The Four Estates: Government and the Media

THE FOUR ESTATES: GOVERNMENT AND THE MEDIA Unleveled 523

2.5 credits

Historians claim our American democratic system has four estates - the three branches of our government and the media that acts as a check on each of them. Students will classify the powers and responsibilities of each branch of our government at the federal, state and local level, and examine the historical importance of the media in a democratic society. Students will become media savvy through the examination of multiple media vehicles, including newspapers, magazines, documentaries, films and social media, and explore the differences between objectivity and subjectivity as well as reporting vs. analysis. The focus of the course will be on America’s government structure and role of the media in a democratic society - both today and in our past.