Course Details

Saving the News: First Amendment and Media Policy

The ecosystem of news has changed beyond the imagination of anyone living when the First Amendment was drafted. Changes in the private industry of the press leave some communities with no local news coverage. A majority of people in the United States now receive news selected for them by a computer-based mathematical formula derived from their past interests, producing echo chambers with few opportunities to learn, understand, or believe what others are hearing as news. Traditional news media-now called "legacy media"-is shrinking, cutting staff, and relying on freelancers. This course will examine the historical changes in technology, economics, and law contributing to these developments; regulatory reforms proposals including antitrust public utility, public subsidy, and consumer protection. Attention to the US Constitution's First Amendment, the European Union's regulatory efforts, and self-regulation initiatives of Internet platforms while addressing. What can be done when transformations in technology, economics, and communications jeopardize the production and distribution of, and trust in, news that is essential in a democratic society.

Catalog Number: CONPUB 764

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Course History

Fall 2021
Title: Saving the News: First Amendment and Media Policy
Faculty: Minow, Martha
Section: 1     Credits: 1.0
Capacity: 20     Actual: 18