JOUR779K

In this course, we will examine several aspects of activism and social movements as it relates to the creation of alternative journalism, oppositional art, connective action and citizen voice. We will explore the media of historic social movements such as the Women's suffrage and Civil Rights movements as well as movements of the current epoch including Black Lives Matter and the youth climate movements. We will also study community journalism, alternative journalism and other forms of value-laden reportage that privilege the citizens vantage point. Additionally, students will learn how technological affordances shape alternative and oppositional media and how these affordances inform specific media designs and aesthetics. The final project for this coursewill be a journal length manuscript that examines a recent example of media practices and/or media artifacts by a social movement, community newspaper or alternative publication.