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This course includes media-based internship along with required in-person classroom sessions and guest speakers.
COM 400 / 600: The Psychology of Political Communications (3 credits)
In 2020, almost half of surveyed Americans told the Pew Research Center that they had stopped talking to someone they knew about political news because of something they said. More recently, a majority of those Pew asked reported feeling exhausted and angry when they think about politics. In this class, we’ll explore the ways in which psychological processes influence political communication, as well as theways that political events play into cognitive and emotional biases to persuade, motivate or discouragepeople. We will focus specifically on how psychology affects our ability to deliberate—to discuss politics with the intent to learn about others’ views or collaborateto generate policy solutions. Throughout each step of this investigation, we will also consider how knowledge is acquired—what type of research was conducted? How valid are the conclusions? In answering each of thesequestions within a political communication framework, we can evaluate the role of the “political brain” in shaping American democracy.
COM 509: Communications Law for Public Communicators (3 credits)
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