FTVMS 100

Issues in Contemporary Media


Please note: this is archived course information from 2016 for FTVMS 100.

Description

We know that the media are big business and we know that in the 21st century they have become a massive presence in our daily lives.  But arguments rage about what role and impact the media actually have. Do they substantially influence our beliefs and behaviours or are we mostly just entertained and distracted by the media? Do we now live in a more informed and transparent society thanks to the proliferation of media in recent times? Or do we live in a more 'dumbed-down' and trivialised culture as a result?

This course explores the major role played by the media in contemporary society. In particular, it highlights the radical changes brought about by the recent development and diffusion of digital technologies. It explores the impact these changes have had upon media industries, media texts and media audiences through the lens of current controversies that serve as case studies in media culture.

Controversies we look at this year include:

  • video games and their effects
  • the impact of music piracy
  • the myth of Donald Trump
  • cinema in the age of digital special effects
  • sport as media spectacle
  • pornography and technological change
  • TV in the Netflix era
  • representations of Māori in the NZ media
  • social media addiction
  • celebrity culture and the Kardashians.

The course is designed for anyone with an interest in the media, regardless of whether you have prior media studies experience. As well as providing a grounding in key concepts and approaches in media research and analysis, the course will explore a range of current controversies in media culture: it will change the way you think about media and the role they play in our lives.

View the course syllabus

Availability 2016

Summer School, repeated Semester 1

Lecturer(s)

Coordinator(s) Associate Professor Luke Goode

Reading/Texts

Goode, L. and Zuberi, N. Media Studies in Aotearoa 2, Longman Pearson, 2010.

Assessment

50% coursework
40% exam
10% tutorial participation

Points

FTVMS 100: 15 points