Political Communication in the United States

Catalog description

Examine how modern politics is mediated through communication in the U.S. What citizens know about public affairs—and what they believe about government, leaders, and each other—is shaped by the media environments they inhabit. Drawing on major theories and empirical research, the course investigates how journalists, political elites, technology platforms, and citizens shape the circulation of political information through news coverage, campaign messaging, and social media. Explores how communication influences what citizens know about politics, which issues command public attention, how events are interpreted, and why accusations of media bias are so widespread. Students confront central puzzles of the modern media landscape, including fragmented information environments, increasingly hyperbolic political rhetoric, and the emergence of competing political realities.