Week 1 (Aug 23) – Introductions and Orientations

  • Open discussion about the nexus of sports, media and society. Thinking about both sport and communication as cultural, political phenomena.
  • Introduction to the course, syllabus, expectations, etc.
  • Review of some key terms & points in Chap 1 in Communication and Sport, 3rd ed. 
  • Overview of key terms & history from Chap 3 “Sports Media,” in Communication and Sport, 3rd ed.

For further reading and research:

Week 2 (Aug 30) – Sports and Mythology

For further reading and research:

Week 3 (Sept 6) – NO CLASS for Labor Day

  • If you’re intersted, there’s a good article from journalist Kim Kelly about the history of Labor Day that you can read here.

Media & the Olympics

For further reading & research:

  • Read: Chapter 3 “Sports Media” in Communication and Sport, 2nd Ed.
  • Read:

For further reading and research:

Week 4 (Sept 13) – 

Week 5 (Sept 20) – The NFL: Myth vs. Reality

For further reading and research:

Week 6 (Sept 27) – Sport, Nationalism & Patriotism

For further reading and research:

Week 7 (Oct 4) – Gender, Media & Sport 

  • Chapter 6 “Gender in Sport” in Communication and Sport, 2nd Ed
  • Thomas P. Oates, “Madden Men”
  • Cheryl Cooky, “Despite Soaring Popularity, Women’s Sports Got More Coverage a Generation Ago,” FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, 19 July 2015.
  • Maggie Mertens, “Women’s Soccer Is a Feminist Issue,” The Atlantic, 5 June 2015.
  • In-class screening: Media Coverage and Female Athletes
  • Media Critique #2 due. NOTE: Beginning with this assignment, I will be evaluating your Media Critiques more rigorously given that 1) everyone has received  both individual and group feedback on a previous assignment, 2) you’ve each had ample opportunities to discuss both your writing or the assignment guidelines with me if something was unclear, and 3) you’ve only been required to submit one assignment during the first month and a half of the course. In other words, make sure you review the assignment guidelines very carefully and also take note of what I said in my comments on your Media Critique #1 post. 

For further reading and research:

 Week 8 (Oct 11) – Race & Racism in Sport

For further reading and research:

 Week 9 (Oct 18) – Sporting Bodies

For further reading and research:

Week 10 (Oct 25) –  Sports and Cultural Identity

For further reading and research:

Week 11 (Nov 1) – Sports, Advertising & Consumption

  • Chapter 14 “The Commodification of Sport” in Communication and Sport, 2nd Ed
  • Piece on branding & sports (maybe D.L Andrews?)
  • Photos from Hank Willis Thomas’s “Branding” exhibition.
  • Associated Press, “NCAA will pay former athletes $20M over video game likenesses,” New York Post, 9 June 2014.
  • Media Critique #4 due
  • Presenters: Alexander Riley, Emily Taylor and Derrick Thomas 
  • Reminder: Everyone must attend a one-on-one research session with a librarian by the end of this week (click HERE for details).

For further reading and research:

Week 12 (Nov 8) – Fans, Fantasy Sports & Social Media

For further reading and research:

Week 13 (Nov 15) – Sports and Film

  • Chapter 5 (“ESPN Films”) in Travis Vogan, ESPN: The Making of a Sports Media Empire (University of Illinois Press, 2015).
  • Mike Miley, “How Capitalism Took Over Sports Movies,” The Atlantic, 8 May 2016.
  • Presenters: Muhammed Alli & Jessica Manfredi (Notes & Handout)
  • Due: Meet with Zack to get feedback on your draft.

For further reading and research:

Week 14 (Nov 22) – NO CLASS for Thanksgiving Break

Week 15 (Nov 29) – ESPN & the Future of Sports Media

For further reading and research:

Week 16 (Dec 6) – In Class Paper Workshop

  • In class: Be sure to bring a copy of your draft with you to class!

Finals Week – Final Papers Due

  • Final papers are due by 12:00pm on Monday, Dec 13.