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Dr. Burriss is a professor in the School of Journalism. He is a past president
of the MTSU Faculty Senate and former member of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
He has served as dean of the College of Mass Communication, chairman of the
Department of Journalism, director of the School of Journalism and director
of graduate studies.
He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from The Ohio State University,
where he majored in broadcast journalism. He also has a master's degree in human
relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Burriss received his Ph.D. in communication from Ohio University, where
he minored in law, and his J.D. from Concord Law School.
He is particularly interested in issues dealing with government-media relations.
Dr. Burriss has worked in both print and broadcast news, as well as in public
relations. He has published extensively in professional research journals and
in popular magazines, and is the co-author of two books. He has won numerous
awards for both writing and work with new technologies.
He was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and served in Mali, Bosnia,
Somalia, Guantanamo Bay, Central America, England, Germany and the Pentagon.
Dr. Burriss enjoys travel, reading, and was ranked 3rd in the Tennessee Division,
American Fencing Association.
Our basic assumption here is NOT that the media and the government are
natural enemies, but rather that both have role to play in insuring the security
of the nation.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ATTEND CLASS, TAKE NOTES, STUDY THE TEXT AND
HANDOUTS, ETC. IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT THE MATERIAL IS PRESENTED
IN A COHERENT, INTERESTING MANNER. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE YOU
UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL.
You should, of course, ask as many questions as you like about the readings
for the course.
It would be a serious misunderstanding of the intent of the instructor to
assume that because a tape or film is being shown that no important material
is being presented. Quite the contrary is true.
Regular attendance is expected--if you aren't here you can't gain anything.
Your fellow students and I will be concerned, possibly insulted, if you do
not take part in the conversations we will be having. Treat this class as if
were a job. You wouldn't think of cutting a day of work without a good reason
and without calling in ahead of time with a reasonable explanation. I and your
classmates deserve the same courtesy. "I had to miss our class because I have
a test tomorrow in physics, and I needed the time to study" is NOT a valid excuse.
Giving make-up assignments is unfair to your classmates who came to class
prepared by having read the assigned materials and prepared various exercises.
In general, life's rewards go to those who get their work done on time. In this
light, no assignments may be made up unless you can document, to the satisfaction
of the instructor, that your absence was due to personal illness or death in
the immediate family. Any make-up work will be more difficult than the original
assigned material.
One thing we will need to be careful of is that the class not turn into a
course simply dealing with propaganda. Rather, the focus will be on how the
media fit into the national security process (including, but not limited to,
propaganda). We also need to make sure it doesn't turn into a course that simply
looks at how the DOD, CIA, FBI, etc. have been portrayed in movies and on television.
I don't anticipate much, if any, discussion of Tom Clancy novels, or movies
such as "Top Gun," "Crimson Tide," etc. The security review process and interactions
between Hollywood and the government will certainly be a point of
discussion,
but not just a discussion that focuses on technical details, character development,
etc.
We won't be spending any time on conspiracy theories unless a valid, direct
connection with the national security process and the media can be made. No
discussions of the Kennedy assassination, UFO's, black helicopters, tracking
devices in 20-dollar bills, Denver International Airport, etc., unless you can
find valid documentation of a national security/media connection (did CBS find
out how Kennedy was killed and the CIA asked them not to run the story?). If
you can find the operational plan that proves Denver International Airport is
really a UFO landing site and show how the story is still being covered up by
CBS and the New York Times, you'll probably get an "A" in the class!! Bring
the reporter who covered up the story in to talk to the class and I'll give
you extra credit. Little or no discussion of Art Bell, George Noory or Ed Danes.
"Wait a minute," you may be saying. "This is a mass media class,
and you're not going to let us discuss how the government is hiding that military
base on the moon? Isn't that a national security issue?' Well, yes it is, but
read the above paragraph again. It mentions "valid documentation."
That means, for example, an article in The New York Times or a government document
that can be verified by the appropriate agency. So we'll discuss MJ-12, but
only if you can get a current government official to go on the record.
We will watch several videos during the class. These will deal
with specific incidents
involving the media and national security, seminars that involved role playing situations, etc.
We will discuss the projects and assignments in class, but here is a start:
We will NOT be using +/- grades.
You also need to be aware that if you repeat a course, both are counted
towards your lottery scholarship GPA. Suppose, for example, you receive
an "F" in a course but then repeat the course and receive an
"A" grade. Your MTSU GPA is now 4.0. But your lottery scholarship GPA is
only 2.0, not high enough to keep the scholarship.
Finally, please be aware that these rules and procedures have been established
by the Tennessee Legislature, not by the Board of Regents, MTSU, your college
or department.
For more information see these web sites:
Tennessee
Scholar Dollars and the Tennessee Student Assistance
Corporation.
1. This schedule, including exam dates, may be adjusted to fit the
needs of speakers, availability of films, etc.
History and Background
Legal Issues
COURSE:
Mass Media and National Security (Jour/EMC
4800-001), Tuesday/Thursday,
1:00-2:25, COMM 151
TEXT:
See reading list below
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Larry L. Burriss, Ph.D.,
J.D.
OFFICE:
258 Mass Communication Building
PHONE:
898-2983 (office)
E-MAIL:
lburriss@mtsu.edu
The major goals of this course are to help students understand (1) the historical
background of the conflict between the public's "right to know," and the government's
obligation to protect the nation, (2) how the government and media interact in
relation to national security issues, (3) the legal issues involved in this interaction,
and (4) the roles of reporters and public affairs officers in coverage of the
"alphabet agencies" such as the DoD, CIA, NSA, DoJ, etc.
Discussion of assigned reading topics will be featured in class. I do not lecture
from the text. Active class participation is urged to the maximum extent possible.
By enrolling in this course, you are indicating your recognition and
acceptance of your responsibility to read, understand and meet the course
requirements set forth, both in written and spoken form, and that you will
not be exempted from these requirements because of ignorance, negligence
or contradictory advice from any source.
1. Regular attendance and participation
2. FOI request
3. Term project
4. Other projects as assigned
1. I would make
the FOI request and the term paper deal with the same topic.
2. As noted above, simply doing a project on how the DOD, FBI, CIA, etc., assist
(or don't assist) television and movie producers is not a good topic. A paper
dealing with the security review process a movie producer went through would
be a good topic. Try to focus on the national security procedures as they relate
to media.
3. I am a firm believer in the sayings, "Document or die!" and "substantiate,
validate, corroborate." In other words, you will be expected to find real documents
to support your projects.
Class participation
1/4
FOI Request
1/4
Term project
1/4
Other assignments
1/4
Students receiving a lottery scholarship must earn a 2.75
GPA after attempting 24 credit hours and a 3.0 GPA after attempting 48 or
more. Students who drop below full-time status (12 hours) during the
first 14 days of the semester will have their awards adjusted and will owe
money to the University. Students who drop after the 14th day of class
will have their future lottery scholarships suspended unless the drop was
approved in advance by the Financial Aid
Office. Students may appeal the suspension if the drop is due to
documented personal illness, illness or death of immediate family
members, extreme financial hardship, military service or other
extraordinary circumstances beyond the student's control. A PDF
version of the
lottery appeal form may be obtained on-line. Please note, the
minimum GPA requirement cannot be appealed.
In general, under FERPA
I am not permitted to disclose your academic progress to
anyone not allowed to receive such information. Thus I cannot discuss
your academic progress, grades, etc., over the phone or via e-mail. All
such discussions must be in person. At the end of the semester I cannot
disclose your final grade over the phone or via e-mail. Nor can I
"post" your grades on my door. You will receive your final grades via
PIPELINEMT or WEBMT. Additionally I cannot access your grades if you have
a "hold" on your records.
Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are
prohibited. Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or
indirectly through participation or assistance, are immediately responsible
to the instructor of the class. In addition to other possible
disciplinary sanctions which may be imposed through the regular
institutional procedures as a result of academic misconduct, the
instructor has the authority to assign an F or a zero for the exercise
or examination; or to assign an F in the course. If the student
believes he or she has been erroneously accused of academic misconduct,
and if his or her final grade has been lowered as a result, the student
may appeal the case through the appropriate institutional procedures.
If you have a disability that may require assistance or accommodation, or
if you have a question related to any accommodations for testing, note
takers, readers, etc., please speak with me as soon as possible.
Students may also contact the Office
of Disabled Student Services (898-2783) with questions about such services.
This course and its associated web site, readings, exercises, notes, etc., are designed to
provide classroom instruction in an area that has numerous legal
considerations. However, the
materials related to the course were not
necessarily prepared by persons licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction. Those
persons directly connected with the preparation of this web site and delivery of course
content are not engaged in the practice of law or in rendering legal or other professional
advice, and this course and web site are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. If you
require legal or other expert advice, you should seek the services of a competent attorney or
other professional.
2. You will need
Adobe Reader installed on your computer to read some of the documents below.
The Freedom of Information Act
The Classification System
Coverage of National Security Issues and the Patriot Act
Class Discussion: Covering National Security Issues
Short discussion paper, "The Media and the U.S.A. Patriot Act"
Videotapes and DVD's (Shown in class)
Packaging American Wars
A Walk Through The 20th Century (World War II: The Propaganda Battle)
Walt Disney: On the Front Lines
"Why We Fight"
"Triumph of the Will"
The Constitution, That Delicate Balance (National Security vs. Press
Freedom)
The Constitution, That Delicate Balance (War Powers and Covert
Action)
The Military and the News Media Part I (Correspondents Under Fire)
The Military and the News Media Part II (A Question of Access)
The Military and the News Media Part III (A Matter of Intelligence)
Inside Story: Whose News Is It (Invasion of Grenada)
The Media and the Military
The Balancing Act: Security and Liberty Post 9/11
