Course Number: MSCR 4602

Department: Media and Screen Studies (MSCR)

Introduces the role of the media in democratic societies. Explores a number of important questions, including what is democracy? What types of information do citizens of a democracy need in order to participate in the governance of their lives? In our increasingly digital world, where do political discussions happen? Are the media responsible for keeping the public informed? Who constitutes the “public”? Are we citizens? Consumers? Producers? Who decides? In order to address these questions, students have the opportunity to become conversant in a variety of modern and contemporary theoretical and critical perspectives on the relationship between the media, democracy, and what has come to be known as the public sphere. Prereq. (a) MSCR 3423, MSCR 3435, MSCR 3437, or permission of instructor and (b) junior or senior standing or permission of instructor.