This semester at American University, I am teaching an advanced undergraduate/graduate seminar on Political Communication. Needless to say, it's the right time and the right city to be teaching this course. I've included a link to the the syllabus which contains hyperlinks to many of the assigned readings.
Download syllabus
Below is the course description:
This course reviews major areas of research in political communication, connecting this scholarly work to the insights of leading political strategists and journalists. General topics covered include:
A)How political communication and various forms of media shape civic life, elections, and policy decisions, and what this means for the health of democratic institutions and decision-making.
B)How citizens, journalists, and elected officials make sense of and use political messages. Specifically how news, advertising, and entertainment media shape political perceptions, emotions, and behavior and what this means for effective communication strategy.
C)How micro-targeting and "on the ground" recruitment strategies are either complementing or replacing traditional campaign activities and mobilization efforts.
D)How soft news and late night comedy along with blogs and social networking sites have shaped campaign strategy and news coverage; how citizens use this political information, and what it means for both campaign strategy but also civic life.
E) And as special topics, how these themes apply to the debate over the war in Iraq and to the nature and future of America's youngest citizens, in other words, citizens like you.
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Mathew, good luck on bucking convention. I'm sitting in OHare airport watching CNN luckless commentators interviewing one more "person in the street" about "gee, what should we do to bolster the failing economy".
Aside from misleading the public that this question is answerable in a 30 second news bit, CNN (and all the other media sheep)have misdirected the agenda of economic governance to unqualified (though interested) publics. Wolf Blitzer would better spend the 100,000 hours of public viewing time (of his 60 seconds interviews) to talking to experienced economic pundits.
I wanted to ask Wolf (and moreso, his producers), gee..."lets ask the person in the street about how we should do your neuro-surgury today to relieve the symptoms of Parkinsons?"
Yeah, let's listen to people, but put everything in context. Give a list of options from the experts, and poll the public, so the experts can gauge how things will fly and so the public gets educated.
I wanted to ask Wolf (and moreso, his producers), gee..."lets ask the person in the street about how we should do your neuro-surgury today to relieve the symptoms of Parkinsons?"
A brilliant comparison! LOL!
Yeah, let's listen to people, but put everything in context. Give a list of options from the experts, and poll the public, so the experts can gauge how things will fly and so the public gets educated.
It does seem educating the public is the ultimate goal, so a mix as suggested here seems a good way to go.
Dave Briggs :~)
Very cool class. Will you be teaching it again in the Fall? I might just have to take that if it's available.