This course will examine the role of discourse in the dissemination of the news in modern societies by examining how linguistic choices are related to the definition of news topic and to the construction of the audience, as well as how such choices are affected by the medium of communication, whether this be print, broadcasting or online digital communication.

By the end of the course students will be able to: 1. Collect and transcribe selected samples of mediated communication; 2. Identify some of the key differences between speech and forms of mediated communication; 3. Apply key terms and distinctions relevant to the analysis of the discourse of mediated communication; 4. Interpret and discuss either in the form of an oral presentation or a written project some of the social consequences of changing technologies of communication.