This course introduces contemporary issues in media sociology, with a focus on the concept of the public sphere. The course has three key themes:
1) debates about news and the 'crisis' of journalism in the wake of digitization of communication;
2) media/broadcasting policy and regulation—including social media—and the ideal of informed citizenship; and
3) challenges to the notion of the public sphere from phenomena such as populist politics and the rise of 'fake news'.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- recognise some key controversies and debates within the literature on public sphere and media;
- identify the basic elements of dispute within a theoretical or methodological perspective;
- display skills associated with scholarly inquiry about the public sphere including those related to critical analysis, argument and written expression; and
- express ideas in writing with conceptual coherence.
Indicative Assessment
Critical Review, 1500 words (40%) Learning Outcomes 1-4Tutorial Presentation of 10 minutes (10%) Learning Outcomes 1-3
Final Essay, 3000 words (50%) Learning Outcomes 1, 2, and 4
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials and tutorial-like activities; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Readings will be provided on the course Wattle sitePreliminary Reading
Jones,P.K & Holmes,D. (2011) Key Concepts in Media & Communications. London: Sage.Fraser, N. (1992) ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere: towards a critique of actually existing democracy’. In Craig Calhoun (ed) Habermas and the Public Sphere: Critical Debates. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media and the public sphere. tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, 12(1), 57-101.
Habermas, J. (2009). ‘Media, Markets and Consumers: The Quality Press as the Backbone of the Public Sphere.’ In Europe: The Faltering Project. Cambridge (UK): Polity Press.
Habermas,J. (1974) ‘The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article’, New German Critique 1(3), 49-55. (First published 1964).
Jacobs, R. N. (2010) ‘Entertainment Media and the Aesthetic Public Sphere’. In J.Alexander, R.Jacobs & P.Smith (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Cultural Sociology. N.Y.: Oxford UP.
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $3120 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4800 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
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