Seminar-Problems in Comm Studies (425-0-2)
Topic
Media and American Politics
Instructors
Heather Hendershot
Meeting Info
Fisk Hall 206: Tues 2:00PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
Rampant disinformation and accusations of bias and dissimulation are part and parcel of the current crisis of mistrust in American news media. While this may feel new, a product of the MAGA era, it is more aptly understood as the culmination of a historical trajectory in which the issue of point-of-view vs. neutrality has been debated by journalists, consumers, and citizens. This class examines the shifting roles of news media in American politics over the past century—as neutral observers, biased agents of propaganda, shapers, reactors, and at times scapegoats. We will consider how newspapers, radio, broadcast television, and cable TV have shaped perceptions of American politics and also how they have been understood or (sometimes) misunderstood as political players themselves, often within the framework of serving an elusive "public interest." The class is historical, but always with an eye toward how understanding the media past can help us understand the media present. Although the emphasis will be on hegemonic media, students will also consider a number of counterhegemonic case studies.
To prepare for the first class meeting, students should read Discovering the News: A Social History of American Newspapers by Michael Schudson.
Class Materials (Required)
Discovering the News: A Social History of American Newspapers by Michael Schudson
Class Attributes
Graduate Students Only