If you're looking at this class, chances are you're a government major going into their fourth year looking for a 4000 level. This is one of the better options in the politics department. I liked Freedman in mass media, but this class is structured in a way that makes the content easier to digest. Fair amount of reading, but it is gone over in class thoroughly. There's still the online quizzes which can be tricky, so make sure you take good notes on lecture/reading. 40% of the grade is the final research paper. This can be daunting, but talking to Freedman in office hours helps to make sure you're on the right track. Highly recommend this class.