Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3051: The Media in Europe

This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.

Module Aims

In this module you will look at the relationship between politics and the media which involves examination of both media policy and political communication. The module allows you to explore the relationship between politics and the media by means of comparative investigation of media systems in European countries. It provides you with a sophisticated understanding of the regulatory structures of different mass media systems, the main policy issues relevant to the contemporary mass media, and the process and effects of political communication. At the end of the module you will be both knowledgeable about, and proficient in the comparative analysis of, mass media systems within Europe with regard both to media regulation and policy and to political communication. It addresses the strengths and weaknesses of different perspectives, models and explanations. The module addresses key issues of media freedom and pluralism, and its role in democratic pluralism. This requires investigation of patterns of regulation, private and public ownership, the tension between the market and public interest goals, and the trend towards commercialisation.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Be cognizant about regulation of the media industry in theory and practice. Identify policy goals and outcomes. 2. Be competent in European regulation and the comparative analysis of national media regulatory frameworks.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Critical analysis of primary and secondary source material. 4. Understanding of theory and models. 5. Ability to construct and present rigorous oral and written argument.
Personal and Key Skills	6. Communicate effectively in oral and written work 7. Independent study and group work including the presentation of material for group discussion. 8. Successful use of IT for the retrieval and presentation of information. 9. Advanced oral and written communication skills (via PowerPoint presentations, course work and assessed essays). 10. Use of on-line interactive material and discussion group.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Teaching for this module will be through a combination of lectures, and student led seminars.

1. Introduction to the module 2. Theories of the media 3. Press regulation (traditional models) 4 the role of public service broadcasting in Europe 5. Broadcasting regulation (private markets) 6. EU broadcasting regulation 7. Europe's information society 8. film subsidies and state aid 10. The UK media market 11. The UK regulatory structure 12. Provision of news 13. The media in France 14. The media in Germany (decentralisation) 15. Scandinavian media models 16. the Media in Italy 17. Policy transfer and Eastern Europe 18. Internet regulation 19. Media ownership global trends 20. China and the piracy debate

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
44	256

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	44	22 x 2 hour seminars
Guided Independent study	256	Independent study

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).