NMD4102 Political Economy of MediaBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
NMD4102 Political Economy of Media Fall 3 0 3 5
This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction: English
Type of course: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Face to face
Course Coordinator : Dr. Öğr. Üyesi TİRŞE ERBAYSAL FİLİBELİ
Course Lecturer(s): Dr. Öğr. Üyesi TİRŞE ERBAYSAL FİLİBELİ
Course Objectives: This course aims to analyze the media sector from a political economy viewpoint and present the theoretical and methodological approaches within this field. Through the theoretical readings students will gain information on the relationship between media, power and democracy. Students will develop a critical point of view on the role of media.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
- will be introduced by the key concepts of political economy,
- will evaluate the determining factors regarding the production, distribution and consumption in media.
- will grasp the relationship between production and consumption in media markets.
- will develop a critical perspective about public policy debates related to competition in media markets (globally and locally) and media ownership, race, ethnicity and media, audience activity, intellectual freedom and copyrights, surveillance and privacy, and access to information.

Course Content

This course examines the political economy of mass media in modern societies. Issues such as media ownership, the role of media on democracy, media economics, the role and state of audience, the structure of digital media etc. are discussed thoroughly within a critical theoretical framework throughout the semester.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Introduction and Overview of the Course
2) The political economy of media / Key concepts “For a political economy of mass communications”, Graham Murdock & Peter Golding
3) The political economy of media / Key concepts “The study of the political economy of the media in the twenty-first century”, Janet Wasko
4) Media, Power and Democracy Readings from Louis Althusser, Antonio Gramsci and Herbert Schiller
5) Manufacturing consent: the political economy of the mass media “Manufacturing consent: the political economy of the mass media” Edward S. Herman/Noam Chomsky
6) The political economy of the press and news value “The structure of foreign news: the presentation of the Congo, Cuba and Cyprus crises in four Norwegian newspapers”, Johan Galtung and Mari Ruge “What Is News? Galtung and Ruge revisited”, Tony Harcup & Deirdre O'Neill
7) Midterm
8) Introduction to political economy of new media
9) Alternative media
10) Alternative media and crowdfunding in the digital age
11) Net neutrality
12) The political economy of film industry Discussion: The Post (movie)
13) A comparative analysis of media pluralism
14) Closing section: final review before final exam

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent: the Political Economy of the Mass Media, New York: Pantheon Books, 2002.
References:

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 13 % 0
Seminar 2 % 20
Midterms 1 % 35
Final 1 % 45
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 55
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 45
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 13 3 39
Study Hours Out of Class 14 6 84
Midterms 1 3 3
Final 1 3 3
Total Workload 129

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) Be able to specify functional and non-functional attributes of software projects, processes and products.
2) Be able to design software architecture, components, interfaces and subcomponents of a system for complex engineering problems.
3) Be able to develop a complex software system with in terms of code development, verification, testing and debugging.
4) Be able to verify software by testing its program behavior through expected results for a complex engineering problem.
5) Be able to maintain a complex software system due to working environment changes, new user demands and software errors that occur during operation.
6) Be able to monitor and control changes in the complex software system, to integrate the software with other systems, and to plan and manage new releases systematically.
7) Be able to identify, evaluate, measure, manage and apply complex software system life cycle processes in software development by working within and interdisciplinary teams.
8) Be able to use various tools and methods to collect software requirements, design, develop, test and maintain software under realistic constraints and conditions in complex engineering problems.
9) Be able to define basic quality metrics, apply software life cycle processes, measure software quality, identify quality model characteristics, apply standards and be able to use them to analyze, design, develop, verify and test complex software system.
10) Be able to gain technical information about other disciplines such as sustainable development that have common boundaries with software engineering such as mathematics, science, computer engineering, industrial engineering, systems engineering, economics, management and be able to create innovative ideas in entrepreneurship activities.
11) Be able to grasp software engineering culture and concept of ethics and have the basic information of applying them in the software engineering and learn and successfully apply necessary technical skills through professional life.
12) Be able to write active reports using foreign languages and Turkish, understand written reports, prepare design and production reports, make effective presentations, give clear and understandable instructions.
13) Be able to have knowledge about the effects of engineering applications on health, environment and security in universal and societal dimensions and the problems of engineering in the era and the legal consequences of engineering solutions.