American Politics the Media

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will examine the role of the modern media in American campaigns, policy, and politics. Each week, we will explore the media’s role in shaping coverage of a key American institution or policy area. The course will be focused around recent history and the challenges of covering campaigns and government in highly polarized times, but will also look backward to explore parallels with previous American eras. The course will draw on scholarly research, especially political science, as well as readings from non-academic and popular sources. Guest speakers from the worlds of government, the media, and academia will visit to offer students first-hand accounts of their own work at the intersection of media and politics.