Journalists and Media Owners in the World 2401-OG-EN-JM

https://moodle.umk.pl/WFINS/course/view.php?id=519&notifyeditingon=1#
https://moodle.umk.pl/course/view.php?id=1242 (w cyklu 2022/23L)
https://moodle.umk.pl/course/view.php?id=1242 (w cyklu 2023/24L)
https://moodle.umk.pl/course/view.php?id=1242 (w cyklu 2024/25L)

1.Introduction. course roadmap; what counts as “media power”; seminar discussion protocol; case-study template. J&MO: W1, U1, K2.

Module 1. Media ownership & political power
2. Silvio Berlusconi – between media and politics, political parallelism, political and symbolic power, power of discourse, Berlusconi as a brand, media capture, populism, owner-politician fusion. J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2, K2.
3. Rupert Murdoch – between business and ethics, tabloid journalism, platform distribution vs legacy tabloids; attention economy; ethics vs revenue. J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2, K2.
4. Roger Ailes – tabloid journalism, teletabloid, partisan politics, partisan media ecosystems; outrage cycles; hybridization with social media. J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2, K2.

Module 2. Cultural power, entertainment & celebrity influence
5. Walt Disney – media and entertainment, “disney culture” as a influence on society, Disney’s brand, streaming/platformization (Disney+), IP empires, cultural power. J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2.
6. Oprah Winfrey – celebrity journalism, political involvement, cultural phenomenon, influencer politics; parasocial power; platform celebrity vs broadcast celebrity. J&MO: W2, U1, U2, K2.

Module 3. Tech leaders, platform power & philanthropy
7. Steve Jobs – between perfectionism and artistry, think different, charismatic leader. tech leadership as media narrative; product ecosystems as “media environments”. J&MO: W2, U1, U2, K1.
8. Bill Gates – pragmatic visionary, philanthropy as a way to change the world, philanthrocapitalism + information influence; funding journalism/science comms. J&MO: W2, U1, U2, K2.
9. Mark Zuckerberg – global phenomenon, power-knowledge, hate speech and fake news, platform governance, recommender systems, moderation/oversight, transparency. J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2, K2.

Module 4. Journalists as power: genres, ethics, accountability
10. Oriana Fallaci – interpretative journalism, between journalism and literacy, journalism involved, opinion leadership, polarization, ethics of advocacy/identity framing. J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2, K2.
11. Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward – investigative journalism, journalism as “fourth estate”. J&MO: W2, U1, U2, K2.
12. Günter Wallraff – between journalism and social experiment; searching journalism boundaries, ethics in journalism, undercover methods today; harm minimization; consent; platform “sting” culture. J&MO: W2, U1, U2, K2.
13. Edward Murrow – journalism in times of war, the power of electronic media, verification in conflicts, OSINT, propaganda ecosystems, safety of reporters. J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2.

Module 5. Disinformation & information warfare
14. Jessika Aro – disinformation as instrument of state policy, technology and the state, troll factories, information warfare, coordinated inauthentic behavior, influence ops, synthetic media / AI-enabled propaganda. J&MO: W2, U1, U2, K2.

15. Summary. Assessment of students. Synthesis (“who holds power now?”), course takeaways, reflective evaluation. J&MO: W1, W2, K1, K2.

Całkowity nakład pracy studenta

Contact hours with teacher: - participation in discussion seminar – 30 hrs - consultations – 25 hrs Self-study hours: - preparation for presentation and discussion – 25 hrs - reading literature – 60 hrs Altogether: 140 hrs ( 5 ECTS)

Efekty uczenia się - wiedza

J&MO_W1 (K_W07): Explains and compares key approaches to media power and media–politics relations (e.g., political economy of media, agenda-setting/framing, political parallelism, platform governance), using relevant terminology. J&MO_W2 (K_W08): Analyzes mechanisms of influence in social and political processes (ownership concentration, branding/celebrity power, algorithmic distribution, disinformation), and evaluates their consequences for pluralism and democratic deliberation.

Efekty uczenia się - umiejętności

J&MO_U1 (K_U02): Conducts a structured case analysis of a selected journalist/media owner/platform actor, formulates an argument, and supports it with evidence from assigned readings and credible sources. J&MO_U2 (K_U11): Delivers an academic presentation in English and moderates a seminar discussion, using clear structure, appropriate language, and responsive facilitation techniques.

Efekty uczenia się - kompetencje społeczne

J&MO_K1 (K_K01): Reflects critically on own competences and learning needs; uses feedback to improve analytical and communication performance. J&MO_K2 (K_K03, K_K04): Collaborates responsibly in an intercultural group, shares tasks fairly, and maintains academic integrity and ethical standards in discussion and written work.

Koordynatorzy przedmiotu

Aleksandra Seklecka

Metody dydaktyczne

Expository teaching methods: - description, discussion Exploratory teaching methods: - case study - classic problem-solving

Metody dydaktyczne podające

- opis
- opowiadanie

Metody dydaktyczne poszukujące

- biograficzna
- studium przypadku

Metody dydaktyczne w kształceniu online

- metody oparte na współpracy
- metody wymiany i dyskusji
- metody służące prezentacji treści

Rodzaj przedmiotu

przedmiot fakultatywny

Wymagania wstępne

English knowledge (min. B1)

Kryteria oceniania

GRADING:
• Attendance – you may skip two meetings without consequences. You may also miss the next three meetings but must make up for consultations. You have to read obligatory literature, prepare a draft (before consultations), and answer my questions;
• Active participation in discussion – you must be familiar with assigned readings and participate in the debate. Max. 2 points every meeting. (J&MO: W1, W2, K2)
• Presentation – everyone has to prepare a short presentation (15 minutes) that will focus on a journalist or media owner who (in personal opinion) could be called “powerful”. After the presentation, you have to lead the discussion (lower limit of 10 minutes), engage your colleagues, and focus on the presentation’s topic. Max. 30 points. (J&MO: W1, W2, U1, U2, K2 and K1 through feedback)

fail – (0-49%)
satisfactory – (50%-59%)
satisfactory plus – (60%-69%)
good – (70%-79%)
good plus – (80%-89%)
very good – (90%-100%)

Literatura

Core:
Boven C. 2013. A comparison of Australian and German literary journalism, https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1579&context=theses
Bradshaw S., Ph.N. Howard. 2018. The Global Organization of Social Media Disinformation Campaigns. “Journal of International Affairs”, Vol. 71, No.1.5.
Caldwell C. 2002. The Fallaci Affair. “Commentary” October.
Cinelli M. et al. 2020. The limited reach of fake news on Twitter during 2019 European elections. “PLOS ONE” June 18.
Cosentino G., W. Doyle. 2010. Silvio Berlusconi, One Man Brand.
“Popular Culture And Everyday Life” 12, p. 219-240, http://www.academia.edu/5287579/Silvio_Berlusconi._One_Man_Brand (12.12.2018).
Dahl Rendtorff J. 2016. Whistleblowing as Employee’s Fredoom of Speech. Günter Wallraff’s Authorship as an Illustrative Case. “Nordicum Mediterraneum” January
Dearlove D. 2010. The Unauthorized Guide To Doing Business the Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Richest Business Leader. E-book.
Dickey J.. 2017. Died Roger Ailes, shaper of partisan politics. “Time” June 5.
Ellison S.. Roger, Over and Out!. “Vanity Fair” November.
Illouz E. 2003. Oprah Winfrey and the Glamour of Misery : An Essay on Popular Culture. New York : Columbia University Press.
Gerrits A.W.M. 2018. Disinformation in International Relations: How Important It Is?. “Security and Human Rights” 29
Kirkpatrick D. 2018. The Facebook Defect. “Time” 4.
Klein S. (ed.). Steve Jobs and Philosophy: For Those Who Think Different. E-book.
Junod T. 2011. Why Does Roger Ailes Hate America?. “Esquire” February.
Lashinsky A. 2016. Zuckerberg. “Fortune” 12.
Lashmar D. 2009. Investigative journalism: a case for intensive care?, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=7C957C710C3A4F5BF7DE500A28593169?doi=10.1.1.425.8314&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Leaf C. 2020. The conversation: Bill Gates. “Fortune” October
Motta V. 2011. The courage of rhetoric: Niente e così sia by Oriana Fallaci. Italianist 31,
Seib P.M.. 2006. Broadcasts From the Blitz: How Edward R. Murrow Helped Lead America Into War. E-book.
Sponholz L. 2016. Islamophobic Hate Speech: What is the Point of Counter-Speech? The Case of Oriana Fallaci and The Rage and the Pride, “Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs”, Vol. 36, No. 4
Wills J. 2017. Disney culture. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
Wolff M. 2010. The man who owns the news. Inside the secret world of Rupert Murdoch. London: Vintage Books.
Zuckerberg M. 2019. People should decide what is credible, not tech companies. “Vital Speeches of the Day” December.

Suplementary:
Aro, J. 2022.Putin's Trolls: On the Frontlines of Russia's Information War Against the World. New York: Ig Publishing.
Bernstein C., B. Woodward. 1974. All the President’s Men. New York: Simone and Schuster Paperbacks.

Więcej informacji

Dodatkowe informacje (np. o kalendarzu rejestracji, prowadzących zajęcia, lokalizacji i terminach zajęć) mogą być dostępne w serwisie USOSweb:

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