Course # 34799 Day(s) M- W Time(s) 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM Term Fall 2017 Syllabus Syllabus This course will examine the history of the African American press, especially The Chicago Defender, a newspaper which spanned the technological and political transformations of the 20th Century media. Founded as a weekly in 1905, The Defender became Black America’s first national communications vehicle using newly available mass printing machines as well as page design techniques pioneered by Hearst and Pulitzer. The news pages exposed the horrors of Jim Crow, while editorials inspired millions to come to Northern cities in what became known as the Great Migration. The Defender and its cohort, including The Pittsburgh Courier, wielded substantial political clout, providing the swing votes that elected Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy to the Presidency. But as the century wore on, black newspapers had to compete for audience as well as staff against a multitude of print, broadcast and, ultimately, on-line options. Taught by the author of the award-winning non-fiction book about The Defender, himself a veteran of the newspaper, the course includes guest lectures, field trips, and references to the substantial scholarship of the history of the South Side. There are no prerequisites. Recent News More news Trina Reynolds-Tyler, MPP'20, Wins Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting Wed., May 08, 2024 Assistant Professor Eduardo Montero Connects Fallow Lengths to Land Ownership and Looks to the Future of International Development Tue., May 07, 2024 Student Profile: Evy Lanai, MPP Class of 2025 Tue., May 07, 2024 Upcoming Events More events Persuasive Writing Credential (PWC) Alumni Roundtable Mon., May 13, 2024 | 7:30 PM Ask Admissions: Data and Policy Summer Scholars Program Mon., May 13, 2024 | 8:30 PM Monetary Policy and International Finance (MPIF) Mini Class with Zefeng Chen Tue., May 14, 2024 | 7:00 AM