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Instructors: Prof. Dr. Irene Neverla; Dr. Monika Pater
Event type:
Project seminar
Displayed in timetable as:
MeCoDem
Hours per week:
3
Credits:
8,0
Language of instruction:
English
Min. | Max. participants:
5 | 10
Comments/contents:
The course investigates the role of traditional and social media in conflicts that accompany and follow transitions to democracy. Media cannot be seen as isolated institutions but as one among multiple components in public spheres. Other components in public spheres are governmental institutions, military, civil society, economic and cultural stakeholders etc. All components have gone through particular historical developments which are specific to each country. Accordingly, the impact of these different developments is that ‚democratization’ may have very different qualities.
Democracy is widely seen as a form of government and participatory citizenship that promotes the peaceful negotiation of antagonistic interests and tolerance towards divergent worldviews, identities and beliefs. However, the experience of many transitional societies shows that this is not always the case. In a significant number of countries the introduction of democratic politics has even exacerbated existing divisions, while the re-configuration of power generates its own conflicts between the winners and losers of the regime change. In many of these conflicts the media – both traditional and new – have played a pivotal role. The international research project, to which this course is related, analyses the role of the media by investigating the interplay of communication and democratisation conflicts in four emerging democracies (Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Serbia).
Learning objectives:
We will investigate four main research questions: a) How do traditional media cover these conflicts in the democratisation process? b) What are the working practices, ethical codes and professional roles of journalists covering these conflicts? c) How are conflict messages diffused via social media? d) What are the communication strategies of conflict partners, and again, how do media deal with these strategies?
At the end of the seminar, students should be able to develop understanding about general tendencies and developments concerning the questions given above. Furthermore, students will have gained a thorough understanding of theoretical approaches to study conflict coverage, the diffusion of conflict message and communication strategies of participants in a conflict and are able to apply this knowledge in their scientific works (e. g. the project developed in this course).
Didactic concept:
The course is developed around a current international collaborative research project, "Media, Conflict and Democratisation“ (MeCoDEM), and thus offers students a unique learning context. Students are asked to develop and carry through their own small research project related to the overall framework of MeCoDem. The suggestion is to also use a case-based approach.
We would like to invite participants to draw on prior knowledge as well as previous work (and other) experiences when investigating communication strategies of conflict partners respectively media coverage of a conflict related to processes of democratisation.
In a first step, students are asked to develop questions for their own small case study with first ideas on the research design (Paper 1, not graded). This paper will undergo peer-review and review by one of the instructors. On the basis of this reviews, the working groups will further develop the research question and an adequate research design (paper 2, 3) and implement it in order to arrive at first results which will be presented at the end of the course by the means of a poster presentation.
Literature:
Voltmer, K.: (2013) The Media in Transitional Democracies. Contemporary Political Communication. Cambridge: Polity.
Voltmer, K.; Kraetzschmar, H. (2015): Investigating the Media and Democratisation Conflicts: Research Design and Methodology of Media, Conflict and Democratisation (MeCoDEM). Working paper, available online: http://www.mecodem.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Voltmer-Kraetzschmar-2015_Investigating-the-Media-and-Democratisation-Conflicts.pdf (28.6.2019).
http://www.mecodem.eu
Additional examination information:
1) Reading diaries to three texts (not graded)
2) Presentation and handout based on set literature (10% of the overall grade); a draft of the handout is due a week before the presentation (email to instructor);
3) Project outline (first draft, not graded)
Due date: Nov 12 (latest!)
4) Peer review of the draft of another's project outline (not graded)
Due date: Nov 15
5) Project outline - extended version (30%)
i.e. a plan of a research project of which the first steps are carried out in Dec/January; the results will be presented to the course in the form of a poster presentation
Due Date: Dec 3
6) Project proposal– final version (30%)
i.e. revised version of the project outline which must include final, tested version of research instruments and results of pretest
Due Date: Jan 20
7) Poster presentation (30%)
Condensed visual presentation of the project and its results
Due date: Jan 31
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