SPAN 162 PZ -Journalism in Latin America

Institution: Pitzer

Description: Better than Fiction: Journalism in Latin America This course takes advantage of the online format thrust upon us by the pandemic to explore the journalistâ€™s trade in Latin America through interactions and collaborations with actual journalists working in the region. It explores the varying roles that journalists have played in Latin America’s social and political landscape over time, going from nation builders and heralds of modernity in the literary chronicles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to at-risk reporters caught between the lines in a region struck by dictatorships, civil wars, rapid urban growth, socio-economic inequality, and the global drug trade. By analyzing a variety of print as well as broadcast journalistic material from across the continent, students will examine what it means to be a journalist in Latin American, as well as the ways in which journalism has shaped the debate around crucial social, cultural, political, and environmental issues in the region. Taking advantage of the online format of the course, students will have the opportunity to engage in conversations with journalists and citizens on the ground in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Brazil to discuss how the pandemic is impacting journalism across the region, to participate in collaborative projects with students training to become journalists in Colombia, and to produce podcasts with local community partners. Course topics include freedom of the press and censorship, investigative journalism and social change, community journalism, media conglomerates, and journalistic integrity. Prerequisite: One Spanish course at the 100 level/equivalent or instructorâ€™s permission.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal.