COMM 327
Politics and the Media
COMM 327. (MSTD 327, POSC 327). Politics and the Media
Three hours lecture (3).
Prerequisite: POSC 221, 45 hours of college credit completed, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.2 for all courses at Radford or permission of instructor.
Modern mass media as actors in the political arena, with an emphasis on how elections and policy-making are affected by the mass media.
The purpose of this course is to examine the relationship between media and a variety of political arenas. Topics covered in this course include:
1. An introduction to the relationship between politics and media
2. The characteristics of various forms of media (newspapers, radio, television)
3. The effects on politics of media ownership, regulation, laws, and access
4. Questions of media ethics in the political arena
5. How news is defined and presented
6. The question of news/reporting bias
7. Foreign affairs and the news
8. Media coverage of the Capital
9. The role of media in elections
10. The portrayal of politics in the medium of film
11. Changing communication technology and its affect on politics
12. Media and politics in other nations
13. The role of media in a democracy
This course is conducted using an informal lecture/discussion approach. Students are assigned reading materials from the text and additional reading assignments made available on reserve at the library.
1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between politics and media
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the pervasive role of media in our lives
3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the influence of media on decision-making, policy-making and governing
Graded assignments include five (3-5 page, typed) writing assignments in which the student explores in more depth a central question that has been discussed in class. Three examinations are given in the form of research-based essays. Additionally, students must select a book related to our discussions and assignments and write a review of that book. Class preparation and participation are also included as assessment measures.
Individual lectures and topics of discussion will change from semester to semester depending upon events of current interest. For example, in the Fall semester of 1991, topics such as the Gulf War, the Supreme Court nomination hearings of Clarence Thomas, the question of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, etc., were dominant topics of lecture and discussion.
DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
September, 2001 Bill Kennan, Chair