We are living through a historic shift in the information ecosystem, with profound implications for the health of societies. This course will explore the information landscape as the critical “battle surface” of the 21st century, including the economic, technological and social forces reshaping it. We will examine the power and responsibility of the press; the influence of Influencers leveraging new platforms and formats; the challenge of building—and rebuilding— trust and overcoming polarization; and the qualities that contribute to persuasive communication in this environment. What determines which messages, which stories, spread widely and which are ignored? And what is the role of traditional and non-traditional journalism in shaping public sentiment and support for policy solutions? This course will be conducted in real-time, with weekly analysis of on-going political stories; the focus will be largely though not exclusively on U.S. media. Students will be expected to be heavy consumers of news and online content, and come to class prepared to discuss both the assigned readings for the week and the issues that erupt as we go.