1. To introduce students to the study of political economy and how it can be applied to media analysis communication research. 2. To examine the relationship of the media to the broader structures of society; how media performance and media content shape class and social relations. 3. To examine the influence of ownership, concentration and government policies on media behavior.
Classical Political Economy
Classical political economy: historical evolution of the discipline; competing models of political economy - Adam Smith; John Stuart Mill, John Maynard Keynes; debates surrounding the social implications of capitalism. Criticism of capitalism; Marxism.
Political Economy of Communication
Media Globalization: national & international regulation & deregulation; corporate media, the role of the state & sovereignty implications; privatization and its consequences; commodification; concentration of media ownership and its effects on media performance, citizenship, and broader society.New Media & the ‘Information Age’: diversity, democracy & access; new technologies and the public interest.
Representations of Political Economy in Film
Cinematic representations of the themes and debates in Political Economy research.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 60 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 40 |