Programme
Year 2 Specialism
- Module 1: Media Systems and Journalism Cultures in an international comparative perspective
- Location: University of Hamburg
- Professors: Wiebke Loosen, Kathrin Voss
- Duration: 10 weeks
- Credits: 10 ECTS
Overview
This module aims to provide a national as well as a transnational perspective on media systems and journalism cultures. This general aim shall be reached by two courses, of which one will focus on media systems while the other will focus on journalism cultures. Up to now media systems have usually been compared on the level of nation states and this is still an essential approach that is included in this module. In journalism studies the interest in cross-national research has increased substantially but usually focuses on the nation state as unit of comparison, too. However, this does not do justice to globalisation processes in which media are players while at same time they are being shaped by these very processes.
Research has shown that journalism is strongly linked to the culture and the system with in which it operates. It therefore makes sense to take the nation state as starting point. The aim is to considerat the same time cultural patterns and international development that are of extraterritorial nature. Mancini (2008) points out that the concept of journalism culture allows to consider two aspects simultaneously: a) to view journalism as a profession with its own procedures, traditions and norms and b) to link the profession to the general and political culture of the respective country. It also allows to investigate claims for growing homogenization of journalism practice in different political, cultural and regional circumstances.
This module is based on the foundations laid in the modules – “Reporting Global Change”; “Globalisation, culture and the roles of the media”; “Globalisation and the transformation of the state” and “Journalism Studies”.
Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge:
- an overview of relevant media systems, their similarities and differences
- the abilitiy to identify different comparative approaches and their usefulness
- the ability to apply comparative theory and methodology themselves
- an overview of the debate on journalism norms /ideology
- Understanding:
- an understanding for the transnational (European as well as global) dimensions of media systems
- an understanding of comparative methodologies and theories
- an understanding of recent transformation processes and their significance for the role of media and journalism
- an understanding of the cultural, social, political and ethical facets of media systems in a multi-level perspective
- an understanding to what extent the national system and culture shapes journalism practices and routines and to what extent these can be considered as cross-national and /or cross-cultural.
- an understanding of the concept of journalism culture and its uses
- Discipline-specific:
- Students will have gained the ability to analyze the cultural, social, political and ethical facets of media systems on a national, European and global level
- Students will be able to critically read and research in the area
- They will be able to critically analyse specific types of media (e.g. public service, commercial, state-controlled)
- Students will be aware of the difficulties involved in the claim of homogenization of journalism practices and ethics and will be familiar with different non-western concepts
Methods of Assessment
The course is based on essays, group discussions, work shops, short lectures, student presentations and the writing of one or two papers. The final grade is composed of 90 percent for the papers and 10 percent for the coursework
Indicative Reading List
- Esser, Frank/Pfetsch, Barbara (ed.) (2004): Comparing political communication: theories, cases, and challenges. Cambridge : Cambridge Univ. Press
- Hallin, Daniel C. /Mancini, Paolo (2004): Comparing media systems: three models of media and Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press
- Kleinsteuber, Hans J. (2008): Comparing Between West and East A Comparative Approach to Transformation. In: Glowacki, Micheal (ed.): Comparing Media Systems. Budapest/New York (in preparation).
- Please contact the university for more sources
