Presidential Commercial Project

Tim Groeling (groeling@ucla.edu)

Communication Studies 160: Political Communication

Television is still arguably the most important medium for political communication in the world today. Because of this, scholars have long studied the medium and its impact on the political process. However, with the exception of internships, students have always been limited in their opportunities to gain firsthand experience with the medium because of its complex production process and high cost.  Now, with the arrival of easy-to-learn, high-quality video editing software like Apple’s iMovie, it is finally possible for typical students to explore television from the inside.

Examining TV News Coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots

Jeff Decker (jdecker@ucla.edu)

GE Cluster 20CW: Interracial Dynamics in American Culture and Society

The Los Angeles riots of 1992 had a profound impact on our understanding of interracial dynamics not only in southern California but across the nation.  During the riots and in their immediate aftermath, TV news coverage had a significant influence on how many people viewed the causes for and consequences of the riots.   Today, we study TV news coverage of the riots to measure the range of meanings assigned to these events by mass media, and to take measure of the kinds of messages consumed by the viewing public.  This assignment should afford you a deeper understanding of race relations in contemporary Los Angeles, and a greater comprehension of how mass media produces and influences our experience of interracial dynamics at a moment of crisis.

Decoding Media Strategies

Francis Steen (steen@commstds.ucla.edu)

Communication Studies 133: Decoding Media Strategies

In Decoding Media Strategies, students examine the use of techniques of persuasion and attention-getting in advertising, entertainment, and news. Material from the Digital Civic Learning initiative was incorporated into lectures, but at the time the class was last taught, the search engine was not yet available for student use. On an individual basis, material from the collection was used in class surveys, and six students used the image collection for content analysis of topics from "staged surrender" advertising to the use of gestures in political campaigns. The class will benefit significantly from an enhanced interface and improved access to major civic events.  Steen teaches this class once a year every year, and it typically has an enrollment of 90-100 students.