COMS205-17S2 (C) Semester Two 2017

Media and Politics

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2017
End Date: Sunday, 19 November 2017
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 28 July 2017
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 13 October 2017

Description

The course provides an understanding of the role of the media in domestic and international politics. It does this by analysing key theoretical assumptions and debates on the role of media institutions in the struggle for power domestically and internationally.

How do political actors such as politicians and civil society groups use the media? What role do journalists and the mass media play in the struggle for power? Do their actions really influence political outcomes? These are some of the key questions that students will be able to answer after completing this course, taking into account the contested positions put forward in the academic literature. Some of the key topics covered in this course include:
• Public opinion and media effect
• Media and democracy
• The public sphere
• Impact of new media technology on politics
• Politics and entertainment
• Political public relations, celebrity and spin
• Media and politics in New Zealand
• Elections, campaigns and the media
• Propaganda and state control
• The Propaganda Model
• Media and foreign policy
• Media, War and Peace

Learning Outcomes

  • By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Explain how journalists and the media industry report politics
  • Understand how political actors attempt to use the media
  • Argue a position on media’s power in politics and public opinion formation
  • Describe media’s role in democracy and democratic processes such as elections
  • Elaborate on how propaganda works and its effectiveness

Prerequisites

15 points at the 100 level in COMS. Students without this prerequisite, but with at least a B average in 60 points of relevant courses, may enter the course with the approval of the Department Coordinator or the Undergraduate Coordinator for COMS.

Restrictions

Equivalent Courses

Course Coordinator

Babak Bahador

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Essay 1 40%
Essay 2 40%
In-class test 20%

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Bahador, Babak et al; Politics and the media ; Second edition;

Links to readings for each lecture topic are positioned under the lecture on Learn.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $732.00

International fee $2,975.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All COMS205 Occurrences

  • COMS205-17S2 (C) Semester Two 2017
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