Admission requirements
This course is exclusively for students of the minors 'Disinformation and Strategic Communication in Global Media' and 'Journalism and New Media'.
Description
“Disinformation and Digital Media in a Global Context” is the first of two semester-long core courses for the minor “Disinformation and Strategic Communication in Global Media”. The course consists of a series of lectures, provided by staff members from different disciplines and areas of expertise. It places the discourse on disinformation in a historical and cultural context to show how the epistemic notion of ‘truth’ is in itself a changing and plural concept. Using mediality as a key approach, the course aims to show how media are a means of getting information across but should also be studied in themselves. It focuses on traditional media as well as on the important role that especially digital media play in the creation and circulation of contested narratives at national and international level. By introducing key concepts such as misinformation/disinformation, veracity, strategic communication and post-truth, and discussing case studies from various areas of the world, “Disinformation and Digital Media in a Global Context” offers students a framework to analyse the role of media in the circulation of different forms of contested information and lays the necessary foundation for the regional electives.
Course objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, students will:
have acquired a good understanding of key concepts discussed in the course, including mediality, disinformation/misinformation, strategic communication, and post-truth through in-class and independent research;
be able to explain the significance of (digital) media in the creation and circulation of (mis/dis)information;
have developed their analytical and critical thinking skills in relation to both academic study material and popular or news material;
be able to evaluate media, and ideas about media and veracity, across time periods and regions and communicate the results of their evaluation;
be able to reflect on their own positionality in relation to the reception and/or spread of (dis)information;
be able to present their knowledge of the course material in a classroom or examination;
have developed a foundational framework of analysis to support their further engagement with the topic of disinformation in the regional electives.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Lecture.
Assessment method
Assessment
10 EC course:
Poster
Written examination with essay questions
Brightspace discussion board posts
Attendance is compulsory. Missing more than two tutorials means that students will be excluded from the tutorials. Unauthorized absence also applies to being unprepared, not participating and/or not bringing the relevant course materials to class.
5 EC course:
Poster
Paper
Brightspace discussion board posts
Attendance is compulsory. Missing more than two tutorials means that students will be excluded from the tutorials. Unauthorized absence also applies to being unprepared, not participating and/or not bringing the relevant course materials to class.
Weighing
10 EC course:
Poster: 25%
Written examination with essay questions: 70%
Brightspace discussion board posts: 5%
5 EC course:
Poster: 45%
Paper: 50%
Brightspace discussion board posts: 5%
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher. In addition, students are required to participate actively through weekly posts on Brightspace discussion boards. Failure to do so will lead to points being deducted from the final course mark.
Resit
In case of an overall failing grade (below 5.5), students are allowed to resit the failed assessment(s).
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Required reading for this course will be made available through Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal.
Remarks
The course is set up as a 10 EC lecture series. Only in those exceptional circumstances where students have to follow a one-block minor of 15 EC, the 5 EC course is offered. If the study programme allows for a 30 EC minor, students cannot choose this latter option and should follow the 10 EC course.