New course in English: Media and Democracy
The Media department offers a new English course, Media and Democracy, which is open to students within a Bachelor’s program as one of their open 15 ECTS courses. - This course will provide students an opportunity to develop a better understanding of the media’s role in democracies and other governance systems, explains Amina Loukili, who will teach the course at the Media department this fall.
- We will try to examine the media’s multifaceted role as a fundamental part of democratic societies.
Media and Democracy is open to all students within a Bachelor’s program. The students should however show a genuine interest in media and journalism studies. As the course is conducted in English, a good command of English language both written and oral is required.
Important questions asked are for example: Do media promote a strong civic society, a space where citizens are committed to transparency, curiosity and challenging their governing institutions?
- It is commonly believed that media have a great power in influencing elections, molding attitudes on different economic, political and cultural topics from the war in Iraq to gay rights. Do media really exert such power on audiences and political institutions? Or is this power complex and difficult to assess?
Also: Do media promote freedom of speech and give the chance to different opinions, ideas on controversial issues of public importance to be heard or do media set agendas and frameworks and enable only a minority who has power to express itself? If indeed media set agendas, who decide the issues tackled by media?
- I am looking forward to meeting the students, and hope many will enroll. Students can choose this course.
Contact Amina Loukili at aminal@hivolda.no for further details.
