Rationale 

This course will study the multiple elements of mass media power. It will explore the major functions and theories of the mass media as well as the various media forms and their characteristics. Students will be guided to examine the relationship between the media and democracy with a focus on the principles that should underpin the regulation of the media in a democratic society. The role of the media in the distribution and exercise of power, as well as its social and political effects, will be emphasized. Finally, the course will analyse and evaluate key arguments concerning how the mainstream media serves the interests of the powerful as well as the role of the media in historical events that changed the world. 

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students will be expected to:

(i)    Explain the dynamics of society in relation to the role of the mass media.
(ii)   Discuss the theories of the mass media.
(iii)  Explain how social media influence public opinion.
(iv)  Determine how a state’s governmental system affects the media’s function. 
(v)   Determine the media's role in the distribution and exercise of power.
(vi)  Describe the impact of economic and political power on media ownership and control.
(vii) Assess the role of media in political communication.
(viii) Engage in debates concerning questions of media power and its connections to sociopolitical issues. 
(ix)  Enumerate the positive and negative effects of media.