This is a Master's level course.

Each class consists of a combination of lecture and seminar discussion. Students will have an understanding of various types of media, forms of media control and regulation; students will acquire knowledge of the history of Russian media and display awareness of the role of media in Russian and Soviet societies; students will have knowledge of media and new media theory and how media developments are influenced by the processes of globalisation; students will have an understanding of the connection between technological advancements and use of new media in Russian culture. Students will acquire knowledge of methods used in media studies; these are indicated in the schedule below in [brackets]. Students will be able to conduct independent research and present its results in both written and oral form. Students will be able to conduct media research (media monitoring, analysis of media content and forms, etc.) and relate to the political, social and cultural context. Students will be able to engage in critical discussions of various new media products; they will be able to differentiate between various forms of new media and appreciate their political and cultural significance. Students will be able to conduct complex analysis of new media texts in relation to certain forms of authorship, distribution, consumption and regulation.

The course will be organized as an intensive course (Sep. 12th-Sep 16th, 2016).

Does freedom of speech exist in Russia? What does it mean in Russian culture? Who are the agents of state control? How did Russian media operate in the climate of oligarchs? How did Russian media change after the emergence of the networked society? What is the political potential of social media in Russia?

The course provides students with conceptual frameworks for thinking through a range of key issues related to Russian (new) media: authorship, regulation, convergence and freedom of expression. The course provides a chronological survey of the history of digital media in Russia as well as a synthetic approach to media studies. The focus will be on Russian media of the past 20 years, emergence and function of new media in Russian culture. The objectives of this module are: 1) to study the theory of media and its institutions and economics in relation to the issues of media regulation; and 2) to study the practice of new media in contemporary Russia.

Vlad Strukov is Associate Professor in Digital Culture in  University of Leeds, UK.

The course is organized in cooperation with Aleksanteri Institute's Russian and East European Master's School.