module specification

• This module will critically examine the democratic role of the mass media, audio-visual and communications services in contemporary national political environments. 
• To consider whether the media has a democratic purpose in disseminating free information through plurality and diversity.
• To assess the political economy of media institutions, the public policy questions concerning their development and status, and the impact of the new forms of communication and information transfer.
• To consider how political messages are communicated by political elites to the public during elections and periods of government.
• To consider how political issues are represented through the news media and popular fictions.

GI4008

The Media and Democracy:  The media as a ‘Fourth Estate’. LO1, LO3

The Political Economy of the Media: Technological reform; Corporate growth; new delivery systems; the Internet, Web 2.0 and the social media; public regulation of  converging communications. LO1, LO2, LO3

Political Communication in Liberal Democracies: Propaganda; Modern Election Campaigns; Spin Doctoring and News control; the decentralisation of political communications and rise of social networks. LO1, LO2, LO3

Cultural Politics in the Media, Film and Communications arena:  Ideology, identities and meaning; News bias and production; Celebrity Politics; the representation of politics and ideologies in popular fictions. LO1, LO2, LO3

The module’s learning and teaching strategy includes traditional methods: face-to-face teaching via lectures and seminars. It will include blended learning through the University Weblearn system in which the syllabus, lecture notes, web-links and specific readings will be made available.

The University recognises the importance of attendance in enabling students to achieve success in their studies and fulfil their learning potential. Under University Regulations, students are required to attend all scheduled activities for all the modules on their programme of studies. This includes all lectures, workshops, tutorials and seminars.

Students will be required to engage in self-directed learning with reference to preparation for seminar work and will be responsible for keeping abreast of the weekly reading. Opportunities within class time and tutorials will be made for reflective learning.  

An invited representative from the media industries will provide information about opportunities in the audio-visual sector and this will aid students in terms of their employability.

At the end of this module students will be able:

1. To critically assess the role of the media and information services in enhancing or eroding the democratic process with reference to the syllabus.

2. To apply their resulting analytical expertise to write and comment with authority on the subject media and culture for assessment purposes.

3. To develop effective transferable skills in writing, the presentation of ideas, time management and competence in defining academic analysis in a logical and coherent manner to demonstrate degree progression.

Essay (2500 words): 60%. Writing and presentation skills for academic practices

Weekly Seminar Assessment (continuous performance): 40%. – Reflection in class debates for subject and educational scholarship.

Formative Feedback: Essay Workshop (Week 9) and submission of essay abstract via Turnitin to supplied with feedback commentary within a week of submission. Dialogue is promoted for a shared understanding of academic judgements and marking criteria is provided for students to develop skills for good practice. This feedback is timely, constructive and developmental.

Summative Feedback: Submission of essay and returned with marks comments via Turniitin within two weeks of submission. Deadlines, marking and moderating processes are communicated via weblearn and within lectures/classes.

Identify core and additional reading
Liaise with Library Services to confirm availability of on-line licenses in academic year

Where possible, the most current version of reading materials is used during the delivery of this module.  Comprehensive reading lists are provided to students in their handbooks.  Reading Lists will be updated annually.

Core

Curran, J. and J.Seaton, 2009:  Power without Responsibility.London: Routledge (Seventh edition
Kuhn, R. 2007: Politics and the Media in Britain. Basingstoke, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lilleker, D. 2006: Key Concepts in Political Communication. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi: Sage Publications.
Louw, P.E. 2005: The Media and Political Process. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi: Sage
Publications.
Savingy, H. 2017. Political Communication: A critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Scott, I. 2011: American Politics in Hollywood Film. Second Edition. Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press.
Street, J. 2010: Mass Media, Politics and Democracy. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (Second
Edition).

Additional Readings:

Habermas, J. 2015:The structural transformation of the public sphere: An inquiry into a category of bourgeois society. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Polity Press.

Iosifidis, P., & Wheeler, M. 2016:Public spheres and mediated social networks in the western context and beyond: 2016. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan.

Wheeler, M. 2006: Hollywood: Politics and Society. London: British Film Institute.

Wheeler, M. 2013: Celebrity Politics.: Image and Identity in Modern Political Communications Cambridge: Polity

Journals:

Media Culture and Society
European Journal of Communications
International Journal of Press/Politics
International Journal of Digital Television

Websites

The British Broadcasting Corporation:   http://www.bbc.co.uk
The Guardian:                 http://www.guardian.co.uk
The Financial Times:     http://www.ft.com
Broadcast:      http://www.produxion.com
The Campaign for Press and
Broadcasting Freedom:     http://www.cpbf.org.uk/
Hansard Society:     http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/