Undergraduate major in Communication or permission. This basic course combines the communication theories and management practices of public relations and its multi-faceted role in today's society,6 including historical perspectives, ethical and legal issues, and the process and planning of campaign development. Three hours of journalism or broadcasting or political science or permission of instructor. A study of responsibilities and obligations of broadcasters as defined and interpreted through the history of regulation and deregulation policy. Licensing, spectrum allocation, programming and advertising regulation are studied.
Students develop and conduct a mass media research project.
The study of mass media as social institutions, particularly in their interaction with government and the public, with emphasis on ethical considerations. The course examines the philosophical and legal aspects of freedom of speech and press and the theories held by legal scholars. A study of the philosophy, process and effects of mass communication in the U.S., the relationship between the mass media and public opinion, and the nature, function and measurement of public opinion. The intent of this course is to examine the concepts of cross-cultural communication. Theory and research are integrated with applications and necessary skills are identified and developed.