MC101 Field Trips Cancelled

Due to the closure of the Glendale College campus next week, all upcoming Mass Comm 101 field trips (whether on campus or off campus) are cancelled until further notice.

Field Trip Paperwork

Your Mass Comm 101 class has several optional, extra credit field trips. In order to be eligible to attend the field trips, you must fill out three copies of the college's field trip paperwork. Students who have turned in correctly filled out paperwork correctly by the deadline (Jan. 8) will receive five points of extra credit.

Instructions on how to properly fill out the paperwork will be given in class.

On-Campus Field Trip, Dec. 5

You will have one more opportunity to earn five field trip points this semester... and you won't have to leave the campus to do it. Mona Field, professor emeritus of political science at Glendale College, will speak in Kreider Hall on Thursday, Dec. 5, 12:30-1:30 in Kreider Hall. To receive field trip credit, you must attend the lecture (the hall will fill up, so it is best to arrive a little early), sign the roll sheet and complete the following assignment:

1. What is CENSUS 2020 and why is it important for all Californians to participate?

2. What is REDISTRICTING and why does it affect you?

3. Describe how you would use media for a low-cost campaign to make GCC students aware of the census and to stress the importance of their participation?

Your assignment should be 200-300 words and it should be turned in by Thursday, Dec. 12.

Signup Link for Location DTLA Field Trip, Nov. 26

Our last field trip of the semester will visit several iconic film, television and advertising locations. THE SIGNUP LIST IS NOW FULL.

Apparently, The Force Was With Us

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in January 2017.

One of the things that makes a great city a great city is that it has cool things that practically everyone can enjoy. That said, Los Angeles bagged another cool thing recently as it was named the site of The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The museum, which will be underwritten by Star Wars Creator George Lucas and his wife, will focus on storytelling through pictures, from cave paintings to present. It will be in Exposition Park, near the Coliseum and USC. It is expected to open in 3-4 years. KCBS News reports.

Questions...

•Name all the ways that we tell stories through pictures.

•What pictures can you think of that evoke an emotion or feeling?

•How do you use pictures to tell stories in your life?

•What academic departments at USC could benefit from having this museum nearby? How?

•Is this museum good for Los Angeles? How?

Field Trip Paperwork

A small number of Mass Comm 101 students have had their field trip permission forms returned by the Office of Instruction. The names will be presented in class. If you fix your paperwork, I will try to get your field trip eligibility reinstated with the Office of Instruction.

Los Angeles Times Field Trip

MC101 will tour the Los Angeles Times printing plant on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Both the 2 pm and 3:30 pm tours are full.

Transfer Center Field Trip

A Mass Comm 101 group will tour the Glendale College Transfer Center (on the Third Floor of the new Sierra Vista Building) on Monday, Sept. 23 from 1-2 pm. Students will receive field trip credit for taking the tour and completing an assignment about the transfer process. This is a rare MC101 on-campus field trip. BOTH GROUPS ARE FULL.

Price is Right, Feb. 5

Details are still coming for the "Price Is Right" field trip on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Here is what is known so far:

•The taping will be at CBS Television City, Beverly and Fairfax, Los Angeles.

•We will meet at the Fairfax side of the facility at 8:30 am. Parking is on street. Expect it to be a little difficult to find.

•Try to dress a little upscale. No tshirts or torn jeans. No athletic or other logos. Wear a bright, solid-color shirt or blouse.

•Everyone must have an ID and be 18 years or older. You can bring guests.

•We will be done by 1:30. This field trip will have double extra credit. As with all field trips, you must be there on time and stay for the whole thing to receive credit.

•Class will not be held on campus on Feb. 5.

USC Field Trip

The signup list for our tour of the University of Southern California and its Annenberg School for Communication is now closed. Those who signed up should meet at the Tommy Trojan statue at 3:30. We will finish around 5. If you want to bring a guest, put +1 next to your name.

On Campus Field Trip Opportunity

The assignment connected with this field trip is due on Thursday, Nov. 16 at noon.

Looking for five extra points in MC101? Interested in reporting or public relations?

Here's an ON CAMPUS field trip opportunity ...

Thursday, Nov. 9, LB222, 12:30-1:30
Speaker: Drew Sugars, Director of Communications, Glendale College
What you must do to earn field trip credit...

1. Attend the lecture
2. Complete the short assignment that will be given out at the beginning of the lecture

Below is a summary of the lecture...

The Dark Side: A Matter of Perspective

Journalism and Law Enforcement. Two noble professions that are sometimes at odds as each strives to fulfill its mission.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Rather than pick a side, this talk will explore the conflicting objectives that foster tension and how each profession can remain true to its calling.

GCC Director of Communications Drew Sugars understands both sides. He dedicated seventeen years to broadcast journalism before switching to government communications nearly a decade ago. His stints include time with the City of Burbank and several years as spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Cal State LA Field Trip 10/19

We visit Cal State LA for a tour of the campus, with an emphasis on media-related departments. This field trip is of interest to anyone wishing to transfer or who wants to know more about student life on a university campus.

The Doodle signup list is now closed.

LA Times Tour, Sept. 21

***Both LA Times Tours are full.***

USC Field Trip, 7/7

The signup list for the USC tour is now closed.

Fake news -- Real Extra Credit

MC101 student William Melikian (who brought Vrej Agajanian to campus) is organizing an academic conference devoted to Fake News. MC101 students are encouraged to submit their term papers to the address on the flyer above and to attend the conference. For those looking for extra credit, Your Humble Blogger is making the following offer:

•All MC101s can attend the conference for field trip credit.

•MC101s who submit and present a paper on the conference topic will receive double field trip credit.

Please note the the location of the conference has not been announced yet, although it will certainly be on the GCC campus. The room number will be posted here when it becomes known.

USC Field Trip, May 11

The signup list is now closed.

I have created a signup list for the USC field trip. If you wish to go to the campus tour only, sign up for the 3:45 arrival time. You will meet at Tommy Trojan. If you wish to take the campus tour PLUS an undergraduate admissions/financial aid presentation, sign up for the 3 pm arrival time. The 3 pm group will meet at the Admission Center, Ronald Tutor Campus Center, TCC 202, Steven and Kathryn Sample Hall (SKS), 3607 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California. After the admissions presentation, you will go to Tommy Trojan for the campus tour.

On-Campus Field Trip, Tuesday April 25

Vrej Agajanian, local Armenian language broadcaster and Glendale City Councilman, will speak to Mass Comm 101 students on Tuesday, April 25 in LB220 from 12:30-1:30. MC101 students can earn field trip credit for this special event if they do the following:

1. The student attends the lecture (a roll sheet will go around), and

2. The student completes a short written assignment. Details are below:

Write a 200-300 word essay answering the following questions based on Vrej Agajanian's talk

a. Why does television cover so many bad things, and what are the psychological effects of bad news on humans?

b. Can television be used as a positive media tool? In what ways?

c. What are the psychological effects of positive or otherwise beneficial television programming?

The written assignment should be turned on paper no later than 2 pm on Tuesday, May 2.

Los Angeles Times Field Trip

The link to the Los Angeles Times tour signup list is no longer active. Both tours are full.

There is no signup list for the afternoon field trip to the Los Angeles Central Library.

Extra Credit Opportunity, March 23

Occasionally, there is a special lecture on campus that so neatly fits into the subject matter of Mass Comm 101 that it makes sense to offer it as an on-campus field trip. One of those occasions has just presented itself. Next Thursday's Humanities-Social Science Lecture featuring recently-retired GCC Professor Michael Moreau is available for field trip credit (5 points) if you do the following...

1. Attend the lecture and sign one of the attendance forms that will circulate through the crowd. Write next to your name that you are one of my students (Eberts).

2. Write a 200-300 word essay on the following questions about the lecture: (a) According to the speaker, what is "Alt-News" or "fake news"? (b) According to the speaker, why has this type of news become a bigger problem recently? (c) What can be done about this type of news, either by the individual or the larger society?

3. Turn in your essay no later than 2 pm on Thursday, March 30. Either turn it in at the end of class, or drop it off at my office (SG315).

Field Trip Rescheduled

Our Los Angeles Times and LA Pubic Library field trips have been moved to 4/6. Details on the field trip flyers available in Digital form on Moodle or on paper (the paper flyer will be passed out in class later this month).