IGA-451M: The Media, Energy, and Environment:Global Policy and Politics

Semester: Spr Mod3

Credit: 0.5

Faculty: Cristine Russell

Schedule

Day Time Location
First Day
Meet Day HKS
Review

Description

The media play a unique role in shaping the public policy, politics, and understanding of crucial -- and often controversial -- energy, environment, and climate change issues in the United States and abroad. The media landscape is changing rapidly as mainstream news outlets struggle with fewer resources and less time. Meanwhile, the Internet provides a growing global megaphone for unsorted, confusing and often contradictory information and opinion on blogs and social media. This course will analyze the best and worst media coverage of recent energy and environmental controversies, including the Keystone XL pipeline; fracking; nuclear power in the post-Fukushima era; offshore oil drilling; renewable energy; climate change and extreme weather; climate change denial; and geoengineering. Students will examine how researchers, policy experts, and decision makers in the private and public sectors utilize both formal and informal media to communicate with the public and how this process can be improved. Practical communication/media strategies will be included.