Prof Kathleen Sweeney

Beyond iCelebrities NCOM 3026 A Spring 2017

Beyond iCelebrities

Social Media and Social Activism NCOM 3026 A

Department of Media Studies and Film, The New School for Public Engagement
Instructor: Kathleen Sweeney, MA
Media Artist/Social Media Consultant
Author of Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age
sweeneyk@newschool.edu www.theviralmedialab.org

Social networks have evolved exponentially in the past few years, alongside Internet-
savvy grassroots organizations like MoveOn.org, Upworthy providing a historic voice
and spotlight to issues and individuals inside and outside of mainstream media. Beyond
iCelebrities outlines the recent virtual activism and the viral nature of Internet trends,
exploring various ways to engage, respond and discuss citizen journalism, social change
and viral media in the context of changing definitions of celebrityhood, including
celebrity response to crisis, influence of celebrities in social discourse, philanthropy,
everyday heroes, social media celebrities, and social cause fashion trending. How can the
activist potential of the Internet be used to address global warming, poverty, and political
injustice? And what is the role of Celebrities, the elite 1%, in promoting social causes and
innovation?

1. In addition to weekly announcements on Canvas, the main course material will be

presented as a multimedia blogpost at TheViralMediaLab.org. Each Friday
beginning January 27th, students will receive an email with appropriate links to
class discussion and participation requirements. An overview announcement will
also be posted on Canvas. Students are required to log onto the blog each
Thursday afternoon/evening and Comment to the text/clips provided each
week by the instructor.
2. Participation is key to success in the course. (25% of grade)
3. Students are required to create a Personal Blog for homework, course readings
and expanded discussions. All blog addresses are Shared with the community.
Students are encouraged to visit each others blogs and comment. Two books and
one feature-length documentary are required for blog commentary (These are
chosen by the student from the list below). (25% of grade)
4. In addition to the Personal Blog, each student must maintain a social media site
dedicated to the theme of Beyond iCelebrities. This can be a dedicated Twitter
feed; Reddit discussion threads; Snapchat series of selfies as hero(ine)s; Cowbird
street stories and original photos; or a Facebook or Pinterest page with photos and
links to Beyond iCelebrities stories, images, videos about: Everyday hero(ine)s;
Design for Change and Innovation; Celebrity Do-Gooders; Random Acts of
Kindness; TedTalks, etc. Once you have set up this site, share the link with the
community. (25% of grade)
5. Final project presented during Works-in-Progress Lab (last two weeks of
course) (25% of grade)
Prof Kathleen Sweeney
Beyond iCelebrities NCOM 3026 A Spring 2017
Final Projects: choose one approach:

Blog/Research Project: Series of well-researched multimedia blog posts on a relevant

topic, including hotlinks, video embeds, GIFs, images, and footnotes. (Spellchecked and
grammar checked.)

Creative Production: multi-media option: Produce a mini-doc video clip, sound art,
remix video, graphic design project, photo essay

Social media Campaign: Design a campaign on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for a

cause you support...Track analytics, blog about the reaction to your campaign online

Topic Ideas drawn from core course concepts. Creativity encouraged, innovation
encouraged.

Instructor available by phone or Skype to discuss/brainstorm ideas.

All projects must be uploaded to your Personal Blog, with link provided on Canvas
Discussion thread.

Documentaries (Choose one to review...Most available on Netflix on Demand):

Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry by Alison Klayman

We Steal Secrets: the Story of Wikileaks by Alex Gibney

Blackfish by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Netflix on Demand)

Miss Representation by Jennifer Sebol Newsome (Netflix on Demand)

More Than Honey by Markus Imhoof (Netflix on Demand)

The Square by Jenae Noujaim (Netflix on Demand)

The Artist is Present: Marina Abramovi (HBO)

2015 Oscar Nominees

Virunga Executive Producer Leonardo diCaprio

Finding Vivian Maier by John Maloof and Charlie Siskell

Citizen Four by Laura Poitras

2016 Oscar Nominees

Amy by Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees

What Happened, Miss Simone by Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby and Justin Wilkes
Prof Kathleen Sweeney
Beyond iCelebrities NCOM 3026 A Spring 2017

Required Texts (Choose two to review on your blog from list):

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella

Coleman

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World by Matthieu
Ricard

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education by Malala Yousafzai

Blogging Book Reviews/Movie Reviews: Include these issues:

What important social change issue does this book address and what has been resulting
buzz across social media and traditional media? Did the book create a celebrity with
impact or was the celebrity creating a book with impact? Address design issues, branding
innovations, use of social media and multimedia (TedTalks, etc) Include image of book
and video embeds in your review.
Prof Kathleen Sweeney
Beyond iCelebrities NCOM 3026 A Spring 2017
Schedule Spring 2017

Friday January 27, 2017

1. Welcome and Introductions, set up social and blog accounts

2. Post to Discussion Thread #1 on Canvas: Introductions
3. Follow @vmlab on Twitter.

Friday February 3, 2017

1. Set up your blog on Wordpress or Tumblr. First post: Your fave do-gooder
celebrity and why?
2. Provide URL /blog address on Canvas thread.
3. The GIF Economy: article by Kathleen Sweeney. Read and comment, Include
a Beyond iCelebrity GIF or meme on your blog, share on Canvas.

Friday February 10, 2017

Matthieu Ricard: Ted Talks: How to Let Altruism Be Your Guide

Is Altruism Possible? Is Altruism the Key to the Planets Survival? (read post and
comment at The Viral Media Lab)

Book highlight: Altruism by Matthieu Ricard

Friday February 17, 2017

#BlackLivesMatter: the power of a hashtag. Black twitter and online activism.

The rise of a narrative and a movement. #WhiteOscars: the power of race and
representation; Selma and Ava duVernay

Book hightlights: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Why Not Me?
by Mindy Kaling, Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Friday February 24, 2017

HOMEWORK: Post a review of your first book on personal blog. Provide link
in Canvas Discussion thread.

Friday March 3, 2017

1. Citizen Four: Edward Snowden and the history of the whistleblower: scapegoat,
sacrificial lamb or hero? Laura Poitras and the journalist as anonymous
heroine(Comment on post at The Viral Media Lab)
2. Documentary excerpt: Citizen Four
3. Book hightlights: The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser, Hacker, Hoaxer,
Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella Coleman
Prof Kathleen Sweeney
Beyond iCelebrities NCOM 3026 A Spring 2017

Friday March 10, 2017

1. I Am Malala and the Global movement for Girls Education

2. Smart Girls at the Party: Girl Power online, Inside/Out, Frozen and the Disney
gender shift. Miss Representation, #HeforShe, Emma Watson: UN Goodwill
Ambassador; Justin Trudeau, Aziz Ansari and the new male feminists
3. 2. Personal blogs: Read your second book, post review on your blog with link
on Canvas Discussion thread.

Book Highlights: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, Yes, Please by Amy Poehler I Am

Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education by Malala Yousafzai, My Life on the
Road by Gloria Steinem

Friday March 17, 2017

1. Celebrity Energy: Leonardo DiCaprio; NoFrackingWay: Mark Ruffalo, Yoko

Ono and The Anti-Fracking Movement. The Koch Brothers and Big Oil: Money
Spins on Climate Change. #PeopleClimateMarch and the power of online
activism, combined with street protests. Guardian UK: #KeepItIntheGroup;
#NOKeystoneXL and Obamas Climate Shift

Book highlight: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Friday March 24, 2017 - SPRING BREAKNO ONLINE CLASS

HOMEWORK: POST on your blog: 2nd Book Review, Documentary review

Friday March 31, 2017

Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry: China, Art World and Free Speech

View documentary, discuss (available on Netflix) Comment at The Viral Media

Lab

Friday April 7, 2017

1. The Power of Street Art: JR, Shepard Fairey, Swoon. The Artist as Activist:
#JeSuisCharlie and free speech: artists respond (Comment on The Viral Media
Lab blog)

Book highlight: Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton

Prof Kathleen Sweeney
Beyond iCelebrities NCOM 3026 A Spring 2017
Friday April 14, 2017

Street Art Festival: Submit photos of random signage: wisdom, activist slogans,
anonymous poetics, for discussion Photograph original graffiti art, found slogans,
random words scrawled on walls, etc. Post on personal blog, explain location and
why you chose these images to photograph. Look for icons--Elvis, Marilyn
Monroe, Obama, etc. to include. Why do you think these images continue to
populate urban, rural and suburban public spaces by anonymous artists? [Please
note: these must be original photos, Instagram is fine] Tweet favorite images with
#beyondicelebs hashtag and @vmlab Gallery posted at The Viral Media Lab

Friday April 21, 2017

Weeklong Social Media festival. Amplify your collection of stories and links to
your Beyond iCelebrities Social Media outpost. Tweet out stories of celebrity do-
gooders, everyday heroes, changemakers! RT with abandon! Use hashtag
#beyondicelebsScreen grabs of Twitter feed will be posted to The Viral Media
Lab. Echo newstreams and trending topics

Friday April 28, 2017

1. Documentary forum: Discussing Documentaries from 2015/2016. Why are

documentaries important? How can they impact social change? The role of
Kickstarter and crowdfunding in bringing docs to the screen. The history of
Sundance. Comment on post at The Viral Media Lab.

2. Post your reviews of two chosen documentaries on your blog. Provide link on
Canvas Discussion thread.

Friday May 5, 2017

Final Project Draft Gallery--Post project on your blog for feedback

Friday May 12, 2017

Final Projects posted on your blog with title, brief description and link on Canvas
Discussion Thread.
Prof Kathleen Sweeney
Beyond iCelebrities NCOM 3026 A Spring 2017

Skills:

Success in Creating a Blog and Multimedia Blogging, with attention to clear

communications style, use of tags, hotlinks, video and graphics embeds

Participation in multiple online forums: The Viral Media Lab (Wordpress), and
Canvas Discussion Threads. Fluency in moving between formats, fluency in use
of Twitter and other social media platforms.

Completion of project related to social media, social change, redefining

celebrityhood, innovation in design

Analysis of required readings as blog post book reviews, media literacy and
analysis through documentary reviews

Learned about game-changing role of the Internet in Millennial Change, key

innovators and terminologies

Grade Breakdown:

On-line Participation: 25%(Discussion threads, comments on final projects)

Street Art Festival/ Social Media Project/Gallery: 25%

Personal Blog: 25%

Final Project: 25%