THEA101 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Course Objectives

LET’s LEARN HOW TO READ NEWS

‘International News’ course examines general mode of  International Relations in terms of communication relations as an integrated part of international political, economic and cultural order. International Communication is a field of study that encompasses many issue areas. These include: Culture, national development, foreign policy and diplomacy, conflict, technology, news flow, national sovereignty, ideology, comparative mass communication systems, regulation and policy, human and civil rights, ideological confrontation, war and peace, and propaganda and influence.Therefore the main focus/objective of the course is to introduce the students with theoretical framework to understand international communication. Not only theory but practicing different news items from different news media cover the second half of the course day/time:  International News course deals with various examples of written and visual presses of  different countries about very recent crucial issues or happenings all over the world. Besides, major issues and events about Turkey which are also the concern or interest of other countries and the portrayal and/or representation of their news media reserve a special place and task within this course.  

Among them, Communication technologies and practices have always been central to the maintenance of social, economic and political relations among social groups who differentiate themselves from one another other according to language, custom, geography, religion, state borders. The explosion of electronic technologies that can transverse such boundaries has made understanding global commnications systems a centerpiece for diplomacy, economic transactions, and political debate. Therefore, the secondary focus/objective of the course is to analyse the structure of global/international communication systems among different countries. This course attempts to provide as a basic grounding in these global news systems as they constitute, represent, and influence international relations and politics. 

Course Content

This course attempts to provide a basic grounding in international news media as they constitute, represent and influence international relations. The course introduces the field of international communication, news media diplomacy and news media practice during times of war and crisis with visual and written press coverage examples.

Course Learning Outcomes

 At the end of the course the students will :

• become familiar with the fundamental policy issues in international communication.

• Have an historical understanding ofinternational information and recent global communication process.

• Be able to make comparison different information/communication systems, especially on journalistic tendencies between countries on world and Turkey.

• Be given an understanding of the different philosophies of press freedom in the world today.

• Be acquainted with use of internet to acquire international news media information.

• Have ability to ‘read and/or watch news’ and will be more confident in interpreting and commenting on news items they read or watch.

• Will be more willing to follow world issues from different media devices.

• Will identify and will be able to make comparison between national and foreign news reporting on international issues.

• Have concrete knowledge in identifying the term ‘propaganda’ and disect it.