Module manager: Dr Eike Mark Rinke
Email: E.M.Rinke@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Today, the idea that we live in a "media democracy" is a truism, regularly bandied about by journalists, politicians, political consultants and scholars. It is equally common to blame "the media" for a number of problems in democratic life. But what makes media-mediated political communication relevant or even important for democratic politics in the first place? This fundamental question has normative as well as empirical aspects to it. These will be addressed in this module. In the first part of the course, we will gain an idea of the key analytical frameworks that have been used to understand the role of the media in democracy. After elaborating what democratic media should look like according to various normative theories, the module will explore the actual role of different media and media genres in democratic politics as well as some of the most important contemporary debates in this area, including debates about disinformation/fake news, political polarisation, populism and democratic backsliding, and the role of media for citizen protest. Students will gain a good understanding of how media communication can shape democratic life, the extent to which different media have done so in the past and in different social contexts, and in which respects media systems are subject to a need for democratic reform.
The module aims to:
- introduce students to key concepts and theories for the study of media and democracy today;
- challenge students to think critically about the role different media forms play in shaping democratic processes and structures;
- enable students to critically analyse a range of different case studies of mediated forms of democratic politics;
- equip students with in-depth insights into the most important current debates around the intersection of media and democracy;
- encourage students to develop their written communication and critical reasoning skills.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Demonstrate mastery of key concepts and theories of media in contemporary politics, as well as familiarity with key contemporary debates around the role of media in democratic politics
2. Demonstrate understanding of the role of different media and media genres in democratic politics;
3. Engage in independent critical analysis of how modern media technology impacts on democratic politics.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Synthesise bodies of information and to present these in an accessible and succinct way.
2. Develop a reasoned argument and to present this in an accessible and succinct way.
3. Develop the ability to explain and criticise the positions of both self and others.
4. Have a developed understanding of digital technologies and use these to retrieve and synthesise data and information.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Private study hours | 178 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 22 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
A formal formative assessment opportunity will be provided for each summative assessment task, which is specifically pedagogically aligned to that task. As part of this, each student will receive feedback designed to support the development of knowledge and skills that will be later assessed in the summative task.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | . | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 08/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team