The class is in the form of lecture interspersed with discussion on readings and on the current topics in new media. The students are required to be prepared for discussion, do the readings, write a short blog post about a new media topic of their interest and write a 5 page (9000 chars including spaces) essay (details will be given). Examples will be given from all kinds of new media from all parts of the world. The list of topic and readings follows. All readings are available in the University's information system.

BLOG / MID-TERM ASSIGNMENT:

A journalistic piece about a topic related to those we go through in class. The connection between the theoretical concepts you learned in class and the topic should be made explicit. The article should fulfil two goals: 1. Inform about the phenomenon/content/application/service/text/institution. 2. Assess it from the point of view of a future expert on new media (even if you don’t want to be one, try to assume that role). By assessment, I mean a brief analysis that situates it in the context of the social and cultural processes related to the processes of "convergence".

When looking for a topic: 1. Avoid repeating old ones, unless you can offer a markedly different or innovative take on it. 2. Try to come up with something original, either in terms of content or your analysis. You are encouraged to, but do not have to, refer to a phenomenon from your own countries. The point is for others and your lecturer to learn something new.

Choose a clear and catchy headline a take advantage of the possibilities of hypertext, i.e. links, embedded images and videos. (Blog posts actually look plain and ugly without any images.)

Length: 600-1200 words (3600-7200 characters w/spaces)

The deadline is April 12, 2014, 11:59pm.

Test dates: March 18, April 29

Test Results: HERE

TEST

Two questions based ONLY on the readings assigned to this semester's individual sessions in the syllabus. In case there were two alternative readings, BOTH can appear in the test. The tests IMCLUDE the reading for the session during which the test will take place.

The questions are open-ended and focus on the BASIC concepts and arguments made in the readings.

You will have 5 minutes for each question, 10 minutes total. You can get 0,5 or 1 point per question. (MAXIMUM of 4 points)

FINAL ESSAY

Your final essay will discuss a topic related to topics we went through during the classes.

It will be based on existing scholarship (books, edited volumes or journal articles). It is an ACADEMIC TEXT, that requires proper references to the sources of information and theoretical concepts that you are using. These references must be made for each claims that needs to be backed (a list of sources DOES NOT SUFFICE!). Use one of the standard referencing standards (Harvard, Chicago, APA, etc.). Please note that failure to provide references will score you ZERO out of 4 points for formal requirements.

It can include your own research (quantitative or qualitative) that you can use as an argument.

The required length is 10,000 - 20,000 characters including spaces (1800-3500 words).

The deadline is June 30 or 10 days before you need the credits. In some cases, an exception can be made and the deadline can be extended to August 15.

Send me the essay by email to SVELCH@FSV.CUNI.CZ or JAROSLAV@SVELCH.COM. The subject line MUST include the code "Essay-CC".

Some tips as where to look for existing research on new media topics in our library:

Following journals in the SAGE database:

New Media & Society

Media, Culture & Society

Convergence

Journals - Blackwell-Wiley:

Journal of Computer Mediated Communication

Journals - EBSCO:

Information, Communication & Society

Open access journals:

Participations

Cyberpsychology

Journal of Transformative Works

Social media + Society

Plus edited volumes, many of which are available in the library, check with instructor to get approval for using one

Essay score will consist of three categories:

1. LANGUAGE, STYLE AND FORMAL STRUCTURE - reflects the care you put into the text, the phrasing of your argument and accessibility to the reader. I WILL take into consideration the fact that each of you has a different level of written English. Clarity is more important than perfect grammar.

2. GRASP OF THE TOPIC - reflects your knowledge of the topic and the soundness of the theoretical and metholodogical foundations of your paper. The more research you do for it, the better score you are likely to get on this one.

3. ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION - this reflects your own creative intellectual work. Revealing interesting connections, bringing together theory and material in novel ways, making well-argued points will gain you points here.

You can get up to 4 points for EACH.

GRADING

The final grade will be based on the test score PLUS essay score.

Maximum TOTAL SCORE is 16.

16-12 points - GRADE "1"

11.5-10 points - GRADE "2"

9.5-7 points - GRADE "3"

6.5 and less - FAIL

NEW MEDIA AND CONVERGENCE CULTURE SPRING 2013

Schedule and readings
Some of these readings are also available in French or German

18. 2. Introduction

25. 2. Approaches to Media Change

Henry Jenkins: Convergence Culture (pp. 1-19)*
OR
Raymond Williams: Television (pp. 9-13)*

4. 3. Visions of Digital Media
Vannevar Bush: As We May Think*

11. 3. The History and Principles of the Internet
Jonathan Zittrain: The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It (pp. 19-35, 11-19 optional) - http://futureoftheinternet.org/download
OPTIONAL: Play the video game DIGITAL: A Love Story, http://scoutshonour.com/digital/

18. 3. Collective Intelligence
Henry Jenkins: Convergence Culture (pp.25-38)
AND
Cory Doctorow: Metacrap, http://www.well.com/~doctorow/metacrap.htm

(Tip for reading: Just read it, the test questions will be straightforward.)

25. 3. Web 2.0

A definition of produsage: http://produsage.org/node/9
Carpentier, Dahlgren, Pasquali: Waves of Media Democratization

1. 4. New Media and Democracy

Cass Sunstein: Polarization of Extremes, http://bostonreview.net/BR26.3/sunstein.php

8. 4. Transmedia

Henry Jenkins: Convergence Culture (pp.93-108)

15. 4. Digital labour

Van Dijk - Nieborg: Wikinomics And Its Discontents*

22. 4. Spreadable Media, Viral Content

Henry Jenkins: If It Doesn’t Spread, It’s Dead (esp. parts 1, 6, 7), http://henryjenkins.org/2009/02/if_it_doesnt_spread_its_dead_p.html

29. 4. Social Networks
Danah Boyd: Facebook Privacy Trainwreck*

(Tip for reading: Focus on what happened after the "Newsfeed" was introuced on Facebook)

6. 5. Internet Culture, Culture Sharing

Video: Cory Doctorow: The Coming War on General Computation, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUEvRyemKSg (Subtitled)

13. 5. Program to be determined