America’s founders believed a healthy press (Fourth Estate) was an indispensable element in the array of checks and balances and institutions needed to sustain democracy in the new nation. History has seen good periods and bad in the emergence of the press.

This course will look at the state of American journalism today and assess changes of the Fourth Estate on the local, state, and national levels. Some of these changes reflect moving from written stories in newspapers to sometimes live, coverage through radio and television. Some changes are a function of who’s delivering the news: large media organizations or individuals on social media expressing an opinion. Some are reflective of the different priorities of major media: stressing the need for fairness and presenting all sides of an issue, to endorsing a side and excluding other views.

There are many questions to consider: What is the purpose of media: to inform, educate, entertain, arouse emotions, make money? What is the goal of the consumer: to learn, find validation, be entertained? How do we know what is true?

Format: Participants will be asked to present on selected topics.

Resources/Expenses: The suggested texts are The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, 4th Edition—to be available on Amazon, August 10 in paper for $18.00 and Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy, 2020 available used in paper for $3.83 and up. In addition, online research may be anticipated.