In this course, students systematically study and analyze the complex and constitutive relationship between media and society (i.e. how humans make meaning of symbols in media and how the media reflect these symbols).  The course provides foundational knowledge of the formation and future of mass media institutions including economics, governance and power structures as they mediate social meanings.   In this course, students are taught to systematically analyze media and its effects through a critical process offering them skills to become more informed media analysts and consumers-an essential factor to the success of an informed participatory democracy.

Since the dawn of the new millennium, there has been a revolution in communication fueled by the spread of personal computers and the digitization of media. The content of this class focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of this revolution. Through a variety of readings and hands-on digital projects, students will develop critical, sociological, and historical perspectives on new media culture. They will also develop some of the skills they need to be an active participant in this culture and the changing demands and emerging opportunities therein.