NQF credits: 24 at HEQSF level 8
Convener
Entrance requirements
Acceptance for an Honours programme.
Description
The key point of departure for Media & the Public Domain is that free speech rights in a democracy can be undermined by two nemeses. On the one hand, too much state control of the media can stifle the free circulation of information and, thereby, impoverish the public domain. On the other hand, too much corporate control of the media can impede the unfettered flow of information and, thereby, limit citizens’ ability to make informed decisions about the common good. This course pays particular attention to the ways in which corporate interests influence approaches to intellectual property and key changes in technology, often at the expense of the public interest. Media & the Public Domain explores debates about copyright, cultural appropriation and access to knowledge in relation to newer technologies like p2p platforms (e.g. Napster and Kazaa), social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) as well as the non-commercial sharing of cracked software, games, films and music. The specific focus of the course will be on the music and film industries’ responses to what it terms “piracy” of its intellectual property in the digital age.
DP requirements
Attendance at all classes; punctual submission of written work.
Assessment
Major assignment (3000 words) 40%, minor assignment (2000 words) 30%, seminar presentations and essay (2000 words) 30%.