| Course Name | Year | Term | Period | Faculty / Graduate School | All Instructors | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16680:IR18‐EE232 Media and Society (RB) § 16681:IR-ECS204 Media in World Politics (RB) § 16682:RUIR-3521 Media and Society(RB) | 2024 | Fall | Thu4 | College Of International Relations | KOGA BROWES SCOTT P. | 2 |
Campus
Class Venue
Language
Course Outline and Method
The course is divided into sections which deal with general theoretical approaches to the study of mass media, and how this theory is applied in dealing with various media types, focussing mainly on the press, television, and social and net-based media.
The study of the mass media involves a wide range of theory and a variety of flexible methodologies, the intention of this course is to give a brief introduction to as broad a variety of material as possible in order to prepare students to be able to identify appropriate research questions and approaches if they go on to do mass-media related research.
Feedback on written work will be provided on manaba, or verbally if preferred.
Keywords: mass media, communication, television, newspapers, technology, social media, media theory
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Student Attainment Objectives
• the variety of theoretical approaches to the study of mass media,
• the variety of actors involved in the process of production and distribution of newspapers, television news and other informational types of mass media product,
• the kinds of relationships that exist between these actors,
• how the variety of relationships can be seen as influencing the picture of the world the mass media presents to us, and
• the social role of the mass media and journalists.
They will also develop improved ability in reading, understanding, explaining and reviewing written academic materials.
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Recommended Preparatory Course
Course Schedule
| Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) | Theme |
|---|---|
| Keyword, References and Supplementary Information | |
| 1 | Introduction |
Course introduction |
|
| 2 | History of the Mass Media through Technology |
How did we get to where we are? And how does that journey affect how we study mass media today? |
|
| 3 | Defining Mass Media |
Why 'Mass'?
|
|
| 4 | Mass Media Theories: 1 |
Approaches to Producers: Political economy, organisational studies, professionalism |
|
| 5 | Mass Media Theories: 2 |
Approaches to Audiences: Passive, active, fragmented.
|
|
| 6 | Mass Media Theories: 3 |
Approaches to Texts: Framing, semiotics.
|
|
| 7 | Newspapers: 1 |
Industry structures: circulations, subscriptions, funding |
|
| 8 | Newspapers: 2 |
Representation and discourse in the press |
|
| 9 | Newspaper: 3 |
The newspaper industry and reporting in Japan |
|
| 10 | Television: 1 |
Industry structures: advertising, 'public service' broadcasting, ratings and audiences |
|
| 11 | Television: 2 |
Television texts: 'Encoding/Decoding' |
|
| 12 | Television 3: |
The television industry in Japan |
|
| 13 | Net and Social Media: 1 |
New media, new politics.
|
|
| 14 | Net and Social Media: 2 |
Social media, censorship and governmental control |
|
| 15 | Summary and Review |
What did we learn? Where do we go from here? |
Class Format
Recommendations for Private Study
Grade Evaluation Method
| Kind | Percentage | Grading Criteria etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Final Examination (Written) | ||
| Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline) |
||
| Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class) |
100 | The assessment for this course is in two main parts:
|
Grade Evaluation Method （Note）
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Please be aware that I use the Turnitin service to check all written submissions. If you want to know more or have objections to your work being submitted for plagiarism checking, please discuss it with me. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of what constitutes plagiarism and of the university's policies regarding plagiarised work.
Plagiarism will lead, at very least, to reduced grades, and in serious cases may lead to the student becoming subject to disciplinary procedures.
Use of Generative-AI
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Submissions will also be checked - using Turnitin and other tools as necessary - for content which seems to be generated by AI.
Students are warned that use of software tools that 'rewrite' or 'rephrase' written material, and tools (such as Grammarly) that offer grammar corrections and suggestions, may lead to text being identified as 'AI-generated'. It is suggested that all work submitted for assessment should be the product of the student's own individual work. Use of AI-based tools may leave the student open to accusations of receiving outside help with their work.
This is a rapidly-changing phenomenon; all apparent infractions will be dealt with on an individual basis. Depending on the circumstances, students may be asked to resubmit work or, in serious instances, may become subject to disciplinary procedures.
Attendance
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YOU are responsible for your participation in this course, I will not remind you to attend class, I will not keep track of your class attendance for you, and I will not remind to hand in work on time.
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Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods
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Textbooks
Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）
Reference Books
Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）
Web Pages for Reference
How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)
Other Comments
Tokyo Broadcasting Systems (TBS), Reuters PLC (seconded to NTV, Reuters Financial TV)
CONTACT ME
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Students can always contact me by email: spkb@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp
Make sure to tell me which course you are contacting me about.
I may not reply straight away but I will reply - if you are contacting me on an urgent matter please include the word URGENT in the subject line.
I am also available to chat during my 'Office Hours' (the IR Office can tell you when these are)
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URL:http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp//students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html