Media/Politics of Natl Sec

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will examine the interaction between the politics, policy, and the press and US national security. LSHV-350 will provide students the opportunity to study recurrent themes in political debates around defense, foreign policy, and security in the United States; the role of public opinion and media in shaping decisions, policy formation and implementation(and as a tool of US security policy); and how new media affects the national security of the United States. The first half of the course (weeks 1–6 approx.) will focus primarily on the political institutions and processes around national defense, foreign, and intelligence policy. The second half of the course (weeks 7-13 approx.) will examine evolution in media, its impact on both the political process and national security. The class will review and discuss the tension and conflict between constitutional, civic, and ethical responsibilities in relation to political ideology and questions of journalistic integrity and professional obligations versus artistic license — all as they relate to US national security.