Teaching

NU’s Communication and Media Studies (CMS) department approaches the study of media from a critical and cultural perspective, at the same time offering students practical knowledge in the areas of journalism, public relations, and broadcasting. I teach a 3/3 load, rotating core courses journalism skills courses, and General Education electives.

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In the CMS Department, I have taught over 600 students in nine unique courses, worked one-on-one with students on 27 independent studies, chaired four Honors theses, and managed 17 internships.

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Courses taught: 

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CMS100: Introduction to Media Studies

A first-year seminar for majors and minors, this course provides students an introduction to media studies and offers a critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues in democratic communication, in addition to an overview of career possibilities.  The course embraces the values that are reflected in the Department’s mission: Communicating for Social Justice.

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CMS330: Research Methods

This course provides students an overview of the research methodologies most commonly used in the media studies and communications fields.  By designing and conducting research projects themselves, students will learn information-gathering and research skills, as well as address topics such as research ethics, online research, data analysis, critical analysis skills, and unconventional applications of research.

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CMS361: Politics and Media

This course examines the role of communications media in a democratic system of governance. We will look at the media's performance in electoral and other public campaigns, the role of the news media in presenting information on national and global issues and how political themes surface in non-news media genres.

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CMS363: Stereotyping in the Media

There are many oversimplified categorizations by which societies make distinctions among their members, including race, class, gender, and age. Such distinctions often lead to an inequitable distribution of political power, social well-being, and the resources available to individual members of society. In this course we seek to increase our awareness and understanding of such inequities and the power of the mass media in creating and potentially destroying them.

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CMS395: Mass Communication Law

This course is designed to give a basic understanding of communications and mass media law. Students will examine free speech, press issues and more contemporary topics in a case law format. Students will learn how First Amendment jurisprudence, as well as common and statutory laws, impact media and media producers.

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CMS460: Senior Seminar

A research seminar designed to evaluate areas of media effects, creative media projects, and critical analysis of media content. Majors will complete an individually designed research or media production project.

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