58317 Transnational Media

This subject discusses media practice in a globalising economy to question the effects of developments such as trade liberalisation, technological change and global war on the organisation and operation of media and the significance of such changes for understanding transnational communication. Students canvass the International Communication and Media History literature, critically engage with approaches to theorising international communication and global media practice, and explore the politics of both transnational media mega-corporations including advertising agencies and their counterpart, alternative, DIY and community-based media including the blogosphere. They focus on the specific issues of electronic journalism and the possibility of a transnational public sphere of debate; internet advertising and the difficulties of creating viable business models in the online environment; and new forms of social networking and interaction found in virtual communities and the possibilities for new kinds of political and social engagements and media practices.