Links:
[1] http://www.iesabroad.org/study-abroad/programs/barcelona-liberal-arts-business
[2] http://funferal.org/essay/psbnatid.html
[3] http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media_taskforce/doc/pluralism/media_pluralism_swp_en.pdf
[4] http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=6393
Media And Politics In Europe
The main purpose of this course is to provide the student with a complete understanding of the main dimensions and contemporary topics of the complex and evolving relationship between Media and Politics in Europe. Media and Politics are commonly analyzed throughout academic literature from two different perspectives: first, the consideration of mass media as a crucial site for political activity; that is, from its historical origins (as a public service) to contemporary societies (the so- called Globalization or the Information Society). Second, the contents of Media play a key role on the creation of political consciousness and the political identity of citizenship. Media contents with a political impact involve not only the more traditional formats of TV newscasts, propaganda messages and campaigning ads but also more creative and entertainment programs.
IES ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance is mandatory for all IES classes, including the classes on site and the field trip. Any exams, tests, presentations, or other work missed due to student absences can only be rescheduled in cases of documented medical or family emergencies. If a student misses more than three classes in any course half a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade for every additional absence. Seven absences in any course will result in a failing grade.
By the end of the course the students are able to: Knowledge
• Identify the main actors and interests on current media and politics in Europe.
• Outline existing trends in media consumption and estimate the impact of globalization on individual choices.
Skills
• Describe and analyze the different and contradictory dynamics of European policies around Media.
• Analyze the role of media in constructing modern nationalisms.
• Sketch the main consequences of considering media as merchandise.
• Formulate contemporary trends in the relationship between media and politics.
• Analyze political implications of entertainment programs. Values
• Compare media policies applied in different European countries.
• Assess the differences between news programs.
• Compare different types of ownership structures in the media.
CASE STUDIES: classes will be heavily based on case studies. Case studies will enable students to identify some of the main actors in the media business, compare some of the media policies applied in different European countries, or assess the differences between news programs.
• FIELD STUDY: the field study at CAC (Catalonian Audiovisual Council) will allow students to get in touch with the regulatory commission in charge of formulating media policies in Catalonia.
• LECTURES: to gain an overview of course content, but also as an opportunity to discuss and clarify
issues.
• READER: a selection of key readings in the field of ‘Media and Politics in Europe’ that will help students to develop a general understanding of the subject matter.
• STUDY QUESTIONS: these will be delivered to help students focus on the main points.
• STUDENT PRESENTATIONS: they provide students with the opportunity for oral delivery and experience at group work. Students will be asked to present analyses of readings or case studies.
LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATION: English
Training test (5%); Midterm Exam (15%); Final
Exam (25%); Oral Presentation; (20%); Class Participation (20%); Essay (15%).
Session 1: General introduction to the course. Media as a field for political activity and politics as an object of Media content.
Session 2: Media in Europe: between politics and economics. Key cornerstone concepts: Nation, cultural identity, citizenship and Public Service Television. The impact of globalization and ICT.
Required Reading:
Ó Baoill, A. (2000). Into the future: national identity, public service media and globalisation. Available: http://funferal.org/essay/psbnatid.html [2]. Accessed: May 14th 2011.
Session 3: Reasons for political regulation of Media in Europe. Is there a European PSB (Public Service
Broadcasting) model?
Required Reading:
Humphreys, P. (1996). European public-service broadcasting systems. In P. Humphreys, Mass Media and Media Policy in Western Europe: 111-130. Manchester/ New York: Manchester University Press.
Session 4: Values and risks of closeness to the State. Pluralism, diversity and the politicization of the
broadcasters. The cases: France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Required Reading:
Humphreys, P. (1996). European public-service broadcasting systems. In P. Humphreys, Mass Media and Media Policy in Western Europe: 130-158. Manchester/ New York: Manchester University Press.
Session 5: The European debate: the role of Media regarding the European identity. The paradox between the promotion of the European market and European Culture.
Required Reading:
Diez Medrano, J. (2009). The public sphere and the European Union’s political identity. In J. T. Checkel and P. J. Katzenstein (eds.), European Identity: pp. 81–109. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Session 6: Media ownership: commercial broadcasting. Vertical and horizontal integration.
Required Reading:
Devereux, E (2003). Media ownership: concentration and conglomeration. In E. Devereux, Understanding the Media: 53-74. London: Sage.
Session 7: Training test
Session 8: Mass media: critical watchdog or at the service of the establishment? Media as a fourth
state in Europe.
Required Reading:
Chomsky, N. (1989). Democracy and the media. In N. Chomsky, Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies: 1-20. Boston: South End Press.
Session 9: European and American media. The coverage of global issues.
Required Reading:
Curran, J., Iyengar, S., Lund, A. B., & Salovaara-Moring, I. (2009). Media System, Public Knowledge and Democracy: A Comparative Study. European Journal of Communication 24(1): 5-26.
Session 10: European media concentration. The cases of the Press, TV and Radio. Implications for diversity and pluralism.
Required Reading:
European Commission, Commission Staff Working Paper (2007): Media pluralism in the member states of the European Union.
Available: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media_taskforce/doc/pluralism/media_pluralism_swp_en.pdf [3]. Accessed: May 14th 2011.
Session 11: Internet, new media and new voices. From political mobilization in Europe through mobile phone text messages to the emergence of bloggers. Spain between the 11th-14th March, 2004.
Required Reading:
Drezner, D. W. & Farrell, H. (2008). Introduction: Blogs, politics, and power: A special issue of public choice. Public Choice, 134: 1-13.
Seoane Pérez, F. (2006). 13-M: Multitudes on line. Journal of Communication, 56: 219-222.
Session 12: Conclusion: Public Policies, market trends, public debates about pluralism, public service and the role of new technologies.
Required Reading:
Humphreys, P. (1996). Conclusion. In P. Humphreys, Mass Media and Media Policy in Western Europe: 297-313. Manchester/ New York: Manchester University Press.
Session 13: Midterm exam
Session 14: Case study (1). Spain: Spanish media landscape and structure of the Spanish State. Media bias and political parties.
Required Reading:
Magone, J. M. (2009). Media and politics. In J. M. Magone, Contemporary Spanish Politics (2nd. Edition): 260-279. London: Routledge.
Session 15: Political communication in Spanish election campaigns.
Required Reading:
López-Escobar, E.; Sádaba, T.; Zugasti, R. (2008). Election coverage in Spain: From Franco's death to the Atocha massacre. In J. Strömback & L. L. Kaid (Eds.), The handbook of election news coverage around the world: 175-192. London: Routledge.
Session 16: Field study: Audiovisual Authorities: Consell de l’Audiovisual de Catalunya (CAC). Mission, roles and duties of the CAC.
Session 17: Case study (2): Italy. The controversy over Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s control of both public and private media in Italy.
Documentary viewing: Gandini, E. (2009). Videocracy. Sweeden. Zentropa & SVT.
Required Reading:
Blatmann, S. (2003). A media conflict of interest : anomaly in Italy. Available: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=6393 [4].
Accessed: May 14th 2011.
Session 18: Case study (3): The media in Eastern Europe: Russia. Relationship with political powers.
Required Reading:
De Smaele, H. (2010). In search of a label for the Russian media system. In E. Boguslawa et al (Eds.), Comparative media systems: European and global perspectives. 41-62.
Budapest, Hungary: Central European University Press.
Session 19: Russia: an example of the power of the State in unstable democracies.
Documentary viewing:
Nekrasov, A. (2007). Rebellion: The Litvinenko Case. Russia. Dreamscanner.
Session 20: Politics as an object of Media activity. Political content in the Media.
Politics on TV: can we talk of a serious political discourse? The debate about ideologies, ideas, programs and images.
Required Reading:
Postman, N. (1986). Media as epistemology. In N. Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. 16-30. New York: Penguin Books.
Postman, N. (1986). The typographic mind. In N. Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. 45-64. New York: Penguin Books.
Session 21: TV News. Keys of the genre. Sequences of news production. News values and political
impact.
Required Reading:
Creeber, G. (ed.) (2001). The Television Genre Book. 108-123. London: British Film Institute.
Session 22: After the news: What’s left in our minds after a news programme? Analysing TV effects.
Required Reading:
Grossber, L., et al. (2006). Media and politics. In L. Grossber et al. Mediamaking: Mass Media in a Popular Culture: 319-334. London: Sage Publications.
Session 23: The impact of TV advertising on political campaigning. Study of modern patterns of electoral campaigns.
Required Reading:
Swanson, D. L., and Mancini, P. (1996). Patterns of modern electoral campaigning and their consequences. In D. L.Swanson and P. Mancini (eds.), Politics, Media and Modern Democracy: An International Study of Innovations in Electoral Campaigning and their Consequences: 247-
275. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger.
Session 24: Overview and course conclusions. Consuming media:Where’s the market? Where’s the information?
Required Reading:
Bénilde, M. (2010). The end of newspapers? The New York Times, March 17, 2010.
Final Exam
Bénilde, M. (2010). The end of newspapers? The New York Times, March 17, 2010.
Blatmann, S. (2003). A media conflict of interest: anomaly in Italy. Available:
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=6393 [4].
Chomsky, N. (1989). Democracy and the media. In N. Chomsky, Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies: 1-20. Boston: South End Press.
Creeber, G. (ed.) (2001). The Television Genre Book. 108-123. London: British Film Institute.
Curran, J., Iyengar, S., Lund, A. B., & Salovaara-Moring, I. (2009). Media System, Public Knowledge and Democracy: A Comparative Study. European Journal of Communication 24(1): 5-26.
De Smaele, H. (2010). In search of a label for the Russian media system. In E. Boguslawa et al. (Eds.), Comparative media systems: European and global perspectives. 41-62. Budapest, Hungary: Central European University Press.
Devereux, E (2003). Media ownership: concentration and conglomeration. In E. Devereux, Understanding the Media: 53-74. London: Sage.
Diez Medrano, J. (2009). The public sphere and the European Union’s political identity. In J. T. Checkel and P. J. Katzenstein (eds.), European Identity: pp. 81–109. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Drezner, D. W. & Farrell, H. (2008). Introduction: Blogs, politics, and power: A special issue of public choice. Public Choice, 134: 1-13.
European Commission, Commission Staff Working Paper (2007): Media pluralism in the member states of the European Union. Available:
Grossber, L., et al. (2006). Media and politics. In L. Grossber et al. Mediamaking: Mass Media in a Popular Culture: 319-334. London: Sage Publications. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media_taskforce/doc/pluralism/media_pluralism_swp_en.pdf [3].
Humphreys, P. (1996). Conclusion. In P. Humphreys, Mass Media and Media Policy in Western Europe: 297-313. Manchester/ New York: Manchester University Press.
Humphreys, P. (1996). European public-service broadcasting systems. In P. Humphreys, Mass Media in Western Europe: 111-130. Manchester/ New York: Manchester University Press.
Humphreys, P. (1996). European public-service broadcasting systems. In P. Humphreys, Mass Media and Media Policy in Western Europe: 130-158. Manchester/ New York: Manchester UniversityPress.
López-Escobar, E.; Sádaba, T.; Zugasti, R. (2008). Election coverage in Spain: From Franco's death to the Atocha massacre. In J. Strömback & L. L. Kaid (Eds.), The handbook of election news coverage around the world: 175-192. London: Routledge.
Magone, J. M. (2009). Media and politics. In J. M. Magone, Contemporary Spanish Politics (2nd. Edition): 260-279. London: Routledge.
Ó Baoill, A. (2000). Into the future: national identity, public service media and globalisation.
Available: http://funferal.org/essay/psbnatid.html [2] .
Postman, N. (1986). The typographic mind. In N. Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. 45-64. New York: Penguin Books.
Postman, N. (1986). Media as epistemology. In N. Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. 16-30. New York: Penguin Books.
Seoane Pérez, F. (2006) 13-M: Multitudes on line. Journal of Communication, 56: 219-222. Swanson, D. L., and Mancini, P. (1996). Patterns of modern electoral campaigning and their consequences. In D. L.Swanson and P. Mancini (eds.), Politics, Media and Modern Democracy: An International Study of Innovations in Electoral Campaigning and their Consequences: 247-275. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger.
Boguslawa, E. et al. (2010). Comparative media systems: European and global perspectives. Budapest, Hungary: Central European University Press.
Checkel, J. T., and P. J. Katzenstein, P. J. (eds.) (2009). European Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chomsky, N. (2002) Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda. Seven Stories Press. Dahlgren, P. (1995). TV and the public sphere. London: Sage.
Ginsborg, P. (2004). Silvio Berlusconi: Television, Power and Patrimony. Verso Books. Magone, J. M. (2009). Contemporary Spanish Politics (2nd. Edition). London: Routledge.
Moeller, S. D. (1999). Compassion Fatigue: How the media sells Disease, Famine, War and Death. London: Routledge.
O’Sullivan, T., Duffon, B., Rayner, Ph. (1997). Studying the media. An introduction. London: Ed.E.Arnold.
O’Sullivan, T. and Jewkes, Y. (eds.) (2003). The Media Studies Reader. London.
Philo, G., and Berry, M. (2004). Bad News from Israel. Pluto Press Ltd.
Strömback, J. & Kaid, L. L. (Eds.) (2008). The handbook of election news coverage around the world. London: Routledge.
Voltmer, K. (ed.) (2006) Mass media and political communication in new democracies, 210-227. London: Routledge.