Introduction to Media Industries and Institutions

This course provides an overview of media industry studies. It aims to introduce students to the analytical frameworks and main topics about the structure and economics of media industries, debating their implications for social inclusion and democracy in today’s world. The term “media industries” implies multiple industries. Through a combination of lectures, group projects, and research papers, we will examine the content and technologies of print, music, picture, and digital industries. In this course, we will discuss how and why contemporary media hardware, software, and content are situated within (historical) industrial structures of production, distribution, aggregation, and exhibition. Students are encouraged to examine media industries based on personal interests and write a research paper based on a semester’s practice.