|
About Us
|
Resource Faculty
|
Course #4
Survey in Media and Governance
This course explores the role of media in politics and their relationship to the public, politicians, and ultimately public policy. The course will assess the influence of media on government, policy making, and political campaigning and the general media's contribution to democracy. The course will focus on the portrayal of political issues, candidates, political themes in popular culture and promotional practices, including public relations and advertising practices, and examine a variety of research methods most appropriate for studying media and governance. The course will also review qualitative and quantitative research methods and research ethics, which will be incorporated into a broad examination of research as an integral aspect of academic work.
Objectives:
Upon the completion of this course, you will be
able to understand how the media can shape, define, reinforce, and transform political ideas, ideologies, and preferences;
able to explain which conditions are most fruitful for media influence;
able to describe how media use stories about politicians and political issues to their advantage;
able to compare and contrast different strategies by which citizens can influence the mass media;
able to identify and critique how popular culture and promotional practices construct political identities and set the groundwork for political, economic, and social interaction;
able to choose and utilize the most appropriate research methods to answer specific research questions and test hypotheses about media and governance.
Course Schedule:
Session 1.: Overview: Media and Governance, Expectations of the Media; Changing Role of Media Sources; Construction of Political Identities; Alternative Media.
This seminar will introduce the complexity of the relationship between media and government and will address the roles and functions of media in policy making, political campaigning, and a general contribution to democracy. Portrayal of political issues, candidates, political themes in the media and popular culture will also be examined. The seminar will also discuss the alternative media and their roles and functions in Eastern European societies.
Readings:
Graber, D. (2000). Media power in politics (4th ed,). Congressional Quarterly, pp. 213-288.
Lippmann, W. (1922/1997). Public Opinion. Free Press, 1997.
Siochru, S. O., & Girard, B. (2002). Global Media Governance. Rowman and Littlefield, pp. TBA.
Session 2: Media and Control; Propaganda vs. Public Relations, Role of Political Advertising; Media and Public Policy; Media and Market; Criteria for Media Influence.
This seminar will deconstruct the concepts of propaganda, control, and public relations in the free media markets. Among the questions covered will be the different degrees of influence of the media on public policy in different countries, criteria for media influence and functions of the media in different societies today.
Readings:
Graber, D. (2000). Media power in politics (4th ed,). Congressional Quarterly, pp. 292-336.
Murdock, G., & Golding. P. (2002). Digital possibilities, market realities: . The contradictions of communications convergence. Socialist Register, pp. 111-29.
Herman, E., & Chomsky, N. (2002). Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the media. Pantheon. CH. 1-7
Session 3: Approaches to Mass Media Research; Mass Communication Research Methods and Their Role in Teaching Media Literacy.
The seminar will provide a general overview of research methods used in social sciences to study mass communication, specifically, media effects, media theory, and media criticism. Special attention will be given to scholarly research as a vehicle for innovation in teaching.
Readings:
Siochru, S. O., & Girard, B. (2002). Global media governance. Rowman and Littlefield, pp. TBA.
McChesney, R. W. (1999). Rich media, poor democracy. Illinois. (or watch the video base don the book)
Baxter, L. A., & Babbie, E. (2004). The basics of communication research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Ch. 3, 4.
Berger, A. A. (2000). Media and communication research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Ch. 1, 3.
Additional journal article readings will be distributed.
Session 4: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods; Choosing the Most Appropriate Method and Asking Right Questions and Getting Best Answers; Qualitative Methods; Research Questions; Ethics in research
We will examine various examples to analyze how research and ethics improve teaching. Special attention will be given to the place of research in achieving teaching goals and objectives and the role of ethics in formulating and disseminating research through teaching and research presentation venues and publications.
Readings:
Baxter, L. A., & Babbie, E. (2004). The Basics of Communication Research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Ch. 6, 13, 15
Berger, A. A. (2000). Media and communication research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Ch. 6, 8, 7, 9, 10
Additional journal article readings will be distributed.
Session 5: Research Methods :Quantitative Methods; Hypothesis testing; Research as vehicle in innovative teaching
This seminar will evaluate the importance of research in assessing the validity of preconceived concepts, approaches and standards for university research and teaching. A particular attention will be paid to media literacy and research as a vehicle for innovation in teaching.
Baxter, L. A., & Babbie, E. (2004). The basics of communication research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Ch. 7, 8, 11, 12
Session 6: Media Storytelling and Popular Culture; Examples of Media Studies; Pursuing Your Media Research; The Future of Media and Politics
Examination of storytelling and popular culture; its relevance and influence on media studies and research and teaching of media literacy. Current trends in media literacy research and teaching will be investigated. Several viewpoints on the future of the media will be introduced.
Readings:
Raboy, M. (2002). Global media policy in the new millennium. University of Luton Press.
Read Course #1 -- Media, Society and Research
Read Course #2 -- Media Criticism and Research
Read Course #3 -- Media, Economics and Research: Value Chain and Marketing Analysis
Read Course #4 -- Survey in Media and Governance
|
