1. Introduction and Précis

Overview of class content, philosophy and methodology; media monitoring assignments for the semester; student input on topics and materials.

2. Fundamentals of American Media and Governance

Overview and explanation of the American legislative and judicial systems; delineation and political alignment of the media ecosystem; review and analysis of the primary election calendar.

Read and watch: Articles and videos assigned by the instructor

3. Pulitzer, Hearst and the Birth of Modern American Journalism

An introduction to the lives and careers of the founding fathers of American journalism, and analysis of how they created the media template for the 20th century.

Watch: Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People and Citizen Hearst

4. After Super Tuesday: Monitoring Reports and Analysis

A postmortem of media coverage across the political spectrum of the biggest event of the primary season, with assessments of bias, accuracy and the impact going forward.

Watch: Election coverage assigned by the instructor

5. The Rise of the Right and Polarization of America

How the conservative revolution of the ’80s and ’90s transformed American media and laid the groundwork for the fracturing of American society.

Read: Excerpts from Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America and Talk Radio’s America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States; supplementary materials about the Fairness Doctrine, antitrust law and corporate ownership of the media.

Watch: Alex Jones: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and video clips of Rush Limbaugh.

6. Disinformation and AI Workshop

An in-depth examination of disinformation techniques and assessment of their impact, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, using examples culled from student monitoring.

Read: Excerpts from A Citizens’ Guide to Fake News

Watch: Short course How to Spot Misinformation Online

Read and watch: Articles and video clips suggested by students

7. Naked Partisanship: How Rupert Murdoch Weaponized the Media

An examination and assessment of Murdoch’s career in yellow journalism, its impact in Australia, the UK and in particular the US, where Fox News radically altered the American political and media landscape.

Read: Excerpts from Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth

Watch: How Rupert Murdoch Changed the World

8. Facebook and the Birth of Social Media

The creation and growth of Facebook, how it fueled global political unrest, changed the rules of publishing in the US and spawned a new, lawless digital world.

Read: Excerpts from Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose its Harmful Secrets

Watch: The Facebook Dilemma

9. X: How to Destroy a Social Media Site

An assessment of the dangers and impact of one-man control of a major media outlet, as personified by Elon Musk and his hostile acquisition and makeover of Twitter.

Watch: Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

10. Free Speech Workshop

Case studies of the uses and limits of a cornerstone of American democracy, and how it has been distorted in the evolving world of social media and online publishing.

Read: Readings assigned by the instructor

11. Election 2020: The Brainwashing of America

How a lie perpetrated by Donald Trump and promoted by Fox News led to an insurrection that deeply divided America and set the stage for the 2024 election.

Read: Excerpts from Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump and the Battle for American Democracy

Watch: Clips from Fox News broadcasts

12. Election 2024: America on the Brink

Concluding assessment and evaluation of election coverage across the political spectrum, insights and projections for the remainder of 2024 with a focus on campaign coverage, the conventions, general election coverage and the likely impact of the election outcome.

Read and watch: Articles and video clips suggested by students