Media Studies 200: Intro to Media Studies
Intended for 80 undergraduate students
Fall 2024 at the University of Victoria
lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ territories
M and Th, 10 - 11:20am | 1.5 units | prereq: AWR
Taught by Jentery Sayers (he / him) | jentery@uvic.ca
Office hours: Th, 12-1pm, in CLE D331
Teaching assistant: Maya Linsley (she / any)
This worksheet covers material from Module 4: Approaches. Your response is due via Brightspace by 10am on Monday, December 2nd.
The worksheet is open-book, meaning you are allowed to use handouts, the course website, my slides, your notes, recordings of class sessions, the library, and the internet to address the prompts.
Please cite your source material.
Download the worksheet (DOCX format) to complete it in a word processor such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, or Pages for Mac.
This open-book worksheet contains five prompts. You should respond to four of them, and a response to Prompt 5 is required. I will mark only four if you respond to all five.
Each response is worth 25 points for a total of 100 points.
Some of the prompts ask you to create media. Please attach your audio, image, and video files to your response in Brightspace. Do not use YouTube, SoundCloud, Vimeo, Google Drive, or any other non-Brightspace platform to submit files.
1. Use an image to index a moment you felt seen personally and socially by a television show, web series, or popular culture. You can create the image, find one online, or take a screen grab. Then use no more than 350 words, including terminology from the “Representation” handout and “Communication” and “Media” modules, to explain 1) the image, 2) the moment you felt seen, 3) how you felt seen personally, 4) how you felt seen socially, and 5) how frequently you feel seen in this way. Don’t forget to attach your image so I can see it.
2. Select an emergent story or narrative that interests you. It can appear in any media format (digital, analog, electronic, or print). Then use no more than 350 words, including terminology from the “Narrative” handout and “Communication” and “Media” modules, to explain: 1) what makes the emergent story or narrative interesting, 2) how you interact with it, 3) what role(s) it expects or encourages you to perform as it unfolds, and 4) how you know it’s “finished,” “over,” or concluded. Be sure to include the title of the work in your response, and you’re welcome to share a URL for it, too.
3. Select a public broadcaster or independent media platform or publisher that interests you. It can produce content in any media format (digital, analog, electronic, or print). Then use no more than 350 words, including terminology from the “Ownership” handout and “Communication” and “Media” modules, to explain what it offers you 1) socially, 2) culturally, 3) aesthetically, and 4) politically that commercial content does not. Please also mention who or what funds it. Be sure to include the name of the broadcaster, platform, or publisher, and you’re welcome to share a URL for it, too.
4. Select a piece of fanwork, such as fanfiction, fanart, fanvids, fanzines, or podfic, that interests you. Then use no more than 350 words, including terminology from the “Participation” handout and “Communication” and “Media” modules, to explain what makes the fanwork 1) participatory and 2) transformative. Please include a URL for the fanwork or attach it to your submission.
5. A response to this prompt is required. I asked you to attend a UVic Libraries workshop, an Internet Archive workshop, or Candis Callison’s talk on “News from the Global North” this term. Please use no more than 350 words to 1) tell me what you learned and 2) reflect on what you learned.
I will use the following rubric, based on UVic’s official grading system, to assess your responses.
1 point will be deducted for every 25 words over the prescribed word count.
10 points will be deducted from the overall mark if no references are included at the end of the worksheet (see details below).
The total of these points (0-100) will constitute 15% of your final mark in this course.
You do not need to meet the word count in each response to earn a high mark. I do, however, recommend using prose rather than point form in your responses. It’s more synthetic and will allow you to make connections.
Please do not forget to cite any material from which you draw ideas or examples. This includes course handouts. You are welcome to use your preferred citation style (MLA, Chicago, or APA, e.g.).
Please submit a DOCX, ODT, PAGES, or PDF file containing your answers and references along with any media you were prompted to attach or embed.
A response to Worksheet 4 is due by 10am on Monday, December 2nd, but there’s a two-day grace period. I will deduct five points for every business day I receive Worksheet 4 after 10am on Wednesday, December 4th. I will close the submission portal at 10am on Thursday, December 12th and cannot accept any submissions after the portal is closed.