UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
Darrell West, Brown University

Course Description
For more than 200 years, Americans have had a love/hate relationship with the media. Understanding Mass Media examines this complicated relationship and describes how our democratic political system has been affected by changes in media from the American Revolution to the Information Revolution and how the media handle such issues as race and gender, the growth of celebrity politics, and the subtle craftsmanship of campaign ads. Extensive interactive exercises draw students into the course and invite them to assess the impact of the media on American society and themselves.

About Professor West
Professor Darrell West is the John Hazen White Professor of Political Science at Brown University and the Director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy. He is the author of numerous books, including Air Wars and The Rise and Fall of the Media Establishment.