DHUM 25A33 - How the Media Works

We live in fast changing times and in an increasingly interconnected world.

Today most people use social media to engage with news content and share information. In this

landscape, what role does journalism play?

Journalism done with integrity and ethics means: to present facts, to research, to observe, to connect the dots, to follow-up, to tell in a clear and concise way a story, and to decrypt the power structures of society.

There can be no healthy democracy without that process. Journalists are the gatekeepers of freedom and of free expression yet are targeted worldwide. How come?

Why do autocratic leaders point at the press as enemies of the people? According to studies conducted by UNESCO, “female journalists are targeted online significantly more than their male colleagues, and the threats they face are highly sexualized, focused on their physical features, ethnicity, or cultural background, rather than on the content of their work.”

We will look into all that together.

We will discuss the impact of Artificial Intelligence on journalism and what it means for the future of media.

When I was a journalism student, sitting where you are today, understanding the news meant something. Twenty years later, the media is regarded with mistrust and as a threat. It’s crucial now more than ever that you learn how to read the news and decide for yourselves.

We will discuss key elements of journalism. You will become acquainted with gathering news from different parts of the world and platforms and compare them.

Whether you become journalists or not, you will always be news consumers. Hence, what you learn in this course will be useful to you throughout your life. Well, that is my ultimate hope!

Students will be graded (out of /20). The criteria are the following:

Class Participation 20%

Homework: Tbd before each class and/or short assignments (evaluated through cold-call in class): 20 %

Class Requirements:

There will be weekly readings, in-class discussions and exercises, unannounced quizzes, guest speakers, a midterm and a final.

Come to class having followed (at least) one news story (national or international, politics/culture/ecology/other) throughout the week and be ready to be called on.

More reading assignments to be announced throughout the semester.

The class starts and finishes on time. It lasts two hours with a 10-minute break halfway.

You fail the course in case of plagiarism or if there is AI-content in your work.

What happens or is said in the class stays there. No tweeting, no recording, no dissemination on any social platform. We want everyone to feel safe and free here.