Global Media

Course Description

COURSE OVERVIEW. Examines how globalization and media are intertwined across national, transnational and diasporic circuits. Explores frameworks for understanding globalization through media ownership, migration, representation, content flow, technology, everyday life and/or political influence. Considers how news, entertainment, advertising and/or digital platforms travel across regions and are reshaped by local and transnational values, communities and regulations. Highlights both integration and inequality in global media landscapes. Course content may reference political or cultural controversies, including propaganda, censorship, immigration or conflict reporting, for purposes of critical analysis. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Builds awareness of how media industries function in global markets, supporting preparation for careers in journalism, strategic communication, public affairs, media production, policy analysis and international business. Supports adaptability within multicultural and internationally connected workplaces. Develops abilities to assess media influence across national and cultural boundaries, relevant skills in organizations operating in global or multicultural environments. Strengthens academic grounding for advanced study in communication, media studies, international relations or cultural analysis. Supports civic literacy by clarifying how global media shape public opinion, diplomacy and perception between nations. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Reveals that media are not neutral carriers of information but products of political, economic, ideological and cultural systems. Highlights how similar content can carry different meanings depending on context, history, ideology and/or regulation. Encourages reflection on how local and/or personal media environments are shaped by assumptions and practices that may differ substantially across national and cultural boundaries, fostering greater awareness of perspective and context. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study of transnational media ownership and conglomerates; global circulation of news, entertainment and advertising; audiences and consumers; comparative media systems in democratic, authoritarian and transitional societies; localization and cultural adaptation; media policy, censorship and regulatory control; streaming platforms, social media and telecommunications infrastructure; migration, diaspora, citizenship and identity across borders. Course material may reference real-world cases involving political or cultural controversy, such as extremism, disinformation or state propaganda, for purposes of analysis and critique within an environment of respectful dialogue. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: JOUR 458/COMM 458.

Code

COMM 458

Credits

3

Subject

COMM