In 2011-2012 I taught a Media Studies course for the first time. I further refined the course when I taught it again in 2012-2013. It shares some similarities with AP Language, but of course branches out in many other directions as well, and it has been a very interesting experience.
One useful cross-over between AP Language and Media Studies is in the analysis of visuals and the use of language to create bias. I created an assignment about how news stories can spin one way or another, starting with an examination of various news outlets through a journal blog, progressing through an examination of how photos may be interpreted and portrayed in different ways, and ending in an assignment about constructing the news.