Reason Media Studies 101: Gillespie and Welch on how new media are changing politics, culture, and journalism

October 30, 2008

In conjunction with The Interactive Media Studies Program at Miami University of Ohio, reason's Nick Gillespie is co-teaching a class called "Politics, Culture, and New Media."

The course explores the theory and practice of new media, especially as it relates to cultural and political journalistic outlets. In alternating weeks, the course takes place in classroom spaces on the Miami University campus in reason's DC-based offices, where Gillespie, a Ph.D. in literature and a 20-year veteran of journalism, leads Web-based videoconferences with journalists, authors and policy analysts.

On October 1, Gillespie and his class spoke with reason editor in chief Matt Welch. Watch the hour-long conversation, which was shot and edited by Dan Hayes (himself a Miami University alum)

Go here for embed code.

Here's the reading list of Matt Welch pieces that the class covered:

Be Afraid of President McCain
The frightening mind of an authoritarian maverick. Reason. April 2007

Free Sam Zell!
Why 'media activists' should be mocked for trying to block the buying and selling of newspapers and television stations. Los Angeles Times Online. November 16, 2007

Blogworld
The New Amateur Journalists Weigh in
Columbia Journalism Review. September/October 2003

Woe is Media
It's Time to Save Journalism From its Saviors. Reason. December, 2002

The Cuban Senators
Julio Becquer and the Last-Place Cuban-Flavored Teams of 1950s D.C. ESPN.com. March 11, 2002

New Jersey's Teen Matt Drudge
Sergio Bichao's Underground Web Newspaper has his High School Reeling. Online Journalism Review. March 12, 2001

My Time in the DEN of Iniquity
Report on 6 Weird Weeks Spent at the Infamously Mismanaged Digital Entertainment Network. Online Journalism Review. May 25, 2000

Cookie Monster of Putnam Pit
Why One Beverly Hills Journalist Is Fighting an Entire Tennessee Town...And Defining Internet Sunshine Laws Along the Way. Salon. October 15, 1998

Comments

Britton Manasco|10.31.08 @ 5:50PM|#

Matt--

This was terrific. Having experienced the Daily Nexus and Prague in 1990 (as an English teacher as opposed to a journalist), it was fascinating to hear your story. Am wondering how you think tomorrow's specialists will "monetize" their expertise. Will pure journalism continue or will writers pay their bills by speaking/consulting and other things? Am also interested in any writings on the New Journalism, which obviously isn't so new anymore, that you might suggest.

Best,

Britton Manasco
Illuminating the Future

|11.2.08 @ 5:17PM|#

That was so interesting, especially the description of the inner workings of the LA Times. No wonder they're going down. I'd love to hear more details about the day-to-day operations of Matt's Prague newspaper; how he hired reporters, picked stories, headlines etc.