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Political Journalism at the Crossroads

ENGL 159.301
instructor(s):
W 1:45-4:45pm

Can journalists cover national politics “objectively” when one political party is far more committed to democracy and universal voting than the other party? Or do the imperatives of fairness and accuracy require that political journalists essentially work in defense of democracy and in opposition to authoritarian threats from within? The spring of ’22 will throw a spotlight on the ongoing Republican efforts to curb universal voting—now demonstrably evident in dozens of states—as the nation prepares for the ’22 autumn midterm elections and the early maneuvering for the 2024 presidential race. Students in this course will write frequent commentary pieces about timely events in the news, they will workshop numerous pieces by professional political writers (including the instructor’s), and they will meet with prominent guest journalists.

fulfills requirements