PMCb1003 Introduction to media and communication studies

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Jakub Macek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Iveta Jansová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Klára Smejkal, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Jakub Macek, Ph.D.
Department of Media Studies and Journalism – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Vlastimil Havlík, Ph.D.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course introduces to the field of media and communication studies. It is designed as an introductory overview of key theories and concepts. As such its content focuses on communication history and theories and on models of communication processes; on theory of signs, processes and politics of signification, communication codes, and on the relation between language and power; on the topics of media organizations and content creators; and on the topics of media audiences and mass communication effect.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be able to: 1) understand and apply basic terminology and concepts grasping interpersonal and mediated communication; 2) understand the processes of mediated communication as signification processes that take part in constitution of society, culture and politics; 3) understand media as institutions and as expert systems drawing on certain professional procedures and knowledge; (4) understand and assess media and mediated communication as constitutive part of audiences’ everyday life.
Syllabus
  • 1 Communication and media studies: basic definition
  • 2 Communication: basic definition, types of communication
  • 3 Communication models
  • 4 Media organizations and economic conditions of media functioning
  • 5 Media Content Creators
  • 6 Communication, meaning, signification, sign models
  • 7 Reading week
  • 8 Visual Culture
  • 9 Communication, Signs and Codes
  • 10 Politics of representation
  • 11 Ideology, hegemony
  • 12 Effects of the media on the audience
  • 13 Research of audiences and receptions
Teaching methods
Lectures, discussions, reading.
Assessment methods
Written exam.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/PMCb1003