6 ECTS credits
150 u studietijd

Aanbieding 1 met studiegidsnummer 1005075BNR voor alle studenten in het 1e semester met een verdiepend bachelor niveau.

Semester
1e semester
Inschrijving onder examencontract
Niet mogelijk
Beoordelingsvoet
Beoordeling (0 tot 20)
2e zittijd mogelijk
Ja
Inschrijvingsvereisten
Studenten die dit opleidingsonderdeel opnemen, moeten geslaagd zijn voor minstens 90 ECTS-credits op bachelorniveau. Studenten communicatiewetenschappen moeten ook geslaagd zijn voor 'Communicatiewetenschappen I'. Studenten in een schakelprogramma, voorbereidingsprogramma of master kunnen dit opleidingsonderdeel opnemen indien het deel uitmaakt van hun curriculum.
Onderwijstaal
Engels
Faculteit
Faculteit Sociale Wetensch & SolvayBusinessSchool
Verantwoordelijke vakgroep
Communicatiewetenschappen
Onderwijsteam
Tim Raats (titularis)
Onderdelen en contacturen
0 contacturen Exam
26 contacturen Lecture
124 contacturen Self study
Inhoud

The course provides a broad overview of media and communication policies of the European Union.
The lectures consists of three parts:

  • a first part contextualizing the historical and juridical background of the EU interventions with regards to the media sector, in order to understand why, when and with what objectives a European media policy came into force at some point in history
  • secondly, we shed light on how the internal and external policy is organised and applied to the different, often competitive and even antagonistic, institutions (the Council of Ministers, the Commission, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice, ... ), the offices and the Commissioners
  • thirdly, we look at the different EU media policy domains, each time by setting out from a contextualization of the market (why this policy now?), the legislative framework (why these specific rules?), and the effectiveness (what are the strengths and weaknesses?).

As such, different topics within media and communication policies will be dealt with throughout the semester:

  •     Initiatives with regard to the production and distribution of the audio-visual content (Television without frontiers, Audiovisual Media Services Directive, MEDIA/Creative Europe)
  •     Initiatives to support hardware, industrial production and R&D
  •     Arrangements of authors rights and intellectual property for creative industries
  •     The shift to the Digital Single market, and the different parts of the Digital Single market Strategy (Satellite and Cable, Privacy regulation, territorial issues, etc.)
  •     Competition policies (merger, antitrust and state aid), with particular attention to global players, public broadcasting, film and global platforms operating in the EU.
  •     Struggles of the EU to regulate platforms in different domains (fiscal, protection of citizens and consumers, privacy, hate-speech, etc.)

Particular attention is given to the tensions between EU and member states and the trade-off between market and public interest objectives, to what extent the EU takes into account the cohesion and identity of the smaller member states, and finally to what extent the EU has effectively enhanced the shift into a digital and innovative European Union. Additionally, guest lectures will be given on topical issues in EU media policymaking (for example the new copyright directive, on the Netflix taxes, etc.).

Aside from the classes, students have to develop a policy brief on a topical issues within media and communication policies and the EU.

Students are also requested to keep an eye on European media policy news. Often the course starts with a small discussion on topical cases in EU media and communication policy.

Studiemateriaal
Digitaal cursusmateriaal (Vereist) : Reader with recent scientific articles, Canvas
Digitaal cursusmateriaal (Vereist) : Slides, Canvas
Handboek (Aanbevolen) : The Palgrave Handbook of European Media Policy, Donders - Pauwels - Loisen, Palgrave Macmillan, 9781137032171, 2014
Bijkomende info

Students with no background in Europe and policymaking are encouraged to acquire Donders, K, Pauwels, C. & Loisen, J. from the Palgrave Handbook of European Media Policy, Palgrave, 2014.

Students are obligatory to take part in the guest lectures. Not attending guest lectures can lead up to -4 on the total score.

Teaching Methods
 

  • Lecture: collective contact-dependent moments during which the lecturer engages with learning materials
  • Seminar, Exercises or Practicals (Practical): collective or individual contact-dependent moments during which the students are guided to actively engage with learning materials
  • Independent or External Form of Study (Self): independent study

This description of the teaching methods is indicative, in order to assess the expected study load.

  • Lecture: 26 hours (13 x 2 hours), this also includes the guest lectures with industry professionals and policy practitioners and the briefing of the policy brief exercise
  • Self: 124 hours
    • testing of study material, after the lecture (3 hour per lecture): 39 hours
    • working on the policy brief assignment: 40 hours (5 days of 8 hours)
    • preparing topical cases in newspapers: 13 hours (13 x 1 hour)
    • preparation exam: 32 hours (4 days of 8 hours)
Leerresultaten

Algemene competenties

The overall goal of the course is to make students understand the complex decision-making and policy-making process in the European Union with regard to media and communication industries.  The course gives an overview of the evolution, impact, tensions and conflicts of the audiovisual and information society policy of the European Union. Moreover there is dealt with the policy implications of the EU integration process on the national and regional level.

The course has the following learning outcomes:

  • Students can identify the legislative frameworks applicable to different policy domains for media and communication industries in Europe (mergers and antitrust, audiovisual support, public broadcasting, privacy, copyright, etc.)
  • Students can explain the shifts in EU media policies and how these are shaped by shifting technological, political and economic transitions
  • Students are able to evaluate the outcomes of EU decision-making in media and communication policy
  • Students are able to contextualize topical discussions in press and public opinion within broader EU media policy-making challenges, tensions and shifts.

As such, the course contributes to the following learning outcomes of the bachelor social sciences program:

  • Students have knowledge and understanding of historical and recent developments in media and communication.
  • Students have knowledge and understanding of the structures, operation and processes of media and communication organisations, media and communication practices, and media and communication markets.
  • Students have knowledge and understanding of the national, European and international policy context in which these media and communication organisations, structures and processes develop.
  • Students are able to detect trends and issues within a media landscape, analyse these on the basis of a theoretical framework of reference and analysis, and estimate their societal, professional and policy implications.

Beoordelingsinformatie

De beoordeling bestaat uit volgende opdrachtcategorieën:
Examen Mondeling bepaalt 60% van het eindcijfer

Examen Andere bepaalt 40% van het eindcijfer

Binnen de categorie Examen Mondeling dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:

  • Oral Exam met een wegingsfactor 1 en aldus 60% van het totale eindcijfer.

    Toelichting: with short written preparation

Binnen de categorie Examen Andere dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:

  • Policy Brief Assignment met een wegingsfactor 1 en aldus 40% van het totale eindcijfer.

    Toelichting: policy brief assignment + discussions. The briefing of the course assignment (individual assignment) is usually presented in the first class of the semester.

Aanvullende info mbt evaluatie

Examples of examination questions:

  1. The EU legitimizes its intervention in the audiovisual sector with cultural arguments. Is this only a discourse or is this effectively implemented in policy initiatives?

  2. Are the interests of the consumer taken into account when implementing a EU audiovisual policy?
  3. How does Europe create a competitive program industry via Media and Eurimages?
Toegestane onvoldoende
Kijk in het aanvullend OER van je faculteit na of een toegestane onvoldoende mogelijk is voor dit opleidingsonderdeel.

Academische context

Deze aanbieding maakt deel uit van de volgende studieplannen:
Bachelor in de communicatiewetenschappen: Standaard traject
Bachelor of Social Sciences: Communication Studies (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)
Master of Educational Sciences: Standaard traject (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)