HYPE
& HUCKSTERS
CLASS
INFO
Faculty: Dr. Virginia Hill
(Sem.3119, Mail Stop Sem. 3127, Phone 867-6597 hillg@evergreen.edu)
Office hours 9:00-9:30 TTh.
Winter,
2001
Syllabus
This syllabus is an addendum to your fall
syllabus. The program policies and procedures outlined there
continue to apply in winter quarter. You are encouraged to review
them as we launch a new quarter.
Books
and Materials
Ellul, J.
Propaganda
Twitchell, J .Adcult
USA
Turow, J. Breaking Up America
Stauber, J. and Rampton. Toxic Sludge is
Good for You
Lakoff, R. The Language
War
Orwell, G. 1984
Sontag, S. On
Photography
Gladwell, M. The Tipping Point
Gladwell, M. "The Spin Myth," "Listening
to Khakis," "True Colors" and "Clicks and
Mortar"
Harvard Case Studies:
Ad Council's AIDS Campaign (A):
Advertising Strategy
Changing Corporate Identity: The Case of
a Regional Hospital
Cunard Line Ltd.: Managing Integrated
Marketing Communications
Erox Corp: Leverage Marketing
Exxon Corp.: Trouble at Valdez
The Launch of mbanx
Class
Schedule
Monday Tuesday
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9:30-11:30 Seminar Seminar
Lab. II 2211 Lab. II
2211
11:30-12:00 Lunch Lunch
12:00-2:30 Case Study
Class Computer Workshops
Lib. 1308 (May last or
Groups
until 3 p.m.) Lab. II
2211
2:30-4:30 Groups
Meet Films, Lectures, Misc.
Lib. 1316
Student
Performances
Full, well prepared participation in
seminar discussions and other classes (This includes careful
reading of all assigned material.)
Seminar preparation papers on all
books
Completed research paper, based on fall
research
Group case study analysis and
presentation to the class
Participation in mock press conferences,
following case presentations
One written individual case study
analysis
Group campaign design, including a web
page, a press release, a video news release, a video
commercial, and a brochure, plus a
written description of the strategy that informs these
offerings
Presentation of this campaign design to
the class
Any assignments made in computer
workshop
Brief written evaluations of all group
members for inclusion in their final evaluations
Completion of a self evaluation, faculty
evaluation and program evaluation, all of which will
be delivered to faculty at the regularly
scheduled evaluation conference
Assignment Detail
Seminar Preparation Papers
See fall syllabus.
Research Paper
See fall syllabus.
Group Case Analysis and Campaign
Design
Case study analysis will be explained in
the first case study class. At that time, students will be
assigned to groups, with whom they will work for the duration of
the quarter. Groups will meet both in and out of class to analyze
their chosen cases and to plan their presentations. THESE
PRESENTATIONS SHOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY CAMPAIGN PROPOSALS OR
ELEMENTS; THEY SHOULD BE ANALYSES ONLY. Once groups have completed
their presentations, they should use the feedback from the class
to help them reassess their analysis and from this to design a
campaign to solve the case problem (or to improve the
organization's marketing situation, depending on how the case is
famed). The campaign design should include a video press release,
a video commercial, an Internet home page, a sample of relevant
print material, such as a brochure, and a press release. The
design must include a timeline, a statement of strategy, a budget,
and a rationale. Each campaign design will be presented to the
class, and it must also be submitted in written form to the
faculty as a design proposal. Groups should think of themselves as
marketing or public relations consultants and prepare their
materials consistent with this role.
Presentations should be thoroughly
professional, modeled after the best we witnessed in the fall.
When case analyses are presented, students not presenting should
have prepared their own analyses. One of these analyses should be
written and submitted the day the presentation is made. (No
written case paper will be accepted after the case has been
presented.) Written analyses should not exceed two typewritten
pages. They should contain an abbreviated version a case analysis,
offered in outline form. Again, this will be discussed during the
first case study class. Students who are neither presenting nor
writing a particular case will constitute a pool from which a
group of "reporters" will be drawn. At the close of presentations,
members of the presenting group each will have an opportunity to
field questions from the reporters in a mock press
conference.
Program Policies
Please see our fall syllabus. All
procedures and rules for credit continue to apply. There is no
provision for partial credit, and absence from class for more than
the equivalent of one week will result in denial of
credit.
Schedule of Assignments and
Activities
Week
Monday Tuesday
1/8 AM Ewen, "Spin
Myth" "True Colors," "Clicks &
Mortar,"
"Listening to Khakis" (Paper
Due)
PM Internship Info.,
Videos, Press release workshop
Case Study
Intro. Presentation. Groups
Meet.
1/15 AM Campus
Holiday Stauber and Rampton (Paper
Due)
PM Photoshop
Instruction (MacLab)
Stauber and Rampton
(cont'd)
1/22 AM Ellul, Intro., Preface,
Chs. Ellul, Remainder (Paper Due)
I-III
PM VHS
Proficiencies Pagemaker Instruction
(MacLab)
Video: "Triumph of the
Will"
1/29 AM Gladwell (Paper
Due) Gladwell (Research Papers
Due)
PM Exxon Case
Pres. i-Movie Instruction
Groups Meet Groups
meet
2/5 AM Twitchell (Paper
Due) Twitchell
PM mbanx Case
Pres. i-Movie Practice
Video: Sell
and Sprin Cunard Case Pres
2/12 AM Turow (Paper
Due) Turow
Video: Pitch People
PM Corp.Identity Case
Pres. Groups meet + with faculty
Erox Case Pres.
2/19 AM Campus
Holiday Orwell (Paper Due)
PM Groups
meet + with faculty
AIDS Case Pres.
2/26 AM Orwell Lakoff
(Paper Due)
PM Campaign Pres.:
Exxon, Campaign Pres.:mbanx
Cunard
3/5 AM Lakoff
Sontag
PM Campaign Pres.: Corp.
Identity Campaign Pres.: Erox
AIDS
(Strategy Papers
Due)
3/12 AM Sontag (Paper
Due) Sontag or Review
PM Video: History of
Photography Review
3/19 Evaluation
Week
Fall
Quarter 2000
Syllabus
student
performances
seminar
preparation papers
campaign
participation
case
study assignments
research
paper and presentation
program
policies
Fall, 2000
Faculty: Dr. Virginia Hill (Sem.3119, Mail Stop
Sem 3127, Phone 867-6597,
hillg@evergreen.edu) Office hours 9:00-9:30 TTh.
Syllabus
Public campaigns conducted in the mass media are
so common we scarcely notice them, yet they have a profound effect on
the way we think, on the way public life is conducted, and on our
national aspirations. They exhort us to believe this person but
not that one, to adopt one habit and break another, to give one
person our vote or to buy a company's product. They tint one
idea or way of life with glamour and goodness, while they tar others
as wicked or unsavory.
Public campaigns are exercises in managed
communications. When done well, they leave little room for capricious
discourse or the emergence of new ideas. They feature, instead,
a highly refined focus and a single-minded effort to maintain that
focus in the face of opposition. They fight to be noticed in an
environment crowded with information, inflating their messages
and using clever devices to attract our attention.
During fall quarter we will examine several public
campaigns, particularly presidential campaigns, to understand how
they are planned, to learn how they are conducted, to see how well
they work and to imagine what their enduring impacts might
be. Students will accomplish these aims through seminar reading
and discussion, analyzing campaign case studies, participating
in on-going political campaigns, and conducting term paper research
on a particular campaign. In the winter our focus will shift to
advertising campaigns, followed by spring quarter internships in
which students will hone skills acquired during fall and
winter. In fall, these skills will include Internet research,
PowerPoint, and web page design, followed in winter by instruction in
video production and print production. The skill instruction
will culminate in winter with groups of students designing, producing
and presenting their own media campaigns.
Student
Performances
Full, well prepared participation in seminar
discussions and other classes (This includes careful reading of
all assigned material.)
Seminar preparation papers on all books
Group case study presentation
One individual written case study analysis
Individual contribution to case study presentation responses,
including alternative campaign proposals and analyses and
participation on two panels
Participation in a local campaign for a minimum of ten hours per week
(Weeks 2-6)
Half-hour oral presentation of research on some campaign. (A term
paper based on this
research will be due early in winter quarter.)
A substantial essay exam (15 to 20 pages in length)
Contribution to program Internet home page
(Students should note that this program is heavily "front loaded" in
terms of workload because of both the timing of the elections and the
Thanksgiving break. As a result the first eight weeks will be
unusually demanding, while the last two weeks will be relatively
relaxed.)
Seminar
preparation papers
These two-page papers are intended to help
students focus their understanding and responses to the seminar
books. A paper is due on each book the first class day it is
discussed, unless you are instructed otherwise. Each paper should
have four components: a statement of the author's thesis, your
response to the book (such as what surprised you, what you think we
should discuss in seminar, what you had difficulty accepting), an
integrative statement in which you connect ideas from this book to
something weíre read previously, and three questions for
seminar discussion. To be productive, these questions should
defy yes/no answers and should require more of your classmates than
simple opinion. Be sure to cite authors and page numbers in
your integrative statement.
The papers will be turned in at the close of class
on the first day the book on which they are based is discussed
and will be reviewed by faculty for quality of coverage
only. Students should not expect comments or feedback on their
writing for these papers. As is the case for all written work
in this program, papers must be typed and double-spaced. Unless
students are directed otherwise, the papers should cover all
of the assigned book; this means that students must complete
all the reading of that book in advance of the first seminar in which
we discuss it.
Campaign
participation
This will be discussed in class. Note well
that on November 7 students are expected to submit a signed document
from the campaign on which they have worked, certifying that they
have contributed at least 10 hours per week.
Case
Study Assignments
Case studies are available at the bookstore in
packets. Students will need all the case studies in the
packet. We will spend two weeks discussing the lengthy
Helms-Hunt Senate Race case, which appears in four parts (A,B, C,and
D). This will provide a foundation both for in-class group
presentations and for term paper research.
Students will work in groups of five to prepare
in-class presentations of subsequent cases. Each group should
make a 50-minute presentation of their case. This
professional-quality, fully illustrated analysis, using PowerPoint
and other media, must cover the following:
1. The
focus of the campaign, including relevant information not available
in the written case
2.
Political considerations shaping the campaign,
such as key issues, key players, political "debts"
3.
Non-political contextual forces constraining the campaign
4. The
campaign strategy, including marketing elements and financing
5. A
critique of the campaign, including a proposal for
improvement.
Following each presentation, two panels will
respond to the day's case presentation. The first will
discuss the presenters' analysis and the second will discuss
the presenters' proposal, offering their own ideas for a more
successful campaign.
Each student is expected to prepare a written
two-page analysis of one case other than the one they are presenting
in class, addressing elements 1-4 above. Students who are
submitting a written analysis on a given day will not be asked to
join one of the panels. In other words, in addition to reading
all case studies closely, students will be responsible for the
following in case study class: one group presentation, one case
write-up, participation on an analysis critique panel and
participation on a proposal critique panel.
Research Paper and
Presentation
A significant portion of student effort this
quarter should be devoted to research on a campaign other than a
political campaign. This research should yield a paper of 15 to
20 pages, fully documented using APA style, with a bibliography of no
fewer than twelve entries, four of which should be books other than
program texts. While your topic may dictate that you use books
exclusively, other sources could include articles from the Internet,
print periodicals, interviews and pamphlets. Although the
polished paper is due the second week of winter term, the
research must be completed in fall quarter and presented to the class
in a half-hour, fully illustrated professional
presentation.
Choose whatever public or private sector campaign
interests you, provided you have good reason to believe that
information on the campaign is reasonably available. You might
pursue a relatively recent effort, such as William Bennett et al's
campaign to censor rap lyrics, or the campaign to reduce the
incidence of e-coli infection. Some students might decide to
look at a campaign long past, such as the British propaganda campaign
gainst American 'neutrality' in the early days of World War II or the
campaign for prohibition of alcohol at the early part of the last
century. Product advertising campaigns, such as the launch of
Windows 95, are good topics, as well. You are cautioned to
avoid campaigns that are so recent in origin that little information
is readily available about them. Also, your research should focus on
a campaign, as opposed to a social movement. The distinction
will become clear early in the quarter.
The resulting research paper should fully depict
the campaign, and it should have a thesis. The paper must
include the following six elements, all identified by subheadings
under which they are described:
1.
Identification of the campaign focus, design, and strategy
2.
Description of the socio-political environment in which the campaign
took place (What prompted it? What opposition faced it? What
constrained the campaign?)
3.
Identification of the campaign sponsors and their allies
4.
Description of campaign financing
5.
Description of the campaign
6. The
outcomes of the campaign, including its impact on the culture in
which it took place.
The presentation you make to the class in fall
term should address these elements, as well, though at the time of
the presentation you may not have fully developed your thesis, making
the presentation more descriptive than argumentative.
Since this research is so central to our work this
fall, and since an in-class presentation can only capsulize the
research, any students who anticipate leaving the program after fall
term should be aware that they will have to submit a finished paper
before receiving credit for fall. Such papers are due December
5.
Program Policies
1. Students
are expected to attend all classes and scheduled activities and to
arrive on time. Unexcused absences, chronic lateness, or
otherwise unsatisfactory work constitute grounds for denial of
credit.
2.
Assigned work must be submitted on time. There is no provision
for late or incomplete work, except in the most grave
circumstances.
3.
Evaluation conferences will be held at the end of the quarter, though
students can expect ongoing feedback in a timely manner as
assignments are submitted. It is the responsibility of both
students and faculty to inform one another of any problems with
respective performances. Under these circumstances, end of
program evaluations should contain no surprises. Indeed, they
should be occasions for summing up, for setting sights on new
challenges, and for mutual celebration of work well done.
4.
Credit will be awarded at the end of each quarter for that
quarter's efforts. Credit is awarded only if the work,
overall, has been of satisfactory quality. Because of the
highly integrated nature of this program's work, there is no
provision for partial credit.
Reading List
Fall 2000
Barnum, Phineas T.
The Life of P.T. Barnum,
Written by Himself
Ewen,
Stuart. PR! A Social
history of Spin
Jamieson,
Kathleen. Packaging the
Presidency
Jowett, Garth, and Victoria
OíDonnell.
Propaganda and Persuasion (3rd
Edition)
McGinniss, Joe.
The Selling of the
President
MacArthur, John R.
Second Front: Censorship and
Propaganda in the Gulf War
Machiavelli, N.
The Prince
Matalin, Mary, and James Carville.
Allís Fair: Love, War,
and Running for President
Morris, Dick.
The New Prince
Selections from Newman, Bruce.
The Marketing of the
President
Other brief, topical articles as
assigned
Case studies from Harvard Universityís
Kennedy School of Government
Winter 2001
Ellulk, J.
Propaganda
Ewen
All Consuming
Images
Hilts, P.
Smokescreen
Orwell
1984
Sontag, S.
On Photography
Stauber, J.
Toxic Sludge Is Good For You
1st book!
Turow, J.
Breakin Up America
Twitchell, J.
Adcult USA
Case studies from Harvard Universityís
Kennedy School of Government
Class
Schedule
Week
Tuesday
Thursday
9/26
AM
Introduction
Video: Primary Colors
PM Case study
orientation
Launch Election Work
Lecture: Campaign
Pples.
Seminar: Barnum
10/3
AM Seminar:
Barnum
Video: P.T. Barnum
PM Case Groups
Meet
Workshop: Internet Research
Case Analysis:
Helms-
Seminar: Jamieson
Hunt A &
B
(Hand in statement of research topic)
Read Newman 3,4
10/10
AM Seminar:
Jamieson
Workshop on media equipment
Paper
due
Lecture: Power, Persuasion and
Propaganda
PM Case Groups
Meet
Workshop: PowerPoint
Case Analysis:
Helms-
Seminar: McGinniss
Hunt C &
D
Paper Due
Read Newman to
end
(Preliminary bibliography due)
10/17
AM Seminar:
Matalin/Carville
Video: The War Room
Paper Due
PM Case Groups
Meet
Workshop: Web Page Design I
Case Pres.:
Helms-Gantt
Seminar: Matalin/Carville
10/24
AM Seminar:
Machiavelli
Case Pres: Michael Duffy
Paper Due
PM Case Groups
Meet
Workshop: Web Page Design II
Case Pres.:
Marttila
Seminar: Morris
Paper Due
10/31
AM Seminar:
Morris
Faculty Retreat: Election Work
and Term Paper Research
PM Election
Work Reports
Case Pres.:Japanese Redress
11/7
AM
Seminar:
Jowett/OíDonnell
Work on Exam; Term Paper
Paper
Due
Conferences (as needed)
PM
Election Work Reports
Case Pres: Post Office
Exam Distributed
11/14
AM Take
Home Exam
Due
Research Presentations(5)
Seminar: Jowett/OíDonnell
PM
Discuss
Exam
Seminar: MacArthur
Paper Due
11/21 THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/28 AM
Seminar:
Ewen
Research Presentations(2)
Paper Due
PM
Research
Presentations(4)
Research Presentations(2)
Seminar: Ewen
12/5
Research
Presentations(6)
Research Presentations(6)
Students leaving the
program
Program home page presented
only: Research Papers Due
Note: Throughout the
last two weeks of the quarter, students are expected
to work on the program home page, with individual pieces prepared
by
November 30 and the page complete by
12/7. This assignment will be
discussed in class.
12/11 EVALUATION WEEK