FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION

Department of New Media and Communication

NMC 473 | Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Name
Alternative Media
Code
Semester
Theory
(hour/week)
Application/Lab
(hour/week)
Local Credits
ECTS
NMC 473
Fall/Spring
3
0
3
4

Prerequisites
None
Course Language
English
Course Type
Elective
Course Level
First Cycle
Mode of Delivery -
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course -
Course Coordinator
Course Lecturer(s) -
Assistant(s) -
Course Objectives This course aims to explore the history, perspectives, definitions, and the social agents of alternative media practices, while encouraging the students to probe into alternative media projects, addressing its political, social, and cultural aspects.
Learning Outcomes The students who succeeded in this course;
  • Reflect on the main theoretical debates on alternative media;
  • Develop a critical approach to mass communication process and mass media;
  • Consider alternative ways of producing, organizing, and be engaged with/in the media;
  • Evaluate cultural, social, economic and political implications of alternative media practices performed by diverse social actors;
  • Identify the opportunities and challenges for alternative media in the contemporary media environment.
Course Description This course provides the foundations for understanding the main theories, discourses and academic debates within alternative media, while probing into scholarship on its theory, history, politics, aesthetics, and practice. It explores a great variety of alternative media practices including subcultural, radical, tactical, social movement, community, participatory,\nethnic minority, indigenous and transnational media. The course also elaborates on the roles, opportunities, and challenges for these media in\nthe changing media ecosystem.

 



Course Category

Core Courses
Major Area Courses
Supportive Courses
X
Media and Management Skills Courses
Transferable Skill Courses

 

WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATION STUDIES

Week Subjects Related Preparation
1 Introduction
2 Critical reflections on mass media and mass communication Chomsky, N. (1997) “What makes mainstream media mainstream”, in Z Magazine, available at: http://www.chomsky.info/articles/199710- -.htm - Couldry, N. and Curran, J. (eds.) (2003) Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a Networked World. Lenham: Rowman and Littlefield – Introduction
3 Defining alternative media Atton, “Approaching Alternative Media: Theory and Methodology”; Rodriguez, “From Alternative Media to ‘Citizens’ Media”; Bailey, O. G., Cammaerts, B. and Carpentier, N. (2008) Understanding Alternative Media. Berkshire: Open University Press – chapter 1
4 Underground press Comedia (1984) “The Alternative Press: The Development of Underdevelopment”, in Media Culture and Society, vol. 6, pp. 95-102
5 Community radio Lewis, P. (1984) “Community Radio: The Montreal Conference and after”, in Media, Culture and Society, vol. 6, pp. 137-150
6 Participatory video and access TV Coyer, K., Dowmunt, T. and Fountain, A. (2007) The Alternative Media Handbook. London: Routledge – chapter 3
7 Tactics of cultural resistance graffiti, jokes, street theatre, culture jamming Downing, J. (2000) Radical Media: Rebellious Communication and Social Movements. CA: Sage - chapter 4
8 Midterm
9 Blurring realms Papacharissi Z (2009) The virtual sphere 2.0: the internet, the public sphere and beyond. In Chadwick A and Howard P (eds) Routledge Handbook of Internet Politics. New York: Routledge, 230-245. - Dahlgren P (2009) Media and Political Engagement: Citizens, Communication and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press - chapter 3
10 Commons knowledge, crowdsourcing Lievrouw, L. (2011) Alternative and Activist Media. Cambridge: Polity Press – chapter 6 - Fuchs, C. (2013) Social Media: A Critical Introduction. London: Sage – chapter 10
11 Participatory culture Carpentier, “Defining Participation” Benkler, “Peer Production and Sharing”
12 Counter publics and power Downing, “Power, Hegemony, Resistance,” “Social Movements, the Public Sphere, Networks,” & “Community, Democracy, Dialogue, and Radical Media”
13 New media activism Lievrouw, “Introduction” and “Getting People on the ‘Street’”
14 Review of the semester
15 Review of the semester
16 Final Exam

 

Course Notes/Textbooks

Couldry, N. and Curran, J. (eds.) (2003) Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a Networked World.ISBN-10: 0742523853;

Bailey, O. G., Cammaerts, B. and Carpentier, N. (2008) Understanding Alternative Media. Berkshire: Open University Press. ISBN-10: 0335222102; 

Coyer, K., Dowmunt, T. and Fountain, A. (2007) The Alternative Media Handbook. London: Routledge.ISBN-10: 041535966X; 

Downing, J. (2000) Radical Media: Rebellious Communication and Social Movements.ISBN- 10: 0803956991; 

Chadwick A and Howard P (eds) Routledge Handbook of Internet Politics. New York: Routledge.ISBN-10:0415780586; 

Dahlgren P (2009) Media and Political Engagement: Citizens, Communication and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN-10: 0521527899; 

Lievrouw, L. (2011) Alternative and Activist Media. Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN-10: 9780745641843

Suggested Readings/Materials

 

EVALUATION SYSTEM

Semester Activities Number Weigthing
Participation
1
10
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm
1
40
Final Exam
1
50
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade
2
50
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade
1
50
Total

ECTS / WORKLOAD TABLE

Semester Activities Number Duration (Hours) Workload
Theoretical Course Hours
(Including exam week: 16 x total hours)
16
3
48
Laboratory / Application Hours
(Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours)
16
0
Study Hours Out of Class
14
2
28
Field Work
0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
0
Portfolio
0
Homework / Assignments
0
Presentation / Jury
0
Project
0
Seminar / Workshop
0
Oral Exam
0
Midterms
1
10
10
Final Exam
1
30
30
    Total
116

 

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS RELATIONSHIP

#
Program Competencies/Outcomes
* Contribution Level
1
2
3
4
5
1

To be able to critically discuss and interpret the theories, concepts and ideas that form the basis of the discipline of new media and communication.

X
2

To be able to critically interpret theoretical debates concerning the relations between the forms, agents, and factors that play a role in the field of new media and communication.

X
3

To have the fundamental knowledge and ability to use the technical equipment and software programs required by the new media production processes.

4

To be able to gather, scrutinize and scientifically investigate data in the processes of production and distribution.

5

To be able to use the acquired theoretical knowledge in practice.

6

To be able to take responsibility both individually and as a member of a group to develop solutions to problems encountered in the field of new media and communication.

7

To be informed about national, regional, and global issues and problems; to be able to generate problem-solving methods depending on the quality of evidence and research, and to acquire the ability to report the conclusions of those methods to the public.

X
8

To be able to critically discuss and draw on theories, concepts and ideas that form the basis of other disciplines complementing the field of new media and communication studies.

9

To be able to develop and use knowledge and skills towards personal and social goals in a lifelong process.

10

To be able to apply social, scientific and professional ethical values in the field of new media and communication.

11

To be able to collect datain the areas of new media and communication and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1).

12

To be able to speak a second foreign language at a medium level of fluency efficiently.

13

To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to their field of expertise.

*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest

 


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