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POL36220

Academic Year 2024/2025

Political Communication and Propaganda (POL36220)

Subject:
Politics
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Politics & Int Relations
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Nikita Khokhlov
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module introduces students to the field of political communication, centred on the role of information and persuasion in political processes. It starts by covering the main theories on how ordinary citizens acquire, process, and discuss political information. Then, we will discuss media and how they shape public opinion and behaviour. Finally, the module delves into elite strategic communication with an emphasis on the recent studies of elite rhetoric and propaganda and their effects on citizens across democratic and authoritarian regimes. Throughout the module, the students will get acquainted with the applications of state-of-the-art research designs and methods to study political communication, focusing on quantitative text analysis and survey experiments.
(This module will be taught by Dr Nikita Khokhlov.)

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module, the students will:
- develop an understanding of the key concepts and theories in the field of political communication;
- be able to critically engage with the contemporary research of political information;
- learn about the practical applications of research methods to study media, elite rhetoric and propaganda

Indicative Module Content:

1. Introduction to Political Communication
2. The Study of Political Communication
3. Searching and Processing Information
4. Ideological Segregation, Polarisation and Echo-Chambers
5. Independence and Bias
6. Setting and Building the Agenda
7. Framing
8. Propaganda and Persuasion
9. Campaigns and Presidential Rhetoric in Democracies
10. Authoritarian Propaganda
11. Propaganda Crossing Borders
12. Combating Propaganda

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

200
Lectures

22
Total

222

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
* Lectures
* Group work
* Critical writing
* Reflective learning

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Participation in Learning Activities: Peer-review of the mid-term paper Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
5
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-class quizzes that will test knowledge of the readings assigned to that point. Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
10
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Final research paper Week 14, Week 15 Graded No
40
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Mid-term paper Week 7, Week 8 Graded No
20
 No
Group Work Assignment: Group presentation/seminar facilitation Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
25
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 16:00 - 17:50
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