Media, Culture and Society: A critical introduction: Course Outline

To developed an understanding of theories of communication and media that explain the impact and effects of media on society

Course Contents

Mass Media and Society. General Perspectives: Culture, Communication and Political Economy; Mass Media in Public Interest; Media Change and Social Change.
Critical Issues of Media’s Role, Media Ethics, Regulation, Media Business and Information Society.
Media Production: The Sociology of News Production Revisited; Entertainment.
The Internationalization of Electronic Journalism; The Local and the Local in International Communication; In Defense of Objectivity Revisited.
Mediation of Meanings: Representation and Popular Culture; On the Continuing Problem of Media Effects; Gender and/in Media Consumption.
Understanding Media Effects. Media Effects: A Historical Perspective; Media Effects: Priming; Media Effects: Cultivation and Diffusion of Innovation; Uses and Gratification; News Effects and Agenda Setting; Media Entertainment Effects.
Effects of Minority Portrayals; Effects of Media Violence and Frightening Media Content.
Violence in media: television, movies, music and video games.
Advertising effects.
The role of media in Muslim society.