Overview of Course

This course will help students understand the role of mass communication from an international
perspective. Mass communication systems such as news, print, radio, television, and digital
platforms such as the web and social media, are utilized differently across the world. This course will investigate how various institutions in each of the countries we visit develop and use mass communications with their publics. Students will develop critical thinking skills in understanding audiences for mass communication through the development of personas that are targeted for the messaging and how media repertoires are developed. Additionally, the course will look at the economic infrastructure of the global media system, the commodification of culture and the perception of understanding of culture across different landscapes (e.g. the prototypical understanding of American culture based on the TV series “Friends”). We will also evaluate persuasive messaging used in advertising across countries, as well as how journalism and news stories are framed within different modes of persuasion across the different international systems during the voyage.