Global Media: Innovation & Policy Lab

Global Media-Innovation &

This course looks at media around the world, the difficulties that journalists face, Big Tech’s corruption of the global public information ecosystem, and the effect this has had on people, society, and democracies. We will look at history and theory to understand the role the media plays, how it can be supported through regulatory efforts, and what has happened to society since the gatekeeping role of the media was upended by the rise of Big Tech. The usurping of advertising revenue  and the micro-targeting of audiences will be understood through discussion of business models/media innovation/media sustainability and policy solutions. We will discuss the need for new business models, look at the experiences of Rappler, and familiarize ourselves with the world of government policies that can support non-profit, philanthropic journalism. We will  consider the role of investigative reporting, the problems of information operations and narrative warfare, and how generative AI is upending journalism and society. 

Quality journalism and information are under threat from all sides. Press freedom is at a 25-year low globally. 2025 was the deadliest year on record for journalists, and the United States, long the exporter of press freedom norms, has become a press freedom case study of its own. This means the search for solutions has become more intense, and the field is experimenting with big ideas and creative thinking. Accountability is possible: the International Criminal Court will try a former Philippines president whose drug war was documented by journalists, including many at Rappler. It’s an exciting time to think about why journalism matters and what policies will help preserve it.

• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 3 points

Understanding Emerging Technologies

• W 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Laura S Scherling
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• 3 points

Debates in Youth Online Safety and Wellb

• R 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Emma Leiken
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• 1.5 points

Speech, Democracy, and the Internet

Speech, Democracy, & Inte

This seminar examines the legal and policy issues that shape public discourse in the digital age. It provides a foundation in First Amendment principles, U.S. jurisprudence on free expression, and major debates over content moderation, platform accountability, data privacy, surveillance, and transparency. Students will explore how private technology platforms shape democratic engagement and how governments—particularly in the United States and the European Union—are responding through regulation and reform.

The course integrates case law, policy analysis, and applied research. Students will learn to assess regulatory frameworks, evaluate competing policy proposals, and develop original work at the intersection of law, technology, and public policy. This course may be taken on its own or as the gateway to a practicum in which students contribute to policy projects developed in collaboration with SIPA faculty and the Knight Institute.

• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Nadine Johnson
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• 3 points

Viral Videos, Generative AI and Geopolit

AI, Viral Videos,& Geopol

This course examines how viral media, especially user-generated video, can expose human rights abuses, shape policy, and influence global narratives. Students will study real-world case studies, from chemical attacks in Syria to police brutality in the United States, learning the verification methods used by journalists, digital investigators, and human rights advocates. The course also addresses the risks posed by generative AI, deepfakes, and disinformation in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem.

Through readings, guest speakers, and a semester-long reporting project, students will sharpen research, verification, and writing skills while gaining insight into how visual evidence shapes geopolitical understanding. The course is ideal for students interested in journalism, human rights, international affairs, and emerging technologies.

• T 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• 3 points

Algorithmic Republic: AI Policy Challen

Instructor: Karen Kornbluh.
Artificial intelligence is present in our individual lives, in education, industry, and government. Investment in AI is so large that it is driving GDP growth—and, some say, creating a bubble. Camps of AI “boomers,” who believe AI will usher in a new era of prosperity and enlightenment, are at loggerheads with AI “doomers,” who argue the technology must be stopped or it may kill us all. Yet in the U.S., there is remarkably little regulation of this new, influential technology. Attempts have been made to address potential bias and its documented shortcomings in important decision-making—such as credit, employment, and housing—or to increase transparency about its use. Meanwhile, developers of the technology, deployers who use it in applications, and enterprise customers are employing—to varying degrees—governance mechanisms to manage risks.

This course provides an overview of policy and regulatory discussions in the U.S. and other parts of the world and outlines some of the key questions that regulators and others are grappling with.

We will focus on three broad areas:
– The technology at the heart of AI: What is it exactly?
– How to read the signals—how the digital revolution has already changed so much about 21st-century life, as well as the early changes we see from AI deployment—to make projections about the real dangers and opportunities ahead.
– The big policy challenges—risky decision-making, safety, privacy, IP, liability, competition, geopolitics, employment—and why they matter, as well as what can actually be done to mitigate them. This requires an understanding of what can be regulated and what has already been tried.

The instructor served as the White House Director of the National AI Office as well as Acting CTO and will draw on this experience, which included co-chairing the federal government’s Council of Chief AI Officers. The course will also feature several guest speakers who directly engage with significant AI or AI policy projects in various fields.

• R 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Karen Kornbluh
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• 1.5 points

Writing for Innovation Leaders

• M 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: James P Holtje
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• 1.5 points

Science for Policymaking

In all societies, public policies are developed to solve social problems such as extreme poverty, inequality, basic sanitation, health and basic care, family planning, food security, mental health, abuse of illegal substances, education, and protection of vulnerable groups. How can we ensure that these public policies are based on solid evidence, which would guarantee the greatest probability of effectiveness? And how do we plan and adapt the implementation of these policies to different realities, respecting cultural and historical differences?

In order to achieve this, it is useful, if not necessary, to be acquainted with scientific thinking and the accumulation and use of evidence. It is also necessary to understand our own limitations and cognitive biases that interfere in the decision-making process. This course aims to provide students with the tools necessary to assess public policies critically and rationally, as well as to evaluate different types of scientific evidence and understand how and where it is appropriate to include scientific evidence in building effective public policy.

• T 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Natalia Pasternak Taschner
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Communicating Science for Policy

Communicating Science Pol

This course examines the communication of scientific evidence in policy settings and prepares students to serve as effective intermediaries between scientific and policy communities. Recognizing that scientists are rarely trained to engage policymakers and that policymakers often lack training in evaluating scientific evidence, the course focuses on the skills required to translate complex scientific findings into actionable policy insights. Students learn how to synthesize evidence, communicate uncertainty, and tailor scientific information for diverse audiences, including government agencies, legislatures, industry, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Emphasis is placed on the role of the science advisor as an honest broker of knowledge rather than an advocate, as well as on strategies for communicating controversial or politically polarized issues with clarity, credibility, and respect. Through applied exercises and case studies, students develop practical tools for supporting evidence-informed decision making in complex policy environments.

• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 3 points

Social and Regenerative Entrepreneurship

Social Impact, AI & Desig

This workshop-style course introduces students to the principles of social entrepreneurship and human-centered design. Working in teams, students will identify pressing social or environmental challenges, conduct stakeholder research, and develop new venture ideas through iterative prototyping, budgeting, and pitching. The course emphasizes design thinking methodologies and includes instruction in customer discovery, solution testing, and storytelling for social impact.

Through hands-on collaboration and expert feedback, students will build a viable social enterprise plan—nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid—and present their venture to potential partners and funders. Ideal for students who want to develop an idea, contribute to a team, or explore the tools and mindset needed to launch a mission-driven venture.

• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• 3 points

Civic Innovation: Design in Practice & I

This course explores how human-centered design and innovation methods are used to drive public-sector change. Students will learn how to apply design tools to complex policy and service delivery challenges while also engaging with the ethical, philosophical, and institutional questions that shape civic innovation work. Weekly sessions follow the full arc of a design-based innovation project, from scoping and research to prototyping and implementation, paired with critical themes such as power, embodiment, ethics, and systems change.

Students will practice design methodologies, develop speculative future policy proposals, and refine storytelling skills for public impact. The course culminates in a PechaKucha presentation reflecting personal insights into innovation practice.

• M 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Chelsea Mauldin
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• 3 points

Storytelling and The Art of Creating Soc

Storytelling & Social Imp

• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Stephen Friedman
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Impact Measurement and Evaluation for Su

Impact Measure & Evaluati

As governments, multilateral organizations, philanthropies, corporations, and impact investors face increasing pressure to demonstrate meaningful and lasting results, the ability to generate and use credible evidence has become central to advancing sustainable development. This course examines how impact measurement and evaluation (M&E) supports decision-making across these sectors, combining technical rigor with real-world application. Students will learn to design theories of change, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, impact measurement and management (IMM) systems, and evaluation approaches while exploring how different organizations define and measure impact, navigate trade-offs related to scale and sustainability, and use evidence to strengthen learning, accountability, and strategic decision-making. Through applied cases and a semester-long client project, students will develop practical skills for designing M&E strategies that respond to complex development challenges.

• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Veronica M Olazabal
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• 3 points

Public-Private Partnerships To Foster Ef

This case-based seminar explores the evolving role of nonprofit organizations and their partnerships with government and business in advancing social impact. Students will examine the structure, challenges, and opportunities within the nonprofit sector, including social entrepreneurship, public-private partnerships, and venture philanthropy. The course emphasizes real-world cases across global contexts and diverse sectors such as housing, health, education, environmental conservation, and urban development. Through discussion, stakeholder role-play, and group presentations, students will deepen their understanding of how cross-sector collaboration can scale solutions to public challenges and create lasting value.

• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Lynn Thoman
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• 1.5 points

Strategic Philanthropy

This seven-week Strategic Philanthropy course offers students an overview of the U.S. and global philanthropic landscape, with an eye toward the bespoke ability of philanthropy to fill gaps in public systems, mine for innovation to thorny problems, and drive targeted impacts. For reference: Philanthropic and foundation funding comprises roughly 20% of US charitable giving which totaled $103.5 billion in 2024; and global philanthropic giving reached approximately $2.3 trillion worldwide in 2024. Students will examine case studies, hear from guest speakers who are leaders in the field, and engage in class discussions to lay a foundation for understanding an array of complex approaches to philanthropy and how it interacts with the public and private sectors. Course topics will range from the crucial role of measurement in strategic philanthropy, the relationship of private philanthropy to the red tape and restrictions of public dollars, the potential impact of family wealth, and common grantmaking strategies. We will also explore and examine U.S. and international cases and best practices in philanthropy, including the differences in grantmaking in the U.S. and globally. By the end of the course, students will have a baseline understanding of the philanthropic sector and the critical role philanthropy plays in shaping pressing social, economic, environmental, and political challenges.

• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Eric Weingartner
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• 1.5 points

Corporate Social Impact: Funding Global

CSI: Funding Global Innov

• FS 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• 1.5 points