Appropriate for First Year students.
| Time | Days | Location | Instructor | GER | Credit | OPUS Class Number | Syllabus (Tentative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10:00am-11:15am | TuTh | White Hall 205 | McCarthy, Sissel. | HSCW. | 4 | 4566 | TBA. |
January 18, 2012- May 01, 2012
Catalog Description: This course helps students become more discriminating consumers of news and gives them the tools to determine which news sources are reliable and the difference between fact and fiction.
Semester Details: This course will teach you to become a more discriminating consumer of news by fostering an appreciation for the history of a free press in our country and its role in our future as news in increasingly delivered via the internet. We will look at the First Amendment and the legal underpinnings of an independent press as well as the evolution of the press as a watchdog and guardian of democratic ideals. The power of information and the evolution of how this information is delivered from people who have it to people who need it to be free and self-governing in this digital age will include discussions on the difference between news and opinion, bias, and fairness, and assertion versus verification. By learning the basics of good journalism, you will be able to tell if a source is credible or information is verified. Through readings, class discussions, written assignments and the deconstruction current news stories, you will learn how to apply critical thinking skills to evaluate the credibility of news across all platforms: print, social, media, broadcast and the web.
Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources
- The Elements of Journalism. ISBN: 9780307346704.
- Dispatches from the Edge. ISBN: 9780061136689.
- Media Debates: Great Issues for the Digital Age. ISBN: 9780495001812.
The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.