Overview

The history of modern media begins with the printing press in the 15th century, but it has accelerated rapidly in the last 100 years with the development first of broadcast technologies like radio, telephone, and television, and then the rise of digital technologies. During this module you will traverse that history and examine the impacts that communication technologies continue to have on social change, culture, politics, and economics. You will learn how audiences, producers, policymakers, and civil society have influenced the formation and early development of key media institutions. You will develop an informed understanding of how the study of media and media history have developed as a distinct branch within the discipline of media and communication studies.

This module will provide students with an overview of the historical development of the media from the early modern period to the present day, but with a primary emphasis on 20th Century history. Students will examine the relationship between social change and comminication technologies, and be asked to analyse individual media texts in their broader cultural, political, social and economic contexts. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the way in which audiences, producers, policy-makers and civil society have influenced the formation and early development of key media institiutions. The module will also look at the development of media studies as an academic discipline, as well as the emergence of media history - and its associated historiography - as a distinct branch within the discipline.

Assessment Strategy

The module will be assessed by two pieces of work. The first will be analysis of a historical media artefact or artefacts drawing upon conceptual and theoretical frameworks discussed on the module. This assessment will take the form of a 20-minute individual presentation.

The second assignment will be an essay, podcast episode or video essay where students are asked to respond to one of a number of questions set by the module leader.

To achieve Grade A the assessment must:  Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and detailed understanding of the subject area.  Demonstrate extensive background study.  Be well structured and highly focussed.  Contain logically presented and defended arguments.  Be free of factual/computational errors.  Include significant elements of original interpretation.  Demonstrate an ability to identify, develop and present new links between topics.  Include new approaches to analysing and/or explaining a problem.  Be presented to very high standards with very accurate communication.

To achieve Grade B the assessment must:  Demonstrate strong knowledge and understanding of most of the subject area.  Demonstrate evidence of background study.  Be well structured and focussed.  Contain coherently presented arguments.  Be mostly free of factual/computational errors.  Include some elements of original interpretation.  Describe well known links between topics.  Analyse and/or explain problems using existing methods/approaches.  Be presented to high standards with accurate communication.

To achieve Grade C the assessment must:  Demonstrate knowledge of key areas/principles.  Have some, if only limited, evidence of background study.  Be focussed on the question (assessment brief) with only some irrelevant material and weaknesses in structure.  Attempt to present relevant and logical arguments.  Not contain a large number of factual/computational errors.  Describe major links between topics.  Attempt to analyse and/or explain problems.  Be free of major weaknesses in presentation and accuracy.

To achieve Grade D the assessment must:  Demonstrate knowledge of some key areas/principles.  Have some, if only limited, evidence of background study.  Attempt to present an answer on the question (assessment brief) with only some irrelevant material and weaknesses in structure.  Attempt to present relevant and coherent arguments.  Not contain a large number of factual/computational errors.  Describe some links between topics.  Provide some analysis and/or explanation of problems.  Demonstrate an attempt to avoid major weaknesses in presentation and accuracy.

The assessment will be given Grade E-F if it does not fulfil the associated learning outcomes and contains:  Insufficient detail.  Deficiencies in knowledge even of key areas/principles.  No evidence of understanding, even of the main areas.  No evidence of background study.  Tangential material, lacking a coherent structure.  No arguments.  Many factual/computational errors.  No original interpretation.  No description of links between topics.  No attempt to solve problems.  A weak presentation with many inaccuracies.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyse media texts within their historical context

• Discuss the ways in which historical events are represented in a variety of media forms

• Identify key developments in the history of media studies as an academic discipline

• Illustrate how historical forces have shaped the establishment and development of media institutions