Class name: MMC4303 – Hispanics in Media in the U.S.
Course description: Examines history and growth of Hispanics/Latinos in U.S. media, including early depictions in media and current landscape of Spanish and English Hispanic/Latino media.
Instructor: Katidia “Katie” Coronado, Nicholson School of Communication and Media associate instructor
When is this course offered?: This class is typically offered in the fall
How many students are typically in a class?: About 80 students
Are there any prerequisites for this course?: Must be an undergraduate students who has taken SPC 1608 (Fundamentals of Oral Communication) SPC 1603C (Fundamentals of Technical Presentations), COM 1000 (Introduction to Communication), or C.I.
How would you describe this course in one sentence?
A unique class that gives students an opportunity to learn about Hispanics and LatinX contributions in media in the United States.
Why should students take this course?
Students will learn about communities that are typically underserved and how media impacts and has impacted them.
What are three major things students learn in this course?
They will learn about the impact of Hispanics/LatinX professionals in media. One professional is Cuban singer, Celia Cruz, migrated from Cuba because of the communist regime. She was one of the most recognized artists in Spanish language music. She is known internationally, and her work remains a legacy in the U.S. and beyond. Also, news anchor Ilia Calderon, the first Afro Latina to anchor a [major U.S.] network newscast in Spanish is featured in [the textbook for the course Latinx Voices: Hispanics in Media in the U.S.]. Another example is Hollywood actor, John Leguizamo, who wrote the foreword and expressed his support for this type of coursework at a university level.
[Students will also] learn about industry research from respected academics and experts and how they can use this information proactively when they graduate.
What do you hope stays with students after they have completed this course?
I hope students can make informed decisions about the media industry based on what they learn in the class, whether they choose careers in management, on-air or behind the scenes.
