POL378H1F L0101

Topics in Comparative Politics II

Trump, the Media and the Election

Themes

The 2020 presidential election will be one of the most important in modern U.S. history, as the public decides whether to give President Donald Trump a second term after a first term marked by controversy and partisan dispute that has been reflected in and indeed intensified by media responses. The election, and the sharp conflict between and within the Republican and Democrat parties, and between their nominees for President, is sure to increase the pressures on political media and its role in reporting, interpreting, and even shaping events in a democracy of more than 300 million citizens. In this course, we will examine various aspects of the relationship between Trump and the Media across the full range of platforms – from legacy print media (books, magazines, newspapers) to cable TV and radio as well as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of Trump and Trumpism and of American media in the 21st century, in the context of the 2020 presidential election.

Texts

TBA

Format and Requirements

TBA