ENG 3934 - Spring 2026 - McMartin

This course considers how students, as writers, editors, and media analysts, can strategically address complex social and political problems in their local and campus communities. The course explores how communication technologies—from the printing press to digital platforms—have historically constructed the public sphere, determining who is included and how discourse is managed. The class trains students to use advanced editing, writing, and media strategies to intervene strategically in and shape public discourse. Students simultaneously examine how social issues reshape communication practices. Students will investigate how media ecologies frame public debates. Through in-depth case studies, students will analyze how publics are mobilized, how rhetorical strategies advocate for human rights, and how power impacts access to text production. A core element of the course is learning to conduct stakeholder analyses and evaluate the infrastructures that support texts’ circulation. The course culminates in a final action-oriented project where students craft a network of texts aimed at moving people to act on an issue in their local community or on campus.