In this course, students will critically engage with problems presented by the production, distribution, and consumption of global media products, and they will develop an understanding of the social, political, and economic influences that shape global media systems.
We discuss both mainstream and alternative media of various countries in the broader context of international media flows. Case studies focus mainly on North America and Latin America, but the readings and assignments offer scope for exploring the media systems of other regions.
Outline
CMNS 402 is divided into six units:
Unit 1: Introduction to the Study of Global Media
Part A: Defining Global Communication
Part B: Critical Views: Media Flows and Transnationalization
Unit 2: Controlling Communications
Part A: Who Is in Control?
Part B: Dependence and Sovereignty: Canada
Unit 3: The American Giant: Media Power and Electronic Colonialism
Part A: Corporations and Conglomerations
Part B: Beyond America: Developing Media Flows
Unit 4: Outside the Mainstream: Alternative Media Systems
Part A: Democratic and Community Media
Part B: Ethnic, Minority, and Special-Interest Media Production
Unit 5: Media in Latin America
Part A: Latin Politics, Global Media
Part B: Popular Culture, Transnationalization, and Identity
Learning outcomes
CMNS 402 has five major learning outcomes. After completing this course, students should be able to:
Describe the connection between media systems and economic and political structures in various types of societies, and the role of the mass media in the functioning of economic and political systems.
Explain the significance of regulatory frameworks of international communications.
Inform themselves about and discuss mainstream and alternative media networks.
Identify some of the main developmental directions of current information and communications systems.
Improve critical tools with which to analyze the complex interests involved in media systems.
Evaluation
To receive credit for CMNS 402, students must complete and submit all of the assignments and achieve a minimum grade of D (50 percent) for the course.
Students will be evaluated on their understanding of the concepts presented in the course and on their ability to apply those concepts. The final grade in the course will be based on the marks achieved for the following activities.
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1: Short Answer Questions
15%
Assignment 2: Critical Response Essay
25%
Assignment 3: Research Proposal with Annotated Bibliography
N/A
Assignment 4: Media Exploration—Case Study
20%
Assignment 5: Research Paper—Global Media in Context
40%
Total
100%
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
McPhail, T. L., & Phipps, S. (2020). Global communication: Theories, stakeholders, and trends (5th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. (eText)
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the CMNS 402 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on both parts of the examination.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.