Regional Media / Roots of the New South

ENG 585
W – 6-9.40
Tompkins 110

devin orgeron

The South is constantly undergoing a process of redefinition.  Occasionally, the region has had a hand in these efforts.  This class will closely examine the ways in which Southern media (film, television, radio, print, photographic, and electronic) have shaped our collective, constantly shifting notion of “The South.”  We will begin by looking at some key representations of the region from the “outside.”  Most of the semester, however, will be spent exploring attempts from within to “correct,” question, or (in some instances) reify this representation. Though students are expected to come to the class with a variety of theoretical and historical “ways in,” our reading will gravitate around issues of realism, regional mythologies, and the politics of media representation.  A series of archival, historical, and media-production site visits (including a visit to a local public-access TV Station) will get students digging for and exploring the landscape of media evidence and expert guests will fill in the historical and technological  gaps. As the course progresses, our focus will tighten around North Carolina, The Triangle, and Raleigh. Student projects will focus on some aspect of this long and living history and some students will, themselves, create and publish media projects. NOTE: there are no pre-requisites for this course and students needn’t be versed in film / media history or theory.  

For more information, contact Dr. Devin Orgeron at devin_orgeron@ncsu.edu.