This seminar will explore strategies for becoming a confident consumer of the news during the current “infodemic” — the sudden tsunami of conflicting information about the pandemic, social justice protests, and myriad other topics. Students will use time-honored principles of journalism to understand and navigate the rapidly evolving media landscape. Discussion will focus on where news comes from, and the pros and cons of objectivity. Students will craft strategies for determining their own personal media diet, and will evaluate how successful the news media has been at accomplishing the lofty goals embodied in the First Amendment.
