Documentary as Dissent: A Pedagogical Tool for Critical Discourse in the Age of a Global Polycrisis

Background: Amid an escalating polycrisis, teaching undergraduate communication and media studies courses requires pedagogical approaches that remain responsive to the rapidly shifting sociotechnical and political conditions shaping contemporary lived experiences. In this article, I propose using Documentary as Dissent (DaD) as a pedagogical tool for teaching these courses in politically polarizing times. Analysis: Based on my experiences in seven undergraduate courses, I highlight how DaD assignments guide students through a process of interrogating mediated narratives about divisive issues, applying theory to frame critique, and crafting evidence-based counterhegemonic claims. This approach serves as a template for argument-building processes that can be purposefully replicated when engaging in democratic debates. Conclusions and implications: DaD offers educators a tool for guiding structured research, iterative workshops, and reflexive production, fostering critical thinking and media literacy. Ultimately, DaD underscores the necessity of grounding arguments in evidence, especially in an era marked by a global polycrisis and divisive debates that too often result in the spread of disinformation and personal attacks.