• Puppis Manuel

• Kulig Michelle Patricia
• Puppis Manuel

• Kulig Michelle Patricia

Media structures matter. They influence media performance and societal communication. Yet media structures are not natural: They are shaped by media policy. The decision whether and how to regulate media and platforms influences the conditions under which communication in the public sphere is created, disseminated and used. Therefore, comparing media structures is essential for revealing and explaining similarities and differences between media systems.

In this lecture we will first immerse into the relationship of media structures and media performance as well as the conceptual and methodological fundamentals of comparative communication research. Next, we will discuss, one after the other, the importance of organizations, institutions and systems for understanding media and communication by introducing essential theoretical perspectives and presenting topical empirical studies. For instance, we will see how journalism is influenced by organizational rules and changed by convergence and the algorithms of online platforms, how media as institutions mediatize political communication, or how characteristics of media systems, markets and cultures differ. Then we challenge the status quo of comparative communication research, both problematizing its Western bias and introducing ways for dealing with the increasing interdependence of media systems due to the transnationalization of media and communication. Finally, we take a look at the important role of media policy in shaping media structures, putting a special emphasis on dynamics of power.

1) You comprehend the influence of media structures on media performance and communication in the public sphere as well as the role of media policy in shaping media structures.

2) You become familiar with theories that conceptualize media, journalism, platforms and algorithms as organizations, institutions or systems as well as with challenges for comparative communication research.

3) You are able to critically assess (comparative) studies of media structures and to discuss their contribution to communication research and practice.

4) You are able to develop a proposal for a comparative research project.

Compulsory readings available on e-learning platform

The final grade is calculated based on the grades for the presentation (25 %) and for the research pro-posal (75 %).

Course with continuous evaluation: after the registration period, you can no longer cancel your registration (see session calendar on the Faculty's website)

No re-take exam