Lead Faculty: Dr. Sara-Ellen L. Amster
Course Description
This course draws on a wide range of scholarly opinions and research focusing on the question of why young people often find themselves disinterested in much news on TV or in print and bored by conventional journalism. The course will not only look at youth as consumers of media but also as producers of it by reviewing the prevalence, effectiveness, history and development of school journalism programs. In addition, the course investigates the adolescent as news reporter and citizen, a potentially active shaper of his or her own development. Additional questions include whether shifts in tastes may contribute to the generational decline in readers and viewers.