2807 - "Titanic Sinks, 1,500 Die": The Ship, the Disaster, the Culture and Mass Media History
Course Description
ONLINE: This course is a historical examination of mass communication and the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. Students will gain insights into the role of mass media in communicating news, cultural values and social mores. You will be introduced to mass communication theories that help explain the relationship between news organizations and their audiences, and you will investigate changes in society that were unfolding in the early 20th century as communicated — and influenced — by mass media. Among topics to be covered are how the disaster was covered by American and British newspapers, and the influence of emerging technologies on reporting and on society. Also explored will be the nascent advertising and public relations industries as they responded with what we now call “crisis communications,” a role that, though refined over the years, remains much the same with each new natural or human-made calamity. The course will be an engaging lecture series with time for class participation. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 30.