IME 6800 Contemporary Media Issues
Focuses on the historical and contemporary state of personal and public interaction with popular media, within the context of technological developments and their impact on society and culture. Students study journal articles, survey the research literature, and write papers on the historical trajectory of information consumption from the emergence of mass-produced paper-based texts to the development of the World Wide Web. Students should use this course to evaluate the current ethical, political, and economic controversies that will be a part of their daily lives upon entering media professions.