7230.10 - Communication, Mass Media and Film


Course number
7230.10
Title
Communication, Mass Media and Film
ECTS
13.5
Purpose
The course is on the distinguishing characteristics of diverse media – traditional mass media, contemporary digital media such as web pages like Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia, and film. In this course, students will gain an understanding of media and communication theory and analysis, including film analysis and theory. They will also learn to interpret and discuss mass media and film as such, as well as their content in a subtle and nuanced way. Another goal is to enable students to teach pupils in the higher grades of the public school in mass media and the significant influence these have on us as persons, on our daily life and on our society as a whole. The course will also consider the role mass media play in child and youth culture, in what ways children and young people understand and use various media and film, and how they process the information they receive from these media and films.
Content
The course covers the public and modern mass media, which surround us and have a significant shaping influence on our society and daily life. Students will acquire tools to analyse and understand mass media and media stories in contemporary society. Modern mass media will be set in their historical context, and basic aspects of communication and communication theory will also be covered. The last weeks of the course focus on film and the analytical tools employed when film is “read” as a text. The course is composed of several parts. Students should expect to spend 15 hours in class per week and about 25 hours a week on reading, assignments and group work. The course is structured thus: Introduction: - Foundational communication – socio-psychological models for communication - ”You and the media – how do you use various media in your daily life” Communication and rhetoric: - ”Once upon a time…” – on heroes and scoundrels in media stories (the actant model) - The rhetorician as persuader and deceiver – on logos, pathos and ethos Mass Media: - The distinguishing marks of various media and their mode of operation - The history of mass media in the Faroes - Genres Mass media as messengers: - What is broadcasted and why? - Campaign journalism - when the purpose is to reach a particular goal - The foundation of media analysis – research and source vetting. Mass media as the fourth estate: - Friendly re-presenters or sharp-tooted watchdogs - The watchdog and the hand that feeds it – on the relationship between journalists and people in power - Entertainment media – a breeding ground for Machiavellianism? Media from sociological viewpoint: - Modernity and the self – the role of media in self-understanding - ”I link, therefore I am” – Homo Conexus vs. Homo Sapiens - Is democracy expanded through new media? Children and youth media culture: - What is a medium? ”I’d rather lose my finger than my mobile phone” - Use of media and self-understanding - Use and abuse - do social rules also apply to mass media? - ”OMG u r gr8” - language usage in new media. New media: - Analysis of web sites - where is the message? - Social media - Facebook, Arto and MySpace as the tip of the iceberg - Wikipedia – majority rule - Blogs – is everyone allowed to have a public opinion? - Inter-media communication - how can various media interact? Advertisement: - Image analysis - Analysis of advertisements - what tempts us to buy? - Advertisements and media - what works and why? Film: - Film as literature - Film grammar - Frames - Composition - Perspective - Subplot - Colour and light - Cutting and editing - Sound - dramaturgy - analysis
Assessment method
Students, in groups of 3, write a paper on the use of either communication and media or film in education. This paper will be the foundation for the teaching material they will use in their practicum (see description of Practicum – Media and Film). Internal examiners will be used. Grades will be awarded according to the current grading scale.