RTF 331J Technology, Communication & Policy

Unique No. 07127

Faculty: Janee Briesemeister

Class Time: MWF 12-1

Room: CMA 3.116

Writing Comp: No

Comm/Culture Req: No

Closing Limit: 30

Cross-listed: STS 331

Prerequisites

Must be an RTF major with a UT GPA of at least 2.25 and have upper-division standing. The following coursework with a grade of at least C: RTF 305, RTF 309, and 6 additional semester hours of lower-division coursework in RTF.

Consent requirements

This course does not require consent. Registration is open via TEX to all RTF majors.

First class day policy

Students must attend the first class day or make prior arrangements with the instructor.

Course description

This course introduces students to several major issues in communication technology and policy, and establishes the historical framework for understanding and analyzing them. Our goal is to review some of the seminal statements, cases, and debates that have influenced how people, especially members of the policy community, think about communication systems. We will unravel the broader social contexts and industrial positions that shaped - and continue to shape - those issues. Throughout the course we will seek to understand the shape of civil discourse in society and to trace the role of media in influencing that discourse.