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ZUR589w Visual Literacy in Mass Communication (10-9 rev)
Lecturer:
Janis Teruggi Page, Ph.D.
Office: 5.50, Faculty of Social Studies, Joštova 10
Email: 242665@mail.muni.cz (preferred: page.janis@gmail.com)
Office Hours: Friday 10-to-Noon, or make an appointment in advance via email
Timetable:
Friday 12:00-13.40pm
Place: U53
Contact persons:
Lukáš Slavík, 414778@mail.muni.cz, office: 5.33
Course Description:
The aim of this course is to introduce visual rhetoric, or “ways of seeing”, through the lenses of
metaphor, signs and symbols, storytelling, and fantasy-sharing -- in order to build literacy for
strategic and ethical use of visual imagery in the multi-media field of mass communication—
including journalism and advertising/public relations.
Course objectives:
Each student who successfully completes this course will be able to do the following:
• Articulate basic concepts of visual metaphor (implied comparisons), visual semiotics
(signs and symbols), visual narrative (storytelling), and visual symbolic convergence (fantasy-
sharing);
• Identify and analyze visually-constructed meanings in journalistic and creative works;
• Apply various visual concepts to propose new journalistic and creative works that are
purposeful and “concept rich,” while also able to communicate effectively and memorably;
• Critique societal implications of visual imagery, captured and/or proposed by students.
Syllabus:
Students are constantly viewing, consuming, and creating visual images…in social media, on
websites, and in video, but they rarely have essential knowledge on how to critically evaluate or
strategically use them. This course fills that gap, teaching critical engagement with visual messages
through theoretical insight, discovery, and application—building an essential and empowering skill
for communication professionals. Students will learn how to use visuals to inform or influence--
ethically--and how to deconstruct media messages to gain control over what influences them and
society.
Week 1
Introduction to the course
Week 2
HOLIDAY – No class on September 28
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IN MUNI INFORMATION SYSTEM (IS) “STUDY MATERIALS”:
 ASSIGNED READINGS & MULTIMEDIA LOCATED IN “LEARNING MATERIALS”
 READING INSTRUCTIONS & DROPBOX FOLDER LOCATED IN “READING REACTIONS”
 VISUAL ANALYSIS INSTRUCTIONS & DROPBOX FOLDER LOCATED IN “VISUAL ANALYSES”
 FINAL VISUAL ANALYSIS INSTRUCTIONS & DROPBOX FOLDER LOCATED IN “FINAL PROJECT”
Week 3 - Oct. 5
Visual Rhetoric and Preview of Metaphor
Lecture, Discussion, Exercises
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 4 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Oct. 11 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Visual Metaphor Analysis Due Friday, Oct. 12 before noon, uploaded into IS system.
Bring your analyzed visual on a usb drive or be able to retrieve it online during Week 4 class.
Week 4 – Oct. 12
Visual Metaphor and Preview of Semiotics
Lecture, Discussion, Exercises, Sharing of visual metaphor analyses, Vocabulary
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 5 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Oct. 18 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Visual Semiotic (TEASA) Analysis Due Friday, Oct. 19 before noon, uploaded into IS system
Bring your analyzed visual on a usb drive or be able to retrieve it online during Week 5 class.
Week 5 – Oct 19
Semiotics I
Lecture, Discussion, Exercises, Sharing of visual semiotic analyses, Quiz 1 preparation
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 6 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Oct. 25 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Prepare for Quiz 1, given in class next week
Week 6 – Oct 26
Semiotics II and Preview of Narrative
Lecture, Discussion, Take Quiz 1
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 7 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Nov 1 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Visual Narrative Analysis Due Friday, Nov 2 before noon, uploaded into IS system
Bring your analyzed visual on a usb drive or be able to retrieve it online during Week 7 class.
Week 7 – Nov 2
Visual Narrative and preview of Fantasy Sharing
Lecture, Discussion, Exercises, Sharing of visual narrative analyses, Quiz 1 review
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 8 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Nov 8 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Visual Fantasy-Theme Analysis Due Friday, Nov 9 before noon, uploaded into IS system
Bring your analyzed visual on a usb drive or be able to retrieve it online during Week 8 class.
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Week 8 – Nov 9
Visual Symbolic Convergence (fantasy sharing)
Lecture, Discussion, Share visual fantasy analyses, Quiz 2 prep, Introduction of Final Project
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 9 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Nov 15 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Prepare for Quiz 2, given in class next week
Week 9 – Nov 16
Advertising
Lecture, Discussion, Take Quiz 2
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 10 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Nov 22 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Visual Culture-Jam Analysis Due Friday, Nov 23 before noon, uploaded into IS
 Final Project: Visual Analysis PROPOSAL Due Monday, Nov 25 by end of day in IS system
Week 10 – Nov 23
Online class – no meeting in classroom (Prof Page will be in Prague for required Fulbright meeting)
Public Relations
Participate in online Discussion Forum (see instructions in “Learning Materials”). Post and
replies due between Nov. 23 and Nov. 28
Homework for next week:
 Readings - Complete Week 11 readings and view any multimedia before next class
Reading Reaction Due Thursday, Nov 29 by midnight, uploaded into IS system
 Bring your analyzed visual from Week 9 (culture-jam) on a usb drive or be able to retrieve it
online during Week 11 class
Week 11 – Nov 30
Journalism/News
Lecture, Share culture-jam visual analyses (Week 9 homework), Discussion of Final Visual
Analysis proposals, Quiz 2 review
Homework for next week:
 Final Project: Visual Analysis OUTLINE Due Monday, Dec. 3 by end of day in IS system
 News Visual Analysis Due Friday, Dec 7 before noon, uploaded into IS system
Bring your analyzed news visual on a usb drive or be able to retrieve it online during
Week 12 class
Week 12 – Dec 7
Course Review+
Share news visual analyses, Discussion of Final Visual Analysis outlines, essay, and presentation
Homework for next week:
 Final Project: Visual Analysis
Complete written essay
Prepare classroom presentation
Week 13 – Dec 14
Present your Final Visual Analysis to class using PPT or similar program
Final Project: Visual Analysis ESSAY due Dec. 16 end of day, uploaded to IS system
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Teaching methods:
e-learning, presentations, individual/pair/group work, discussions
Required sources (on MUNI information system):
This Means This, This Means That: A User’s Guide to Semiotics (2nd edition) by Sean Hall.
(2012). Publisher: Laurence King Publishing, London. ISBY 978-1-85669-745-4
Creating and Consuming Visual Culture: A Practical Guide by Janis Teruggi Page and Margaret Duffy.
(Forthcoming). Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, Boston.
Recommended sources (full content or hyperlinks on MUNI information system):
Literature:
• Handbook of Visual Communication: Theories, Methods, and Media. (2005). Eds: K. Smith, S.
Moriarty, G. Barbatsis, K. Kenney. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, New Jersey / London
• Metaphors We Live By. (2003). G. Lakoff and M. Johnsen. University of Chicago Press /
London.
• Visual Framing of the Syrian Conflict in News and Public Affairs Magazines. (2015). K.
Greenwood and J. Jenkins. Journalism Studies, 16(2). pp. 207-227.
Advice from Professionals, for example:
• John Florek, VP, Director Creative Innovation, ARC Worldwide, Chicago, a Leo Burnett
agency. Topic: Metaphor in Advertising
• Jeff Hecker, Principal, Athena Brand Wisdom, Toronto. Topic: Marketing Semiotics
• James D. Kelley, Associate Professor and former photojournalist, Indiana University Media
School. Topic: Visual News Narratives
Journals:
• Visual Communication Quarterly
• Visual Communication
Assessment Methods Pts
1 online discussion forum: post and replies 25
2 Quizzes (20 points & 60 points) 80
6 Visual Analyses (20 points each) 120
8 Reading Reactions (15 points each) 120
Final Visual Analysis paper
proposal (15) outline (30) PPT (15) essay (75)
135
Compulsory attendance from 5th of October
through 14th of December (2 points per class). You
can miss one class during the semester without
point loss.
20
TOTAL 500
Grading Scale
A: 500 - 480 points (100% - 96%)
B: 479 - 455 points (95.9% - 91%)
C: 454 – 430 points (90.9% - 86%)
D: 429 – 405 points (85.9% - 81%)
E: 404 – 380 (80.9% - 76%) = Pass
F: 379 - 0 (75.9% – 0%) = Fail