Teaching Communication and Media Studies in Polarized Times.

This article introduces a special issue focused on teaching and learning in communication and media studies within Canadian universities, particularly in the context of polarized times and the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the challenges educators face, including socio-economic disparities, systemic inequities, and the impact of generative AI, while emphasizing the importance of pedagogical care, equity, and inclusive approaches. The collection features diverse research articles and briefs addressing trauma-informed journalism, critical media literacy, decolonial pedagogy, and practice-based learning as tools to foster democratic and justice-oriented education. The editors underscore the urgency of sustaining quality teaching amid political and institutional pressures on Canadian public universities and advocate for ongoing scholarly engagement with pedagogical praxis in the field. [Extracted from the article]