The Digital Revolution: Writing and Social Media
Writing Course | |
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Course Code | DIGR |
Years Of Operation | 2017, 2019 |
Sites Offered | LOS |
Course Description
From the CTY Catalog (2017):
Six corporations produce about 90 percent of media in the United States. Digital media scholars argue that the dominance of mainstream media suppresses the public’s access to a diversity of news and entertainment despite individuals having greater access to digital media technologies. Can individuals create and distribute alternative media that challenges the dominance of those six corporations? This course gives students the tools to think and write critically about the media they consume and create.
In this course, students read scholarly articles about the power and history of mass media and the growth of digital technologies, then research and write three analytical essays. Topics may include: online identity, social networking, online security, video games, media literacy, and fan culture. Using rhetorical means of persuasion, students craft critical essays that analyze modern media texts. Students also complete a group digital media project: a short film or advertisement critiquing one aspect of popular culture. Throughout the course, instructors provide detailed feedback on students’ work and lead writing workshops. Participants develop critical reading skills, learn to research and cite appropriate online sources, and gain experience writing sophisticated rhetorical essays.