I was asked a little while ago if I would be willing to look at drafts of your final exams and offer comments. The answer is that I will try to do that if you can get them to me no later than 8 a.m. on Monday. I can’t promise a lot of feedback, but I’ll do what I can.
Category: Class Updates
Two stories about secrecy in government for Wednesday’s class
We are going to discuss two major reports on secrecy in government on Wednesday — one from The Washington Post, the other from CNN.com. Please read them before class and come prepared to discuss them.
Media clips from Monday’s class
Not everyone was able to attend today, and I know at least one student could’t find us after we moved to a slightly cooler classroom. So I’m posting links to the videos we watched and discussed today.
- The video accompanying Margaret Sullivan’s column in The Washington Post provides a good overview of Alex Jones’ career.
- CNN’s “Reliable Sources” broadcast a worthwhile debate over whether NBC News did or did not do the right thing in broadcasting Megyn Kelly’s interview with Jones.
- Finally, here is the interview itself.
We opened with a discussion of an NPR story about politically motivated violence. And we closed with an amazing interview with Jay Sekulow, one of President Trump’s lawyers, with Chris Wallace of Fox News.
Lylah Alphonse of U.S. News discusses newsmagazines and Trump’s Washington
Our final thank you of the semester goes to Lylah Alphonse, managing editor for news at U.S. News & World Report, who shared her insights with us on Wednesday. Her topics included the evolution of newsmagazines, the challenge of covering Washington in the age of Trump, and her own career path.
How the media environment has changed since Watergate
We’ll open today with a consideration of New York Times media columnist Jim Rutenberg’s piece on whether the media environment has so changed since Richard Nixon’s time that he would be able to survive Watergate today. I hope you’ll have a chance to read it before class, though I realize I’m posting it late.
‘Bannon’s War’
If you missed Monday’s class, or if you’d just like to relive the magic, here is a link where you can watch the documentary “Bannon’s War.” It offers an important look at the rise of Breitbart and the alt-right, so please make sure you watch it.
Lou Murray speaks about Trump’s non-elitist appeal
Our thanks to Lou Murray, a supporter of President Trump who was a delegate from Massachusetts to the 2016 Republican National Convention. Here is the Boston Globe op-ed that he wrote predicting Trump would win.
Videos from today’s class
We had a few absences today, so I thought I would post links to the videos we watched so that everyone can catch up.
First, on the net neutrality issue, we saw a TED talk by web creator Tim Berners-Lee and an interview on the “PBS NewsHour” with FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
Second, we watched a TED talk by the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” J.D. Vance, a conservative who has become known for explaining the appeal of President Trump among white working-class voters.
I also want to note that this Thursday’s news quiz will be given in class, and I have made no provision for make-ups. I’m hoping I don’t have to.
Interpreting the Day’s News 