Special Topics (390-0-25)

Topic

Covering Trump: Democracy, Politics and Journalism

Instructors

Peter Slevin

Meeting Info

Fisk Hall 311: Wed 12:30PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

Not in recent memory, or perhaps in American history, has there been a mainstream political candidate like Donald Trump, the past and future president who disdains facts, democratic norms, government institutions, political niceties—and, according to prosecutors and a New York jury, the law. In his own words, he has pledged to upend the way the United States does business, earning him the support of tens of millions of American voters and a battalion of prominent Republican politicians who have fallen into line behind his MAGA movement in what can now be called Trumpism. More than a few voices contend that American democracy is at risk. It is essential for journalists, whom Trump derides as "enemies of the people," to understand the man, the moment and the movement, the forces that made it all possible and the institutions that stand in the way. It is essential, too, for their audiences: the voters who are looking beyond the November election to ideological, political and cultural battles yet to be fought.

This seminar, which will require a mix of reporting and analysis and plenty of classroom discussion, is taught by Peter Slevin, a former member of the Washington Post national staff who has written about politics for The New Yorker since 2019.

Registration Requirements

This class is open to students who have not taken Prof. Slevin's 352 course, Politics, Media and the Republic.

Class Materials (Required)

None

Class Attributes

Attendance at 1st class mandatory
Prerequisites apply, see description

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Medill Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors