European media: structure, politics
and regulation
Assessment: Term paper (individually
or in groups)
Teachers responsible for the course: Trine
Syvertsen and Eli Skogerbø
The course is
open to all mellomfag-, hovedfag- and masters students. Lectures will be held
in English while discussion groups will be organised in both Norwegian and
English. Term papers can be written in English or Norwegian. Students may write
term papers either individually or in groups (2-4 people).
Focus
The course
addresses the changes currently taking place on the European media and
communications scene. Key topics include:
·
Concentration
of ownership, mergers and alliances between different media and communications
industries
·
The
challenges and opportunities posed to existing media by convergence and
digitalisation
·
European
policy and regulation in the communication sectors
·
The
situation for public service broadcasting in Europe
·
Attempts
to stimulate European audio-visual production (film and television)
·
The
relationship between transnational and national media developments
·
The
implications of the above transformations for national culture and policy
·
Communications
markets developments
The aim of the
course is to provide students with an overview over the most important actors
and developments currently at play in Europe, to develop the students' ability
to critically assess selected aspect of this development and to create a
framework where students are encouraged to start working on their term papers
as early as possible.
The course is organised around four main activities:
1.
Lectures:
A series of lectures will be held in February and March (in English).
2.
Seminar groups: After a few introductory lectures,
students will be divided into seminar groups. The groups will have a thematic
focus based on the students' own interest. The seminar groups will serve as a
place to discuss literature and topics for the term papers. Each group will
also be responsible for planning one part of the field trip to Brussels/Central
Europe (see below). Both Norwegian- and English-speaking groups will be
organised. Each group will have regular meetings with and without the teacher.
3.
An excursion to Brussels (and nearby European
destinations) is to take place midway through the term (late March/ealy April).
The aim of the trip is to learn more about the European media situation and to
gather information to be used in the term papers.
4.
Term papers: On the basis of the above, students will
write term papers (in English or Norwegian). Students may write their term
papers individually or in groups (2-4 persons).
Recommended literature:
Students should
compose their own reading list of 1000 pages depending on their own
specialisation. The list is to be approved by the teacher. Literature previously
read in connection with other courses may not be included. More articles on
selected themes will be recommended in the lectures. Below is a list of
recommended literature:
Burgelman,
Jean-Claude (1997) 'Issues and Assumptions in Communications Policy and
Research in Western Europe: A critical Analysis' pp. 123-154 in Corner, J.
Schlesinger, P., Silverstone, R (1997) International
media research. London: Sage. (30 p.)
Dunkerley,
David, Lesley Hodgson and Andrew
Thompson with Tony Spybey and Stanislaw Konopacki, 2002: Changing Europe. Routledge.
Feintuck, Mike
(1999) Media Regulation, Public Interest
and the Law. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Suggested chapters: Ch.1.
Regulating the revolution, Ch. 2. The market, public service and regulation,
Ch. 3. In search of the public interest (87 pages).
Hills, Jill
(2002) The Struggle for Control of Global
Communications: The Formative Century. University of Illinois Press.
Hoskins,
McFadyen, Finn (1997): Global television
and film, London: Oxford Univ. Press. Kap 1-8 er ca. 100 sider. Chaper 1-8
(100 pages)
Levy, David A
(1999) Europe’s Digital revolution:
Broadcasting regulation, the EU and the nation state. London & New
York: Routledge (208 sider).
McQuail, Denis
and Siune, Karen (eds.) (1998) Media
Policy: Convergence, Concentration and Commerce. Euromedia Research Group.
London: Sage (225 p)
Naftel, Mark and
Lawrence J. Spiwak, (2001) The Telecoms Trade War: The United States,
the European Union and the World Trade Organisation. Hart Publishing.
Richardson,
Jeremy (ed.) (2001) European Union. Power
and Policy-Making. Routledge.
Skogerbø, Eli
(1996): "External constaints and national resources - Reflections on
the Europeanisation of communications policy" Nordicom review 1/96 pp. 69-80. (10 sider)