MCOM 280/380: Global Media Literacy (3 credits)
Summer Course / Salzburg, Austria
M-F 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Catalog Entry:
MCOM 280/380 Global Media Literacy
3.0; 3 cr.
This course explores how distinctive global media shape views of politics, culture and society within nations, across
regions and internationally. It analyzes information, values and underlying messages conveyed via various forms of
media. It will develop research methods, designs and instruments that examine the accuracy of various media
messages. The research designs will be later implemented in the afternoon course (MCOM 281/381). Note: this
course is part of a study abroad program. Students need to apply to the office of International Programs to enroll.
Every Summer. Co-requisite: MCOM 281/381.
COURSE OVERVIEW
DESCRIPTION:
Global Media Literacy: An analysis of the information, values and underlying messages conveyed via
all forms of media. This course will develop research methods, designs and instruments that examine
the accuracy of various media messages. The research designs will be later implemented in the afternoon
course. It will explore how distinctive global media shape views of politics, culture and society within
nations, across regions and internationally. [Morning Session—4 hours/day (5 days/week), 3 weeks (60
hours total).
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
 To become a more literate news consumer through understanding the flow of global news
and its complex roles in societies.
 To learn about the role of news and reporting of global events
 To understand the policy implications of global news
 To explore the necessary but complex existence of media in global society
 To understand the overall influence of global news on informed citizenship
1
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course aims to produce student-created curricula and research for global journalism education. The
students will work in groups to create a learning plan and research design that will take into account
national and regional media business models as well as national and regional media values and standards.
There has been little work as yet in the field of global media literacy, and no group working in this field
has had the advantages that the Summer Academy will have: a global faculty and a global student body.
The intent of this course is to identify new entryways to global media literacy. Based on the student
group projects, various curricular approaches to teaching global media literacy will be developed and a
larger curriculum will be incubated. The hope is that this curriculum, or some parts of it, will be taken
back by participating faculties to their home institutions where the course and its parts can be tested,
and the lessons from those national experiments can be brought back to the Academy for revision and
expansion in year two.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Final Project (GML Lesson Plan)—50% of grade

Students will complete a Media Literacy Lesson Plan during the Academy, and in-depth 10-20
project that covers a media issue globally and in-depth, in case study format.
Final Paper—30% of grade

All students will compose a theoretical paper detailing global media and cultural connections in
relation to their case study project. The paper will be 5-8 pages long, with at least 8 resources.
In-class and weekly homework assignments, Attendence, and Participation—20% of grade

It is assumed that all work during class time will be worked on as necessary by both individuals and groups
in the evening and on weekends.
READINGS
All course readings will be available online. Please see below under each course for the online
reading that will accompany each day. In addition to the required readings, listed are some additional
books you may want to explore throughout the duration of this course
We ask, if possible, that you prepare the following two texts before arriving at the Academy. We
understand that for some participants these texts will be difficult to locate, and hope to have copies
available in Salzburg.
-
Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary Culture. David Buckingham,
Oxford University Press, 2003.
Global Journalism: Topical Issues and Media Systems, Fourth Edition, by Arnold S. de
Beer and John C. Merrill, Allyn & Bacon Publishers, 2003.
Other Recommended Texts to Explore Before Arriving in Salzburg :
2















Infotopia: How Many Minds produce Knowledge by Cass R. Sunstein, Oxford University
Press, 2006
The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets & Freedom by
Yochai Benkler, Yale University Press, 2006
The Case Against Media Consolidation, Editor by Mark N. Cooper, Center for Internet &
Society Stanford Law School, 2007
UnSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation by Brooks Jackson & Kathleen Hall
Jamieson, Random House, 2007
Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide by Henry Jenkins, NYU Press,
2006
In the Hot Zone: One Man, One Year, Twenty Wars by Kevin Sites, Harper, 2007.
The World News Prism: Global Information in a Satellite Age by William A. Hatchen and
James F. Scotten, Blackwell, 2007. (Also available at www.books.google.com search title).
Media, Ownership & Democracy in the Digital Information Age by Mark Cooper, Center
for Internet & Society Stanford Law School, 2007.
Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults & Swallow Citizens
Whole by Benjamin Barber, Norton, 2007
Mediated: How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live in It by Thomas de
Zengotita, Bloomsbury, 2005
White News by Don Heider, LEA, 2000
New Media and the Managed Citizen by Philip N. Howard, Cambridge University Press,
2008
Media Literacy: A Reader by Donaldo Macedo & Shirley R. Steinberg, Eds., Peter Lang Press,
2007
Media Literacy: Learning, Literacy, & Contemporary Culture By David Buckingham,
Polity Press, 2003
Media Literacy: Keys to Interpreting Media Messages, 3/e. by Art Silverblatt, Praeger,
2007
More Recommended Texts:
 Parenti, Michael (2002). Inventing Reality: The Politics of the News Media. Wadsworth Publishing,
London.
 Milner, H. (2002). Civic Literacy: How Informed Citizens Make Democracy Work. University Press of
New England, Hanover, NH.
 Bennett, Stephen E. (1998). “Young People’s Indifference to Media Coverage of Public Affairs.”
PS 31:539-42.
 Dahl, Robert, A. (1994). “A Democratic Dilemma: System Effectiveness versus Citizen
Participation. Political Science Quarterly” 109:1.
 Kist, William. New Literacies in Action: Teaching and Learning in Multiple Media. Teachers College.
Columbia University, New York and London: 2005.
 McChesney, Robert, W. (2004). The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communication Politics in the 21st
Century. Monthly Review Press, New York, NY.
3

Bennett, W. Lance. (2003). News: The Politics of Illusion, 5th Ed. Longman, NY.
Other Resources
For extensive list of Global Media Literacy-related resources, please visit:
http://www.aocmedialiteracy.org

GRADING
To recap, the assignment breakdown/worth is as follows:
1. Final Project (GML Lesson Plan) – 50%
2. Final Paper – 30%
3. Weekly Homework /Attendance/Participation – 20%
The final grade calculation will be as follows:
A
93.45-100
A89.45-93.44
B+
86.45-89.44
B
83.45-86.44
B79.45-83.44
C+
76.45-79.44
C
73.45-76.44
C69.45-73.44
D+
66.45-69.44
D
59.45-66.44
F
59.44 or Below
4
COURSE OUTLINE
WEEK ONE – GLOBAL MEDIA LITERACY
Day 1 - What is Media Literacy? Defining Global Media Literacy
Description: Welcome to the academy, introducing faculty/students, defining media literacy, global
media literacy, and compiling the portable global media literacy attribute list


Faculty Introductions/Student Introductions
What is Media Literacy? (Students into groups, begin to build a list of media literacy attributes)
They will be given a series of questions to guide them in thinking through what “skills a media
literate person should have?
Readings:
- Dan Gilmor, Principles for a New Media Literacy
- NAMLE, Core Principles of Media Literacy
- Overload, Columbia Journalism Review
Day 2 – Building a Global Media Literacy Lesson Plan
 The business of Media: Ownership, Systems and the Global Media Industry
 How do different media work to set agendas, influence public opinion and define values? How can
education work to educate citizens to understand this influence?
Readings:
- Mihailidis, Connecting Cultures Through Global Media Literacy (The 5 A’s of ML)
- Mihailidis, Beyond Cynicism: Media Literacy and Civic Learning Outcomes in Higher Education
- UN Alliance of Civilizations Media Literacy Project Magazine
http://www.aocmedialiteracy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=2&It
emid=31
Day 3 – How do we Define Global? Media Effects and the pursuit for Cultural Connections and “global” Citizenship
 Uses media theory to engage the students on what it means to understand other cultures, and how
this can influence building ML lesson plans
 Breaking the barriers – The Internet – shrinking the world and the barriers to global information /
The impact of the Internet and its technology -- locally and globally
Readings:
- Online Readings from 2010 Academy Faculty TBD
5
-
“Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006” by Reporters without Borders
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1005/p13s01-legn.htm
Become familiar with the following links (and watch the videos!):
 http://digitaljournalist.org/
 http://hotzone.yahoo.com/
 http://www.zmag.org/altmediaresources.htm
 http://www.podcast.net/tag/wgbh
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501138.html
 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/arts/television/25will.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1
&adxnnlx=1125332820-X87cOfiKdFSUmofwmpYMvQ&oref=slogin
Day 4: Different Media, Different Assumptions: Global Viewpoints.
 Faculty round robin session will allow for dialog about participating countries media systems, with
an aim to propose a step towards shared dialog between cultures through media.
Readings:
- Each Faculty Member will be ask to submit one core readings about the present state of media
in their country. This will be posted online and made available for reading at the onset of the
Academy.
Day 5 – Group Lesson Plan topics Created and Shared
- Groups will present their lesson plan topics
WEEK ONE HOMEWORK
- At the end of Week one, all students will be asked to compose an outline and plan for
developing their lesson plan, and what media theories they will use to support their final
project (1-3 pages).
- They will also submit a proposal for their final paper (1-2 pages).
WEEK TWO – BUILDING A GLOBAL MEDIA PERSPECTIVE
Day 6: Building global media literacy: theories and entryways
Description: The first morning of the second week of the program will refresh the content discussed in
week one, and the reading on media theory for week two. Groups will work to build dynamic new ways
to approach media that are inclusive, accurate, and representative.
 In the context of all discussed, talk about the globalization of information, and what this means for
media systems and publics around the globe
 Ask questions: What do we include? What do we leave out?
6


Students convene in their initial groups, thinking about the list and its “internationalization”
Student groups present their ideas “Global Media Literacy” as a practical and curricular initiative
Readings:
Media Theories and Approaches: A Global Perspective by Mark Balnaves, Brian Shoesmith,
Stephanie Donald, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009
Chapters to be handed out during first week of Academy
http://books.google.com/books?id=YreUIQAACAAJ&dq=Media+Theories&source=gbs_book_othe
r_versions_r&cad=2
Day 7: Work day (guided by Faculty):
Description: Students will use time to work on GML Lesson Plan and Research their Final Papers.
Faculty will be available for guidance.
 Entire Session Devoted to Group Work
Readings:
Media Theories and Approaches: A Global Perspective by Mark Balnaves, Brian Shoesmith,
Stephanie Donald, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009
Chapters to be handed out during first week of Academy
Day 8: Work day (guided by faculty)
Description: Students will use time to work on GML Lesson Plan and Research their Final Papers.
Faculty will be available for guidance
 Entire Session Devoted to Group Work
Readings:
Media Theories and Approaches: A Global Perspective by Mark Balnaves, Brian Shoesmith,
Stephanie Donald, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009
Chapters to be handed out during first week of Academy
Day 9: Work day (guided by faculty)
Description: Students will use time to work on GML Lesson Plan and Research their Final Papers.
Faculty will be available for guidance
 Entire Session Devoted to Group Work
Day 10: GML Curriculum Update – Reporting to Academy
Description: Students finalize curriculum/create presentation for the following week.
7



Students will update, in groups their work, how they have progressed, what difficulties they have
encountered, and what they have stressed in their lesson plans.
Students will have made significant progress on their final paper, and should show this to their
faculty members by this point in the program
Entire Session Devoted to Group Work
WEEK TWO HOMEWORK
- Students will be asked to locate and review media covering their final lesson plan topic. They
will have to find coverage of this issue in at least 5 different media outlets (and preferably 5
different countries). They will then synthesize the coverage to report out on why it’s
important to propose the lesson plan that they have.
 This 2-4 page synthesis will be a feature of their final lesson plan projects, under the
“Why this matters” appendix section of the final project.
- Students will be asked to submit First drafts of Lesson Plans to their Faculty Members by
Friday before the scheduled Field Trip.
WEEK THREE – A GLOBAL MEDIA CURRICULUM
Day 13: Building the global media literacy curriculum – Combining Theory and Practice
Description: This will be a seminar and panel session in which the students will propose theories from
the week 2 readings, and ask how those theories translate into practice in certain media systems in
certain countries. This will lead to more nuanced understanding of the purpose and scope of the GML
Lesson Plans.
 Faculty will answer student questions on theory and practice
 Short films of media issues will be shown, to help understand the bridge between theory and
practice
Day 12: Final Work Day
Description: Each group will create an interactive 25-minute presentation of their work in GML and
Media Theory. They will need to create an interactive PowerPoint with examples of their work, and use
question-based presentations to engage the entire Academy group. The course will allow for the
collaborative construction of this work on this day
Day 13: Group presentations – Global Media Literacy modules (25 minutes per group)
 All faculty present
 All students should be equally included in the presentations
8

Each curriculum should be posted online
Readings:
Students will be asked to read each other’s lesson plans and final papers, providing feedback and
direction for revisions.
Day 14: Group presentations – Global Media Literacy modules (25 minutes per group)
 All faculty present
 All students should be equally included in the presentations
Each curriculum should be posted online
Readings:
Students will be asked to read each other’s lesson plans and final papers, providing feedback and
direction for revisions.
Day 15: CONCLUSION - Global media literacy: Teaching, learning, spreading awareness, tolerance, and global
understanding
Discussion of how this course can build global tolerance, awareness, and understanding about how
information works in helping to frame our past, present, and future
 Full Academy discussion of the importance of education as a longitudinal and institutional part of
building awareness
 How can we adopt this curriculum into our lives and home institutions
WEEK THREE HOMEWORK
1. DUE THURSDAY 9AM: Global Media Literacy Lesson Plan
2. DUE FRIDAY 9AM: Final Theoretical Paper on “Global” media in light of the lesson plan
topic explored by each student
9