Tag Archives: advertising

Media Literacy Syllabus

Posted on July 18, 2010 by tonynadler

This syllabus is for an 8-week intensive summer course in media literacy. I emphasize a “media citizenship” approach to media literacy, meaning that we cover textual/semiotic analysis and issues of representation, but there’s also a lot of focus on media policy and discussions about how to create a media system that promotes cultural and political democracy by conveying a wide range of ideas, visions, dreams, ways of living, etc. Continue reading →

Posted in Film and Television, Journalism, Media and Identity, Media Studies, General, Syllabi | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Judith Williamson, Decoding Advertisements

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Julie Wilson

I’ve found Judith Williamson’s Decoding Advertisements incredibly useful for introducing students to semiotics, ideology and subjectivity, as well as the critical study of advertising. I usually use Chapters One and Two. Students find the reading to be challenging, but I help them out a bit with this handout, which is my breakdown of her key points about advertising, subjects, and ideology. You’ll also find my guidelines for student presentations: I ask students to use Williamson to conduct their own critical analysis of an advertisement which they present to the class. Continue reading →

Posted in Assignments, Presentations, Readings for Undergraduates | Tagged , | Leave a comment