J412/512: Thinking Critically about Editorial Cartooning
TEACHING GUY: Tom Bivins
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-11:00, 311-B Allen Hall. I'm also available to chat before or after class. Of course, you may always email me with questions or concerns.
PHONE: (Nobody uses the phone anymore, but here it is anyway.) 541-346-3740
E-MAIL: [email protected]
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-11:00, 311-B Allen Hall. I'm also available to chat before or after class. Of course, you may always email me with questions or concerns.
PHONE: (Nobody uses the phone anymore, but here it is anyway.) 541-346-3740
E-MAIL: [email protected]
A Brief Bio for Tom Bivins
I am the John L. Hulteng Chair in Media Ethics in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon where I am the head of the Media Studies Major and the Graduate Certificate Program in Communication Ethics. I have a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing, both from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and a PhD in Telecommunications from the University of Oregon. I have worked in television and radio broadcasting, documentary film production, advertising, corporate public relations, and as a graphic designer and editorial cartoonist. I am the author of numerous articles on the mass media in academic and professional publications, and have written books on media ethics, public relations writing, publication design, advertising, and newsletter publication. I have three published children’s books and a small book of poetry. I've also designed numerous web sites for education, business, and professional societies. If you want to learn more about me (who knows why), visit my personal website, it's a hoot. (This image is a caricature. I'm not this good looking, but I do play ukulele.) |
READINGS
Listed by week and topic on the Course Calendar page. No textbook is required for this class. The length and number of readings will vary. It is best to read them early and not wait until the night before they are scheduled to be discussed (but, I know you will anyway. I was a student once.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Throughout this course we will explore editorial cartoons and the cartoonists who produce them. We will investigate how editorial cartoonists give meaning to facts and help construct our political and social reality. We will study the satirical form and its role in political dissent. We will study how editorial cartoons are made and how to interpret them. We will also consider the history of editorial cartooning, and whether there is a future for this journalistic art form.
We will explore such questions as:
Learning Outcomes
By the time you complete this course you should be able to:
Assessment
Your progress will be assessed by:
WORK AND EXPECTATIONS
This class is VERY interactive. You will be asked not only to attend on a regular basis, but also to actively participate. Here’s what you’ll need:
Assignments
All readings listed on the course calendar are required. You are expected to read every assignment prior to class on the day it is listed and to participate in the discussion of all reading assignments. You are required to attend class, read assignments, participate in discussions, and meet deadlines for handing in assigned work. All assignments are to be completed on the date listed in the syllabus.
Grading and Course Requirements
Course grades will be weighted as follows:
Listed by week and topic on the Course Calendar page. No textbook is required for this class. The length and number of readings will vary. It is best to read them early and not wait until the night before they are scheduled to be discussed (but, I know you will anyway. I was a student once.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Throughout this course we will explore editorial cartoons and the cartoonists who produce them. We will investigate how editorial cartoonists give meaning to facts and help construct our political and social reality. We will study the satirical form and its role in political dissent. We will study how editorial cartoons are made and how to interpret them. We will also consider the history of editorial cartooning, and whether there is a future for this journalistic art form.
We will explore such questions as:
- Should political satire be thought of as a form of journalism?
- How much affect does political humor and satire have on public perceptions?
- Has the role of political satire changed over the years?
- What are the ethical issues that surround the use of humor and satire in political discourse?
- Are there hidden dangers in this form of constitutionally protected speech?
Learning Outcomes
By the time you complete this course you should be able to:
- Decode editorial cartoons and explain their relevance within the context of the political-social environment in which they were created.
- Discuss similarities and differences between various cartoons, grouped thematically, chronologically, or by some other method.
- Describe the process of designing an editorial cartoon.
- Create your own editorial cartoon expressing an editorial, political, or social point of view.
Assessment
Your progress will be assessed by:
- How well you can recognize visual stereotyping, graphic design techniques, and use of symbols in editorial cartoons.
- How well you recognize satire as an editorial/political/social instrument of free speech.
- The extent to which you analyze content (explicit and implicit) in editorial cartoons.
- How well you can explain an editorial or journalistic point of view and the possible consequences of editorial cartoons.
- How able you are to bring more balance to points of view expressed in editorial cartoons.
WORK AND EXPECTATIONS
This class is VERY interactive. You will be asked not only to attend on a regular basis, but also to actively participate. Here’s what you’ll need:
- An active and engaged mind
- A laptop computer (or digital tablet), which will only be accessed for class exercises
- Drawing pencils, a black pen, and a sketch pad (or plain, white paper of some kind).
Assignments
All readings listed on the course calendar are required. You are expected to read every assignment prior to class on the day it is listed and to participate in the discussion of all reading assignments. You are required to attend class, read assignments, participate in discussions, and meet deadlines for handing in assigned work. All assignments are to be completed on the date listed in the syllabus.
Grading and Course Requirements
Course grades will be weighted as follows:
- Weekly Cartoon analysis (25%)
- Attendance (15%)
- Creating your own cartoon (the final "paper") (20%)
- Final team presentations (40%)
Final "Paper"
Your final "paper" will be a cartoon you develop into a finished piece that you would feel comfortable posting online for the public to see—just like a professional editorial cartoonist. You may use any medium: drawing/inking, black & white or color, painting, collage, photo manipulation, video, or basically any form you choose. The idea should be the primary focus, with the execution of that idea playing a supporting role. The final piece should be in a form that can be uploaded to the Blackboard site (digitized). Accompanying the cartoon should be a brief (300-word/one-page maximum) explanation of your idea, why you chose it, and how you executed it. This is due by 8:00, Monday, June 8 (finals week).
Team presentations:
The in-class presentation requires that teams of students (four members each) introduce a selection of editorial cartoons. Presentations should last 10-12-minutes followed by 5-minutes of questions from the class. Your presentation should critically evaluate a series of editorial cartoons published within the past decade. The cartoons selected should share the same theme, point of view, political/social topic, style, or other common elements that serve as the theme of your presentation. You may also compare two or more artists, subjects, or styles. The presentation should reflect what you have learned in this class, including: an understanding of the place of cartooning and satire and how it contributes to an open democracy; an assessment of the ways in which editorial cartoons offer insight into current events; and a broad understanding of the importance of different perspectives. For this important presentation, you are encouraged to make use of visual aids, such as Powerpoint, Keynote, Prezi, or even short video (produced by your group).
ATTENDANCE
This class, like all SOJC classes, has a mandatory attendance policy. The main reason to come to class regularly is because it creates a better classroom environment for all of us, making the class more interesting and fun. And of course, you will need the lecture and discussion material for the exams. Students who do not attend class may be dropped. Students who stop attending and fail to do the assigned work will receive a final grade of F. You are expected to be in class unless you are ill or have another documentable reason not to be here. If you miss more than 3 classes in a term, your grade will be lowered by one letter grade.
Late work will have one letter grade deducted from the grade of the assignment for each day it is overdue. All work, except for class presentations, is to be submitted electronically.
This class, like all SOJC classes, has a mandatory attendance policy. The main reason to come to class regularly is because it creates a better classroom environment for all of us, making the class more interesting and fun. And of course, you will need the lecture and discussion material for the exams. Students who do not attend class may be dropped. Students who stop attending and fail to do the assigned work will receive a final grade of F. You are expected to be in class unless you are ill or have another documentable reason not to be here. If you miss more than 3 classes in a term, your grade will be lowered by one letter grade.
Late work will have one letter grade deducted from the grade of the assignment for each day it is overdue. All work, except for class presentations, is to be submitted electronically.