1141媒體與社會(Media and Society)
This course introduces students to the academic study of media, which encompasses everything from hieroglyphs on walls to texts and emojis on mobile phones. Media are central to society, enabling interaction and organisation, and can influence societal functions and human interaction often unnoticed. They affect daily life and major institutions such as schools and governments, shaping messages and meanings. The course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of media both historically and in the present day, offering various analytical approaches from different disciplines. It emphasises the reciprocal influence between media and society, exploring the complex ‘power' of media from multiple perspectives and the associated power politics. Topics include media manipulation, evolving technologies, the social construction of reality, audience characteristics, media literacy, media-politics relations, and the globalisation of media. Students are encouraged to critically evaluate different analytical approaches related to media content, production, distribution, consumption, and use.