Media & Communications

Objectives

Media and Communications is the study of the media and its influence on the world we live in. Students explore the most important media: newspapers, television, the music industry, film and the Internet. The course looks at issues such as government censorship, media ownership, globalisation, the impact of advertising and brands on youth.  The course also aims to give students a practical understanding of how media industries work today.  A variety of assessment tasks aim to build media skills: students construct an advertising campaign, analyse films and write magazine articles.

Course Outline

Semester One

• Scandal! Print Media and Celebrity Culture

This era has been called "The Age of Celebrity".  Students examine the role of print media – newspapers and magazines – in creating a cult of celebrity. They study the role of different newspapers in a democracy and debate the ethics of reporting the private lives of public people.  The topic also introduces the Public Relations (PR) industry.  Key questions include: How do PR agents or "spin doctors" manage the media?  Do celebrities manipulate the media or are they victims of the media?

Case Study: The British press and scandal: from Prince Harry to David Beckham

• The Electronic Circus

Twentieth Century was the century of electronic communication – radio, TV and the Internet.  Students look at different models of ownership - the government owned BBC in Britain. commercial networks in the USA, the dual system in Australia. We look at the impact of television on society and government – and at how politicians have tried to control the new electronic media with media management techniques (“spin”).  We also examine trends in entertainment programming, from the sitcoms of the 1950s through to reality TV in the 21st Century.

Analysis: Fox News v Al Jazeera

• Hollywood

The American movie industry is the most important culture industry in the world. Students study the characteristics of Hollywood - the studio system and the development of a “Hollywood style” of movie making, the elements of film-making. They examine the rise and fall of the studios, the influence of marketing and business on films today.

Class Presentation on one National Film Industry: National Film Industries: France, China and Hong Kong, Japan (Anime), Australia, India (Bollywood)

Semester Two

• Enter the Dragon: The Media in China
  

China's media is pulled in two directions - sometimes free to be creative and sometimes forced to serve the government.  This topic looks closely at the pressures for change in China (and Hong Kong) from the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989 until today.  How are the media in these countries influenced by the Communist Party, by new technologies, by the local culture? Is globalization putting pressure on the local media to adopt Western programming?

Case Study: China since the Tiananmen Massacre

• A Branded World

From the tram stop to the university campus, we are surrounded by marketing messages.  This topic aims to give students an understanding of the techniques used by advertisers to influence the general public.  Students role play an advertising agency to create a print and television advertising campaign for a new product.  Students debate the impact of global brands on youth audiences.

Case Studies: Chanel, McDonald’s, Benetton

• Media Giants

We live in an increasingly globalised world dominated by six media and entertainment conglomerates. These giant transnational corporations increasingly control publishing, recording, television, film and the internet.  Students study the evolution of these massive corporations and the personalities of the key people who control companies such as Disney, Time Warner, Viacom, News Corporation, Sony and Universal Vivendi.  Are they a threat to local cultures and individual freedoms? Or are they dinosaurs, too big to survive?

Case Studies: Disney and News Corporation

• Shock Rock and Youth Audiences

Many people worry about the impact of Goth, Rage Rock and Rave on young audiences. The British government blames Hip Hop for the spread of gun culture in the UK. Some research indicates that violent and sexually explicit content has a negative impact on youth.  What is the evidence? How do the recording artists and the music media (such as MTV and Channel V) depict sex, violence, women and minorities? Should musicians be held responsible for the crimes committed by their fans?

Case Study: Marilyn Manson and the Columbine High School Massacre

Assessment

Professional Writing: Magazine article 10 %

News Analysis: Aljazeera v Fox News 10%

Tutorial Presentation: World Film 5 %

Semester One exam 15%

Advertising Campaign Presentation 10 %

Research Essay 20 %

Semester Two exam 30 %