CIS 9775: Media and Entertainment Technologies

Zicklin School of Business - Baruch College City University of New York

SYLLABUS Summer 2011 Instructor: Dorian Benkoil Section: CIS 9775 , S1EA Location: Vertical Campus 13-150 Time: M, W, Th 8:15 pm - 10:20pm

Email: Dorian.Benkoil@Baruch.Cuny.edu (preferred mode of communication) Twitter: @dbenk Phone: 646-368-1000, if urgent: 646-258-7879 (cell - can receive text messages) Office: 12-210N Office Hours: By appointment (before a scheduled class often works well)

Course Objectives
Every business is a media business, in the words of one successful media scholar and entrepreneur, and every business executive today needs to understand how to use media in the digital age to gain competitive advantage. This course will teach students about the media and entertainment businesses, how they are changing, the technologies involved, and what media executives are doing to position their businesses amid severe disruptions that are also creating new opportunities. This course is especially relevant in New York, the media business center of the United States and much of the world. Students will learn the technologies, techniques and strategies used in the production, distribution and monetization of media in the digital age and learn to understand, analyze and implement media to leverage them for business purposes. During the course students will: Learn the basic structures and technologies of traditional media and how those structures are being transformed in the digital age. Learn about the new technologies, techniques and tactics of the media and entertainment industries. Hear guest lectures from current media executives. See hands-on use of media for the purpose of learning to manage them from a business perspective. Discuss how companies can leverage media technologies to achieve strategic business objectives and remain competitive. Learn media measurement techniques and technologies to gauge progress toward strategic goals. Gain an understanding of the challenges of managing media effectively to achieve business objectives. Have FUN in a vigorous, collaborative, and energetic learning environment related to one of the most dynamic fields in business today.

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Framework
The structure of this course is based on a framework developed by the Media and Entertainment division of the IBM research consultancy. The framework encompasses the media value chain from creation through monetization of media. The course schedule follows the chain, with classes covering each subject area. In every subject area, students will be exposed to the tension in the media business of following a technologically open vs. closed orientation. Subject Areas: Media Value Chain: Creation --> Management --> Distribution --> Awareness --> Monetization In addition, we will cover Ethical and Regulatory Issues influencing the media.

Readings
The primary book used in this course is Googled: The End of The World as We Know It, by noted media writer Ken Auletta, which is a real-world look at the ways the worlds fastest growing company has used powerful technologies to bring severe disruptions to many parts of the media business, and how those businesses deal with the effects.

Slides
Presentation slides used for lectures will be made available on Blackboard (Class Documents).

Announcements
Announcements regarding the class such as schedule changes, assignments, projects, and so on will be made at the beginning of class, posted on Blackboard (Announcements) and emailed to all registered students' Baruch email accounts. You are responsible for being in class ON TIME to hear the announcements and for checking the class Blackboard site as well as your Baruch email account for announcements regularly.

Course Requirements and Grading

There are four components to the grade for this course. Students are strongly encouraged to keep up with the readings and pay close attention in class, all the moreso because the course a short intensive one. The components and weighting of the grades are as follows: First Midterm ! ! ! Second Midterm! ! ! Class Participation! ! ! Group Presentation !& Outline! ! ! ! ! 25% 25% 25% 25% (Professor 15%, Students 10%)

Midterms The rst midterm will include material covered in class and in readings up to that point in the course. The second midterm will include material covered between the rst and second midterms. Knowledge of the material covered before the rst midterm will be helpful, though not asked about directly for the second midterm. The exams will be combinations of short questions and essays and may include multiple choice questions.
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Class Participation Class participation is an important component of each class. Attendance, participation in class and contribution to the class discussion on Blackboard are strong components of students' grades. Students may be called on for their analyses and opinions at any time during the course. Students are expected to read the assigned readings before coming to class and be ready to discuss them during class. Students are encouraged to also provide real world context from their business experience, readings, conversations, and so on. It is expected that all class discussion be from the perspective of a media executive making decisions based upon business imperatives. At the conclusion of each subject area in the course, students will be expected to be ready to aurally sum up, discuss and ask questions about the material that was covered. We will also have guest speakers in the class. Attending their talks is not optional. Their lectures are considered class material and may be part of the exams. This is also your opportunity to ask questions and get answers from individuals who are currently involved in the industry. You are encouraged to participate in class discussions with the guest speakers. On the Blackboard discussion area, you are encouraged to recommend relevant readings, news articles and observations that contribute to others' knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the course. These contributions to Blackboard will be credited toward your participation grade. Group Presentation Students shall, at the beginning of the term, be asked to form groups of between 3-5 people (depending on the number of students in the class). Those who do not do so will be assigned groups. The groups will be required to analyze an aspect of a media business and how it could enhance its performance, as if answering a question from the company's executives: "Give is one specic way we can improve our business performance." It is strongly suggested the companies chosen come from the readings. The presentations could thus either be on: - A choice Google made that could have been made or executed better, and how. - A choice a company that came into contact with Google made, and how it could have been better executed. Taking the position of analysts hired by the company in question, you will be telling them how they might better execute their decision, and how, moving forward they can perform better Use as many specics as possible, taken from both class lectures and the readings. You may also use supplementary materials or readings. You should make sure to: A) Present the aspect of the business you are tackling and why B) Give specics of what has been done to date
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C) Give specics of what can be improved D) Give specics of how these improvements will benet the company in the future E) Give practical pointers on how these improvements can be made. The groups will be given some or all of one class to prepare and speak, and another to present. The other students will, taking the position of executives from the company in question, pose questions. Their questions will be counted in their class participation grades. The groups will be given 10-15 minutes to present in a nal class (the length ultimately chosen will depend upon the number of groups and timing at the time). Groups must also prepare a one-page outline of the points they wish to cover that will submitted to all students and the professor and considered as part of the group project grade. You must also submit the outline to the professor electronically before the class the day the rst group presentation nal is given. NOTE: All assignments, test answers, etc., should be at the length specied, no longer. Points will be deducted for answers that go beyond the specied length, and those answers may be given no credit. Late assignments All class assignments must be handed in at the beginning of the class period when they are due. Late assignments will be graded down 5% per day late. Assignments that are more than three days late will not be accepted. Note that the group project documents are due for all groups before class on the first day of presentations. Academic Integrity Baruch College's policy on Academic Honesty states, in part: "Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the college's educational mission and the students' personal and intellectual growth. Baruch students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work, to learn the rules and definitions that underlie the practice of academic integrity, and to uphold its ideals. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse for disobeying them. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the academic process will be sanctioned." Academic sanctions in this class will range from an F on the assignment to an F in the course. A report of suspected academic dishonesty will be sent to the Office of the Dean of Students. Additional information and definitions can be found at http:// www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.html

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SCHEDULE (The course schedule may be modified as the semester progresses) The schedule will follow the framework presented above, mixed with discussion of the readings. In addition, class time will be held aside for guest lecturers, review, exams and group meetings and presentations. Pre-Class Reading "Googled" (Auletta): Preface and Chapter 1 "Messing With the Magic" (Some of same material is here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/03/ googled-exclusive-excerpt_n_343377.html .) Thursday, June 2 (Class 1) Introduction to Media & Technologies Course Description, Expectations Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Preface and Chapters 1 (see above) and 2 "Starting in a Garage" Monday, June 6 (Class 2) The Media Landscape Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 3 "Buzz But Few Dollars" Wednesday, June 8 (Class 3) Content Creation Inform professor of group choices Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 4 "Prepping the Google Rocket" Thursday, June 9, (Class 4) Content Management Groups assigned to those who have not chosen Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 5 "Innocence or Arrogance?"

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Monday, June 13 (Class 5) Distribution First group meeting Inform professor and class of planned topic Class and professor ask initial questions and give guidance Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 6 "Google Goes Public" Wednesday, June 15 (Class 6) Distribution (continued) Review Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 7 "The New Evil Empire" Thursday, June 16, (Class 7) FIRST EXAM Monday, June 20 (Class 8) Awareness Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 8 "Chasing the Fox" Wednesday, June 22 (Class 9) Awareness (continued) Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 9 "War on Multiple Fronts" Thursday, June 23, (Class 10) Guest Lecture: Nicole Staggs Founder: Stagg Digital Former Executive Director of Content & Product Strategy for the digital division of Hearst Magazines Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 10 "Waking the Government Bear" Monday, June 27 (Class 11) First Exams Returned, Reviewed Monetization - Part 1 Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 11 "Google Enters Adolescence"
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Wednesday, June 29 (Class 12) Monetization - Part 2 Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 12 "Is 'Old' Media Drowning?" Thursday, June 30, (Class 13) Guest Attendee: Betsy Morgan President, The Blaze (theblaze.com), Former CEO, Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com) Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 13 "Compete or Collaborate?" Review theblaze.com and huffingtonpost.com. Wednesday, July 6 (Class 14) Guest Attendee (Tentative) Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Issues - Part 1 Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 13 "Compete or Collaborate?" Thursday, July 7, (Class 15) SECOND EXAM Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapters 14 "Happy Birthday" & 15 "Googled" Monday, July 11 (Class 16) Final Presentations Required Readings: "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 16 "Where Is the Wave Taking Old Media" Wednesday, July 13 (Class 17) Final Presentations (as needed) A Look at The Future "Googled" (Auletta): Chapter 17 "Where is the Wave Taking Google?" Thursday, July 14 (Class 18) Second Exams Returned, Reviewed Final review, discussion
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Additional Notes

Digital copies of all written assignments must be submitted to professor in a standard format (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, .rtf, PDF, etc.) No makeups will be given for missed exams. All exams must be taken at the scheduled days/times. Please make your travel plans accordingly The instructor retains all exams. Feel free to ask me why you received a certain grade on an assignment or exam. If you received a grade in error I will correct it. If not, and you still want to dispute the grade, I will consider regrading requests but I will regrade the entire assignment or exam. This could result in a grade that is the same, higher, or lower. Extra credit assignments will not be given under any circumstances. Grades will not be given out by phone. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out about any announcements or assignments you may have missed. Let me know about any problems or issues such as missing class, long term illnesses, job related problems, problems with the groups, and so on as soon as possible and before you have missed any classes. If you come to me later in the semester about a problem you had earlier in the semester I will not be able to help. At no time during this course will a student have to make a purchase or actually perform an on-line transaction. All such activities are at the sole discretion and responsibility of the student. The College is not responsible or liable for any losses resulting from transactions initiated by a student. It is assumed students know how to run multiple programs at the same time, make backups of their work, cut/copy and paste text and images between applications, and how to work with MS Word and MS Powerpoint. If you feel you are lacking these skills, please acquire them either on your own or via one of the introductory courses offered by Baruch and CUNY. Finally: Make backups of all of your work! This includes any assignment and project materials you and your group project.

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