Money, Power and Communication

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Examines the intersections of communication, economics and power in a global context. Focuses on how media systems, industries and platforms are shaped by political and economic forces and how communication practices in turn influence markets, policies and/or governance. Considers both historical foundations and contemporary debates, including regulation, globalization and/or digital capitalism. Attention to how communication systems distribute resources, opportunities and influence across societies. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Develops critical tools for analyzing media institutions, technologies and policies. Builds competence in understanding how communication systems affect civic life, professional practice and global relations. Strengthens media literacy and prepares students for roles in journalism, policymaking and organizations where knowledge of communication structures and their consequences is essential. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Highlights how communication systems are not neutral but embedded in structures of power, economics and culture. Highlights competing perspectives about surveillance, democracy, inequality and/or globalization. Highlights how theories and practices of communication differ across regions and traditions, fostering a more nuanced view of the global information society. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study of media industries and markets; regulation, law and policy; globalization of communication systems; political and economic theories of media; surveillance and data economies; digital platforms and technology governance; communication and inequality; comparative perspectives from the Global North and Global South; debates over freedom, accountability and reform. Course discussion may involve contemporary cases and controversial issues, addressed for purposes of analysis and critique within an environment of respectful dialogue. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.