MEDIA, POWER AND REGULATION - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module focuses on the role of media in contemporary societies, placing particular emphasis on questions of
domination, influence, regulation, control and inequality. We examine contrasting perspectives on the ways in which
societies should regulate and manage media, covering public service broadcasting, neo-liberalism, ownership and control
and questions of censorship. We then go on to examine the relationship between media, social cohesion and different
forms of social division.

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

WEIDHASE Nathalie (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• The distinction between public service and neo-liberal approaches to media


• Marxist and other theoretical critiques of the role of media in contemporary societies


• Contrasting approaches to censorship of ‘harmful’ or ‘offensive’ forms of content


• The historical development and contemporary fragmentation of the national media audience


• The relationship between media and social divisions/inequalities


• The implications of recent developments – including digitalisation and deregulation – for questions of media, power and control

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

Assessment one assesses students’ ability to convey and discuss ideas in an online forum throughout the semester. Discussion topics tie in with lectures and readings at the time each one takes place. Discussions particularly assess lo 4 but incorporate the first three learning outcomes too.

Assessment two focuses directly on the final learning outcome but also assesses the first three learning outcomes, centred on familiarity with concepts, connections between theoretical and practical approaches to policy and application of theory to examples.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Online Participation (40%), requiring students to contribute to each of five discussion topics throughout the semester, drawing upon reading and examples and interacting with the comments of others.


• A written essay (60%), chosen from a list that covers the key issues and topics discussed on the module.

Formative assessment and feedback

Students gain formative feedback throughout the semester via the interaction of their ideas with peers and the lecturer, both in class and via the online discussions. All students are encouraged to ask questions and test ideas in relation to the assignments during the weeks preceding their submission. Extensive feedback from class and assessment 1 will be available before assessment 2. 

Module aims

• To outline different approaches to the purpose, significance and impact of media in contemporary societies.
• To identify and scrutinise different perspectives with respect to questions of media regulation and control.
• To engage with theory and research which relates to broader questions of media, power and inequalities.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Lectures components provide a core background, enthusing students about the significance and importance of the topics and arguments, and enabling the understanding of core concepts and examples. Seminar discussions enable students to develop greater depth of understanding through practical exercises and discussions centred on reading and connecting to key concepts from the lecture. Sometimes lecture and seminar are discrete whereas in other weeks a more integrated approach is taken. SurreyLearn discussions take place throughout the module and enable interaction and feedback on a range of ideas and understandings.

The learning and teaching methods include:

The teaching strategy consists of 22 combined lecture/seminar sessions, plus a revision session. Students complete compulsory readings each week as preparation for the seminar discussions.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOC2086

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.