Beth A. Rosenson
Department of Political Science
Media and Politics, POS 4931
Previously this course had focused primarily on coverage of domestic politics and domestic political institutions (e.g. Congress, the executive branch, the Supreme Court). The grant will be used to increase the attention the course devotes to American media coverage of foreign countries and foreign affairs, for example with regard to war, terrorism, diplomacy, and natural disasters. This enhanced international focus is particularly timely in light of the ongoing situation in Iraq and more broadly, in light of the growing economic and political linkages between the U.S. and foreign nations. The course will enhance students’ understanding of the process by which political stories about foreign countries are written and presented in the American media.
My goals are two-fold. First, I will increase the number of course readings devoted to the issue of how the American media covers foreign countries which countries are covered, what types of stories are written, and what types of frames are used. These readings will encourage students to think critically about the process and content of this media communication. Students will be required to write a research paper addressing the topic of media coverage of foreign countries.
Second, I will add a component to the course that will feature videoconferencing with foreign correspondents from print, radio and broadcast media. These journalists will supplement the course readings with direct, personal experience. They include 1) Jim
Teeple of Voice of America, who has covered India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Haiti, 2) Jamie McIntyre, a UF graduate and CNN’s senior Pentagon correspondent, who has been to over 60 countries, and 3) David Adams, Latin American correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times who has also covered Britain and the Middle East.