Communication

This course introduces and discusses historical developments and theoretical reflections of interactive media and looks at important authors, texts, and arguments. It explores various perspectives to analyze interactive media and uses these perspectives to illuminate selected cases. Topics include technological determinism; a Marxist base for digital superstructure; digital economy; history of the internet revisited; cyborgs and cybercommunities; cyberpower; digital texts, digital minds; artificial worlds, cyber bodies, and digital self; and alternatives to the West.

This course provides an overview of the theories and perspectives applicable to the study of communication and new media. Students apply various theories from both critical/cultural and social scientific approaches to analyze diverse digital phenomena and controversies. Students gain a foundational knowledge in how digital technologies affect interactions, how social media changes news consumption, how the conception of work changes in an era of crowdsourcing, and how media content can be made more persuasive.

How has the media been incorporated into our experiences of place and culture? How do we understand our media consumption, and our dwelling and travelling experiences, and how would such an understanding help us make sense of the increasingly globalizing world in which we live?  

This course explores the role the media play in deterritorialized, global and multicultural contexts. It first introduces two key approaches to media globalization, cultural imperialism paradigm and cultural globalization thesis, and considers how the production, circulation and consumption of global entertainment media have shaped the ways we understand both domestic and foreign cultures. It then examines a range of contemporary cultural phenomena such as cultural migrants, diaspora, media representation of minority, etc. and considers how such phenomena are concerned with critical issues in relation to globalization, identity formation and the shaping of our sense of place. 
 
A range of media texts (e.g. movies, television programs) will serve as exemplars to be analyzed in the lecture and discussion, in order to help students grasp the key concepts of relevant theories. 

This course introduces the field of user experience (UX) design involving the study, planning, and design of the interaction between people (users) and computers, and the resulting user experience. The course covers the basics of relevant issues, theories, and insights about the human side, the technical side, and the interaction (interface) between the two, and the process involved in designing the user experience. The course includes both theoretical and practical work and requires students to take prerequisites

This course focuses on skills to design and execute communication plans using social media. It explores the social, political, and economic impact of social media on public relations and strategic communication. It also discusses how social media, as part of the internet, affects private companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and people's daily lives.

This course explores the role of the media in contemporary liberal democracies and the actors who intervene in the process of political communication: governments, political parties, journalists, interest groups, and social movements. It also focuses on the main theories on the social influence of the media and how to run an electoral campaign (interviews, debates, polls, ads, etc.)

This course provides knowledge and tools to effectively communicate and overcome challenges in an increasingly multicultural environment. Topics include: verbal, para-verbal, and non-verbal communication; cultural identity, values, stereotypes, and self-awareness; intercultural sensitivity; intercultural communication in various professional fields including health and education.

As we observe increased news-avoidance, particularly among young adults, questions arise as to how journalists can counteract the trend and at the same time potentially redefine their role in public discourse. In this context, we will explore the role of constructive journalism in navigating and reporting on crises, such as natural disasters, pandemics, political upheavals, social and armed conflicts. Through a combination of theoretical discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, we will examine how journalism can go beyond traditional reporting to foster constructive dialogue, promote solutions, inspire change, and offer multiple perspectives during times of crisis. Thus the course objectives include: understanding the principles and concepts of constructive journalism, analyzing the challenges and opportunities of reporting on crises, examining case studies of constructive journalism in various crisis contexts, developing critical thinking and analytical skills in evaluating media coverage of crises, as well as practicing constructive journalism techniques through hands-on exercises and projects.

The media landscape and associated industries are in a constant state of evolvement, repeatedly undergoing transformations in their manner of production and positioning within social and thus market contexts. These dynamic processes of change within the broader field of media products and services are often intertwined with and conditioned by associated innovations in the enabling and underlying technological frameworks employed to produce, distribute and consume them. Innovations in communication technology thus also entail an impact on individual, social and psychological aspects of modern life. While this impact has long been influential, pressures of digitization and digital transformation have been making the need for a scholarly assessment of aforementioned processes ever more apparent. In this seminar we will thus explore current research and theory aiming to shed light on the intricacies of such developments, getting to know different dimensions of innovation and connecting them to practical examples of how these processes take shape within the wider media landscape. The course thus offers a rather broad perspective on what characterizes media innovation, how it develops, and what structural conditions facilitate and shape it.
 

This course provides interchanging discussions between media, communication, and sustainability issues. It examines sustainability issues in relation to media and communication theory to grasp strategies to encourage organizational or social behavior change. At the beginning of the semester, the course offers a theoretical framework of media and sustainability communication. Later in the course, students present a paper project on sustainability communication strategies in given sustainability issues.