Pressing the Agenda: Politics of Media

Catalog description

The media influence the direction of public policy in at least two major ways. One way is by functioning as newsmaker, deciding what events are newsworthy. A second way is as a medium through which politicians and interest groups disseminate their views to the public. In this course, students will learn about the media's role in politics, how it has changed over time, and how it has been influenced by new technologies. In addition, students will learn about how different political actors exploit television, radio, print, and social media to their advantage. Finally, students will apply their knowledge by producing a political advertisement based on a contemporary public policy issue.