Units

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Sample subject outline - 5 Week Teaching Period - 6 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit provides an overview of the theory and professional practices of political, parliamentary and governmental communication. The unit examines contemporary and historical political campaigns in Australia and internationally from the perspectives of media influence, strategic image and issue management, rhetorical models, and persuasion theory. The unit also considers how media advisors manage political communication, and how professional consultants plan and develop political campaigns.

Aims

This unit aims to provide:
1. An overview of theoretical approaches to political communication, the construction of political discourse in and out of parliament, and the mobilisation of audiences/voters.
2. An understanding of the relationship between communication strategies and the management of politics, with cases drawn from Australian and international politics.
3. The capacity to critically appraise strategic issues such as political persuasion, electoral strategy, and public opinion formation.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an applied understanding of key political structures and institutions and how they shape political discourse and associated campaign practices.
2. Demonstrate an applied critical understanding of the main democratic functions performed by the media.
3. Demonstrate an applied understanding of how theories of political communication inform politics, parliament and political campaigns, including issues related to media bias and media influence.
4. Apply knowledge and effective communication skills in a variety of contexts and modes relevant to being an informed communications practitioner in the political sphere.
5. Engage in critical, creative, and analytical thinking in relation to the theory and practice of political communication.

Content

· Introduction: Political communication in historical and contemporary perspective.
· Australian political institutions, parliament, and the electoral system.
· Australian political parties and organisations on the Left and Right.
· Rhetoric of politics: speech types, myths, metaphors, routes to persuasion, written and oral speeches, campaign 'grabs' and spots.
· Public opinion.
· Researching, planning, and implementing political campaigns.
· Group and identity politics.
· Political lobbying and activism.
· Electronic democracy.
· Theories of media role and influence: the hypodermic model, minimal effects; reinforcement, agenda setting, framing; moral panics.
· Image and issue management: How politicians use the media and how the media uses politicians.
· Politics and the media: journalism, democracy and the public sphere
· Critical perspectivs on mediated politics: tabloidism, infotainment and spin
· Political communication and social networking

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The unit combines a lecture/seminar format with activities designed to promote your conceptual understanding of political communication strategies. A flexible lecture/seminar format will be used depending on the nature of the topic. A series of study questions will be set each week to guide your reading and class discussion.

Assessment

LATE ASSIGNMENTS
An assignment submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked. If you are unable to complete your assignment on time, you should submit on time whatever work you have done.

Faculty Assessment Information
To access the Creative Industries Faculty Assessment Information please refer to the Blackboard site for this unit.Formative Assessment
To support high-quality learning in this unit, you will receive formative feedback on your progress during tutorial exercises and discussions throughout the semester.

The aim is to develop you as life-long learners who can self-manage and self-assess your own learning processes. This includes opportunities to improve by encouraging you to become aware of your own learning gaps, and individual guidance on how to improve your knowledge, understanding, and skills in order to achieve your learning goals.

For example:
· Tutorial exercises where oral feedback is given individually and generally through analytical and critical discussion during tutorials.
· Role-plays and the completion of practice cases where critical insights and strategies for improvement are developed with the group.
· Written feedback on preparatory exercises and email enquiries.
· Checklists and feedback on all assessment items.

Assessment name: Examination
Description: (Formative)
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 5
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: TBA

Assessment name: Essay
Description: (Formative and summative)
Individual piece of writing on a topic drawn from a selection provided by the tutor
Relates to objectives: 3,4,5
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: TBA

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Required Text
Weekly readings will be available from the Course Materials Database and the Course Reserve collection.

Recommended References

Blair, T.(2010). A Journey. London: Random House.

Errington, W., & Miragliotta, N. (2007). Media and Politics: An introduction. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Louw, E. (2010). Media and political process, 2nd edition. London: Sage publications.

McNair, B. (2011). Introduction to political communication (5th ed.). London: Routledge.

Mandelson, P.(2010). The Third Man: Life at the heart of New Labour. London: Harper Collins.

Powell, L., & Cowart, J. (2003). Political campaign communication: Inside and out. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Stockwell, S. (2005). Political campaign strategy: Doing democracy in the 21st Century. Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing.

Ward, I. & Stewart, R.G. (2010). Politics one (4th ed). South Yarra, Australia: Palgrave Macmillan.

Young, S. (2004). The persuaders: Inside the hidden machine of political advertising. Melbourne: Pluto.

Young, S., ed. (2007). Government Communication In Australia. Sydney: Cambridge University Press.

Young, S., (2010). How Australia Decides. Sydney: Cambridge University Press.

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Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
No responsibility will be taken for absence incurred in other QUT course units as a result of this program.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 29-Oct-2012