Dr Bingchun Meng STC. S108

This course is available on the MSc in Culture and Society, MSc in Gender, Media and Culture, MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and Fudan), MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and USC), MSc in Media and Communications, MSc in Media and Communications (Media and Communications Governance), MSc in Media and Communications (Research), MSc in Media, Communication and Development and MSc in Politics and Communication. This course is not available as an outside option.

This course is capped. Priority access is given to those taking MSc Global Media and Communications (with Fudan or USC), thereafter any remaining places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

This course aims to present a critical view of theories, research and practices of media industries in the context of globalization. The central theme of the course is how media industries have been transformed by the recent political economic, cultural and technological changes on a global scale and how such transformation impact the content circulating across media platforms. Topics of interest include: new ways of organizing media production and distribution; digital media as a potential source of both resistance and control; media industries and creative cities; media policy and regulation at the global level. We will not only discuss key issues of media industries such as convergence, commodification, creative labour etc., but will also utilize different approaches such as political economy, cultural studies and ethnography to analyze cases of media production.

Course objectives:

This course aims to help you:
• Understand different approaches to the study of media industries
• Examine the transformation of media industries in the context of globalization
• Critically analyse the relationship between institutional arrangements of media industries and the content being produced and disseminated
• Critically evaluate global regulatory attempts to establish a new communication order and the dynamics of alternative media

Topics are structured as follows:
• Media production and distribution in a globalised era
• The many lives of media commodities
• Creative labour in media industries
• Convergence: Top-down and bottom-up
• Policy and regulation
• Political economy of film industry
• The neoliberal theatre of Reality TV
• Media industries and creative cities
• Ethnography of news production
• Summary and reflection

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the LT. 1 hour of lectures in the ST.

All students are expected to complete advance reading, prepare seminar presentations, and submit one essay of 1,500 words.

Hesmondhalgh, D. (2007) The Cultural Industries (2nd Edition). London: Sage; Harvey, D. (1989) The Condition of Postmodernity, Blackwell; Miller, T. et al. (2005) Global Hollywood 2, British Film Institute, London; Havens, T. (2007) Global Television Marketplace, British Film Institute, London; Caves, R. (2000) Creative Industries, Harvard University; Turow, J. (2006) Niche Envy, MIT Press.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.

This course examines the transformation of media industries in relation to the recent political economic, cultural and technological changes at the global scale. We will also explore how such transformation impact the content circulating across media platforms.

Students' comments

"It is a very stimulating course with good readings and diverse topics, very relevant to current issues."