2016 - Fall

Political Journalism: The Press and the Presidential Campaign

Course Number: JOUR-GA 1231.002

Day & Time: Thursday, 2:00pm-5:40pm

Location: Room 659

Instructor: Caroline Miller

The 2016 election offers a prime opportunity to examine, in real time, the role the press plays in the political process, and how dramatically that role has changed in the digital era. We’ll look back at some great pieces of 20^th century political reporting and commentary, from Theodore White to Hunter Thompson, and compare them to current coverage over the last several months of the presidential campaign. How has the rise of polarized news altered the discourse? What are net-native news organizations doing that’s different from legacy publications? What does it mean when our social networks are our most trusted sources, and Twitter smackdowns have more impact than debates and issues?