Media Advocacy in the Global Public Sphere
- MMGT 6013 - Media Advocacy in the Global Public Sphere (Spring 2012)
Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass communication channels for the purpose of influencing public policy. It is a means to an end - policy change - and not the goal in itself. Media advocacy targets the broad, social environment to promote systemic change, rather than focusing on individual, human behaviors that occur further downstream in the change process. Technological innovation, particularly the digitization of content, is forcing structural changes in mass media that encourage the rise of more specialized community and ethnic media outlets. At the same time, the theoretical space in which people debate and exchange ideas, termed the ‘public sphere' by Jurgen Habermas, has become global, expanding to include many more voices in dialogues that transcend national boundaries. These changes open up new lines of thinking and new influence opportunities for activists. This course examines various media theories and their application to social change strategies as practiced by groups around the world. It employs a global, cross-cultural perspective to look particularly at so-called alternative media, which are generally more accessible and multi-faceted than are mainstream, corporate-controlled outlets. Course content will also cover some of the ethical dilemmas that arise when government agencies engage in issues advocacy and when commercial marketing and media techniques are applied to complex issues of social and public policy.
For the 2012 Hong Kong IFP, a student must choose as a prerequisitive course either Global Governance or Media Advocacy in the Global Public Sphere.
Concentration:Media and Culture