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Syllabus (readings subject to change)


Readings are subject to change and topics may need to be rescheduled. Always check the main page for the current assignments!


Sept. 9:
Identity and representation: Race vs. Ethnicity / Gender vs. Sex
We’ll introduce ourselves to one another, and talk a bit about the differences between race and ethnicity, and between gender and sex. Is the media doing a good job of making the distinctions?

Required Reading/Viewing:

Sept. 16:
Gender, race, and political debates
We’ve come a long way since the 2008 race and concerns over whether Sarah Palin was being treated fairly by the media. Or have we? How does the way the media covers race and gender make a difference now, with so many women and a few people of color in the crowded Democratic field?

Required Reading/Viewing:

 Sept. 23: 
The 1619 Project: Too Much or Not Enough?
What's the media's role in shaping national history? Is it significant that the so-called paper of record published this project instead of some other outlet? Was this project a public service or political propaganda?

Required Reading:

Sept. 30:
Do Non-Traditional Media Outlets Do It Better?
Are non-traditional media better at handling issues of identity, race and gender, or are they making things worse by reinforcing harmful ideas and stereotypes? Let’s talk about social media, blogs, chat groups, non-mainstream outlets, non-news outlets, the late night talkies, comic books and graphic novels.

Required Reading/Viewing:

Want to read more? You can buy the books (optional):

Oct. 7:
Race and the Role of the Media
Has the need to cover a more-diverse world outpaced actual diversification in mainstream newsrooms? How is the media handling stories of Latinx people, indigenous people, Arabic people and immigrants of all nationalities?

Required Reading/Viewing:

Oct. 14:
NO CLASS (Columbus Day)
Use today to work on your midterms!
Midterms are due by 11:59 p.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 16, via email. Remember: For every day that you miss deadline, you lose 20% of your grade for this assignment.


Oct. 21: 
Gendered Language
How many of us have yelled “Hey, Guys!” to a group of friends? Where does the word "hysterical" come from and how do we use it now? Today we’ll take a look at gendered language, and what it means in terms of unconscious bias.

Required Reading/Viewing:

Oct. 28:
What are we teaching our kids? 
Kids consume mainstream media, too. What messages are they getting about race, sex and gender, and how do those message affect them? With a special guest lecturer: Dan Lothian of Little Park Media, former CNN White House Correspondent.

Required Reading/Viewing:

Nov. 4: 
Covering LGBTQ Issues
What does the media get right? What do they get wrong? Where are the pitfalls, and how do we avoid them? We'll also talk about the quick assignment you'll have for next week, since we have no class on 11/11. With special guest lecturer Mason Dunn, director of advocacy for Keshet and the former executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

Required Reading/Viewing: 

Nov. 11:
NO CLASS (Veterans Day)
Use today to work on your assignment

Words are important, but if a picture speaks a thousand of them, then editors, writers, and multimedia journalists need to pay closer attention to the images they use to illustrate their stories. For this assignment, you will find an example of an image used to illustrate an article having to do with race, sex or gender. Write a short (200-300 word) essay explaining why the image that was published was problematic, and offer suggestions for at least two alternative images that might have worked better. Email the essay and links to the article showing the problematic image to me by Nov. 14. This assignment is worth 10 points, and will lose 20% of its value for every day that it is late.

Here's an example:


Describe the problematic image: There are three images used to illustrate this article on the dangers young adults face in college. Two of them are of women, and one is of a child who looks to be about 5 years old.

Why is it problematic? The story leads with the author talking to a room full of men, and the story itself doesn't single out women, yet the illustrations leave the reader with the impression that their daughters are the ones who are too immature and most at risk -- and the ones they should be most afraid of sending off to college. Using an image of an actual child underscores the idea that women are less mature, more vulnerable, and less capable than men. Using these particular images also erases transgender people from the story, even though they face dangers in college as well.

What alternative images would have worked better, and why? It would have been better if the editor had selected images that showed a group of students of different genders, an image showing students of different genders and ethnicities at an off-campus party, an image of a student drinking alone, an image of a piled of used solo cups or drug paraphernalia or an image of many students in caps and gowns at a graduation ceremony. These alternative images would offer a more-inclusive and more-accurate illustration of the dangers described in the article.


Nov. 18: 
Into the Niche
Would creating smaller, niche media outlets better address gender, sex and race issues -- or would they limit understanding, with each one preaching to its own choir? Is the job of the media to reach new audiences and inform new people, or to develop dedicated ones where ideas are confirmed as they are explored? We'll also discuss the project you'll be working on for your final, which will be due to me via email by 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 9. With a special guest lecturer Boston Globe columnist Adrian Walker.

Required Reading/Viewing:

Nov. 25:
What's Missing from Media Aimed at Women?
We'll explore how media sites aimed at women have transitioned from the old-school “Women’s Pages” to modern “Women’s Magazines,” and whether the #MeToo movement shaped how the media talks about -- and to -- women. With special guest lecturer Carolyn Libby, producer at WGBH-TV.

Dec. 2:
Race, Racism, and Politics 
The election cycle started early -- and the issues of race and racism are already stronger than ever before. How do we deal with racism in this particular political climate?

Required reading/viewing

FINAL PAPERS DUE by 11:59 p.m. ET 12/9. Remember: Every day you miss deadline you lose 20% of your grade. Don’t make your hard work count for nothing!

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