32510b

WiSe 20/21: Theories of Press-State Relations and Content Analytical Research Methods

Curd Benjamin Knüpfer

Additional information / Pre-requisites

Die Lehrveranstaltung wird primär für den MA-Studiengang Nordamerikastudien angeboten. Im Rahmen einer Kooperation mit dem John-F.-Kennedy-Institut werden zusätzlich für interessierte Masterstudierende unseres Instituts insgesamt 6 Seminarplätze angeboten (3 Plätze für den MA Medien u. Pol. Komm. + 3 Plätze für den MA PuK). close

Comments

This MA-level seminar will familiarize students with basic theories of press-state relations in order to gain an understanding of how mediated information and forms of journalism are connected to political institutions and practices of power. Furthermore, students will be required to formulate assumptions and gain insights into testing these, by treating media content as textual data, which can be systematically analyzed. To achieve these learning goals, the course will be structured into three blocks: The first of these will provide a theoretical basis focus on various forms of (political/news) media and their connection to state institutions and politics. The media system of United States will serve as the primary case study in order to compare various forms and eras of journalism over time. We will also learn about forms of media regimes in other nation states and different typologies that might aid us in distinguishing between them. The second part of the class will consist of a basic introduction to content analysis as a quantitative and qualitative research method. In this second block, we will read introductory methods texts as well as discussing examples of various research approaches. We will also familiarize ourselves with various digitally available sources from which to collect data or mine text and explore various examples of basic text analysis software. The third and final part of the course will start with an exercise and subsequent discussion of how to combine theory and method. Here, students will be asked to devise a research question, select data sources, formulate hypotheses, and operationalize these based on previously defined units of analysis. In order to obtain credit, course participants will be expected to take an active part in class via Blackboard functions and the “Class Input Sheet” and -of course- closely familiarize themselves with all of the required reading material. To obtain full credit, a term paper must be actively designed throughout the semester and submitted for evaluation, ideally within the early weeks of the semester break. DUE TO THE EXPECTED CORONAVIRUS RELATED DISTANCING MEASURES IN THE FALL, THIS CLASS WILL BE HELD ENTIRELY ONLINE. The sessions will generally be held in real-time via Webex. However, please also note that my partner and I are expecting our first child this Fall. The due date coincides with the first week of the semester (yikes!). Depending on how things go, you might see a little less of me during these early weeks and we may have to resort to an asynchronous format for a couple of the early sessions. close