COMM 3140

Political Journalism

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2023-2024.

This course will explore the traditional dynamic and norms of political press coverage in the United States, and the impact of those patterns on both the government and the nation; some of the ways longstanding norms have recently shifted, and continue to shift; the larger historical forces and long-term trends driving those changes; and the theoretical questions, logistical challenges and ethical dilemmas these changes pose for both political journalists and those they cover. The course will equally cover the practice of political reporting, including weekly analysis and discussion of current press coverage, in-class exercises and simulations, readings from academic and journalistic sources, and visits from leading political reporters and former spokespeople able to offer a firsthand perspective on the topics.

When Offered Spring.

• Demonstrate the ability to "think like a journalist," in particular: to understand and interpret the elements of a variety of political reporting, and the editorial decision-making process.
• Understand, analyze, and contrast how the press and political actors influence each other, and society at large.
• Compose, evaluate, and assess editorial decisions in real time.
• Interpret and utilize the basic facts about how various political news beats and platforms operate, including congressional, White House, campaign, investigative, local, print, digital and television journalism.

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