Tampere University’s new English-language course Journalism at the Age of Uncertainty invites students to analyze, experiment and discuss in class the current state of journalism as a profession, practice, and entrepreneurship from the perspective of ongoing global changes in power, technology, economy, and identity.
In the process of active learning, the students will be encouraged to think about their future and profession beyond national boundaries, in a comparative context with non-Western countries. The course focuses on the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) based on recent comprehensive studies of media and journalism in these countries.
Particular attention will be paid to the situation in Russia and China, with the help of course instructor Svetlana Pasti’s recent empirical study on media entrepreneurs in Shanghai and St. Petersburg (2018–2019).
On the course, students will improve their individual skills by doing interpersonal cross-cultural communication in class and by completing independent homework assignments for presentations of their student projects.
They will also develop their ability to conduct their micro-research on a chosen topic by gaining experience with sources, research methods, and analysis.
The course is worth 5 ECTS. It consists of five online lectures and three workshops based on group discussions (both altogether 20 hours), plus independent work. The lectures and workshops will be held on Thursdays from 27 January to 24 February 2022.
The full completion of the course requires students to watch the online lectures, read articles suggested in reading materials, conduct independent research, participate in workshops, and write a final essay.
Students who only watch lectures and participate in workshops and presentations will gain 3 credits. The final essay is worth an additional 2 credits.
In registration for the course in 2021/22, priority is given to Tampere University students, who can sign up using the Sisu service. Students from other Finnish universities can also be accepted on the course on two grounds:
- There is still room on the course.
- The student can agree with their degree supervisor at their home institution that this course be accepted as part of the student’s degree at their institution.
Students from other Finnish universities can sign up by contacting the course instructor, Dr Svetlana Pasti (email: svetlana.pasti@tuni.fi).
NB! Page updated on 25 January 2022 for the changed teaching dates.