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Topics 1. Introduction        Media role in democracy        Types of media        Political functions of Media        Importance of Media        Analyzing modern meda 2. Media coverage of elections         Horse race         Incumbents vs. challangers         Presidential debates         Why it is always a "two man" race 3. Media and Law          1st Amendment          Freedom of information          libel and slander          individual rights vs. media right 4. Media's role in public policy formation         The health care debate         Coverage of war--Afghan and Iraq 5. Media coverage of the branches of government           Congress           President           Supreme Court           Bureaucracy 6. How government, interest groups, and partiesattempt to manage the news           Advocacy journalism           Use of advertising 7. Alternative Media         Daily Show         Real Time with Bill Maher         Democracy Now         Fox News         O'Reilly Factor         Rush Limbaugh         Glenn Beck 8. What is wrong with the media        Criticisms        Public evaluation of media 9. New media and new journalists       websites and citizen journalists       blogs       social media and news       rumor as news 10. Conclusions        Political impact of the media        Explaining news coverage        Future of the media

Readings Chapter 1 Functions of the media Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Sites Top 5 Ways Social Media Influences Politics Media Analysis Horse Race Chapter 8 Defamation, libel and slander Chapter 3, 4 Media coverage of War in Iraq Chapter 11 Media coverage of President Chapters 9,10 Daily and Colbert viewers vs. Fox viewers Democracy Now Chapter 2,7 Media criticism Chapter 12