JRN 400 - Critical Issues in Journalism

Section All - Fall 2020

While we're not all in Toronto, it is important to acknowledge the traditional, treaty and unceded lands of Indigenous peoples where ever we may be. 

Toronto is in the 'Dish With One Spoon Territory’. The Dish With One Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect.

Instructor Information

Instructor(s):Office: Email Address: Phone Number: Office Hours:

Biography

Karyn, aka Pabàmàdiz, is best known for her work as a Parliament Hill reporter and as the Executive Director of News and Current Affairs at APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network), where she ran the news department for seven years. She joined Ryerson's faculty in the Spring of 2020 while completing a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University. Karyn has worked in both daily news and on long-form investigations at a variety of outlets including ichannel, VisionTV, CBC and CTV. Her work has been recognized by CAJ, NAJA, and others.

Karyn is a citizen of the Pikwàkanagàn First Nation in Ontario, and is of mixed Algonquin and Italian descent. When she is not engaged in acts of journalism, you'll find her paddling a canoe, shooting photos and eating frybread.

Course Overview

Course Description

This course takes a close look at some of the larger issues that journalists face in their day-to-day work. The list of issues includes, but is not limited to: diversity of race, gender, sexuality and religion in newsroom makeup and story coverage; the changing landscape of news media in the digital age and the revolving notion of who is a journalist in the world of bloggers and citizen journalists; the relationship between journalism and public relations; and the role of news media as a watchdog of democracy.

Course Focus and Scope

This course asks students to think critically about complex and nuanced issues affecting journalists and their audiences. Students will analyze, discuss, and draw their own conclusions to critical issues. The course encourages thinking about the role of journalism in creating a fair and just world, and how journalism supports, and sometimes fails to support, the human rights we expect in a democracy.

Topics include critical thinking, journalism and the public interest, whether journalists can maintain ideals of fairness and impartiality,  the relationship between journalists and their sources, the diversity of race, gender, sexuality and ability in coverage and newsroom staffing, the role of social media, media trust and misinformation.

The course examines the role of journalists within overlapping and ever-expanding  spheres:
• The Journalist as an Individual: Who is a Journalist. We’ll examine the fundamentals of the profession, including the public interest, issues of objectivity and implicit bias and share perspectives on how to cover complex stories.
• Journalist in the Newsroom: How do Canadian newsrooms stack up when it comes to reflecting the diversity of their audiences? We’ll explore how “solutions journalism” hopes to improve coverage of marginalized communities and individuals.
• Journalist in the Community: Identity issues are at the centre of many of the big stories journalists cover. By reviewing media examples and hearing from journalists and advocates, we’ll learn more about representation in news and feature coverage when it comes to race, gender, sexuality, ability and Indigenous issues.
• Journalist in the World: In our post-truth world, stories about terrorism and extremism are never far from the headlines. We’ll explore how these media narratives are shaped and also dive into issues central to covering climate change. We’ll also talk about the perils of misinformation and the global media trust crisis.

Learning Outcomes

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the role of journalism in a democracy and how journalism, at its best, contributes to the ideal of equal dignity for all.
• Think critically about a journalist's responsibilities in representations of gender, race, religion,  sexuality and ability.
• Appreciate how an individual journalist’s work may be informed by bias, stereotypes and assumptions.
• Recognize the challenges of reporting across social differences.
• Understand the complexity of fair coverage of critical current issues, including climate change, extremism and “fake news.”
• Understand the pressures and opportunities in the current media landscape.
• Understand, as both a creator and consumer of journalism, the complexity of journalism today.

Teaching Methods

The first week, Tuesday September 8. 

• This has required readings which are posted in D2l.
• The first week includes a live lecture from 10 AM to 11 AM ET;
• A guest speaker from 11 AM to 12 PM;
• A seminar from 1 PM to 2PM 

In subsequent weeks:

The class is divided into asynchronous learning and synchronous learning, as an adaptation to online learning.

Asynchronous 

• Asynchronous learning includes reading assignments (which are normally part of homework) and materials which replace 1 hour of the usual lecture time.
• Course readings, videos, and sounds recordings are posted in D2L one week before class.
• A prerecorded lecture is also posted in D2L are posted in D2L one week before class.
• More of the readings are short items, but occasionally there are longer reading video or audio recordings included.
• Students can expect this to take between 1 to 2 hours to complete;
• All the required materials should be completed before class and form the basis for examinations.
• There will be 5 be quizzes posted in D2L over the course of the term. These are simple concept checks based on pre-class materials.

Live Classes

Zoom links posted  in D2L will bring you to the weekly 1 hour live lecture and seminars.

The one-hour live lecture:

• The lecture will take place from 11 am ET to 12PM ET
• The first 15 minutes of this class is a check-in with the professor; if you have questions about the material or the course which are of general interest. (Topics of an individual nature should be brought to office hours.)
• The remaining 45 minutes will be a guest speaker and the usual format will be a short interview by the professor followed by questions from the class.
• Attendance is taken at the beginning of class and counts toward your participation mark so please be on time.
• Guest speakers will be taped and posted in D2L  and recordings may be used for future classes.
• If you miss a session you are still responsible to catch up by watching the recording, as information from the guest speakers may be referenced in exams.
• It preferred that you have cameras on during these sessions if possible.
• There is one zoom link for this class, the whole class attends together.

Seminars

• Seminars are held on Tuesdays from 1 to 2 PM
• These classes are smaller and subdivided
• There will be 6 zoom links posted in D2L; please be sure you are in the right seminar.
• These sessions are NOT taped
• It preferred that you have cameras on during these sessions if possible.
• Attendance is taken at the beginning of class, and the class starts on time.
• Attendance and participation in seminars count toward your grade.
• You may miss one seminar class without penalty.

Because this is a journalism course, the news often overtakes our best-laid plans, and new readings will be added throughout the semester. So please, make sure you check D2L regularly.

Attendance issues and accommodations:

Acknowledging that some students may have challenges attending due to time zone issues should contact the professor as soon as possible to discuss accommodations. While we will do our best to accommodate you please be aware that real-time lab participation is a course requirement.  Students who experience connectivity issues should contact their TAs. Please be aware it is possible to participate by telephone in Zoom, through a local number, as an alternative if video calling is not possible due to connectivity issues.

Please note: There are no lectures guest speakers or seminars on October 13, 20 and December 1. There are respectively reading week, midterm, and the final exam.

There is no required textbook for this course.

Mandatory course readings will be posted in D2L one week before class.

Each week there will be about 6 - 8 readings that amplify the themes of that week. These are relatively short, easy-to-digest pieces of journalism and you are expected to read them to participate fully in class discussions and answer test questions. In addition, there are occasionally book chapters, a video or audio component.  After  Week 1 there will also be pre-recorded lectures (about 30 min). Some weeks will be lighters and others will be heavier but generally, you should allow yourself 1.5 hours for this work.

As we will be discussing ongoing issues in the news as they relate to the themes of the course, you are expected to pay attention to the news through regular reading, viewing and/or listening of news from trustworthy sources.

 

 

Recommended Course Readings or Resources

Posted in D2L

Marking Scheme

For more information about exams, please see Ryerson University’s Senate Policy on Examinations No. 135. For more information about grade appeals and reassessments please see relevant Senate Policies: 

Classroom Management

Our shared goal is an environment that fosters critical thinking, collegiality and respect in considering complex issues. affecting journalists and our audiences. We will have some difficult and important conversations in this course, in the lecture and in the seminars. These discussions will only transpire in productive ways if we’re reflective and conscious of the things we say and do are able to become comfortable with the sometimes uncomfortable. Throughout the course, we would like for us to assume the best intent of everyone in the room. To facilitate the most supportive communication conditions possible, we will collaborate on the Discussion Guidelines in our opening lecture and seminar. It will serve as an important set of guidelines for the semester.

A note about devices 
Throughout the semester, we will have guest speakers from the media industry. They are generously taking the time to share their expertise. You are expected to give them your undivided attention. Please do not do other work or text, and respect the time they have taken to come to class. Buzzing phones and can be disruptive even over Zoom and texting or multi-tasking during seminars is not conducive to learning. Please do not send or read messages via your handheld device during classes. If you are expecting a truly important call during a class, inform me or your TA in advance, and mute your mic. If a call does come in, turn off your video.

Please speak to us if you have any concerns about device use during class.

Late Assignments

Deadlines matter in journalism, they matter at RSJ  and they matter in this class. Extensions will be granted only on health or compelling compassionate grounds and MUST be discussed before the work is due.

"For more information, see "Health Certificate" information below."

All other late work will be penalized one letter grade (from B to B- etc.) for each day or portion of day beyond the deadline. That means an assignment due at 6 pm and handed in beyond that deadline will lose one letter grade for every 24 hours past the deadline.

Missed Term Work or Examinations

Health Certificate:

If you will miss an assignment, test or examination due to illness, you should let your instructor know in advance and then submit an Academic Consideration Request Form within three working days of the missed assessment. If you are a B. Journ., student, this form should go to RSJ student affairs coordinator, Bev Petrovic; all other students should submit the documentation to their home department or program's student affairs coordinator or program administrator.

If this happens only once per semester, you will NOT have to provide a health certificate or other documentation from a health-care provider — Ryerson University’s new policy on missed assessments indicates that students need a health certificate signed by a physician only if they miss more than one assignment, test or examination in a course in a single semester. If you are going to miss a second assessment, please let me know in advance or ASAP after the fact.

Students are expected to complete all assignments, tests, and exams within the time frames and by the dates indicated in this outline. If you need accommodations according to Policy 159: Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities, the student and instructor must discuss any modifications as soon as possible.

Religious, Aboriginal, and Spiritual Observance
For accommodations based on medical or religious, Aboriginal, and spiritual observance reasons, a Request for Accommodation of Student Religious, Aboriginal and Spiritual Observance form and an Academic Consideration Request form must be submitted within the first two weeks of class or, for a final examination, within two weeks of the posting of the examination schedule.

Plagiarism

Ethical and truthful work

Your work should be accurate, verifiable and your own; using fake interviews, misrepresenting or making up sources, data or using misleading visuals/audio, are all serious journalistic and academic offences. Your work also must be free of any copyright restrictions.  If you have ANY doubts, please speak to the instructor. Details are in the School of Journalism's Rules of Conduct, which contain greater detail about truth-telling issues specific to the practice of journalism. These are in the student handbook.

All work you submit must be entirely your own. Penalties for fabrication, plagiarism or other forms of cheating will range from failing an assignment to failing the course and will include a disciplinary notice being placed on your academic record.

You are required to adhere to Ryerson University's Academic Integrity policy which covers plagiarism and other transgressions. It is at:

http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf

Course Information

The following section addresses course-specific issues and general information about student access and support.

Departmental Policies and Course Practices

To learn more about course management expectations, please review Ryerson University’s Course Management Policy No.166

Accessibility

Ryerson University’s Student Learning Support office will work confidentially and directly with you if you have temporary and permanent disabilities that impact your academic functioning; your rights and responsibilities are outlined here: 

 Ryerson Senate Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities No. 159. 

Once the instructor receives an accommodation letter, the instructor should meet with the student to discuss what arrangements should be made to assignments, classes or other issues in the course.

Ryerson Student Email

All students in full and part-time graduate and undergraduate degree programs and all continuing education students are required to activate and maintain their Ryerson online identity at ryerson.ca/accounts in order to regularly access Ryerson’s email, RAMSS, the my.ryerson.ca portal and learning management system, and other systems by which they will receive official university communications.

Student Support and Assistance

If you are experiencing technical or administrative issues with your course, help is available by completing the Ask RSJ form.

Ryerson University offers services to address a broad range of common challenges students face. Don’t hesitate to ask your instructor for assistance connecting with any of these great resources.

• The Learning Success Centre: offers help with transitioning to university, English language skills, study skills and math support (yes, journalists do need to do math)
• Ryerson Centre for Student Development and Counselling: provides support to address personal, educational and career concerns.

There is a wide range of other services available to Ryerson students; if you need any kind of assistance, PLEASE just ask—ask your instructor, the course lecturer, the student affairs coordinator or any other RSJ instructor or staff member.

In addition to Ryerson’s services and supports, Good2Talk is a free, confidential helpline providing professional counselling and information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being to post-secondary students in Ontario, 24/7/365. Students can reach Good2Talk by calling 1-866-925-5454 or by dialing 2-1-1 and asking to be connected to Good2Talk.

This is a demanding program; our expectations are high and the standards are rigorous. But please know that, when you encounter problems, we are here to help. For that reason, you should never hesitate to reach out.

Assignment Descriptions

TESTS: 45%
There will be two take home tests during the term comprised of short-answer and essay questions that will assess your understanding of the course material and your critical thinking about the issues raised. While this is not a writing course, writing clarity, organization, grammar and spelling will be a factor in grading. Rubrics for grading will be posted in D2L. Test questions will be based on material from lectures, seminar readings and guest speakers.

• Midterm Test  15 % Assigned October 20, due October 26 at noon ET. This is open book but must be worked on individually.
• Final Test 2: 25% Assigned Dec 1, due Dec 3 at noon ET.
• Quizzes Based on the readings will be posted in D2L from weeks 3-11 and should be completed before class.

Seminar and reading response essay paper

Seminar presentation: 10% In groups of 3-4, students will present course material and lead the weekly discussions of seminar readings and related discussion based on that day’s lecture, required readings and supplementary readings. Group presentations will run all weeks 3-12 except for breaks. Groups must include a detailed list of the work of each individual in preparing for a 15-20 minute presentation that helps the seminar group develop a deeper understanding and think critically about the material. This is due at the beginning of class. Students will be marked individually. Deadlines throughout term from Week 3-11 are based on the random draw in Week 1.

Reading response reflective/critical essay. 15 % Students will write a 600-word essay summarizing key themes and reflecting on at least one of the readings presented during their seminar, making connections to other readings, class themes and including an example of journalism that amplifies the themes of the selected article(s). Deadlines throughout term from Week 3-12, based on random draw in Week 1. More details of this assignment will be posted in D2L.

Quizzes 10% : There will be 5 Quizzes in D2L based on the readings.  These are short answer or multiple choice.

Participation and attendance 20%:  You may miss one guest speaker and one seminar without being penalized, but you are generally expected to attend and participate in group discussion and class exercises.

Weekly Schedule

Week 1: We need to talk about Journalism (September 8)

08/09/2020

Topics

Please note this is a live class, from 10 am ET to 12PM ET,  Please complete all reading materials in D2L before class. Zoom Link is posted in D2L. 

• Intro to class: Our class contract
• Intro to Teaching Assistants
• Critical Thinking
• Who is a Journalist and what is Journalism?
• Division of class into seminars

Guest Speaker 11AM -12PM  ET: Brent Jolly, CAJ President, also director National NewsMedia Council

Seminar Groups 1PM 2PM ET

• Discussion guidelines and seminar readings  assignment dates (In seminar session)
• In the seminar session: Assignment of weekly seminar presentation and reading response essay deadlines

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week…

• Introduce students to the scope of material to be covered
• Introduce the concept of critical thinking and how it applies to journalism
• Think critically about how who defines these terms and the political implications of definitions

 

 

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Week 2: Let's get Uncomfortable: Objectivity, Bias and Empathy (Sept15)

15/09/2020

Topics

Please note this week's lecture and all subsequent lectures are pre-taped a week before class and posted in D2L . Please complete all materials in D2L prior to attending the Guest Speaker event and the Seminar, which are live on Zoom.

• What do we mean by bias?
• Is objectivity possible in journalism and what are its limits?
• Does empathy produce bias, or can it be a part of objectivity?
• What makes us uncomfortable and how do we get past it?

Guest Speaker 11AM -12PM  ET: Melissa Rigden, Host Producer APTN 

Seminars 1-2 PM ET

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week…

• Understand concepts of bias, worldviews and the complexities of truth
• Assess definitions of objectivity, and why objectivity is a problematic concept
• Understand the complexities of fairness and balance in journalism,
• Learn strategies to get beyond stereotypes and better express the complexity in stories

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Tests/Exams

Practice Quiz will be posted in D2L. This is a practice quiz only, it is not graded.

Week 3: Let's look at who counts: Diversity in the Newsroom (Sept 22)

22/09/2020

Topics

• Understand the debate about the lack of diversity in newsrooms and why it matters
• Systematic barriers that can homogenize newsrooms
• Finding diverse sources in reporting

11 am -12 PM Guest Speaker: Sean Towgood, CBC 

1PM -2PM ET Seminar

Learning Objectives

• Understand the complexity of creating and consuming journalism in a democracy
• Understand the challenges of diversity in journalism in both coverage and newsroom staffing.

 

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Assignments

Group presentation in seminars

Tests/Exams

Quiz 1: Posted in D2L

Week 4: Who Killed Truth? Disinformation, The US election and #HugsNotMasks (Sept 29)

29/09/2020

Topics

• • The rise of post-truth era
  • How disinformation/misinformation impacts democracy and journalism

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Assignments

Tests/Exams

Quiz 2: Posted in D2L

Week 5: Life is complex: Power, politics and Intersectionality (October 6)

06/10/2020

Topics

•  Reporting on policing, politics and institutions of power from multiple angles, including but not limited to gender, class, ethicity

Learning Objectives

• Understand how citizens to access, understand and experience systems of power differently
• Grasp the concept of multiple and overlapping identities
• Develop an ability to think about stories from multiple angles based on social, class, gender, ethics world views

11 AM ET -12 PM ET Guest speaker: TBA

1PM -2PM Seminars

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Assignments

Tests/exams

Quizz 3: Posted in D2L

Week 6: Reading Week (no Class)

13/10/2020

Topics

Reading week

Week 7: Mid-term

20/10/2020

Tests/Exams

Week 8: Can journalists be activists?

27/10/2020

Topics

• • Understand the difference between advocacy and activism
  • Grasp the complexities of the ongoing debate about "activist-journalists" and the implications in law, definitions of journalism and concepts of objectivity
  • Consider the emerging importance of solutions journalism

  GUEST SPEAKER:  Denise Balkissoon.  Please also view the 1 hour panel in D2L.

  Seminar 1PM-2PM ET

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week…

• Distinguish the difference between disinformation, misinformation and old-fashioned 'spin'
• Understand the current climate and its impact on democracy
• Learn best practices for covering disinformation

 

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Assignments

Group presentations in seminars.

Reading response essays due for last week’s presenters.

Week 9: Gender, sexuality and #MeToo (Nov 3)

03/11/2020

Topics

The challenges of covering gender and sexuality

11 am -12 pm ET Guest Speaker TBA

1PM- 2PM ET Seminar

Learning Objectives

• Grasp the complexity of covering gender and sexuality issues
• Learn best practices for covering victims and vulnerable people
• Identify ethical issues related to victims of crime
• Understand and identify resources for self-care

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Assignments

Group presentations in seminars.

Reading response essays due for last week’s presenters.

Tests

Quiz 4: Posted in D2L

Week 10: JHR Workshop Reporting in Indigenous communities (Nov 10)

10/11/2020

Topics

Learning Objectives

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Assignments

Group presentations in seminars.

Reading response essays due for last week’s presenters.

Tests/Exams

Quiz 5 : Posted in D2L

11: Extremism and the Rise of Hate Nov 17

17/08/2020

Topics

• Journalism and extremism

11 am -12 pm ET Guest Speaker Elsy Abi Assi, Al Jazerra

1PM- 2PM ET Seminar

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week…

• Grasp the concepts of radicalization, extremism, and terrorism
• Learn best practices in covering extremism and terrorism
• Identify ethical issues related to trauma
• Identify resources and strategies for self-care

 

Required Readings

Posted in D2L

Recommended Readings

Assignments

Group presentations in seminars.

Reading response essays due for last week’s presenters.

Edit module titleEdit module title Week 12: Climate change or Climate Crisis (Nov 24)

24/11/2020

Topics

Covering climate change in a polarized world

11 am -12 pm ET Guest Speaker: the Narwhal

1PM- 2PM ET Seminar

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week…

• Understand the complexity of climate change issues in journalism
• Grasp the concept of false balance
• Think critically about why some stories get chosen over others, and how media acts as a gatekeeper

Required Readings

Recommended Readings

Posted in D2L

Assignments

Group presentations in seminars

Reading response essays due for last week’s presenters.

Week 13: Final Exam

01/12/2020