Jour372 Diversity and the Media

Analysis of media portrayals of different racial, ethnic, and sociopolitical groups, the role and responsibility of mainstream and specialty press in a democratic society, and proactive strategies to empower multiculturalism in the emerging digital global society.

Journalism Majors: Elective
Non-majors: Upper-division GE Comparative Cultural Studies
Information Competency | Writing Intensive

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Learning Objectives

Overall Learning Goal:  Students will learn critical thinking, research, and writing skills to deconstruct images and messages about diversity, analyze media's role in reinforcing and perpetuating stereotypes of race, class, gender and sexual identity, and consider media's social responsibility in cultivating respect for differences in American society.

• Gain an historical perspective of ethnic news media and minority hiring practices in mainstream and specialty press, and an awareness of media standards that determine newsworthiness of race, class, gender and sexual identity issues.
• Identify stereotyping in news and entertainment media and examine the impact of media storytelling on intersectionality and the social construction of "the other," the self-fulfilling prophecy, and the development of cultural identity.
• Apply media research and theories to analyze current diversity issues in news, TV shows, movies, music, advertising, video games, websites, social media, and emerging digital media technology.
• Cultivate a greater sensitivity to representations of race, class, gender, and sexual identity and reflect on personal experience, beliefs and assumptions about multiculturalism influenced by media technology.
• Demonstrate media literacy skills to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media content and social action strategies that engage and empower citizens in a diverse and participatory digital democracy.

Student Learning Outcomes (click here)