ISTA 495: Digital Media History & Innovations

Designed to provide students with a foundational understanding of the evolution of the internet as a digital medium, the course will examine the early- stages of ISPs as information gateways through Portals to Search as a unifying experience layer.  Additionally, the course will examine the current influences of social media, Generative AI as well as analyze the ever-changing business of sports media. Throughout, we will discuss the implications of digital media on marketing and advertising practices, both the benefits and the downsides of the digital world. By examining the inner workings of some of the most interesting and fastest-growing companies in the digital world (e.g. AppleTV, Google, Facebook, Snap, Twitter, and TikTok), students will receive a first-hand account of how digital marketing and media are evolving from execs from these companies and hear where career opportunities may be trending.