) Academic schedule available at: http://www.bgsu.edu/registration-records/academic-calendars/fall-2016-academic-calendar.html

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Political Communication syllabus

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