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We are living through a historic shift in the media ecosystem, with profound implications for the informational foundations of democracy. This course will explore the changing role, power and responsibility of the press; the dynamic among leaders, citizens and journalists in shaping politics and policy; and the economic, social, technological and ethical challenges that both journalists and public leaders are facing in this environment. What determines which messages, which stories, spread widely and which are ignored?  As we approach a U.S. presidential election, what has changed since 2016 and 2020? And what is the role of journalism in shaping democratic institutions and policy solutions? This course will be conducted in real-time, with weekly analysis of coverage of on-going political stories, particularly the 2024 campaign. The perspective will be that of editors and reporters, principally in the national press, making decisions about coverage; the focus will be largely though not exclusively on U.S. media. Students will be expected to be heavy consumers of news and come to class prepared to discuss both the assigned readings for the week and the issues that erupt as we go.