JOUR 3372 Media Theory

Satisfies the required theory course in the Communication major. The mass media wields tremendous power - this course investigates that power across a wide variety of social, cultural, and political dimensions. We will read an assortment of underlying theoretical approaches to mass communication, looking at both the structural constraints in the production process and the interpretive agency of audiences. Our targets for analysis will be similarly wide-ranging, drawn from advertising, journalism, entertainment, and social media.