KC Johnson

The First Amendment guarantees that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press. But relations between politicians and the press never have been friendly—a fact of which we need no reminding in our era of White House denunciations of “fake news” broadcast by “enemies of the people.” This Seminar will explore the relationship between politics and the media, focusing on the 20th century, though with some historical background on the transformation of the partisan press into “yellow journalism” in the 19th century. Technology, ideology, the pursuit of truth all have come together in how politicians and the media have interacted. The first 10-15 minutes of each session will discuss contemporary events.