This course discusses the role of journalism in the changing economic, political, cultural and technological landscape of the 21st century, shaped by increasingly transnational relations and trends. On the one hand journalism is shaped by the forces of "globalization", on the other hand it is a (relatively) active agent in these processes. We will look at both of these issues and try to link questions concerning journalism with broader debates and conceptualizations of social theory.

We start with locating journalism in the context of modernity, then look at the emergence and challenges of professional journalism. Then we move on to think about transnational trends and journalism in four dimensions: 1) economy, 2) politics/representation, 3) culture/identities and 4) technology/networks.

Normally, the lectures take from 9:15 to about 11 or 11:30, depending on the amount of intelligent discussion we produce.

Passing the course will require

1) active participation at the lectures

2) knowledge of readings (distributed through Moodle)

3) short assignments (mostly weekly)

4) Submission of a final course paper (5 pages) by March 9.

Fri 20.1. 9.15-11:30.

Introduction: Journalism, modernity and the transnational

* What is journalism: a contextual definition?

* Globalization/ transnationalization: its interfaces to journalism

* Obstacles and opportunities

Friday 27.1. 9:15-11.30

Professionalism and Ideology: The journalistic field?

* Emergence of the profession?

* Journalistic field and its autonomy?

* Transnational ? transcultural dimensions/characteristics

Friday 3.2. 9:15- 11:30

Economy: structural characteristics

* Crisis of journalism? Public solutions?

* Transnational media economies and journalism?

* Journalism and the financial crisis

Friday 10.2. 9:15-11:30

Politics/Representation

* Journalism and political power

* Source-relations

* structures and events

* journalism and climate change (summits)

Friday 17.2. 9:15-11:30

Culture/Identity

* Communication and culture?

* Mediatization, globalization and identities

* Diasporic communities

Friday 24.2. 9:15-11.30

Technology /Networks

Friday 9.3.

DEADLINE FOR FINAL PAPERS!

Friday 16.3. 9:15-11.30.

Concluding session