Communication 122 - Intro/Media Industries & Inst
Fall
2026
02
3.00
TU TH 4:00PM 5:15PM
UMass Amherst
19735
Emerson Room 140
This course is an introduction to the process of media production, with a special focus on the institutional forces (i.e. market structures, industry practices, law and regulation, citizen activism, and audience dynamics) that shape the content of electronic media. We will consider a variety of historical, technological, economic, cultural, legal, political, and ethical factors that influence the production, distribution, and consumption of media texts in digital environments. We will take a case study approach, using examples of the U.S. television, film, news, and music industries to examine the dynamic interplay between national media systems and global media markets.
Open to students in the Communication Majors RAP in Pierpont Hall. Communication majors must complete 3 of the following 5 courses: 118, 121, 122, 125, and 140