MC411 Half Unit
Media and Globalisation
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Dr Wendy Willems
Availability
This course is compulsory on the MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and Fudan), MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and UCT) and MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and USC). This course is not available as an outside option to students on other programmes. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: Priority will normally be given to students enrolled on Media and Communications degree programmes; however, course specific availability is indicated via the 'Availability' section of each individual course guide webpage. The number of students that can be accommodated is limited. If a course is oversubscribed, places will be allocated at the Department's discretion. Students are advised to have an alternative course in mind in case they are unable to secure their first-choice course selection.
A list of all taught master's courses in this Department are listed on the Department's Course Selection and Videos webpage.
Students who have this course listed as compulsory are guaranteed a place and no written statement is required.
Deadline for application: Students required to take this compulsory course will be automatically enrolled on LSE for You.
For queries contact: Contact Media.MSc@lse.ac.uk with queries.
Please do not email the teacher with personal expressions of interest as these are not required and do not influence who is offered a place.
Course content
The aim of this course is to explore and demonstrate the role of media, communication and digital technology in processes of globalisation. The first part of the course offers historical background on and theoretical grounding in globalisation and nationalism. The second part of the course examines global approaches to media and communications research, with a specific focus on comparative methods and the politics of knowledge production. The third part of the course revisits key debates in global media and communication studies, including media imperialism, cosmopolitanism and racism.
Teaching
15 hours of seminars and 10 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
Formative assessment
All students are expected to complete advance reading, participate actively in seminar discussions and carry out seminar presentations.
Indicative reading
A reading list will be provided for each topic. General works relevant to the course include:
- Appadurai, A. (1996). Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalisation. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
- Artz, L. (2023). Global Media Dialogues: Industry, Politics, and Culture. London: Routledge.
- Dimitrova, D. V. (Ed.). (2021). Global Journalism: Understanding World Media Systems. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Flew, T. (2018). Understanding Global Media. London: Red Globe Press.
- Hafez, K., & Grüne, A. (2022). Foundations of Global Communication: A Conceptual Handbook. London: Routledge.
- Kamalipour, Y. R. (2024). Global Communication: A Multicultural Perspective. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Kraidy, M. M. (2018). Global Media Studies: A Critical Agenda. Journal of Communication, 68(2), 337-346.
- Lee, C.-C. (2015). Internationalizing ‘International Communication’. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
- Miller, T., & Kraidy, M. M. (2016). Global Media Studies. Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Rantanen, T. (2004). The Media and Globalization. London: Sage.
- Rantanen, T. (2019). Introduction. In T. Rantanen & C. Jiménez-Martinez (Eds.), Globalization and the Media. London: Routledge.
- Sklair, L. (2020). The Anthropocene in Global Media: Neutralizing the Risk. Milton: Taylor and Francis.
- Tomlinson, J. (1999). Globalisation and Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Assessment
Oral examination (100%)
Key facts
Department: Media and Communications
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 68
Average class size 2024/25: 17
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.