COM 334 - Communication Through Entertainment

Prerequisites, COM 100 or SCC 100 with a minimum grade of B- and COM 295 or SCC 295 with a minimum grade of C or as a corequisites. Whether by design or by accident, by example or by association, for better or for worse, entertainment media have an uncanny power to impact and effect attitudes and behavior. Why else would advertisers covet placement of their advertisements alongside entertainment productions, use of their products by entertainment stars, or integration of products organically into entertainment? Over the course of the decades, not only have commercial advertisers taken advantage of these methods to market their wares, but in contemporary times a number of interest groups have adapted them for and mastered their use in the communication of public service messages, spawning the field of Entertainment Communication as a cottage industry that has proven most effective at educating the viewing public about a myriad of health and social issues. This class will provide both a theoretical and a practical approach by examining underlying theories of behavior change, reviewing the evolution of Entertainment Communication as a present day common practice, analyzing various past real world examples of Entertainment Communication applications, and then applying those concepts creatively by designing an Entertainment Communication campaign for an existing contemporary television series. By combining research and practical skills, students will understand how Entertainment Communication works and how it can be applied in their professional lives. Letter grade. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits