Arianna Grainey/FOS illustration
Course syllabus & schedule
Syllabus | Digital textbook | Brightspace page
DAILY COURSE SCHEDULE & READINGS OUTSIDE OF THE PAVLIK & McINTOSH TEXT.
Week 1. Welcome and introductions.
Thursday, Sept. 10
Topics. Introductions – Who I am and what this class is all about
To do for next session. Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 1 and read Nielsen’s “Media Trends Shaping Sports Marketing for 2026”
Task. How do you consume sports? Write it out and be ready to discuss.
Week 2. Convergence & mass communication
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Topics. What is “convergence” and why it matters to us in SMC. (Slides from lecture)
To do for next session. Read “College Athletics Departments Are Becoming Full-Blown Media Companies” (Front Office Sports) and “More Than Media Rights: A Whole New Ballgame for Sports” (Boston Consulting Group).
Thursday, Sept. 17
Topics. What is going on in sports, how much do you pay and what are “media rights?”
Student presentation #1
To do for next session. Read Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 2.
Week 3. Media literacy in the digital age
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Topics. Concentration of media ownership, framing, media bias; critical media literacy skills, media careers. (Slides from lecture)
In class: Watch these two videos and read the related article: Portnoy on U.S. men’s hockey team celebration | VIDEO: Sarah Spain on the celebration (RELATED ARTICLE: OutKick on Spain
To do for next session. Read and analyze these two pieces: The Nation (sign in to your URI account to access the library!) | Outkick
Thursday, Sept. 24
Student presentation #2
Topics. Why does this matter? More on framing and your career.
To do for next session. Read Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 4. Brief research on sports writers and magazines (old school vs. new school?)
Week 4. Print media: Books, newspapers & magazines
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Topics. Functions of print media, transmission of culture, diffusion of ideas and knowledge, entertainment. History of sports books, sports magazines & sports pages newspapers. (Slides from lecture)
To do for next session. Read the following:
Student presentation #3
Topics. The history of Sports Illustrated. What happened to magazines?
To do for next session. Read part of Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 5 (pp. 134-148) and “How Did Sports Radio Broadcasting Begin?” (Live365)
Week 5. Audio media: Radio and podcasts
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Topics. What are the distinctive functions of radio? History of radio broadcasting: Wireless telegraphy, voice transmission, FM radio (Armstrong and Sarnoff), rise of radio networks. (Slides from lecture)
To do for next session. "Sports Podcasts Are Looking To Score That Golden Goal" (Frank Racioppi, Forbes, June 2026) and “The Women’s Sports Revolution is Coming to Audio” (Marketing Brew)
Thursday, Oct. 8
Student presentation #4
Topics. Advent of podcasting and satellite radio.
Week 6. Review and EXAM No. 1
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Topics. Review for Exam No. 1
Thursday, Oct. 15
NO CLASS. STUDY FOR EXAM NO. 1
To do for next session. Study for midterm
Week 7. EXAM and a DAY OFF.
Tuesday, Oct. 20
EXAM #1
Thursday, Oct. 22
No class; professor in London
To do for next session. Read Pavlik & McIntosh pp. 171-185, as well as “The Big Game on the Small Screen: The Televised Transformation of Sport” (Marc Horger, Origins)
Week 8. Television: History of the medium to the first Olympics.
Tuesday, Oct. 27
Topics. History of the technology of the TV – and how it immediately impacted the sports world
To do for next session. Read these two articles “Nazis pioneered broadcasting… and made Jesse Owens a star” (Karen Given, WBUR) & “Staging the 1948 London Olympic Games” (Norman Green, BBC)
Thursday, Oct. 29
Topics. How the Nazis launched the first televised Olympics – and the Brits transformed that after WWII. Watch “Hitler’s Olympics: The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games”
Presentation #5
To do for next session. Read "The TV Deal That Created Modern Sports" (Jack Moore, Vice)
WEEK 9. The 1950s-‘70s – TVs become pervasive; Sports becomes an industry
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Topics. Watch “Decades of Sports: The 1960s”
To do for next session. Read “Friday Night Laws: A Primer on the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961”
Thursday, Nov. 5
Topics. How and why TV sports exploded
Presentation #6
To do for next session. Read “How a court case changed college football forever, from TV deals to realignment” (Seth Emerson, The Athletic)
WEEK 10. Court cases and the advent of ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Topics. Discussion of NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma (1984)
To do for next session. Read Intro & Chap. 1 of “These Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN” by James Andrew Miller & Tom Shales)
Thursday, Nov. 12
Topics. History of ESPN; Watch “Sports Heaven”
To do for next session. Read “How ESPN -- now 40 years old -- changed the sports world, from your growing cable bill and round-the-clock programming to the glut of bowl games” (Phil Rosethal, Chicago Tribune)
WEEK 11. Looking to the future of Sports TV & EXAM#2
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Topics. More on ESPN and exam review
To do for next session. Study for exam
Thursday, Nov. 19
EXAM #2
DAILY COURSE SCHEDULE & READINGS OUTSIDE OF THE PAVLIK & McINTOSH TEXT.
Week 1. Welcome and introductions.
Thursday, Sept. 10
Topics. Introductions – Who I am and what this class is all about
To do for next session. Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 1 and read Nielsen’s “Media Trends Shaping Sports Marketing for 2026”
Task. How do you consume sports? Write it out and be ready to discuss.
Week 2. Convergence & mass communication
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Topics. What is “convergence” and why it matters to us in SMC. (Slides from lecture)
To do for next session. Read “College Athletics Departments Are Becoming Full-Blown Media Companies” (Front Office Sports) and “More Than Media Rights: A Whole New Ballgame for Sports” (Boston Consulting Group).
Thursday, Sept. 17
Topics. What is going on in sports, how much do you pay and what are “media rights?”
Student presentation #1
To do for next session. Read Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 2.
Week 3. Media literacy in the digital age
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Topics. Concentration of media ownership, framing, media bias; critical media literacy skills, media careers. (Slides from lecture)
In class: Watch these two videos and read the related article: Portnoy on U.S. men’s hockey team celebration | VIDEO: Sarah Spain on the celebration (RELATED ARTICLE: OutKick on Spain
To do for next session. Read and analyze these two pieces: The Nation (sign in to your URI account to access the library!) | Outkick
Thursday, Sept. 24
Student presentation #2
Topics. Why does this matter? More on framing and your career.
To do for next session. Read Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 4. Brief research on sports writers and magazines (old school vs. new school?)
Week 4. Print media: Books, newspapers & magazines
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Topics. Functions of print media, transmission of culture, diffusion of ideas and knowledge, entertainment. History of sports books, sports magazines & sports pages newspapers. (Slides from lecture)
To do for next session. Read the following:
- "You'll Miss Sports Journalism When It's Gone" (The Atlantic, 2024)
- “Who Can Explain the Athletic Heart?” (The Ringer)
- "Welcome to the post-journalism era of professional sports" (Poynter, 2026)
Student presentation #3
Topics. The history of Sports Illustrated. What happened to magazines?
To do for next session. Read part of Pavlik & McIntosh, Chap. 5 (pp. 134-148) and “How Did Sports Radio Broadcasting Begin?” (Live365)
Week 5. Audio media: Radio and podcasts
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Topics. What are the distinctive functions of radio? History of radio broadcasting: Wireless telegraphy, voice transmission, FM radio (Armstrong and Sarnoff), rise of radio networks. (Slides from lecture)
To do for next session. "Sports Podcasts Are Looking To Score That Golden Goal" (Frank Racioppi, Forbes, June 2026) and “The Women’s Sports Revolution is Coming to Audio” (Marketing Brew)
Thursday, Oct. 8
Student presentation #4
Topics. Advent of podcasting and satellite radio.
Week 6. Review and EXAM No. 1
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Topics. Review for Exam No. 1
Thursday, Oct. 15
NO CLASS. STUDY FOR EXAM NO. 1
To do for next session. Study for midterm
Week 7. EXAM and a DAY OFF.
Tuesday, Oct. 20
EXAM #1
Thursday, Oct. 22
No class; professor in London
To do for next session. Read Pavlik & McIntosh pp. 171-185, as well as “The Big Game on the Small Screen: The Televised Transformation of Sport” (Marc Horger, Origins)
Week 8. Television: History of the medium to the first Olympics.
Tuesday, Oct. 27
Topics. History of the technology of the TV – and how it immediately impacted the sports world
To do for next session. Read these two articles “Nazis pioneered broadcasting… and made Jesse Owens a star” (Karen Given, WBUR) & “Staging the 1948 London Olympic Games” (Norman Green, BBC)
Thursday, Oct. 29
Topics. How the Nazis launched the first televised Olympics – and the Brits transformed that after WWII. Watch “Hitler’s Olympics: The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games”
Presentation #5
To do for next session. Read "The TV Deal That Created Modern Sports" (Jack Moore, Vice)
WEEK 9. The 1950s-‘70s – TVs become pervasive; Sports becomes an industry
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Topics. Watch “Decades of Sports: The 1960s”
To do for next session. Read “Friday Night Laws: A Primer on the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961”
Thursday, Nov. 5
Topics. How and why TV sports exploded
Presentation #6
To do for next session. Read “How a court case changed college football forever, from TV deals to realignment” (Seth Emerson, The Athletic)
WEEK 10. Court cases and the advent of ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Topics. Discussion of NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma (1984)
To do for next session. Read Intro & Chap. 1 of “These Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN” by James Andrew Miller & Tom Shales)
Thursday, Nov. 12
Topics. History of ESPN; Watch “Sports Heaven”
To do for next session. Read “How ESPN -- now 40 years old -- changed the sports world, from your growing cable bill and round-the-clock programming to the glut of bowl games” (Phil Rosethal, Chicago Tribune)
WEEK 11. Looking to the future of Sports TV & EXAM#2
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Topics. More on ESPN and exam review
To do for next session. Study for exam
Thursday, Nov. 19
EXAM #2