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PL30059: German national option G9: Die Massenmedien in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland undGroßbritannien

[Page last updated: 05 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CW 33%, EX 67%
Assessment Detail:
  • Presentation (CW 16%)
  • Write up (CW 17%)
  • Exam (EX 67%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Aims: This option traces the changing role of the media in German and British society. It begins with the emergence of public service broadcasting and ends with the most recent phenomena of blogging and twittering. Key debates include the question of media ownership, the relationship between media and politics, the increasing sensationalism of the press and the impact of new technologies. The course adopts an explicitly comparative approach. Student seminars will involve comparing media from the two countries.

Learning Outcomes: On completion of this unit, students will be able to analyse journalistic and televised texts and situate these within wider discussions on the role of the mass media in contemporary Germany.

Skills: Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken language, exercise of independent judgement, reasoned argument, effective communication in the target language, teamwork and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are developed and assessed in this unit.

Content: Theories of the function of the mass media in a democracy; historical developments in the German and British media; problems of increasing commercialisation and cross-ownership patterns of media in Germany and Britain; the impact of German unification on the media; potential of new media particularly the internet; analysis of news reporting in newspapers and television. The unit is taught in German.

Programme availability:

PL30059 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • UHPL-AYB12 : BA(Hons) German and Politics with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB05 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (French and German) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB06 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (German and ab initio Italian) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB23 : BA(Hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (German and Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AYB04 : BSc(Hons) International Management and Modern Languages (German) with Year Abroad (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.