CMST 302 Mass Communication

5 credits

This course focuses on mass media’s history and cultural, social, and economic impacts. Examines how Internet, television, radio, film, and print media affect public and private life. CMST 302 studies legal, ethical, and commercial dimensions of mass communication, including First Amendment issues.

Prerequisites: Admission to the BAS in Design program

Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Speak to the historic need for humankind to express information to a mass audience from pre-historic times through 21st century New Media
Identify historical progress of media from Gutenberg Press in the 15th century through the Internet and the 21st century
Specify historical markers in the development of major media: Moveable type, lithography, photography, cinema, radio, television, packet-swapping pre-internet, internet and wireless media
Identify ethical perceptions and implications of major media
Compare and contrast media impact on individual versus society (USA and globally)
Navigate 1st Amendment issues, plagiarism and theft issues with emphasis on 21st century media applications
Contrast 20th century mass communication models of “one-to-many” to emerging 21st century trends of “one-to-one” marketing, communication strategy, and user-generated content

Total Hours: 50 Theory (Lecture) Hours: 50