Permission of the department is required. This course will be conducted at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. For further information, see p.00. Economic issues occupy much of the public agenda. In a political economy as large, complex, and dynamically interconnected as that of the U.S., the public discourse about these problems depends importantly on the quality of the information channels provided by the media.
Quality here means more than accuracy and objectivity.
It implies explanatory frameworks that enable critical understanding. A clear grasp of basic economic principles and methods is essential to high quality journalism. Accordingly, the course covers the tools of economics for both micro and macro analysis. Examination of the public debate of current economic issues, such as the budget deficit, tax reform, and protectionism, will serve to illustrate the need for and use of economic analysis. Collateral readings cover examples of economic journalism selected to fit in with the analytical-institutional core of the course.