Global Media Systems

Course Description

What students see in U.S. media is like what students see in media in other countries, and what students see in U.S. media is not like what students see in media in other countries. That's a contradiction, but it makes sense: The world's media production and policies have been dominated by powerful Western countries like the U.S., but other countries are becoming major producers and influencing policy. Countries like India, South Korea, Brazil and Nigeria are producing and spreading their own news, films, TV shows and social media, challenging this dominance. In this course, students will explore media and media production in particular countries -- the film industries of India's Bollywood and Nigeria's Nollywood, the cable news networks of China and Russia, the soap operas of Latin America and Turkey, among others. Students will learn about the hidden policies, politics and economics of media "globalization" and explore theories that explain the strange mix of diversity and sameness in media around the world. Students will also "put themselves" in the context of these other countries' media cultures and systems, imagining the challenges and benefits they might experience as media producers and consumers, the decisions they might make, and how these compare to the U.S. context.

Code

JCM 494

Credits

3

Subject

JCM

Programs That Include This Course

• Bachelor's Bachelor of Arts in News Media
• Minor Minor in Global and Cultural Perspectives