Claims of the democratizing power of media are ubiquitous: from the Arab Spring to the Occupy movement, media (and in particular the internet) have been credited with the rebirth of democracy. Simultaneously, the relaxation of media ownership rules in the U.S., the degradation of journalism and newspapers, the increased pressures on profitability over high quality content pose questions about whether media’s impact has been entirely positive. These competing perspectives force us to ask, specifically: is media creating a thriving democracy or failing “idiocracy”? The goal of this course will be to consider what the ethical obligations of the media are in a democratic society and whether the media have met these obligations.