Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Activist Media

(COM 535 / CIN 535) Hours: 4: Credits: 4. Examines the role of media in contemporary movements for social justice and anti-racism. While protest movements are often launched and galvanized on the street, and have historically used media to circulate their messages, in the 21st century, social media, messaging apps, and smartphone cameras are tools of community organizing, sites of expression, and technologies of surveillance. This course asks students to consider how consumer-grade media can be used to document injustice and advocate for social change, and how mainstream and alternative media represent protest movements such as the marches and actions that occurred across the United States and beyond after the murder of George Floyd, even as much of the country emerged from a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Prerequisite: COM 150 or CIN100 and CIN111 or COM250 or COM251 or COM270 or COM/ENL277; or permission of instructor.

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