American Media in the 21st Century: Polarized Politics and Fractured Ethics - JTM618

• Title: American Media in the 21st Century: Polarized Politics and Fractured Ethics
• Guaranteed by: Department of North American Studies (23-KAS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2021
• Semester: summer
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 16 / unknown (16)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Frank Kuznik
• Teacher(s): Frank Kuznik
• Class: Courses for incoming students

Annotation

We are at a pivotal point in history. The United States, long a beacon of democracy for the world, is on
the verge of tipping into an autocracy – or worse. A free press has never been more important. Yet the
media in America now faces an existential crisis. New US President Donald Trump calls it “the enemy
of the people,” and has already begun a campaign of intimidation and attacks against anyone he
considers his enemy. This gives us our framework for the Summer ’25 semester: Following the media’s
efforts to fulfill its vital role as a guardian of the public interest while trying to survive in an era of
repression and propaganda.

How did the country get to this point? Some of the problems are universal: Print media is shrinking and
no longer trusted, television and radio are dominated by partisan voices, and the internet is a wellspring
of misinformation. Others are unique to the US, where the digital revolution coupled with the rise of
right-wing extremism has warped the media landscape, overturning established practices, subverting
ethical standards and fracturing not just the media but the entire country along hardened political lines.

The course will look at these issues in both a historical and contemporary context, using key figures
such as Joseph Pulitzer, Rupert Murdoch, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk to show how American
media was established and has evolved. In keeping with the subject matter, the materials and approach
will be multimedia: print articles, book excerpts, films, radio and television broadcasts and digital
platforms, in particular social media. Students will be assigned to monitor media outlets reflecting a
variety of viewpoints, gathering material, examples and observations that we can compare and analyze
in class. From all this, we will draw a portrait of an endangered media system that is timely, relevant
and, like the best journalism, open-minded in its pursuit of truth and understanding.

Last update: Hornát Jan, PhDr., Ph.D. (29.01.2025)

Aim of the course

The principal aim of the course is to give students an overview of the media landscape in the United
States, an understanding of how and why it fractured, and the serious threats it now faces. Students will
become familiar with the full spectrum of American media, learn how to analyze and evaluate media
outlets, identify their biases and assess their political impact. Recognizing misinformation and the
dangers posed by artificial intelligence are a key part of this process. At the conclusion of the course,
students should have a working knowledge of traditional journalism ethics and practices, and how
those have been warped by political ideology; an ability to recognize misinformation and its sources;
and an understanding of the current crisis American media faces, which may transform not only the US
but the entire world.

Last update: Hornát Jan, PhDr., Ph.D. (29.01.2025)

Course completion requirements

Terms of passing the course

Grading will be based on the following:

Class Participation (20%)
Students are expected to be active participants in class, bringing observations and examples from their
monitoring and contributing ideas and questions to the discussions.

Midterm (30%)
Students will be required to write a 1,200-word paper at midterm, topics TBD

Final Paper (50%)
Students will be required to write a 2,000-word research paper on a topic of their choice (subject to
approval by the instructor) that reflects material covered during the semester and offers original
observations and analyses.

Deadlines are critical in journalism. Any assignments turned in late will automatically be penalized 50%.

Grading
100 – 91 points: A
90 – 81 points: B
80 – 71 points: C
70 – 61 points: D
60 – 50 points: E
below 50: F

Class ethics
(A) Any use of research material quoted in papers and exams must be acknowledged. Such use must
meet the following conditions:
• the beginning and end of the quoted material must be clearly shown with quotation marks;
• when quoting from periodicals or books, the name(s) of the author(s), book or article title, year
of publication, and page(s) on which the material appears must all be stated in footnotes or endnotes;
• internet sourcing must include a full web address where the material can be found, as well as
the date the writer visited the web page.
(B) In the event that research material is used without proper acknowledgment as defined above, the
paper will be deemed plagiarized and handed over to the Disciplinary Commission of the Faculty of
Social Sciences.
(C) Students are expected to arrive for class on time and prepared to discuss their monitoring, as well
as assigned readings and broadcast materials. If for some reason you have to miss a class, please notify
the instructor via e-mail.

Last update: Hornát Jan, PhDr., Ph.D. (29.01.2025)

Literature

viz Sylabus

Last update: Hornát Jan, PhDr., Ph.D. (29.01.2025)

Teaching methods

In person seminar/lecture.

Last update: Hornát Jan, PhDr., Ph.D. (29.01.2025)

Syllabus

Syllabus

1. Introduction and Précis
Overview of class content, philosophy and methodology; media monitoring assignments for the
semester; student input on topics and materials.

2. Fundamentals of American Media and Governance
Overview and explanation of the American legislative and judicial systems; delineation and political
alignment of the media ecosystem; overview of the current media crisis.
Read and watch: Articles and videos assigned by the instructor

3. Pulitzer, Hearst and the Birth of Modern American Journalism
An introduction to the lives and careers of the founding fathers of American journalism, and analysis of
how they created the media template for the 20th century.
Watch: Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People and Citizen Hearst

4. The Rise of the Right and Polarization of America
How the conservative revolution of the ’80s and ’90s transformed American media and laid the
groundwork for the fracturing of American society.
Read: Excerpts from Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America and Talk Radio’s America: How an
Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States; supplementary materials about
the Fairness Doctrine, antitrust law and corporate ownership of the media.
Watch: Alex Jones: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and video clips of Rush Limbaugh.

5. Media Under Attack 1
An in-depth analysis of how The Washington Post, ABC TV and other major media outlets have
responded to threats from the Trump administration.
Read and watch: Articles and news videos assigned by the instructor.

6. The Dark Side of Social Media
An in-depth look at how social media sites like Facebook and Twitter became nefarious data collection
machines spreading misinformation, inciting outrage and fear, and isolating users rather than bringing
them together.
Read: Articles and videos assigned by the instructor.

7. Naked Partisanship: How Rupert Murdoch Weaponized the Media
An examination and assessment of Murdoch’s career in yellow journalism, its impact in Australia, the
UK and in particular the US, where Fox News radically altered the American political and media
landscape.
Read: Excerpts from Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth
Watch: How Rupert Murdoch Changed the World

8. The Curious Case of TikTok
An in-depth look at the politics behind the move to ban TikTok in the US. Can the most popular social
media site in the US be shut down? Should it be? And how real are the mental health issues that
legislators say TikTok has created among young users?
Read: Articles and videos assigned by the instructor.

9. Free Speech Workshop
Case studies of the uses and limits of a cornerstone of American democracy, and how it has been
distorted in the evolving world of social media and online publishing.
Read: Readings assigned by the instructor.

10. Media Under Attack 2
Update and analysis of the Trump administration’s efforts to intimidate, censor and shut down media
outlets it doesn’t like, based on student monitoring reports.

11. AI: The Promise and the Peril
An in-depth look at the politics and personalities behind the rush to implement AI into nearly every
facet of daily life, how it has affected the media, and its prospects for being regulated.
Read and watch: Articles and videos assigned by the instructor.

12. 2025: America on the Brink
A comparative analysis of how other countries (in particular EU countries) are trying to regulate social
media and AI, what the current situation in the US holds for the immediate future, and how it may
impact the rest of the world.
Read and watch: Articles and video clips assigned by the instructor.

Last update: Hornát Jan, PhDr., Ph.D. (29.01.2025)