This interdisciplinary course explores the complex relationship between media, politics, and public policy in a rapidly evolving information environment. Students will critically examine how traditional and digital media shape public opinion, diplomatic engagement, and policy outcomes across domestic and international arenas. The course equips students with the analytical tools to assess media narratives, detect and interpret disinformation campaigns, and evaluate the strategic use of communication in policymaking.
We will engage key questions: Who controls information, and whose voices are excluded? How do state and non-state actors deploy media to influence public discourse or justify policy decisions? Why do falsehoods spread so easily, and how can individuals and institutions prepare to encounter them? What strategies can rebuild public trust in journalism and information systems? By combining theory, case studies, and applied exercises, the course prepares students to navigate, and respond to, the challenges of truth, lies, and power in the twenty-first century.
