News Media/Democracy

Satisfies one of two required writing-intensive courses for Communication majorsThe press plays an essential role in America and the world. This course aims to equip students to become critical news consumers with both a skilled understanding of how journalism works and political literacy about the big issues of our time. Through classic scholarly reflections as well as contemporary punditry examples, we will tackle the news media critically across three dimensions: learning about its indispensable function in mediating politics and democracy throughout history and today; studying and practicing the craft of opining writing and social advocacy; and evaluating and critiquing the performance of the press across these fronts.