Civic Journalism

Victor Oleynik is a member of ASU’s Luminosity Lab and has extensive experience with Russian disinformation and propaganda in journalism and as a watchdog. He also produces reports on science and technology for the VOA, the largest U.S. international broadcaster, and several other multimedia organizations. Prior to arriving at ASU, Victor worked as an International News Editor for one of the world’s largest newspapers, Metro International in Moscow, Russia, and in May of 2018 co-founded bewareofthem.org, a web-based, grassroots intervention shedding light on human rights abuses and hybrid warfare in Russia and other Northern Eurasia countries, including recent events in Belarus. Victor’s project was featured by The Washington Post, Deutsche Welle, Voice of America and was widely supported by Russian opposition, including Alexey Navalny.As a result of his work to expose sponsors of domestic terror and close collaboration with the Russian media and other opposition leaders, Cossacks and several paramilitary groups that we exposed were removed from Russian cities’ streets and have not injured a single individual since 2018, allowing Victor to focus on representatives of the regime seen in violation of Russians’ Constitutional Rights, including, but not limited to corrupt judges, law enforcement, propaganda figures, members of the Centre for Combating Extremism and other organizations designed to suppress pro-Democratic civil activity in Russia. Born in Ukraine and working as a journalist in Russia, Victor’s investigative activities drew negative attention from the Russian government forcing him to leave Russia and seek asylum in the United States, where it was granted.

1.     The Beginnings: Colonial America.

• The Founding of British North America;
• The English Constitution;
• Enlightenment and Awakening;

2.     American Revolution.

• The Road to Revolution;
• The Declaration of Independence;
• The American Revolutionary War;

3.     The US Constitution.

• The Articles of Confederation;
• The Constitutional Convention;
• Checks and Balances;

4.     The Ratification Debates.

• Madison and the Federalists;
• Brutus and the Anti-Federalists;
• The Bill of Rights;

5.     The Early National Period.

• The Market Revolution;
• Jacksonian Democracy;
• The Politics of Slavery;

6.     The Union Divides.

• The American Civil War;
• The Gettysburg Address;
• Lincoln’s Second Inaugural;

7.     America Transformed.

• The Industrial Revolution;
• The Progressive Movement;
• The New Deal;

8.     America as Global Superpower.

• The Cold War;
• Culture Wars;
• America Divided;

Course Explanation