Course Title: The Media: Australian and Global

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: The Media: Australian and Global

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COMM2113	City Campus	Undergraduate	335H Applied Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008

Course Coordinator: Grant Roff

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3129

Course Coordinator Email:grant.roff

Course Coordinator Location: 6.2.24

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course presents an overview of the global structures of media and how these structures interact with local media industries and local cultures in the context of the critical roles that communication plays within societies. The course presents theoretical, conceptual and analytical frameworks necessary for a critical study of the media as a global phenomena. Particular attention is given to the structures and functions of major Australian media within a global context, including government and industry regulation, production processes and general media industry operation.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

The aims of the course are:

1.  to provide basic information on the global structure of media and how global media influence local and national media. 

2.  to provide basic information on Australian media industries and institutions and the contexts in which they operate. 

3.  to provide students with frameworks for thinking about, analysing and commenting on the media. 

4.  to stimulate students’ thinking about major issues in media in a global and local context.

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Overview of Learning Activities

Lectures will introduce participants to the key areas of interest in the subject and these will be complemented with relevant audio-visual material. Tutorials will give participants the opportunity to reflect on and discuss lecture content as well as provide an opportunity to lead discussion on selected topics.

Overview of Learning Resources

The prescribed text is as follows:
Cunningham, S and Turner, G, The Media and Communications in Australia, Sydney, Allen & Unwin, 2006 (second edition). This is available from the RMIT bookshop at the student price. As lectures and tutorials are based on weekly readings from this text, all students are encouraged to have their own copy. It will also be a useful text for many other BA Communication courses. Course participants are also encouraged to read the weekly “Media” supplement in The Australian newspaper and subscribe to the Guidomedia web newsletter (guidomedia.com). Additional material will be available through blackboard. 

Overview of Assessment

Assessment will be based on three components. The first will be a research essay which will allow students to select a country from a range of options and examine its media environments primarily in the context of press freedom. Students will also form small groups and select from a range of tutorial topics for a presentation exercise. Lastly, a test will be held in the final week of lectures which will be based entirely on lecture and tutorial material.