Course syllabus
WELCOME to Politics 113 – Politics and the Media. This course provides an introduction to political communication and ‘mediated’ politics, democracy, conflict and peace. It introduces class members to some of the major ideas and academic insights relating to the role of words, phrases, and images in public political life. Topics covered include media history, the role of news media in a democracy, the online revolution, political economy of media, national and global dimensions, media freedom and regulation, journalism and news bias, political marketing and ‘spin’, the analysis of media discourse, and the role and response of audiences. The course is particularly relevant to students interested in further study in politics and media and considering careers related to journalism, public relations, opinion polling, campaign management, political advertising, and political consulting. But it is also relevant to anyone who is a member of the New Zealand public and who watches, listens to, or reads the media – which is everyone.
Tues 11AM – 12PM; Thurs 11AM – 12PM
260-073 (Lecture theatre OGGB 4, Owen G. Glenn building)
Dr Geoff Kemp
Lecturer
Room 405, Human Sciences Building, Symonds St
g.kemp@auckland.ac.nz
Office Hour: Thurs 3-4pm
Justin Phillips
Coordinating Tutor
justin.phillips@auckland.ac.nz
Room: 9 Grafton Road
Office Hour: Mon 2-3PM
Mark Boyd
Tutor
mark.boyd@auckland.ac.nz
Room: 9 Grafton Road
Office Hour: Tues 10-11AM
Amelia Vinnell
Tutor
avin760@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Room: 9 Grafton Road
Office Hour: Thur 10-11AM
Charlotte Adam
Tuākana mentor
PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course you should possess: a general understanding of the role of the media in democracy; a deeper understanding of the particular role of the news media in its relationship to politics broadly conceived and to the political process viewed more narrowly, including election campaigns; an awareness of the influences affecting this relationship, from human agency to historical, technological, economic, institutional and cultural factors; an awareness of major approaches to the media, in scholarly and policy terms; an enhanced ability to reflect critically on media output, on the role of the news media, and on politics; and an enhanced range of academic and critical skills of more general application, centrally the ability to locate and interpret relevant information and to articulate findings in discussion and in written assignments.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The course is taught through 24 lecture hours and 11 weekly tutorials. Lectures are given by Dr Geoff Kemp and speakers from academia and the news media. A lecture programme can be found below. Some changes may occur as we respond to current events and accommodate guest lecturers but this will not affect the range of topics covered.
Tutorials will start in the second week of semester, by which time you should know the time and location of your tutorial, having enrolled for one online. You should attend all tutorials – they provide grounding in academic skills, develop understanding of course topics, act as a conduit for course and exam information, and provide the chance for you to share your views and raise questions. Your tutor is involved in marking your work so will provide valuable feedback. If you have shown a willingness to contribute to tutorials the tutor may be more sympathetic to requests for coursework extensions and aware of your abilities in the event of a borderline grade needing confirmation. Get to know your tutor!
Tutorials begin in week 2 and the tutorial topics run a week behind the lecture topics. For example: in week 2, tutorials cover the lecture topics from week 1, and in week 3, tutorials cover the lecture topics from week 2. Please attend tutorials having read the relevant required reading(s).
Please contact your tutor or the coordinating tutor, either by email or in person, in the first instance if you have any questions, concerns or comments about any aspect of the course.
LECTURE PROGRAMME(in brief)
Tues 7 March: Media, Politics and Democracy: Introduction
Thur 9 March: Media, Politics and Democracy: Media Freedom and Monitoring Power
Tues 14 March: Media Revolutions: ‘Democracy without Media’, the ‘Printing Revolution’ and the Public Sphere GK
Thur 16 March: Media Revolutions: ‘Mass Media’ and ‘Broadcast Democracy’
Tues 21 March: Media Revolutions: New Media and Post-Broadcast Politics
Thur 23 March: Making News: Journalists and Journalism
Tues 28 March: ‘Manufacturing’ News? Political Economy of the Media
Thur 30 March: New Zealand Media: A Chartered Guide
Tues 4 April: Māori, Media and Politics
Thurs 6 April: New Zealand Media: A Chartered Guide (resumed)
Tues 11 April: Making News: Journalists, Politicians and Political PR
Thur 13 April: Test in class
Mid-semester break
Tues 2 May: Getting the Message: Analysing the Media
Thur 4 May: Getting the Message: Audiences and Media Effects
Tues 9 May: Political Marketing and Vote Compass
Thur 11 May: Media Politics: Campaign Communication
Tues 16 May: Media Politics: Inside New Zealand Political Journalism
Thur 18 May: Media Politics: The Campaign on Television
Tues 23 May: Media and International Relations
Thur 25 May: Media, Conflict and Peace
Tues 30 May: Making News: ‘Spin’ and Fake News
Thur 1 June: The Media at Play: Entertainment and Politics GK
Tues 6 June: Media, New Media and Political Futures
Thur 8 June: Conclusion and exam prep
Exam break
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Course assessment is based on two pieces of coursework (a test in class and an essay assignment, together worth 50% of the final grade) and a two-hour final exam (50%). Details follow.
TEST
Value: 20% of Final Grade
Date: 11am Thursday 13 April (in class, week 6)
Duration: 50 minutes total (40 mins writing time)
Details: The test will be held at the normal lecture time and place. It will require you to write in response to questions on topics covered in the first part of the course. Further guidance will be given before the test on the structure and how to prepare. Everyone is expected to sit the test. Anyone who for very good reason cannot do so (e.g. medical reasons) must submit an Aegrotat form (see UoA website).
ASSIGNMENT
Value: 30% of Final Grade
Due: 4pm Monday 22 May (start of week 10)
Length: 1,400-1,700 words
Topic: The second piece of coursework is a media analysis assignment. You will analyse examples of media output (media ‘texts’) and write an essay of up to 1,700 words in response to one question from a list to be circulated. The assignment should be based on close, critical observation, informed by relevant academic research strategies and readings. The list of examples and questions, along with further advice, will be circulated as early as possible. The assignment should be submitted both digitally (via Canvas) and physically to the essay drop-off box in the Arts faculty reception area in ARTS 1. The physical copy must have a cover sheet, generated on Canvas.
EXAMINATION
Value: 50% of Final Grade
Date: Time and location to be announced
Duration: Two hours
Details: You will be required to write short essays in response to three questions which you will choose from a list of questions reflecting themes and topics covered during the course as a whole.
Plussage does not apply in this course.
All students are expected to have read and understood the Politics and International Relations Coursework Guide, available on Canvas. This gives information on academic writing, late submission penalties, and plagiarism policy.
The Assignment must be submitted via Canvas as well as submitted in hard copy: completion of both stages will count as the submission date. Submission through Canvas will run your essay through Turnitin, checking for any plagiarism problems.
Students should consult their tutor at the earliest possible opportunity if for any reason they face problems in completing any part of the coursework. Do not suffer in silence.
READING
Core Readings
The course textbook is Geoff Kemp, Babak Bahador, Kate McMillan and Chris Rudd, eds., Politics and the Media, Second Edition (Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2016), hereafter referred to by title, as ‘Kemp et al.’ or simply ‘the textbook’. The book will be your core reading and you are expected to buy a copy or otherwise have access to a copy. It can be bought from UBS bookshop and other outlets. There are copies in the General Library, including copies available on short loan. The book is a collaborative work for use in several New Zealand university courses and its chapter sequence may differ from the lecture sequence: check the lecture list.
Each week’s core readings are indicated in the lecture schedule, with links on Canvas to the reading list on Talis. As well as the textbook there are additional core readings (required or recommended) which can be found on Canvas and/or available as electronic readings (ER) via Canvas/Talis or the library website). Brief details of author and title are given below, and a fuller reference will be found in the ‘Further Reading List’ posted on Canvas; ask if unclear.
Note: Readings are listed in the week of the relevant lectures, and will normally be the relevant readings for the tutorial the following week. If not, your tutor will advise on what to read for the next tutorial.
Further Reading
To supplement the core readings, ‘further readings’ are indicated in the lecture list. We may also provide additional readings on Canvas. You are encouraged to read as widely and deeply as possible. Reading widely and wisely is a key academic skill, which you should cultivate at an early stage: demonstrating that you have gained new insights from doing so can be a way to turn a solid B-range grade into a stellar A-range grade.
You are also strongly encouraged to get to know the news media, by reading and watching widely, taking in both New Zealand and international media, online and offline, including newspapers, television, radio, and other sources of news, journalism and political commentary.
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Canvas
Canvas will be used to post course materials and lecture presentations, and to post and email course notices. Lecture slides may not be posted until after the lecture and it is at the discretion of guest lecturers whether they provide any material for uploading. Please ensure you can use the system and that your email address is current. Advice on accessing Canvas is available from the Information Commons Helpdesk.
Talis reading list
Readings are listed on Talis, accessible through Canvas or by entering the course code (Politics 113) into the University library’s Talis page (http://auckland.rl.talis.com/).
The course has a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Politics113. From time to time the teaching team may post interesting and relevant things to the Facebook page, and students are welcome to use the Facebook page to share and discuss happenings in the media and politics generally. Using the Facebook page is voluntary, and Facebook complements rather than substitutes official channels of communication such as Canvas and email.
Course summary:
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