The REPORT (Blog and a Blog Report) of 2,500 words will be a reflection on the process of creating a blog and peer evaluation of each other's blogs based on collectively developed evaluation criteria. [Learning Outcomes 1,2,4]

The ESSAY of 3,000 words will interrogate theories about new media in relation to the development of new communication technologies and products. [Learning Outcomes 1&3]

ONLINE DISCUSSION Participation and contribution to the weekly Wiki discussion board. [1,2,3,5]

Students must achieve a pass in all three assessments

Barbrook, R (2007) Imaginary Futures: From Thinking Machines to the Global Village, London, Pluto Press
Couldry, N. (2012) Media, Society, World, Social Theory and Digital Media Practice. Polity Press
Doyle, G (2008) Understanding Media Economics, London: Sage
Flew, T (2007) Understanding Global Media, Hampshire: Palgrave, Macmillan
Hassan, R (2004) Media, Politics and the Network Society, OU press.
Kung, L and Picard R (2008) The Internet and the Mass Media, Sage
Thussu, D.K. (1998) Electronic Empires: Global Media and Local Resistance, Edward Arnold
Wilkin, P (2001) The Political Economy of Global Communication, Pluto Press
New Media and Society - Journal

A computer for accessing Blackboard, websites and electronic journals.
Course texts and course learning pack.
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available (where relevant) to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

The module will be delivered through a virtual learning environment. It will run over 16 weeks, and will normally include 4 weeks for you to complete the assessments to be graded. During this period, you will work through a self-instructional programme of weekly reading and tasks that structures your learning. Tasks are designed to assist your understanding of the reading, make critical evaluations of reading content, and apply learning from reading to hypothetical or concrete contexts. In addition, a wide variety of web-based resources including papers, audio-visual and other documentary material associated with the weekly learning units is provided. At various points you will be expected to interact with each other and your tutors. You are expected to allocate a minimum of 24 hours to engage and interact with your tutors and fellow peers.

Independent Study Hours:
(1) independent learning (150 hours) through guided reading from core texts and the use of web-based materials to develop a detailed knowledge of contemporary debates in media practices.
(2) Assessment Preparation (120 hours) for planning, researching / drafting / writing /editing / producing assignments.

This module focuses on the transformative power of modern media and the impact of global and interactive communications on social identities, political and economic activities, and current national cultural and political situations. It provides an overview of the main technological changes in media communication and considers the ways they can influence forms of human organisation and structures of society.
We will ask important questions concerning the relationship between the Internet, political participation and cyber-democracy, online communication and its impact on social capital, global surveillance, etc. Special attention will be given to citizen journalism and other participatory practices. We will scrutinise the ideas of networked publics, cyber-communities and blogging as professional identity construction.
At the end of the module you will be asked to become bloggers, that is, to create a web log and write a reflective report on the process.