ZUR578 Media and Inequalities in Contemporary European Societies

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2011
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Monika Metyková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jana Urbanovská, Ph.D. (assistant)
doc. Mgr. Lenka Waschková Císařová, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Jiří Pavelka, CSc.
Department of Media Studies and Journalism – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Bc. Pavlína Brabcová
Timetable
Fri 4. 3. 10:00–15:40 U32, Mon 7. 3. 10:00–11:40 AVC, 14:00–15:40 AVC, Wed 9. 3. 8:00–9:40 AVC, 12:00–13:30 AVC, Thu 10. 3. 14:00–17:40 U23, Fri 11. 3. 10:00–15:40 U32
Prerequisites (in Czech)
SOUHLAS
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course critically examines the relationship between inequalities that shape contemporary European societies and the media. It focuses mainly on three key areas: gender, class and race. The course explores these three areas in relation to the production and consumption of media as well as factual and fictional media contents.
Upon completion of the course students will have knowledge of the major critical approaches to the study of media production and consumption. They will also be able to critically analyze media contents and they will gain insights into the impact of economic and organizational influences on the conduct and practices of the journalistic profession. Students will also be acquainted with major policy frameworks and interventions.
Syllabus
  • Session 1: Theories of society and media
  • Compulsory reading:
  • 'Chapter 3: Theory of Media and Theory of Society.' In McQuail, D. (1994). Mass Communication Theory: A Reader. 3rd ed. London: Sage.
  • Recommended reading:
  • 'Defining Media Events.' In Dayan, D. and Katz, E. (1992). Media Events. Harvard: Harvard University Press.
  • Herman, E. (2000). 'The Propaganda Model: A Retrospective.' Journalism Studies, 1(1).
  • van Zoonen, L. (1996). 'Feminist Perspectives on the Media.' In Curran, J. and Gurevitch, M. (Eds.) Mass Media and Society. London: Arnold.
  • Session 2: Regulatory Approaches to Media
  • Compulsory reading:
  • 'Chapter 1: Regulating the Revolution.' In Feintuck, M. and Varney, M. (2006). Media Regulation: Public Interest and the Law. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Bardoel, J. and d'Haenens, L. (2004). 'Media Meet the Citizen: Beyond Market Mechanisms and Government Regulation.' European Journal of Communication 19(2).
  • Hall, S. (1993). 'Which Public, Whose Service?' In Stevenson, W. (Ed.) All Our Futures: The Changing Role And Purpose of the BBC. London: The British Film Institute.
  • Herman, E. S. (1993). 'The Externalities Effects of Commercial and Public Broadcasting.' In P. Golding and G. Murdock (Eds.), The Political Economy of the Media. Vol. 1. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
  • Session 3: News journalism and its changing faces
  • Compulsory reading:
  • 'New News Nets: Media Routines in a "Knowledge Society".' In Preston, P. Making the News: Contemporary Journalism Practices and News Cultures in Europe. London: Routledge.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Schudson, M. (1996). 'The Sociology of News Production Revisited.' In Curran, J. and Gurevitch, M. (Eds.) Mass Media and Society. London: Arnold.
  • Pavlik, J. (2000). 'The Impact of Technology on Journalism.' Journalism Studies, 1(2).
  • Esser, F. (1999). '"Tabloidization of News": A Comparative Analysis of Anglo-American and German Press Journalism.' European Journal of Communication, 14(3).
  • Session 4: Media contents and their analysis I
  • Compulsory reading:
  • 'Chapter 9: Issues, Concepts and Varieties of Discourse.' In McQuail, D. (1994). Mass Communication Theory: A Reader. 3rd ed. London: Sage.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Vidmar-Horvat, K. (2008). 'The Globalization of Gender: Ally McBeal in Post-socialist Slovenia.' In Brunsdon, C. and Spigel, L. (Eds.) Feminist Television Criticism: A Reader. Maidenhead: Open University.
  • Gallagher, M. (2005). 'Who Makes the News.' Global Media Monitoring Project 2005. WACC, 2005, www.whomakesthenews.org.
  • Session 5: Media contents and their analysis II
  • Compulsory reading:
  • 'Chapter 10: Genres and Methods of Analysis.' In McQuail, D. (1994). Mass Communication Theory: A Reader. 3rd ed. London: Sage.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Lowery, M. M. (1995). 'The Traditional Romance Formula.' In Dines, G. and Humez, J.M. (Eds.) Gender, Race and Class in Media. London: Sage.
  • Ter Wal, J. and d'Haenens, L. (2005). '(Re)presentation of Ethnicity in EU and Dutch Domestic News: A Quantitative Analysis.' Media, Culture and Society, 27(6).
  • Session 6: Workshop
  • The workshop provides an opportunity to implement methods of content analysis in practice. The workshop will be followed by a written assignment that students will hand in at the end of the course.
  • Session 7: Inside the media I
  • Compulsory reading:
  • Metyková, M. and Preston, P. (2009). 'Individual Influences: Journalists' Values and Norms.' In Preston, P.*Making the News: Contemporary Journalism Practices and News Cultures in Europe. London: Routledge.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Falk, E. and Grizard, E. (2005). 'The "Glass Ceiling" Persists: Women Leaders in Communication Companies.' Journal of Media Business Studies, 2(1).
  • Lavie, A. and Lehman-Wilzig, S. (2003). 'Whose News?: Does Gender Determine the Editorial Product?' European Journal of Communication, 18(1).
  • de Bruin, M. (2000). 'Gender, Organizational and Professional Identities in Journalism.' Journalism, 1(2).
  • Session 8: Inside the media II
  • Compulsory reading:
  • Metyková, M. and Preston, P. (2009). 'From News Nets to House Rules: Organisational Contexts.' In Preston, P. Making the News: Contemporary Journalism Practices and News Cultures in Europe. London: Routledge.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Leurdijk, A. (2006). 'In Search of Common Ground: Strategies for Multicultural Television Producers in Europe.' European Journal of Cultural Studies, 9(1).
  • Negus, K. (2000). 'Music Divisions: The Recording Industry and the Social Mediation of Cultural Production.' In Curran, J. (Ed.) Media Organizations in Society. London: Arnold.
  • Curran, J. (2000). 'Literary Editors, Social Networks and Cultural Tradition.' In Curran, J. (Ed.) Media Organizations in Society. London: Arnold.
  • Session 9: Workshop
  • The workshop concentrates on the selection of topics for the final assignment and essay writing techniques. Students will have an opportunity to discuss questions related to the final assignment.
  • Session 10: Media consumption I
  • Compulsory reading:
  • Metyková, M. (2009). 'A Key Relation: Journalists and their Publics.' In Preston, P. Making the News: Contemporary Journalism Practices and News Cultures in Europe. London: Routledge.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Morley, D. (1989). 'Changing Paradigms in Audience Studies.' In Seiter, E., Borchers, H., Kreutyner, G. and Warth, E.M. (Eds.) Remote Control. London: Routledge.
  • Hujanen, J. and Pietikainen, S. (2004). 'Interactive Uses of Journalism: Crossing between Technological Potential and Young People's News-using Practices.' New Media and Society, 6(3).
  • Session 11: Media consumption II
  • Compulsory reading:
  • Christiansen, C.C.(2004). 'News Media Consumption among Immigrants in Europe: The Relevance of Diaspora.' Ethnicities, 4(2).
  • Recommended reading:
  • Radway, J. (1995). 'Women Read the Romance.' In Dines, G. and Humez, J.M. (Eds.) Gender, Race and Class in Media. London: Sage.
  • Metyková, M. (2010). 'Only a Mouse Click Away from Home: Transnational Practices of Eastern European Migrants in the United Kingdom.' Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, 16(3).
  • Session 12: New media - old inequalities?
  • Compulsory reading:
  • Deuze, M. (2003). 'The Web and its Journalisms: Considering the Consequences of Different Types of Newsmedia Online.' New Media and Society, 5(2).
  • Recommended reading:
  • Van Zoonen, L. (2004). 'Imagining the Fan Democracy.' European Journal of Communication, 19(1).
  • Matheson, D. (2004). 'Weblogs and the Epistemology of News: Some Trends in Online Journalism.' New Media and Society, 6(4).
  • Session 13: Concluding session
Literature
  • Seiter, E., Borchers, H., Kreutyner, G. and Warth, E.M. (1989). (Eds.) *Remote Control*. London: Routledge.
  • Curran, J. (2000). (Ed.) *Media Organizations in Society.* London: Arnold.
  • Falk, E. and Grizard, E. (2005). 'The "Glass Ceiling" Persists: Women Leaders in Communication Companies.' *Journal of Media Business Studies*, 2(1).
  • Stevenson, W. (1993). (Ed.) *All Our Futures: The Changing Role And Purpose of the BBC.* London: The British Film Institute.
  • Leurdijk, A. (2006). 'In Search of Common Ground: Strategies for Multicultural Television Producers in Europe.' *European Journal of Cultural Studies*, 9(1).
  • Ter Wal, J. and d'Haenens, L. (2005). '(Re)presentation of Ethnicity in EU and Dutch Domestic News: A Quantitative Analysis.' *Media, Culture and Society*, 27(6).
  • Feintuck, M. and Varney, M. (2006). *Media Regulation: Public Interest and the Law.* 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • Hujanen, J. and Pietikainen, S. (2004). 'Interactive Uses of Journalism: Crossing between Technological Potential and Young People's News-using Practices.' *New Media and Society*, 6(3).
  • Lavie, A. and Lehman-Wilzig, S. (2003). 'Whose News?: Does Gender Determine the Editorial Product?' *European Journal of Communication*, 18(1).
  • Van Zoonen, L. (2004). 'Imagining the Fan Democracy.' *European Journal of Communication*, 19(1).
  • www.whomakesthenews.org
  • P. Golding and G. Murdock (1993). (Eds.) *The Political Economy of the Media *. Vol. 1. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
  • Deuze, M. (2003). 'The Web and its Journalisms: Considering the Consequences of Different Types of Newsmedia Online.' *New Media and Society*, 5(2).
  • Herman, E. (2000). 'The Propaganda Model: A Retrospective.' *Journalism Studies*, 1(1).
  • Metyková, M. (2010). 'Only a Mouse Click Away from Home: Transnational Practices of Eastern European Migrants in the United Kingdom.' *Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture*, 16(3).
  • Matheson, D. (2004). 'Weblogs and the Epistemology of News: Some Trends in Online Journalism.' *New Media and Society*, 6(4).
  • Esser, F. (1999). '"Tabloidization of News": A Comparative Analysis of Anglo-American and German Press Journalism.' *European Journal of Communication*, 14(3).
  • de Bruin, M. (2000). 'Gender, Organizational and Professional Identities in Journalism.' *Journalism*, 1(2).
  • Pavlik, J. (2000). 'The Impact of Technology on Journalism.' *Journalism Studies*, 1(2).
  • Bardoel, J. and d'Haenens, L. (2004). 'Media Meet the Citizen: Beyond Market Mechanisms and Government Regulation.' *European Journal of Communication*19(2).
  • Christiansen, C.C.(2004). 'News Media Consumption among Immigrants in Europe: The Relevance of Diaspora.' *Ethnicities*, 4(2).
  • Preston, P. *Making the News: Contemporary Journalism Practices and **News Cultures in **Europe**. *London: Routledge.
  • Feminist television criticism : a reader. Edited by Charlotte Brunsdon - Julie D'Acci - Lynn Spigel. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997, xi, 387. ISBN 0198711530. info
  • Mass media and society. Edited by James Curran - Michael Gurevitch. 2nd ed. London: Arnold, 1996, iv, 378 s. ISBN 0-340-61418-8. info
  • Gender, race and class in media :a text-reader. Edited by Gail Dines - Jean M. Humez. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 1995, xxi, 648 s. ISBN 0-8039-5164-7. info
  • MCQUAIL, Denis. Mass communication theory : an introduction [McQuail, 1994]. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications, 1994, xiv, 416 s. ISBN 0-8039-7784-0. info
  • DAYAN, Daniel and Elihu KATZ. Media events :the live broadcasting of history. 1st ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1992, xi, 306 s. ISBN 0-674-55956-8. info
Teaching methods
The course will be delivered in the form of lectures, seminars and two workshop sessions.
Assessment methods
The main component of the assessment will be a 2,500-word essay submitted in the exam period, it will make up 60% of the final mark. The remaining 40% of the mark will be made up of a written assignment to be handed in at the end of the course and participation in seminar discussions.
Students will be provided with the readings for seminar discussions at the beginning of the semester and will be expected to read the texts listed as compulsory prior to attending the seminars.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
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