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SoSe 19: Creating Publics - Journalism in Comparative Perspective

Christoph Raetzsch

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Journalism is deeply associated with the concept of the public. This concept is far from unified but changes with the modes in which journalism interacts with its audiences - in the past and the present. In this seminar, we will study different forms of creating publics and discuss ways of comparing the relation of journalism to publics and media. The seminar will have three core areas of comparison: 1) Critical Concepts of Publics: In this introductory part, we will discuss several concepts of publics, which have defined particular assumptions about journalism and its public functions. In detail, we will talk about the bourgeois public sphere, the public as audience, and the networked public. 2) Publics and their Media: In part two, we will look at the creation of publics from the perspective of media and technologies. This will address three types of media in particular: the newspaper, television and the Internet/social media. 3) Publics in Transnational Perspective: In part three, we want to look at constitutions of publics across national boundaries. We are especially interested in the dynamics of creating publics for contentious issues of global concern and how journalism is implicated in these dynamics. Students are expected to attend classes regularly, contribute to class discussion and write a seminar paper at the end. In addition, you are required to contribute to a group presentation. Expect to read extensively in this seminar (at least 2 hours/week) as we cover a lot of ground from media history to journalism, from theory to practice. For any questions concerning your participation in this seminar, please simply attend the first session. close