Political Reporting: On the Campaign Tra

Political journalism--from the campaign trail to the halls of Congress--has played a vital and important role over the last four years. This course will offer an overview and critical examination of political journalism and the interaction of media with the White House, Congress, campaigns and statehouses. It will explore how technology and polarization have changed coverage of politics, as well as ethical considerations, shifting newsroom expectations and the challenges facing journalists as they cover campaigns and American political institutions.

The course is intended for students with a deep interest politics and journalism, including both news consumers and aspiring practitioners. It aims to both provide practical training and promote critical thinking about political journalism itself. The focus will be largely on print journalism, though radio and television work will be briefly explored along with opinion writing. This will be a writing intensive class with a focus on practical skills. Workshopping of written articles will be required and there will be in-class writing and reporting exercises. Students will both examine their own biases and meet with leading practioners of the craft. 

The course is led by New York Times political reporter Lisa Lerer.