ZURb1219 Media and (crisis of) democracy

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Michal Tkaczyk, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. et Mgr. Michal Tkaczyk, Ph.D.
Department of Media Studies and Journalism – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Boris Rafailov, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Media Studies and Journalism – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 14:00–15:40 AVC
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 18/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 35 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The American media scholar James Carey believes that where there is no journalism, there is no democracy, but at the same time where there is no democracy, there is no journalism - this course introduces students to selected concepts, models and theories that can be used to understand the relationship between the media and democracy.
The course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of the role of the media in democratic societies. In doing so, this issue will be viewed through the lens of a specific diagnosis of the current state of Western-style liberal democracies - the starting point of the course will be a thesis about the crisis of this type of political governance and the related crisis of the role of the media in democratic societies. The conceptual and theoretical grasp of the issue will be complemented by elements of application of theoretical concepts and models to concrete cases and examples. The first part of the course will focus on the relationship between media and democracy through the lens of several theoretical approaches and with emphasis on selected dimensions. The second part is devoted to selected manifestations of the crisis in the role of the media in democratic societies and their context.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- explain the relationship between media and democracy and its importance for the functioning of liberal democratic societies;
- name the different functions and roles of the media in democratic societies and illustrate them with concrete examples from media practice
- discuss the risks to the functioning of the media in democratic societies, using specialist terminology and referring to concrete examples;
Syllabus
  • Course outline
  • 1. Introduction to the course content. The concept of democracy.
  • 2. The crisis of democratic governance: background and definitions of basic concepts.
  • 3. Media and journalism through the lens of theories of democracy . The role of the media in democracy.
  • 4. Media systems and models.
  • 5. Representation of politics in the media: reporting styles, bias, framing, packaging.
  • 6. The effects of political communication in the media on the functioning and quality of democracy.
  • 7. Public service media and democracy: identity in crisis and current challenges.
  • 8. New media and new possibilities for participation and democratization: expectations and reality.
  • 9. Media, democracy and the market: commodification, tabloidisation, churnalism.
  • 10. State and economic control of the media: political pressure, state intervention, oligarchisation of the media.
  • 11. Democratisation of the media: experiments and models.
Literature
    required literature
  • JAKUBOWICZ, Karol. Média a demokracie v 21. století : hledání nových modelů. Translated by Svatava Navrátilová. I. vydání. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2017, 287 stran. ISBN 9788021084490. info
  • STREET, John. Mass media, politics and democracy. 1st pub. New York: Palgrave, 2001, ix, 297 s. ISBN 0-333-69304-3. info
  • MCNAIR, Brian. An introduction to political communication. Sixth edition. London: Routledge, 2018, xiv, 251. ISBN 9780415739429. info
  • Mediální zákony : komentář. Edited by Aleš Rozehnal. Vyd. 1. Praha: ASPI, 2007, ix, 272. ISBN 9788073573041. info
    recommended literature
  • MCQUAIL, Denis. Žurnalistika a společnost. Translated by Alice Němcová Tejkalová - Roman Hájek - Marta Chromá. První české vydání. V Praze: Univerzita Karlova, nakladatelství Karolinum, 2016, 254 stran. ISBN 9788024630939. info
  • DAHLGREN, Peter. Media and political engagement : citizens, communication, and democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009, xi, 232. ISBN 9780521527897. info
  • HALLIN, Daniel C. and Paolo MANCINI. Systémy médií v postmoderním světě : tři modely médií a politiky. Translated by Tomáš Trampota. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 2008, 367 s. ISBN 9788073673772. info
  • Habermas and the public sphere. Edited by Craig J. Calhoun. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, x, 498. ISBN 0262531143. info
Teaching methods
Lecture, seminar, teams presentations, work in small groups.
Assessment methods
Students will receive credit for completion of group assignments, completion of final assignment, and attendance.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2023/ZURb1219