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Teacher(s)

Jacobs Thomas;

Language

Dutch

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

At the end of this course, students are able: • To discuss and explain contemporary media related developments from a historical and political economic point of view (e.g. the streaming wars, the battle between Trump and Huawei, the development of a Flemish Netflix, the changing role of public broadcasting in Belgium. • to provide a factual description of the processes that structure the national and international mediascape. • to discuss the most important institutional features of a selection of traditional and new media from a critical vantage point. • to name and discuss the different regulatory institutions and processes that have an impact on the production, circulation and consumption of media content • to use scientific terminology from media studies and the political economy of communication correctly (e.g. horizontal and vertical concentration) • to discuss news, entertainment and advertising as the result of an institutionalized process • to follow up on current affairs and to synthesize the news on specific issues

Content

In the class ‘Analyse van de Media-Instellingen’, we shine a light on media production from a historic, political, and political-economic point of view. This allows us to approach media production, consumption, and distribution in Flanders, Belgium, Europe, and the world in a critical manner.
What is the impact of the architecture of today’s media landscape on the content we see on our televisions and our smartphones? How are the media controlled and regulated? Who owns the media, and what are the most important media concerns? How do media earn money? How do journalists, marketeers, and content producers do their jobs in today’s media scape? Have the sources and origins of news changed in the digital era? How has the role of the public broadcaster changed under the influence of liberalisation and digitalisation? And what do all of these questions have to do with the functioning of our society and our democracy?
To answer questions like these, it is crucial that we heed the political economy of media institutions on a local, national, and international level. In this class, we tackle amongst others, the following subjects:

• Theorisation of the political economy of the media
• The entities active in today’s mediascape (traditional media and media concerns, new distribution platforms and business models, the advertisement industry)
• The regulation of the media landscape 
• The profit model of news media
• The impact of the institutional organisation of media companies on news production and the media profession 
• The political, economic, cultural, and social logics shaping and reshaping the institutional media landscape
• The societal implications of the institutional organisation of the media landscape 
• Digitalisation, social media, and their impact on traditional media 
• The institutional production of propaganda

These subjects are all approached in a manner that emphasizes the importance of critical reflection about and a rational attitude towards news and media coverage. 

Teaching methods

• Ex cathedra lectures with visual support
• Collective discussion of current events and academic literature
• One or more guest lectures by experts and/or media professionals
• A potential excursion to a media-related event
• ​â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹

Evaluation methods

The first and second term evaluation consists of two components:

• Oral exam: 75%
• Several smaller tests and exercises over the course of the term that relate to current events (political, economic, and media-related subjects): 25%

The current event tests during the term focus on factual knowledge, reading, and research exercises, focusing on the development of a critical and rational attitude towards news and media coverage.
If a student can for a valid reason not complete one or more of the tests during the term, the score of the completed test will be increased relatively. If a student misses, for valid reasons, all tests during the term, the oral exam will count for 100% of the first session evaluation.
During the second term, the current event tests will be taken at the same time as the oral exam, and they effectively form part of it.

Bibliography

BibliographieÌý:
Onderstaande teksten dienen als inspiratiebron voor deze cursus. Delen ervan dienen als studiemateriaal. De lijst is niet exhaustief.

Downey, J. (2006). The media industries: do ownership, size and internationalisation matter? In D. Hesmondhalgh (Ed.), Media production (pp. 7-48). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Hardy, J. (2014). Chapter 1: What (is) political economy of the media? In J. Hardy (Ed.), Critical political economy of the media: an introduction (pp. 3-36). New York: Routledge.
Hardy, J. (2014). Chapter 4: Concentration, conglomeration, commercialisation. In J. Hardy (Ed.), Critical political economy of the media: an introduction (pp. 79-107). New York: Routledge.
Herman, E. S. (2000). The propaganda model: a retrospective. Journalism studies, 1(1), 101-112.
Hesmondhalgh, D. (2006). Chapter 2: Media organisations and media texts: prodcution, autonomy and power. In D. Hesmondhalgh (Ed.), Media production (pp. 49-89). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Maeseele, P., & Raeijmakers, D. (2017). Nothing on the news but the establishment blues? toward a framework of depoliticization and agonistic media pluralism. Journalism, 1-18.
Mosco, V. (2017). Becoming digital. United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing.
Papathannasopoulos, S., & Negrine, R. (2011). Chapter 2: The structure of (old) media in Europe. In S. Papathannasopoulos & R. Negrine (Eds.), European media: structures, policies and identity (pp. 17-36). Cambridge: Polity.
Pedro - Carañana, J. (Ed.) (2018). The propaganda model today: filtering perception and awareness. London: University of Westminster Press. Musschoot, I., & Lombaerts, B. (2012). Media in beweging: handboek voor de mediaprofessional: Lannoo Campus.
Saeys, F. (2007). Statuut, organisatie en financiering van de openbare omroep in Vlaanderen: een geschiedenis. In A. Dhoest & H. Van den Bulck (Eds.), Publieke Televisie in Vlaanderen (pp. 23-51). Gent: Academia Press.
Van den Bulck, H. (2007). Het beleid van de publieke televisie: van hoogmis van de moderniteit naar postmodern sterk merk? In A. Dhoest & H. Van den Bulck (Eds.), Publieke televisie in Vlaanderen: een geschiedenis (pp. 23-51). Gent: Academia Press.
Van den Bulck, H. (2008). De identiteit van de openbare omroep in het digitale tijdperk: een stakeholder analyse. In H. Van den Bulck & A. Dhoest (Eds.), Media Cultuur Identiteit: actueel onderzoek naar media en maatschappij (pp. 5-19). Gent: Academia Press.
VRM (Vlaamse Regulator voor De Media). Mediaconcentratierapport 2018. Retrieved from http://vlaamseregulatormedia.be/sites/default/files/pdfversions/mediaconcentratierapport_2018_def_0.pdf

Faculty or entity

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