Introduction to Media Studies
MIT OpenCourseWare's introduction to media studies treats media broadly, covering oral, print, theatrical, photographic, broadcast, cinematic, and digital forms. The course traces the history of media transformations and the institutions that shape media's place in society, pairing theoretical readings with analysis of specific texts such as films and television shows, including how a narrative changes when adapted across formats. Guest speakers bring in outside perspectives across the semester, and students engage through discussion, writing, and oral presentations. Lectures also examine how class, gender, and race shape both the production and reception of media, as one strand within the broader survey of media's social and political power. Materials include the syllabus, readings, and assignments as published by MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access with no certificate attached.