ZURb1603 Political Economy of Media

                               Spring 2022 Wed 12:00–13:40 MS Teams



Lecturer: Tae-Sik Kim

Office Hour: Wed 16:00 – 17:00 & Thu 10:00 – 14:00

Contact Information: beinkid@mail.muni.cz  Office Number: 5. 50


Ø    Course Objectives

This course is designed to help students develop an understanding political economy of media
industries in a globalized capitalist world. Students will learn the theoretical background of
political economy by reading such classics as Das Capital. By reading topical book chapters,
students will critically discuss the boarder context of global political economy of media. The
first half of the course will cover the conventional understandings of poltical economy of media.
The second half of the course will then focus on the political-economic context of media in recent
days.


This course is designed…


·         To understand the theory of political economy

·         To comprehend the broader context of global political economy in media world.

·         To critically evaluate the political economy of media industries

·         To discuss their (students’) own role as consumers and audiences (and producers) in media
industries

·         To get informed about a variety of media industries in the world that hasn’t well been
known.

·         To develop critical thinking skills


Ø    Syllabus

Week 1. Introduction

Week 2. Understanding Political Economy

Week 3. Basics: Political Economy in Media

Week 4. Culture Industry: History of Mass Culture

Week 5. Production of Culture

Week 6. Audiences and Consumers

Week 7. Reading Week

Week 8. Media Capabilities

Week 9. Communication, Identity, and Hegemony

Week 10. Midterm Exam

Week 11. Political Economy of New Media

Week 12. Case Study: BBC (Short Essay Due)

Week 13. Presentations


Ø    Literatures

·         Adorno, T., & Horkheimer, M. (2007). The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass
deception.

·         Bourdieu, P. (1993). The field of cultural production. Columbia University Press.

·         Fuchs, C. (2013). Social media: A critical introduction. Sage.

·         Marx, K. (2005). Das capital. Volume 1. Translated by Samuel Moore and Edward
Aveling. The Marx-Engels Reader, 439-442.

·         Mills, T. (2016). The BBC: Myth of public service. Verso.

·         Mosco, V. (1996). The political economy of communication: Rethinking and renewal (Vol.
13). Sage.

·         Zhao, Y., & Chakravartty, P. (Eds.). (2007). Global communications: Toward a
transcultural political economy. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.


Ø    Teaching Methods

The format of the course is a combination of lectures and controlled discussions of assigned
readings.

All students are expected to read textbooks assigned and to develop appropriate discussion
questions.


Ø    Assessment Methods

v    Attendance: 3 unexcused absences during a semester shall be denied academic credit 10%


v    Midterm Examination 30%

TBA

v    Class Presentation 10%

·          Develop discussion questions on assigned week’s topic.

·          Introduce cases not included in textbooks


v    Final Group Project 30% (Due: 5 June, 2022)

·          Group with 2-3 colleagues

·          Find your topic by Week 10

·          Presentation in Week 13


v    Short Essay 20% (4 Pages – Choose one topic)

Due: 8 May, 2022 – No Later Paper Accepted

·         “Labor” in Media Industries: Who are laborers? And Why?

·         The relationship between social media and “manufacturing consent”

·         Culture – Created vs Produced


Ø    Readings

Week 2. Understanding Political Economy

·         Marx, K. Das Capital, Chapter 1and 2


Week 3. Basics: Political Economy of Media

·         Mosco, The political economy of communication, Chapter Introduction, 1, 2.

Week 4. Culture Industry: Mass Production & Mass Consumption

·         The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass deception.

·         Herman, E. S., & Chomsky, N. (1988). Manufacturing consent: A propaganda
model. Manufacturing Consent

Week 5. Production of Culture

·         Bourdieu, P. (1993). The field of cultural production Chapter 1-2.


Week 6. Communication, Identity, and Hegemony

·          Mosco, The political economy of communication, Chapter 9

Week 8. Communication, Identity, and Hegemony
  *  Mosco, The political economy of communication, Chapter 9


Week 9. Media Capabilities

·         Moss, G. (2018). Media, capabilities, and justification. Media, Culture & Society, 40(1),
94-109.

Week 11. Political Economy of New Media

·          Srnicek, N. (2017). Platform Capitalism. Verso.  Pp 1-92.


Week 12. Case Study: BBC

·         Mills, The BBC, Introduction, Chapter 6, and Conclusion