Journalism & a Free Society

• Overview
• A Typical Day
• Faculty
• Readings

Get career advice from experienced journalists, learn political and economic tools of analysis, and explore how libertarian principles apply to journalism. For students of any major interested in a journalism career.

The press has been both a tool for fighting oppression and the servant of totalitarian regimes. What is the relationship between a free press and political liberty in a free society?

We will examine the nuts-and-bolts of media operations issues as well as broader philosophical inquiries into the role of communication, information, and media. We will ask and attempt to answer difficult questions:

• Why are reporters easily hoodwinked by dubious statistics?
• Why are science and the economy covered so poorly?
• How will emerging media change the information landscape?
• Is an "objective" press possible — or even desirable?
• Do the media create hysteria?
• And why, when readers protest that they want more depth and substance, does "The National Enquirer" still outsell the "serious" major dailies?

We will explain tools of analysis to gain insight into policy and economic trends. We will engage in practical journalism workshops and high-level discussions of philosophy and policy.

"A great mix of philosophical and theoretical information on liberty, as well as practical and insightful discussion of journalism as a career." – Eric Boehm