Media, Communication and the Public Sphere

Aim

On completion of the course, the student should be able to

• account for the political and democratic functions and roles of the mass media, historically and in contemporary society,
• account for current theories and research that concerns the mass media in relation to the public sphere/democracy,
• reflect on the knowledge field of media studies,
• discuss how own values and positions influence assessments of media issues.

Content

This course covers the role of the mass media in the public discourse and the mass media's relation to politics, education and science. The course provides a historical background to the emergence and importance of the public discourse and introduces theoretical perspectives on media, democracy and political processes. The course is for both future and practising teachers, informants, journalists and others who are interested in questions of power and the public sphere and who wants to increase their critical media competence.