COMM 3610U – Strategic Communications for Influence: Rhetoric, Persuasion and Propaganda

“Spin.” “Fake news.” “Filter bubbles.” Each day, we are surrounded by media messages and images that aim to influence our thoughts and our behaviors. Who is influencing whom? What techniques get used? What effects might they have in society? This course introduces students to strategic communication for influence by everyone from governments to companies to advocacy groups to online influencers. Through case studies of the organizations, strategies, tactics, and emotional appeals that aim to influence minds and hearts and move people to action, students learn about the arts of rhetoric, persuasion and propaganda, enhance their media literacy, and reflect upon what it takes to be an ethical media professional and free-thinking human.