J408:

Demystifying Media
School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon
2 credit workshop, Winter 2018

Key information

Instructor: Damian Radcliffe, Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism
Office 201 Allen Hall
Email: damianr@uoregon.edu
CRN: 27537
Time: 16.00 17.50, Thursday, 141 Allen Hall
Prereqs: J 205, 206, & 207 w/mid-C or better
Credits: 2
Website: http://journalism.uoregon.edu/demystifyingmedia/


Course Background

The ways we consume and create media and content continue to evolve at a rapid pace. The
Demystifying Media seminar series, which the SOJC launched in January 2016, explores the impact of
these changes across the communications landscape and finds new ways to move forward.

Each term, leading media practitioners, academics, and researchersworking on the cutting edge of
these global changes come to campus to discuss the impact of the 21st-century media revolution with
students, faculty, and staff.

New for Winter 2017, this series (which will remain open to all) has been expanded into a 2-credit
workshop, allowing for further exploration of the themes and ideas to emerge from these guest lectures,
as well as other important industry issues.

Topics and Speakers for Winter 2017

These have yet to be publicly announced, but speakers will include:

James T. Hamilton, Hearst Professor of Communication and the Director of the Journalism
Program at Stanford University, will talk about his new book: Democracys Detectives: The
Economics of Investigative Journalism.

Jason Wambsgans, of the Chicago Tribune, who won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Feature
Photography, will discuss his work covering gun violence in Chicago.

John Capouya, Associate Professor, Journalism at the University of Tampa will discuss how
journalists cover race/racial issues, through the lens of his new book: Florida Soul: From Ray
Charles to KC and the Sunshine Band.

Bill Siemering, member of the founding board of NPR and the author of its original mission
statement, will talk about past, present and future of public radio.

Other subjects we are likely to explore include:

Digital Disruption (Week One)
Social Video
Changing dialogue about the impact of tech (Uber, Google, Facebook et al), and;
Emerging platforms such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and global platforms which are
popular in SE Asia - like WeChat and Line.

Learning outcomes

The class will look at news media markets, strategies and trends in content consumption and creation. In
doing this, the class will equip students with a rich understanding of the journalistic, media and business
job market they are about to join.

By the end of this workshop you will be able to:

1. Understand and describe some of the major strategic challenges being faced by news outlets,
particularly related to: business models, audience behaviours, distribution and content
Innovation, and the changing media industry.

2. Demonstrate examples of your own written research and analysis in this space, and know where
to look for relevant industry information/data/analysis.

3. Have a working knowledge of hot topics that will allow you to sound smart at interview!


Want to know more?

Visit: http://journalism.uoregon.edu/demystifyingmedia/ - for examples of previous topics, speakers
and to see archived videos, podcasts and write-ups from this series, including speakers from:

Industry: Facebook, Vox, National Geographic, Quinn Thomas PR, Code for America,
All Digitocracy, OPB, Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Rare Union and Hearken.

Academia: Columbia University, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (Oxford), University
of Washington, George Washington University, City University of New York + Stanford.

Topics covered in the past two terms:

Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Toxic Tech

Why People Fly from Facts
Israeli Media and Threats to Israeli Press Freedoms
The Flattening of News and Its Consequences for Trust (Or, How Designers and
Developers Have Made It Harder to Tell Real from Fake)
Where Data Journalism Comes From

Please feel free to contact Damian Radcliffe, damianr@uoregon.edu (or pop by Allen Hall 201) if you
have any questions about this class.