LFU:online

Graduates are enabled to question the tension between communication, media technologies and democracy. They are able to locate processes triggered by technological advances in terms of media history, to name their current specifics and to identify relevant fields of action.

Building of a sound knowledge about the challenges for democracies through the increasing power and presence of digital platforms, data economy as well as algorithmisation and surveillance.

The course deals with central aspects of the interplay of (digital) media, public/s and (post-)democracy within late modern societies. After discussing basic concepts (publics, media, politics, democracy), we will focus on the following topics: Central features of digital media publics in late modernity; new digital forms of participation; personalization and figure-centeredness in political communication; in-/visibility and democracy; post-thruth-ism, social media and generative AI. Our approach will be multi-perspective, and sensitive to consider ambivalent aspects of the respective phenomena. 

Input of lecturer with interactive elements; basic readings and discussion along guiding questions and glossaries; group exercises, discussion of concrete examples.

Group work 1: material research and preparation of handout on base text (20%); Group work 2: presentation (presentation form of choice, from video essay to PPP) of a research outline (30%); Individual work: preparation of reading guide questions on two base texts of choice (50%).

A reader will be provided on OLAT.

"Active Bachelor's program" with the exception of Master's students in the Media, Society & Communication Master's program.

The minor “Media and Communication” covering 30 ECTS-Credits can be selected by degree students of Bachelor’s programmes at the University of Innsbruck, providing the relevant curriculum allows for the option to pass a minor.