2019 - Spring

Reporters and Resistance: From the Spanish Civil War to Antifa and #MeToo

Course Number: JOUR-GA 1182.002

Day & Time: Thursday, 3:00pm-6:00pm

Location: 7th Floor Library

Instructor: Eliza Griswold

The political moment at which we find ourselves is in many ways unprecedented, but it’s not entirely new. In this class, we will study the history of reporters’ roles in resistance movements—from the Spanish Civil War to Antifa to #MeToo. To do so, we will practice close reading from Martha Gellhorn and George Orwell to Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow. We will ask such questions as: How do reporters identify such movements and cover them? How do we handle the ethics of reporting on causes we support? In instances where we aren’t objective, how do we practice transparency with our readers? In addition to participation, each student will identify and report on a contemporary resistance movement to complete a thoroughly reported short feature (2500 words) during the course of the semester.