This module will explore what it means to be a media scholar. Why is it important to study the media? Almost everyone feels qualified to comment on the role, effect, production, value and meaning of the press, computer games, popular music, photographs, TV programmes and so on. This degree will give you the tools to make comments which are based on research and theory, not just on hunches and ill-informed opinion.

On completion of the module you will have three types of skills:

Intellectual Skills

• You should be able to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of:
  • the main types of media research
  • key media theorists and the ways they have influenced media research
  • the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods
  • the areas in media research which have been under-studied
• You will demonstrate this knowledge in your discussions in seminars, your Blackboard postings, your group presentation and your literature review.

Practical Skills

• You will be able to produce a professional looking group presentation design based on academic research.
• You will learn how to create a blog to document the process of creating your group project.
• You will be able to assess and critique published research on the basis of knowledge gained about media research methods.
• You will learn how to access and use published research both off and online, which will allow you to write an academic literature review.

Transferable Skills

• You will be able to discuss your ideas about media research in front of your peers, as part of the seminar participation requirement.
• You will be able to work effectively in groups as part of the group presentation
• You will develop advanced research and academic skills which you will demonstrate in your skills portfolio.
• You will be able to evaluate published media scholarship and synthesize your ideas in the Blackboard postings.

Learning Controlled by the Lecturer:
Weekly two-hour interactive lectures with an expectation that you will contribute to the lecture, and will demonstrate your learning and understanding of the material being covered.

Learning Controlled by the Seminar Leaders:
Weekly one hour seminars which will use hands-on approaches to explore different areas of media scholarship. You will work independently as well as in groups, and you will report back on your findings and experiences.

Learning Controlled by You:
You will have reading to complete on the different areas of media scholarship. You will also be part of a study group and you will meet independently. This group is extremely important for two reasons: 1) as a group you will create a presentation for all staff and your fellow students in Week 6 and 2) you will need to work as a group to complete your weekly skills portfolio tasks.

Please see Learning Outcomes.

Seminar Participation (10%)

In class excercise (40%)

Essay (50%)

Week 1 Introduction & organising study groups

Week 2 What differentiates media scholars from media commentators?

Week 3 What are the main ways of studying the media?

Week 4 How to write an Essay? (And: What is particularly special about academic writing and referencing?)

Week 5 What are the main philosophical positions that impact the way scholars carry out their research?

Week 6 What are the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods?

Week 7 Case Study: What is Textual Analysis?

Week 8 Case Study: What is Journalism Studies?

Week 9 Case Study: How do you study social issues in the media?           

Week 10 Case Study: How has the internet impacted mass media?

Week 11 Final conclusions

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Fenton, N. (2007) Bridging the Mythical Divide: Political Economy and Cultural Studies Approaches to the Study of the Media. In E. Devereux, (ed). Media Studies: Key Issues and Debates. Los Angeles: Sage.

Burns, T. And Sinfield, S. (2012) Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University. London: Sage. Chapters 6, 10 & 11.

Gill, R. (2006) Gender and the Media. London: Polity. Chapter 1.

McRobbie, A. (2004) Post Feminism and Popular Culture. Feminist Media Studies, 4, (3), 255-264.

Burns, T. And Sinfield, S. (2012) Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University. London: Sage. Chapter 15.

Burns, T. And Sinfield, S. (2012) Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University. London: Sage. Chapter 7.

James, O. (2007) Affluenza. Arrow. London. Chapter 1.

Leiss, W., Kline, S. and Jhally, S. (1986) Social Communication in Advertising: Persons, Products, and Images of Well-Being. New York: Metheuen. Chapters 1 & 2.

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Dines, G. & Humez, J. M. (2003) Gender, Race and Class in Media: Carter, C. & Steiner, L. (Eds) (2003) Critical Readings: Media and Gender. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Kline, S. (1993) Out of the Garden. Verso: London. Chapter 1.

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McNair, B. (2011) An Introduction to Political Communication. London: Routeledge. Available as Ebook from the Library.

Jones, N. (1999) Sultans of Spin: The Media and the NewLabourGovernment, London: Orion.

Jones, N. (1996) Soundbites and Spin Doctors: How Politicians Manipulate the Media - And Vice Versa.London: Indigo.

Negrine, R. (2007) The Professionalism of Political Communication. Chicago, IL: Intellect. Available as Ebook from library

May, T. (2001) Social Research: Issues, Methods and Processes

Sayer, Andrew (2000) Realismand Social Science. London: Sage.

Davies, M.M. and Mosdell, N. (2006) Practical Research Methods for Media and Cultural Studies: Making People Count, Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press.

Priest, S. Hornig (2010) Doing Media Research: An Introduction, London: Sage.

Silverman, D. (2010) Doing Qualitative Research, London: Sage.

Livingstone, S. (2006) Critical Debates in Internet Studies: Reflections on an Emerging Field. In In J. Curran and M. Gurevitch, (eds). Mass Media and Society. London: Hodder Arnold.

Curran, J., Fenton., N. & Freedman, D. (2012) Misunderstanding the Internet. Abingdon: Routeledge.

Chadwick, A. (2006) Internet Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dahlberg, L. (2005) The Internet as Public Sphere or Culture Industry: From Pessimism to Hope and Back Again. International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 1 (1), 93-96, available [Online] Available at http://www.academia.edu/1412446/The_Internet_as_public_sphere_or_culture_industry_From_pessimism_to_hope_and_back(Accessed 10 September 2013]

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Davis, A. (2002) Public Relations Democracy: Public Relations, Politics and the Mass Media in Britain. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Cutlip, Scott (1994). The Unseen Power: Public Relations, A History. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum Associates

Philo, G. (1990). Seeing and Believing. London: Routeledge. P171-199.

Hall, S. (1980) Encoding and Decoding, in S. Hall (ed) Culture, Media and Language. Hutchinson: London.

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Philo, G. (1996) The Media and Mental Distress. London: Longman.

Morley, D. (1980) The Nationwide Audience . London: BFI. Chapters 1-3.