50127 International Communication

Handbook description

This subject examines the increasing internationalisation of communication and cultural networks, with particular reference to national media and communication industries and cultural identities. It explores the historical development of debates about social development, cultural imperialism and globalisation, and using case studies from Australia and elsewhere, examines contemporary debates about the impact of electronic media on popular culture and heritage in constructing 'mainstream' and 'minority' identities.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On completion of this subject students are expected to be able to understand

1. The relationship between communication media and the economic, social, political and cultural transformations taking place around the world.
2. Historical and theoretical debates, and key concepts and issues related to globalising communication networks and media industries.
3. How communication media operate in an international context and how cultural identities are formed and reformed;
4. The international environment for communication media in an Australian context.

Contribution to graduate profile

• Have a knowledge and critical understanding of the media
• Have a knowledge of the historical, philosophical, ethical and cultural foundations and strive, throughout their careers, to promote the important role of professional service of the public
• Strive, throughout their careers, to promote the important role of professional and ethical journalism in the service of the public
• Seek opportunities to make significant intellectual and creative contributions to the social, political and cultural life of the communities in which they live
• Have an understanding of the role of the media in local, regional, national and global contexts
• Have an understanding of the relationship of media theory and practice
• Have strong research skills to effectively retrieve and analyse information from a range of sources
• Develop the ability to be self-reliant and pro-active, flexible and innovative
• Have an understanding and commitment to ethical journalism practice

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will introduce you to the literature, analytical categories and key research topics in International Communication. The subject also seeks to develop the critical analytical and essay-writing skills that will enable you to evaluate scholarly arguments in this area with confidence. Lectures direct students' attention to significant themes, key research findings, and relevant scholarly literature and/or examples of professional practice. Classes will include small group work that explores, extends and critiques arguments raised in the lectures and the literature as well as student-facilitated discussions of the subject matter. The assessment tasks are linked and designed to provide students with cumulative research and learning activities. Students are individually assessed. Workshops and class writing exercises are designed to assist students' with their three assessment tasks and increase proficiency in drafting clear, reasoned and well-referenced arguments.

Content

The topic areas in this subject include an introduction to International Communication as an area of study (major themes, international policy initiatives, theoretical approaches and key concepts); International Communication in the Internet Age; The digital divide, Mainstream and alternative media; International news and the global public sphere, International entertainment and cultural homogeneity; and a review of theories, concepts and debates in International Communication. Theories canvassed include modernisation theory, the theory of cultural imperialism and the postcolonial theory of hybridity in cultural globalisation.

Assessment

Assignment 1: Lead class discussion

Objectives: a, b, c, d.

Value: 10%

Due: Various

Task: Students will work in groups of 3-4 and be assessed as a group. Each group is required to develop some aspect of the assigned topic for discussion in class by preparing three class resources. These are: a one-page introductory guide to the set readings to be distributed electronically one week prior to leading the class discussion, a class discussion based on the readings, and a one-page written synthesis of the discussion to be distributed electronically one week after the class. The group may wish to divide up responsibility for each of these three tasks, or complete them as a group. Submission of a written reading guide and a discussion synthesis is a prerequisite for successful completion of the task; these class resources need to be uploaded into UTS Online and available to all class members for class preparation, revision and further study.

Assessment Criteria:

1. Extent to which the student's work addresses the requirements of the individual assignment as well as the objectives of the course;

2. Demonstrated capacity for argument, critical inquiry and analysis;

3. Critical use of research resources and/or evidence of additional reading;

4. Evidence of thorough preparation and scholarly presentation, including academic referencing and clarity of expression.

Assignment 2: Comparing news in Australia and the Global South: A monitoring report

Objectives: c, d

Value: 40%

Due: TBC

Task: Each student needs to write and submit a 2000-2500 word report, based on a seven-day period of monitoring and comparative analysis of news from one major Australian newspaper and the news service of a country from the global South. An executive summary of the report (format provided in class) needs to be included in the report and also presented in a class conference/seminar.

Assessment Criteria

1. Extent to which the student's work addresses the requirements of the individual assignment as well as the objectives of the course;

2. Demonstrated capacity for argument, critical inquiry and analysis;

3. Critical use of research resources and/or evidence of additional reading;

4. Evidence of thorough preparation and scholarly presentation, including academic referencing and clarity of expression.

Assignment 3: A scholarly essay on a set topic.

Objectives: a, b, c

Value: 50%

Due: Week 14

Task: Each student needs to write a 2500-3000 word essay on one of the set topics. The essay will develop a critical analysis of one aspect of International Communication by reference to ideas; arguments and debates found in the subject materials and related research. The minimum requirement for this task is to write an essay that starts by identifying a response to the chosen essay question and, through the systematic presentation of claims supported by evidence based on research, reading and reflection, develops a clear and cogent line of reasoning through to the conclusion. The argument must draw on a range of viewpoints on the topic and critically analyse their strengths and weaknesses. There must be clear links between the chosen topic, the subject readings and the content developed in your essay. The essay must include appropriate academic referencing of all citations as well as a complete and accurate bibliography. The essay must be typed (A4, double-line spacing, 2 cm right margin), printed on one side of the page, and referenced using the Harvard style. Your bibliography should be alphabetical and include all references.

Assessment Criteria:

1. Extent to which the student's work addresses the requirements of the individual assignment as well as the objectives of the subject;

2. Demonstrated capacity for argument, critical inquiry and analysis;

3. Critical use of research resources and/or evidence of additional reading;

4. Evidence of thorough preparation and scholarly presentation, including academic referencing and clarity of expression.

Minimum requirements

Students are expected to read the subject outline to ensure they are familiar with the subject requirements. Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.

Indicative references

Further reading for tutorials and assignment preparation:

Albarran, A. B. & Chan-Olmsted, S. M. (eds), 1998, Global Media Economics: Commercialization, Concentration, and Integration of World Media Markets, 1st, Iowa State University Press, Ames.

Allan, S. & Zelizer, B. (eds.) 2004, Reporting War: Journalism in Wartime, Routledge, London.

Atton, C. 2002, 'News Cultures and New Social Movements: Radical Journalism and the Mainstream Media', Journalism Studies, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 491–505.

Beck, U., Bonss, W. & Lau, C. 2003, 'The Theory of Reflexive Modernisation: Problematic, Hypotheses and Research Programs', Theory, Culture and Society, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 1-33.

Bell, D. 2001, An Introduction to Cybercultures, Routledge, London.

Boyd-Barrett, O. & Rantanen, T. (eds.) 1998, The Globalisation of News, Sage, London.

Burston, J. 2003, 'War and the entertainment industries: New research priorities in an era of cyber-patriotism', in D. K. Thussu & D. Freedman (eds.) War and the Media: Reporting Conflict 24/7, Sage London, pp. 163-175.

Castells M. 2001, The Internet Galaxy, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Castells, M. 1996, The Information Age: Economy, Society & Culture, vol. 1, The Rise of the

Network Society, Blackwell, Oxford.

Chalaby, J. 1996, 'Journalism as an Anglo-American invention: A comparison of the development of French and Anglo-American journalism 1830s-1920s', European Journal of Communication, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 303-326.

Der Derian, J. 2001, Virtuous War: Mapping the Military-Industrial-Media Entertainment Network,

Westview, Boulder.

Dixit, K. 1997, Dateline Earth: Journalism as if the Planet Mattered, Inter-Press Service, Manila.

Downing, J. D. H. 2001, Radical Media: Rebellious Communication and Social Movements, Sage Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Drotner, K. 2005, 'Media on the move: personalized media and the transformation of publicness', Journal of Media Practice, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 53-64.

Fox, E. 1997, 'Media and Culture in Latin America', in J. Corner, P. Schlesinger & R. Silverstone (eds.) International Media Research: A Critical Survey, Routledge, London: New York, pp. 184-205.

Gerbner, G., Mowlana, H. & Nordenstreng, K. (eds.) 1993, The Global Media Debate— its Rise, Fall and Renewal, Ablex, New Jersey.

Gunaratne, S. (ed.) 2000, The Handbook of the Media in Asia, Sage, London.

Hachten, W. 1999, The World News Prism: Changing Media of International Communication, 5th ed., Iowa State University Press, Ames.

Hallin, D. 1997, 'The Media and War', in J. Corner, P. Schlesinger & R. Silverstone (eds.) International Media Research: A Critical Survey, Routledge, London.

Herman, E. & McChesney, R. 1997, The Global Media: The New Missionaries of Corporate Capitalism, Cassell, London.

Hess, S. & Kalb, M. (eds.) 2003, The Media and the War on Terrorism, Brookings Institute Press, Washington D. C.

Hutton, W. and Giddens, A. (eds.) 2000, On the Edge: Living with Global Capitalism, Jonathon Cape, London.

Khiabany, G. 2003, 'De-Westernizing media theory, or reverse Orientalism: "Islamic communication" as theorized by Hamid Mowlana', Media Culture & Society, vol. 25, no. pp. 415-422.

Kingsbury, D., Loo, E. & Payne, P. (eds.) 2000, Foreign Devils and Other Journalists, Monash Asia Institute, Clayton, Vic.

Lovink G. 2002, Dark Fiber: Tracking Critical Internet Culture, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.

McCaughey, M. & Ayers M. D. (eds.) 2003, Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice, Routledge, New York.

McChesney, R. W. & Nichols, J. 2002, Our Media, Not Theirs: The Democratic Struggle against Corporate Media, Seven Stories/Turnaround, New York, London.

Mattelart, A. 1991, Advertising International: The Privatisation of Public Space, Routledge, London.

Meikle G. 2004, 'Networks of Influence' in G. Goggin (ed.) Virtual Nation, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, pp. 73-87.

Miller, M. C. 2002, 'The big ten?', The Nation, 7-14 January, available @

http://www.thenation.com/ special/ bigten.html accessed 2 February 2007

Motovalli, J. 2002, Bamboozled at the Revolution: How Big Media Lost Billions in the Battle for the Internet, Viking, New York.

Mouzelis, N. 1999, 'Modernity: A non-European conceptualisation', British Journal of Sociology, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 141-159.

Mowlana, H. 1997, Global Information and World Communication: New Frontiers in International Relations, 2nd ed., Sage London.

Murdock, G. 2004, 'Past the Posts: Rethinking Change, Retrieving Critique', European Journal of Communication, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 19-38.

Scalmer S. 2002, Dissent Events, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney.

Schiff, F. 2003, 'Business Models of News Websites: A Survey of Empirical Trends and Expert

Opinion', available @ http://www.firstmonday.org/ issues/ issue8_6/schiff/ index.html , accessed 2 February 2007.

Schiller, D. 1999, Digital Capitalism: Networking the Global Market System, MIT Press, Cambridge Mass., London.

Seib, P. 2004, 'Media Influence' in his Beyond the Front Lines: How the News Media Cover a World Shaped by War, Palgrave MacMillan, New York, pp. 124-202.

Sinclair, J. & Cunningham, S. 1999, Floating Lives: The Media and Asian Diasporas, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Qld.

Sussman, G. & Lent, J. A. 1999, 'Who Speaks for Asia: Media and Information Control in the Global Economy', The Journal of Media Economics, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 133-147.

Tehranian, M. 1994, 'Where is the New World Order: At the End of History or Clash of Civilisations?', Journal of International Communication, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 71-99.

Thompson, J. B. 1995, The Media and Modernity-A Social Theory of the Media, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK.

Thussu, D. K. 1998, Electronic Empires: Global Media and Local Resistance, Arnold, London.

Volkmer, I. 1999, News in the Global Sphere—A Study of CNN and its Impact on Global Communication, University of Luton Press, Luton, UK.