Digital Media Literacy (BA)

Explores the role of mass media in shaping culture, politics, economics and civic life in the United States. Examines media content, audiences and roles through the lenses of media literacy, communication theory, ethics and constitutional principles. Through analysis and evidence-based discussion, students gain foundational knowledge of the media landscape and its influence on audiences, democracy and public discourse.

Surveys research methods used in the social sciences, with a focus on mass communication.

Helps students begin to navigate the 21st-century media, starting by becoming active users of media, not just passive consumers. The Internet-fueled democratization of media creation has enabled anyone to be a publisher, and given audiences' almost infinite choices, with both great and questionable effects. In a world of information abundance, it can be difficult to discern fact from opinion and truth from fiction. We need to know how to wade through this barrage of information with a critical eye, to be better informed, and ultimately become creators of media ourselves.

Discusses digital media consumption to some degree, but focuses more on media creation and the many issues we need to understand for best practices. Students learn the importance of understanding the tools and techniques of media creation, and how media are used to persuade, the ethical and legal issues in creating media, policy issues that can (or will) affect media creation, and an assortment of media-creation techniques.

Develops strategies and tactics to recognize misinformation, and inoculates students--and helps them join the battle--against it. Misinformation in our context is false information purposefully created to deceive and cause harm. It runs rampant in today's digital information ecosystem, and is becoming more and more sophisticated and difficult to spot. Bad actors are using powerful tools and techniques to infect our information supply, sowing confusion and discord. While there are laudable efforts to staunch the flow of misinformation, media users need help in deciding what information to trust. Examines the evolution of misinformation and the range of content types that fall under its umbrella. Explores tools, techniques and tactics that individuals can employ to identify misinformation, and gives them a head start on making informed decisions on what, and whom, they can trust.

Covers the extraordinary nature of media in this century. Examines how the media and communications tools of the past 100+ years--telephones, print publications and broadcasting outlets--gave way to the Internet, a radically centralized network of networks that is rapidly re-centralizing. Also explores how the ability to exercise freedom of expression became radically easier in the early days of the Internet, but how that freedom, among others, may be in jeopardy--and, if so, what can be done about that, as individuals and members of communities.