The class explores how journalistic processes shape media narratives. In a contemporary context, students learn to distinguish news from propaganda, opinion from fact, and precision from bias.

Instructor: Melita Garza, associate professor of journalism

Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 to 11:50 a.m.

Class size: 25 students from any major

Texts: Media Literacy, 8th edition, W. James Potter (SAGE Publications, 2016)

Heroes and Scoundrels: The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture, Matthew C. Ehrlich & Joe Saltzman (University of Illinois Press, 2015)

Additional online readings

Classwork: Students have daily reading assignments from the texts and online news sources to prepare them for class discussion. A participation score is worth 10 percent of the final grade.

A media use assignment includes a two-day log of media exposure and a summary of what the selected sources reveal about media culture.

A media blackout assignment forbids students from consuming any type of media for a 24-hour period. Afterward, they submit a two-page reflection paper on how the blackout affected them.

A written assignment explores a news story by veteran journalist Anderson Cooper. Students list the steps that Cooper took to verify and assess the story. The aim of the assignment is to teach students the difficulty of thorough journalism and the importance of the news media’s process.

A midterm and a final