Abbe is an amazing professor!! Her class was incredibly insightful and I learned how to argue and make cases using practical examples. She also pushes students to find different methods of discussion. For example, once you are comfortable with your ideas, she will challenge them, forcing you to think creatively. This is one of my favorite classes at UCLA and I highly recommend you take it!

I cannot recommend Comm 186 with Abigail Goldman highly enough, and wish that every Bruin was required to take this class. This was the second class I've taken with Professor Goldman, and she is easily the best professor I've had so far at UCLA. This is my second Bruinwalk review after two years on campus, which I hope is a testament to how much I enjoyed this incredible class. I would enthusiastically take this class again or other classes with Professor Goldman if possible.

The setup for this class was fairly straightforward. I believe the grade distribution was 35% midterm, 40% final, 10% weekly discussion posts (usually about 250-350 words before each lecture), 10% participation (which I'll expand on in the next paragraph of my review), and 5% attendance.

Participation definitely matters in this class, but Professor Goldman provides several different options for how that can take shape. DO NOT be afraid of rumors that Professor Goldman cold calls on students. While true, it is a large class of about 100 students, so odds are that you will only be called on once or twice in the whole quarter. She always lets students pass if they want to.

The weekly discussion posts are based on the weekly readings, which are usually about 10-12 pages ahead of each lecture. You NEED to complete the readings to understand all of the details and angles of a given case, but they are genuinely interesting. The midterm and final are usually six short-answer or short essay questions that ask you to defend multiple positions on a few different journalism cases.

The content of this class -- discussing and dissecting ethical dilemmas in contemporary journalism -- might seem to be a niche topic, but it has a widespread level of relevance. Some cases deal with topics surrounding the media's depiction of topics such as abortion, race, rape, religion, sexual harassment, and political tensions in the Middle East. If any of these "hot-button" topics make you uncomfortable, this probably isn't the class for you. That said, Professor Goldman approaches each of these issues -- and the journalistic cases covering them -- with neutrality, objectivity, respect, and tastefulness. The class is more focused on finding the ethical way to cover these topics than prompting debate about their validity.

Best of all, Professor Goldman is one of the most helpful professors I've ever had the opportunity to work with. She offers office hours twice a week (sometimes with her adorable goldendoodle attending, too) where she is consistently patient and supportive while pushing students like myself to think more critically about how to dissect the cases or improve our ability to present nuanced arguments. Several times throughout the course of the quarter, she added additional office hours (sometimes even in the evenings) to ensure that every student had plenty of opportunity to ask her questions if need be.

I promise you will not regret taking this class! Professor Goldman is an exceptional educator, and if you want to become a better writer, speaker, critical thinker, or informed citizen, this class is for you!

One of my favorite professors I have taken at UCLA so far!!! Makes the class super interesting and interactive. Get ready to do a lot of group work and participate in class. Midterm and final were a breeze as long as you attend the lectures and stay engaged except don't spend too long on questions or timing may be tight!

I could not recommend this class more enough. You learn all about what constitutes journalism, the ethical decisions that go on in the newsroom, and are always encouraged to think critically and deeper about each side of the argument. Abbe is a phenomenal lecturer, and her past experience in working at the LA Times really shone through. She is highly receptive to feedback and you can tell she truly cares about her students. Bonus! she has the cutest dog you can pet during office hours.

The workload is pretty light - every week we're given two controversial ethical cases to read through, do 2 postings advocating for a side, then in class Abbe writes our ideas onto the whiteboard and facilitates class discussion. If you're lazy like me, you can get away with skimming the readings and learn the main points during class. Since each lesson relies on the points that we provide on each case, the class is super engaging and you never know what interesting points will come up. This style of work means that what you put into this class is what you get out of it - you're given more free time to think critically about each case, rather than slave over assignments and deadlines.

Exams were the opposite of rinse and repeat memorization. You write 6 mini persuasive essays, taking different stances on an issue by answering the guiding questions she gives you. Have an understanding of each side of the case and the general themes of this class, and you'll do great. However, your existing writing ability will be important as both exams are essay-based.

Comm 186 with Goldman has definitely been one of my favorite classes here at UCLA. It teaches you a whole lot about persuasion, critical thinking, and you get to hear great ideas from your peers. Give it a try!

This class is super engaging and hands-on. If you're at all interested in journalism and media, it's a great crash course focusing on a lot of important ethical case studies. It's largely discussion- and debate-focused, so it's fun to listen to and talk with other students in the class. The workload is pretty light – just a weekly discussion post and two exams that ask you to take a stance on a given case and defend it. Abbe has a lot of experience working in journalism (she used to write for the LA Times and has a Pulitzer Prize) so she offers really interesting insight.