MECM10003 Unit syllabus and readings
updated - August 2021
Block 1 (week 1-5) – Theoretical foundations
This block provides a conceptual foundation for the course by introducing some of the key theoretical approaches and critical traditions in Media Studies.
Week 1 Week of 1 March
Lecture 1 + 2: Introduction to Media & Society
‘The texture of experience’
‘Reading media theory’
This week provides a general introduction to the subject matter of Media & Society. We introduce some key definitions and ways of understanding the term ‘media’, consider why media is a significant site of research and study, and provide some resources for approaching theories about media. This will form the background for Block 1 of the course, which explores some of the key theoretical approaches to, and traditions within, the study of media and communications.
Set readings
Silverstone, R (1999). ‘The texture of experience’, in Why Study the Media? Sage: London.
Deuze, M. (2011). Media life. Media, Culture & Society, 33(1), 137–148. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443710386518
Mills, B and Barlow, D.M (2013) ‘What is theory?’, in Reading Media Theory:
Thinkers, Approaches, and Contexts. Routledge: New York, pp. 7-21.
Week 2 Week of 8 March
Lecture 3 + 4: Media technologies
‘The medium is the message’
‘Technology as cultural form’
The Canadian media scholar Marshall McLuhan was among the first to take a sustained and critical approach to theorising technology. His major contribution was to focus on the form of technologies in determining our sensory capacities and, more broadly, the social conditions we inhabit. This week we examine the insights, limitations, and legacies of this approach to studying media. In particular, we focus on McLuhan’s idea of ‘the medium is the message,’ and we contrast McLuhan’s ideas with those of Raymond Williams, who discussed the relationship between media and cultural change.
Set readings
McLuhan, M (1964) ‘The Medium is the Message’, in Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, London: Routledge.
Williams, R (1974) ‘The technology and the society’, in Television: Technology and cultural form. Fontana: London.
Week 3 Week of 15 March
Lecture 5 + 6: Media industries
‘Critique of the culture industries’
‘Mass media advertising and the audience commodity’
This week we discuss media as an industry and consider traditions that established what is known as the ‘political economic’ approach to mass media. We begin with a discussion of the influential critical theorists of the ‘Frankfurt School’, who argued that culture as a whole in the post-Second World War period became industrialised, in the sense that it took on capitalist production logics. Studies of the ‘culture industry’ by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer in the mid-20th century emphasised the manipulative nature of mass media and popular media forms such as music and television. We look at the insights and limitations of this tradition, as well as its ongoing legacy in economic analyses and conceptualisations of commercial media organisations.
Set readings
Adorno, T.W. and Horkheimer, M. (2013 [1944]) Excerpts from ‘The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception’, in Mills, B and Barlow, D.M (eds) Reading Media Theory: Thinkers, Approaches and Contexts. New York: Routledge, pp. 79-102.
Toynbee, J. (2006) ‘The media’s view of the audience’ in D. Hesmondhalgh (ed.) Media Production. Maidenhead: Open University Press, pp. 91-132.
Week 4 Week of 22 March
Lecture 7 + 8: Media publics
‘Habermas and the public sphere’
Media spectacles and ‘Essay skills’ (Academic skills team)
In contrast to the pessimistic view of the culture industries critique, this week we consider the ambition and function of media for shaping democratic participation, through their potential to organise and inform public. A key source here is Jürgen Habermas, who argues that the production and circulation of printed information in the early 18th century culminated in the ‘public sphere’ – a democratic space in which people could participate as equal citizens in rational debate and discussion. Through an interrogation of Habermas’s theory, this week we ask the questions: can media technologies facilitate genuinely democratic public communication? Is the concept still relevant in a digital media landscape?
Set readings
Habermas, J (1974) ‘The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article (1964)’ NewGerman Critique Issue 3, Autumn: 49-55.
Schäfer, M. S. (2015). Digital Public Sphere. In The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication (pp. 322–328). John Wiley & Sons Inc. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc087
Further readings
Mills, B and Barlow, D.M (2013) ‘Public sphere’, in Reading Media Theory: Thinkers, Approaches and Contexts. New York: Routledge, pp. 296-321.
Week 5 Week of 29 March
Lecture 9 + 10: Media, representation, and identity
‘Gender and representation’ (by Dr Erin Stapleton)
‘Audience identification and reception’
Extending our discussion of key traditions in the study of relationships between media products and audience reception, this week we look at the role of representation in constructing identities. Media representations have played an important role in shaping the positions and meanings of different identities and groups within society, as well as challenging stereotypes and norms. We explore these debates through the representation of gender in broadcast media, and the feminist debates that surround them. Extending from questions of representation, we explore social science traditions in 20th-century audience research, which explored the processes of identification of viewers with programming content.
Set readings
Gill, R., & Orgad, S. (2018). The shifting terrain of sex and power: From the ‘sexualization of culture’to# MeToo. Sexualities, 21(8), 1313-1324.
Nakamura, L. (2002). Alllooksame? Mediating Visual Cultures of Race on the Web. Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, 2(1), 73-84.
Block 2 (week 6-8) – Analysing communication
This block introduces several frameworks for analysing the ways media communicate through different modes or registers: from images, to discourses, to interfaces. We begin by describing core traditions for studying ‘representation’ and ‘language’ through an analysis of advertisements and newspaper articles. We then move on to a discussion of emerging forms of analysis in Media Studies by analysing other kinds of digital interfaces and texts, and how they construct meaning.
Week 6 Week of 12 April
Lecture 11 + 12: Analysing media text
‘Semiotics Part 1’
‘Semiotic Part 2’
Drawing on the seminal work of Stuart Hall, who provides a rigorous introduction to the core approaches of analysing representation, this week look at the ‘semiotic’ tradition of analysing images such as advertisements to unpack the deeper cultural or ‘ideological’ meanings underlying these everyday media images. Specifically, we will look at semiotic concepts of sign, de/connotation, narrative convention, genre, and intertextuality.
Set readings
Hall, S. (1997). The Work of Representation. In S. Hall (Ed.), Representation : cultural representations and signifying practices (pp. 15–51). Sage Publications.
*Tony Chalkley, et al. (2012a). Narrative, communication tools and making meaning: ‘tell me the story!’ In Communication, New Media and Everyday Life (pp. 32–40). Oxford University Press.
*Tony Chalkley, et al. (2012b). Semiotics: Making meaning from signs. In Communication, New Media and Everyday Life (pp. 83–96). Oxford University Press.
*focus on definitions and discussions of the relevant semiotic terms
Further readings
Hall, S. (1997) Excerpts from ‘The Work of Representation’, in Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage, pp.27-37.
Week 7 Week of 19 April
Lecture 13 + 14: Analysing discourses
‘What is news and how to analyse news’?
‘Unpacking news discourse - a case study’ (by Ms Lupita Wijaya)
Extending our focus on analysing communication, this week we look at how traditional media ‘texts’ such newspaper articles construct meaning through language. Drawing on the tradition of discourse analysis, we explore how dominant modes of understanding events are shaped through the selection of content, the latent beliefs embedded in texts, and the use of discursive frames of reference.
Set readings
Allan, S. (2004) ‘Making news: Truth, ideology and news work’ in News Culture (2nd edition) Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Onay-Coker, D 2019, ‘The representation of Syrian refugees in Turkey: a critical discourse analysis of three newspapers’, Continuum Journal of media and cultural studies, vol. 33, pp. 369–385. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2019.1587740 (Discourse Analysis)
Pinelli, E 2016, ‘The role of metaphor and metonymy in framing terrorism The case of the Beslan school siege in the Russian media’, Metaphor and the Social World, vol. 6, pp. 134–155. (Framing Analysis)
Further readings
Roxburgh N., D. Guan, K.J. Shin, W. Rand, S. Managi, R. Lovelace, et al. Characterising climate change discourse on social media during extreme weather events Global Environmental Change, 54 (2019), pp. 50-60.
Week 8 Week of 26 April
Lecture 15 + 16: Analysing interfaces
‘Walking through platform and mobile research methods’
‘Digital research on the ground’ (interview w/Ms Maria Kamal)
We continue exploring modes of analysing communication by turning this week to understanding how digital interfaces shape meanings, practices, and our experience with the world. Although the modes of representational analysis described in the previous weeks remain relevant when analysing these newer media forms, it is important to recognise that digital media are grounded in computational systems that elude traditional conceptions of representation and language. Further, the rise of portable devices such as smartphone, tablet, and wearable media have redefined the bodily experience with media: we no longer view the media at a distance but media is part of our body, part of our physical motion, and hence, everyday lives. This week we examine some of the emerging methods for understanding computational and portable forms such as such as digital platforms and mobile media.
Set readings
Light, B., Burgess, J., & Duguay, S. (2018). The walkthrough method: An approach to the study of apps. New Media & Society, 20(3), 881-900.
Hjorth, L., & Cumiskey, K. M. (2018). Mobiles facing death: Affective witnessing and the intimate companionship of devices. Cultural Studies Review, 24(2), 166–180.
Further readings
Highfield, T. & Leaver, T. (2016) Instagrammatics and digital methods:
studying visual social media, from selfies and GIFs to memes and emoji, Communication Research and Practice, 2:1, 47-62.
Pink, S, Sinanan, J, Hjorth, L and Horst, H 2016, 'Tactile digital ethnography: Researching mobile media through the hand', Mobile Media and Communication, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 237-251.
Block 3 (week 9-12) – Digitising media
The final block of the course looks at how digital developments have reshaped media industries, identities, and publics, as well as the theoretical foundations of media studies. We explore a number of key examples, such as the recent development of platform economies and the so-called ‘participatory culture’; the shift from broadcast to post-broadcast television; and the impact of social media on political participation and news consumption. We situate these debates in reference to core themes covered in earlier parts of the subject.
Week 9 Week of 3 May
Lecture 17 + 18: From convergence to platform economies
‘Convergence and participatory culture’
Online activism and the voice of indigenous Australians (by Dr Alanna Myers)
In both corporate and academic contexts, the digital era has been characterised by a process of increasing ‘convergence’ of media platforms. Convergence is often described as a process by which previously disparate technologies are collapsing into an ostensibly unified form, leading to a concentration of ownership among a select few corporate entities. However, as the influential cultural theorist Henry Jenkins argues, convergence can also be understood as a process by which technologies and texts become increasingly dispersed across a complex ecosystem of media platforms. In Jenkins’s view, convergence is associated with a blurring of the distinction between production and consumption, and thus a more ‘participatory’ and empowering environment for media audiences and users. But is convergence really an opportunity for greater grassroots participation, as Jenkins claims? This week’s lectures test out his claim through the case study of IndigenousX, an Australian Aboriginal-owned and -operated independent media company.
Set readings
Jenkins, H (2006) ‘Introduction: “Worship at the Altar of Convergence”’, in Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press.
Latimore, J., Nolan, D., Simons, M., & Khan, E. (2017). Reassembling the Indigenous Public Sphere. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 21, 1-12
Further readings
Both news articles are part of The Guardian’s Indigenous X project as to be discussed in the guest lecture. Please have a read.
Week 10 Week of 10 May
Lecture 19 + 20: Surveillance & Library and essay skills
‘Surveillance/platforms economies and governance’
Library skills (by Library team)
This week has two parts. The first lecture follows the notion of platform, convergence and participatory to reflect on the issue of surveillance. While the practice of surveillance has been practised over time, digital technologies have rendered new forms and practices of surveillance that has integrated into our daily lives. Drawing on Mark Andrejecvi’s influential works on automated surveillance, we look at how media platforms have become more adept at and extracting data from our participatory activities automatically as Andrejevic argues. How might platforms ‘govern’ our behaviours, and in turn, how are/can they be ‘governed’?
The second lecture will provide an opportunity to learn more about the process of researching and writing the final essay for this course. In the lectures and the tutorials, we workshop various research and critical thinking techniques that will be helpful when approaching the final essay questions.
Set readings
Andrejevic, M. (2019). Automating surveillance. Surveillance and Society, 17(1-2), 7-13. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v17i1/2.12930
Holloway, D. (2019, June 25). Explainer: what is surveillance capitalism and how does it shape our economy? Explainer: What Is Surveillance Capitalism and How Does It Shape Our Economy?; The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-surveillance-capitalism-and-how-does-it-shape-our-economy-119158
Week 11 Week of 17 May
Lecture 21 + 22: Flow to file
‘Post-broadcast television: the rise of online streaming and new celebrity economies’
‘What is informal distribution on internet television?’ (interview w/ Associate Prof Ramon Lobato, RMIT)
Television has entered a ‘post-broadcast’ phase in the era of digital media, leading to a new set of questions around the production, consumption, and distribution of media content. This week we consider the place of television in the new platform economy. This relates to a question of ‘form’ in McLuhan’s sense – that is, how have technological transformations altered television’s traditional role in everyday life? How is the ‘post-broadcast’ era of television influencing industry dynamics and modes of consumption? In addition to the changing nature of content production and distribution, post-broadcasting also signifies geo-diversity and plurality with content production/distribution systems and culture. With the largest internet population (appx 820 million) in the world, China showcases something that is rather different but also related to the global self-produced internet culture and economy.
Set readings
Cunningham, S., Craig, D., & Lv, J. (2019). China’s livestreaming industry: platforms, politics, and precarity. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 22(6), 719–736.
Lobato, R. (2020). Evolving Practices of Informal Distribution in Internet Television. In S. Shimpach (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Global Television (pp. 479–487). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315192468
Further readings
Tryon, C. (2015) ‘TV Got Better: Netflix’s Original Programming Strategies and Binge Viewing.’ Media Industries 2(2): n.p. Retrieved from: <https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mij/15031809.0002.206/--tv-got-better-netflixs-original-programming-strategies?rgn=main;view=fulltext>
Week 12 Week of 24 May
Lecture 23 + 24: News in digital era
‘The digital distribution of (fake) news’ (by Mr Alex Griffin)
Who’s writing my news? The future of media & society (and unit revision)
While earlier parts of the course covered some of the fundamental approaches for analysing the media’s role in shaping democracy, in this final week we examine how social media are changing the flow of information, journalistic practice, and hence, the meaning of news. We explore how technological transformations have recast the passive audience as the interactive ‘produser’, and how digital news is produced, disseminated, and received. At the same time, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology have, as Carlson argues, has complicated the producer-receiver dichotomy with AI are increasingly producing as well as distributing news content. The notion of objective journalism is challenged and redefined, defying human’s initial intent to ‘save’ news with the supposedly ‘unbias’ robot. The final lecture also concludes the unit.
Set readings
Andrejevic, M. B. (2020). The Political Function of Fake News: Disorganized Propaganda in the Era of Automated Media. In Fake News: Understanding Media and Misinformation in the Digital Age (pp. 19–28). MIT Press.
Carlson, M. (2019). News Algorithms, Photojournalism and the Assumption of Mechanical Objectivity in Journalism. Digital Journalism, 7(8), 1117–1133.
Further readings
Chinnasamy, S. (2019, October 20). The thin line between fake and fact. Pursuit; The University of Melbourne. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-thin-line-between-fake-and-fact
Viner, K (2016, July 12) How technology disrupted the truth. The Guardian, n.p. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/12/how-technology-disrupted-the-truth