GPUB5700

This course investigates the contemporary history, and the future, of social media, a set of practices and technologies that are, and are not, distinct from professional journalism. “Web logs,” born in the 1990s, became a popular phenomenon in the 21st century. Often a place to tell personal stories, social media has swiftly expanded the capacity of citizen-journalists to tell unmediated stories on the Internet at a time when news organizations have limited resources. Often political and highly partisan, blogs reflect a long tradition of anonymous self-publication and dissemination of the news, extending from the pamphleteers of eighteenth century North America, London and Paris to the local `zine cultures of late twentieth century de-industrialized cities. Soon self-appointed web journalists were breaking key stories political stories, such as the Monica Lewinsky Affair, and Trent Lott’s private speech praising segregationist Strom Thurmond, that mainstream news organizations were reluctant to touch. With the advent of Web 2.0 in 2004, free blogging software, as well as platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, began to transform journalism itself, as reporters and editors have adapted to, and adopted, social media tools that reach new audiences and promote narrative storytelling. Coursework will emphasize critical reflection on social media, as well as learning to write and think in social media environments. This course is open to BA/MA students; please email the instructor for permission to register.