COMM 150 - final exam

Communications 150: Intro to Mass Comm.
Benedictine University at Springfield
Instructor: Pete Ellertsen eellertsen@ben.edu

Final Exam, Fall Semester 2011

Below are one 50-point essay question and two 25-point short essay questions. Please write at least four pages (1,000 words) on the 50-point essay and two pages (500 words) on each of the 25-point essays. Due at the regularly scheduled time for our exam, 10:30 a.m., Friday, Dec. 16.

Question 1 (50-points). In "Media of Mass Communication," John Vivian says since the 1980s, "sophisticated low-cost recording and mixing equipment gave garage bands a means to control their art" because they were less dependent on studios (119-20). "The result," Vivian says, "was liberation for creativity." Since Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, new technologies have given writers, artists and other creators of content new ways to get around the "gatekeepers" and get taheir art and information to the public. How have technological changes in radio, television and the internet given content creators more direct ways of reaching their audiences? Cite specific examples. Remember: An unsupported generalization is sudden death in college writing. Be specific!

Question 2A (25 points). Self-reflective essay: What do you consider the most important thing you have you learned in COMM 150 that you didn’t know before? Why do you say it is the most important? Be specific in your discussion of how it might fit into your career decisions, or your plans for further study (whether you plan to major in communication arts, another field or are undecided). Consider it in the context of what you knew at the beginning of the course and what you know now. In grading this essay, I will evaluate the relevance of your discussion to the main goals and objectives of the course; the specific detail you cite to support or illustrate your points; and the specific connections you make.

Question 2B (25 points). How does John Vivian define the marketplace of ideas? How does the concept play out in the interpretation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and in the ethics and day-to-day practice of professionals in the Society of Professional Journalists and the Public Relations Society of America? How is it reflected in the philosophy behind an "multilingual, web-based, free-content encyclopedia project based on an openly editable model" like Wikipedia? Cite specific examples from Vivian, from the codes of ethics and from your own reading. Be specific.