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POL36250

Academic Year 2025/2026

Media Politics under Authoritarianism (POL36250)

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

Curricular information is subject to change.

The study of media and power is dominated by research on developed democracies, where the press operates fairly freely. However, this is where only a third of the world’s population lives, according to the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute. Given that 70 percent of humanity reside in authoritarian states, there is an urgent need to rethink our understanding of media politics. This course introduces students to interdisciplinary research on media in non-Western and non-liberal contexts. Students will read and critically discuss contemporary scholarship, analyzing specific cases of media control and societal responses to such control.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, you should be able to:
Understand the role of media and information in society
Compare media politics across contexts
Analyse fundamental issues surrounding the relationship between media and power
Identify and assess media control strategies and societal responses to such control
Evaluate future threats and challenges to journalism

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Autonomous Student Learning

200
Total

224

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
seminar discussions; lectures; critical writing; case-based 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
Quizzes/Short Exercises: There will be an in-class multiple choice quiz with 30 questions on 08-Oct. Content for the quiz will come from lectures, discussions, and the required readings. Week 6 Graded No
25
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Students will submit a response essay for one required reading of their choosing, chosen from Weeks 3, 4, 6, and 7. The essay should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. Due: 05-Nov, 09:00. Week 9 Graded No
25
 No
Exam (In-person): 2-hour final exam at end of semester containing multiple-choice, short answer and brief essay questions. Content for the exam will be drawn from lectures, discussions, and the required readings. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
50
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
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.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 15:00 - 16:50
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