This course(project) is based on weekly classes of one hour. Students are required to prepare the class by reading a few assigned pages from the required reading list every week  in order to participate in lively discussions. By actively cooperating in class, students also directly prepare for the oral exam, that will be based on questions and ideas discussed in class.

Interested in those ideas? Here you find some:

Why are the media wrestling with a crisis? Are they too self-destructive? Why can certain media find a second life in a choice for a constructive approach? What is the secret of "constructive news"?

Are journalists strong and shrewd enough to avoid the pitfalls of populism? Are the media and populist politicians inevitably entwined and do they form deadly twins for our democracy? How did populism come into being? How can journalists cope? And to begin with: can we define populism, anyway?

And how do journalists cope with the concept of "fake news"? Is" truth" and the desire to find it a childish and naive philosophical utopian dream? Or is the post-truth era a cynical but realistic answer journalists have to live with?

All these questions will be subject for debates in the course "Observing the media". We try to find answers and reach a deeper understanding of the world the media have to work in: we observe and analyse that world. And above all: let's have passionate discussions about it! But, we are happy to help ourselves with finding the answers using some interesting reading material(see Required reading list). So if you are keen on discussions based on thrilling ideas from internationally renowned and passionate thinkers: join this course!

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This is not a regular course with lessons on a weekly basis. We’ll meet only 9-10 times, oral exam included. So you have plenty of time to read and study the book and prepare for discussion and analysis in the lessons, and to research, organize and do the interview. You are responsible for your own, and your team’s time management, development and result.

Why are the media wrestling with a crisis? Are they too self-destructive? Why can certain media find a second life in a choice for a constructive approach? What is the secret of "constructive news"? Are journalists strong and shrewd enough to avoid the pitfalls of populism? Are the media and populist politicians inevitably entwined and do they form deadly twins for our democracy? How did populism come into being? How can journalists cope? And to begin with: can we define populism, anyway? And how do journalists cope with the concept of "fake news"? Is" truth" and the desire to find it a childish and naive philosophical utopian dream? Or is the post-truth era a cynical but realistic answer journalists have to live with?

All these questions will be subject for debates in the course "Observing the media". We try to find answers and reach a deeper understanding of the  world  the media have to work in: we observe and analyse that world. And above all: let's have passionate discussions about it! But, luckily, we can help ourselves with finding the answers using some interesting reading material. So if you are keen on discussions based on thrilling ideas from internationally renowned and passionate  thinkers: join this course!

Required reading/viewing:

A.De Botton on the Media. You Tube,The School of Life, February 11th,2014.

Ulrik Haagerup. Constructive News.Jill Ann Press, Copenhagen, 2014

Jan-Werner Müller. What is Populism? University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2016.

Michiko Kakutani.   The Death of Truth. William Collins, London, 2018.

In this journalistic project we try to reach a deeper understanding of how society influences the way the media work: we observe and analyse important philosophical, cultural and political tendencies. That research is based on the required reading/view list.
Required reading/viewing:

A.De Botton on the Media. You Tube,The School of Life, February 11th,2014.

Ulrik Haagerup. Constructive News.Jill Ann Press, Copenhagen. 2014

Jan Werner Müller. What is Populism? University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2016.

Michiko Kakutani. The Death of Truth. Tim Duggan Books, New York, 2018.

Possibly, a reader with copies with additional reading material from other books or press articles. Also a few feature films may be part of the course and be presented in class.

Oral exam ( 90%), based on a list with questions that were handed out in class
Process evaluation (presence, reading of assigned texts and cooperation in lessons 10%).

Your absence can only be tolerated twice. (Legal documents are not necessary). A third absence means 0/20 (even with legal documents), except for very special, well-argumented AND accepted reasons.
Resit: oral exam about the required reading (100%) during official resit period