Module: Social Media, Journalism & Democracy

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Social Media, Journalism & Democracy
Module Code	CM563 (ITS) / MCO1066 (Banner)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Communications
Module Co-ordinator	Alessio Cornia
Module Teachers	Eileen Culloty, Jane Suiter
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None

Description

The module examines the development and direction of social media, its impact on political, economic and social life and the implications for journalism and civic engagement.

Learning Outcomes

1. recognise the impact and influence of social media on political, economic and social life;
2. demonstrate how social media affects the behaviours by citizens and governments in different parts of the world;
3. critique the impact of social media on journalism practice;
4. assess the role of social media in citizen agitation and democratic transition
5. describe the impact of new business models on the media and on journalism

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	22	Lecturer
Seminars	11	Seminars
Assignment Completion	92	Assignment
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Outline
Although a recent phenomenon, social media has opened up new opportunities for journalism while also challenging the traditional understanding of public participation and potentially empowering audiences and civil society organisations by offering new platforms for free expression and social activism. This module explores the meaning of this digital public sphere, examines its impact on media and politics and critically evaluates the transformative claims for platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The module examines the theoretical and practical contexts within which social media such as Twitter, Facebook, texting and blogs exist and relate the skills of social media to trends in the political, communications and media sectors.

Topics
- Social Media and Democracy - Digital Journalism and Economy of New Media - Wikileaks and the right to know - Social media and political communication - Online activism and revolution - Citizen journalism; - Social media and censorship - E-government - The Business Model for Social Media

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	Individual case study	20%	Week 8
Project	Group Project	30%	Week 12
Assignment	Essay	50%	Sem 1 End

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Dijck, J. van, Poell, T., & Waal, M. de. (eds.): 2018, The platform society, Introduction, ch. 1, 2, 3, 7, Oxford University Press, New York,
Burgess, J., Marwick, A., & Poell, T. (eds.): 2018, The SAGE handbook of social media, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA,
Sunstein, C: 2017, #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media, Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford,
Bucher, T.: 2018, If… Then: Algorithmic Power and Politics, Oxford University Press, New York,

Other Resources

None

This module has been assigned the code: CM563