Taught By:
Lisa Hoover
Public Services Librarian
lhoover@clarkson.edu
Office: ERC 1110
Monday-Friday: 8am-4:30pm
Course Description: How has our access to and consumption of information changed over time? How will it change in the future? How can we be responsible citizens and media consumers in today’s information landscape? This discussion-based course will consider the history and analysis of information creation and use, with an emphasis on the news media and scholarly publishing. Students will learn to analyze the source, purpose, and quality of information and consider the ethical implications of information collection and use. Topics will include the history of the news media and propaganda, information production and ethics, evaluation of information, the movement toward a participatory culture, social media and the news, fake news and “alternative facts,” media consumption, and the 1st Amendment and media regulation. Students will also be given an in-depth introduction to the college level research process, focused on a topic of their own choosing. Students will leave the course comfortable with using library resources and able to excel at college level research. Students will also be able to critically evaluate information and analyze the creation and use of information. All majors are encouraged to enroll, and there are no prerequisites.