Who controls the news? What happens when journalists clash with editors, owners, governments, or audiences? How should journalists respond when press freedom, professional ethics, public trust, and institutional power collide? From allegations of "fake news" to high-profile suspensions of journalists over their social media posts, the media landscape has been mired in controversy in recent years. Students in this course will explore how journalists and news organizations manage challenges involving editorial independence, press freedom, government pressure, social media conduct, media ownership, and public trust — as well as the ethical challenges of reporting on conflict, trauma, and violence. Drawing on cases from local, national, and global journalism, students will examine the decisions journalists and news organizations make and the competing values behind them — government pressure, conflicts of interest, declining local news, and debates over activism and objectivity.