Understanding Media in Europe: Authors, Theories, and Current Affairs

This course offers a comprehensive, comparative analysis of European media landscapes while introducing students to influential theories and scholars that shape contemporary digital culture. The course contrasts the commercialized, First Amendment-centric US model with Europe’s public service broadcasting tradition. Students will engage directly with the historical and post-communist media transitions of Central and Eastern Europe. Through interactive lectures, field trips, screenings of pop culture phenomena such as Black Mirror, and hands-on content production, students learn to critically apply media theory to current affairs, generative AI, and evolving creative industries.

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