100

The messages you see, hear, and read on television and the Internet, in newspapers and magazines, and on movie screens are more than what meets the eye. These messages are a product of complex societal forces—economic, governmental, historical, political, and more. This course will explore these underlying forces and provide analytical tools to critically evaluate how they function within the media. In short, students will collectively engage a critical/cultural perspective to illuminate the complex and constitutive relationship between media and society. The primary goal in learning about this relationship is to become literate, well-informed media analysts, consumers, and critics—an essential factor to the success of a participatory democracy where the role of the media is increasingly important.

Since the dawn of the new millennium, there has been a revolution in communication fueled by the spread of personal computers and the digitization of media. The content of this class focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of this revolution. Through a variety of readings and hands-on digital projects, students will develop critical, sociological, and historical perspectives on new media culture. They will also develop some of the skills they need to be an active participant in this culture and the changing demands and emerging opportunities therein.