Media and Documentary History
MDST 2559-001
MWF 10-11a, Naul Hall Room 142
Instructor: Coy Barefoot (coybarefoot.com)

History is not the past. History is the story we tell about the past— and the stories we tell are shaped by the media with which we design, build and share them. This class explores the theoretical and practical aspects of the production of documentary history across a variety of media platforms— including film and video, photography, radio and podcasts, television, traditional and virtual museum exhibits, cartography, book and magazine publishing, and even the arts. We consider the structural, stylistic, and editorial nuances of each medium as a story-telling tool. The class will enjoy a number of guest speakers throughout the semester, at least one a week (historians, filmmakers, authors, editors, museum curators, etc), all professionals who work in the fields we will study. We will also enjoy off-Grounds site visits and engage in a number of hands-on projects that will involve media production.