Topics in Political Communication:

Media Bias, Selective Exposure, and Political Polarization

COMM 362/POLI SCI 425: Spring Term 2014-15

Instructor: Shanto Iyengar (siyengar@stanford.edu)
Office Hours: Tue 11-1, 440 McClatchy Hall
Class email list: iyengar-seminar@lists.stanford.edu
Class website: comm362.stanford.edu

This research seminar addresses the connections between media content, audience composition, and group polarization. In the first half of the course we cover the selective exposure and party polarization literatures. The second half will explore students' research interests, as they bear upon media use and polarization.

The major course requirement is a research proposal that extends the media use and polarization literatures into new domains. Each student will develop a reading list that represents the theoretical and empirical foundations of their proposal. These readings will be the basis for class discussions in Weeks 6-10.

March 30, April 6, April 13

Selective Exposure; From Classic to Contemporary Approaches

April 20, 27

Polarization Research

May 4

Customized Reading Sets Developed by Class Participants

May 11, May 18

Customized Reading Sets Developed by Class Participants

June 1

Customized Reading Sets Developed by Class Participants

June 8

Customized Reading Sets Developed by Class Participants