Examines the influence of entertainment media on political news, opinion, knowledge, and behavior.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Recognize how, why, and with what significance the boundaries between news and entertainment have blurred
2. Identify and describe the effects of entertainment on journalism, citizenship, and politics, as well as the theories used to explain these effects
3. Develop persuasive, evidence-based arguments about the intersection of entertainment and politics and its implications for public discourse and engagement
4. Evaluate how political entertainment texts construct political reality and encourage audiences to make meaning of politics
5. Apply theories and concepts from research in communication, media studies, and political science in order to develop an entertainment-based political strategy or media product