POL555 Theories and concepts of political communication

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2013
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Otto Eibl, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Barbora Petrová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Stanislav Balík, Ph.D.
Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Libuše Stará
Supplier department: Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
each odd Monday 14:00–17:40 M117
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 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course represents a critical overview of the key concepts and theories in the field of political communication and its history, development and practice. Students will understand and master critical approach to the traditional as well as the latest concepts in political communication by using knowledge from other fields such as electoral studies, media studies or political marketing. In the scope of workshops, students will gain a practical experience of how the theoretical concepts could be applied in the day-to-day political practice in the Czech Republic and abroad and will be able to interpret and decode these practices. In their final papers, students will prove their critical-analytical skill.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction 2. Lecture: Political communication and voters behavior 3. Lecture: Media and politics - news management, comparing campaign communication (modernization, Americanization, professionalization), spin and campaign effects 4. Lecture: Mediatiazation of politics (political journalism, crisis of civic communication, civic journalism, public service media), politicotainment, personalization, dramatization and celebritization of politics 5. Workshop: Politics and pop-culture 6. Reading week 7. Lecture: Cognitive and emotional models of social perceptions (spiral of silence, pluralistic ignorance, selective exposure to news); normative concepts 8. Lecture: media effects, media fragmentation, polarization, distrust 9. Lecture: two-step flow, opionion leaders, Agenda-building, Agenda-setting 10. Reading week 11. Přednáška: Framing, Priming, Spiral of cynicism, Strategic communication 12. Workshop: Social movements, activists, protest 13. Workshop: Crisis communication and image repair
Literature
    required literature
  • MCQUAIL, Denis. Úvod do teorie masové komunikace. Translated by Hana Antonínová. Čtvrté, rozšířené a p. Praha: Portál, 2009, 639 stran. ISBN 9788073675745. info
  • The political communication reader. Edited by Ralph M. Negrine - James Stanyer. New York: Routledge, 2007, xvii, 318. ISBN 9780415359368. URL info
    recommended literature
  • EIBL, Otto, Roman CHYTILEK, Anna MATUŠKOVÁ, Barbora PETROVÁ, Radovan BRTNÍK, Miloš GREGOR, Lenka HRBKOVÁ, Silvia HUDÁČKOVÁ, Oto KÓŇA, Marcela KRÁLIKOVÁ, Alena MACKOVÁ, Eva PAVLOVÁ, Tomáš ŠKRHA and Michal ŽIŽLAVSKÝ. Teorie a metody politického marketingu (Theories and Methods of Political Marketing). 1st ed. Brno: CDK, 2012, 341 pp. mimo edici. ISBN 978-80-7325-281-6. info
  • Comparing political communication : theories, cases, and challenges. Edited by Frank Esser - Barbara Pfetsch. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004, xvi, 418. ISBN 0521535409. URL info
  • NORRIS, Pippa. A virtuous circle : political communications in postindustrial societies. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, xvii, 398. ISBN 0-521-79015-8. info
  • LEVINSON, Paul. Digital McLuhan : a guide to the information millennium. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 1999, xiv, 226. ISBN 041519251X. info
    not specified
  • HALLIN, Daniel C. and Paolo MANCINI. Comparing media systems : three models of media and politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004, xv, 342. ISBN 0521543088. URL info
Teaching methods
lectures, workshops, theories, class discussions
Assessment methods
final paper, group project presentation, activity in class, test
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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