Strategic Political Communication

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

Total of 170 hours

Media & Communication, Politics and International Studies or Public Policy at Undergraduate level

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject examines the strategies used by political actors to communicate with a focus on political, public and government communication. Topics covered include theories of political communication and how news media cover politics, ‘spin’ and PR methods used by politicians to manage the media, political advertising, political oratory, government communication and broadcast political interviews.

On completion of this subject students should:

• be able to demonstrate understanding of key studies and major theoretical frameworks deployed in the analysis of strategic political communication;
• be able to critically analyse the relationship between media and political processes;
• be able to demonstrate an advanced understanding of how communication operates within and across various political, public and government contexts.

A project consisting of 1000 words (20%) due a week after the intensive period, and a written essay of 4000 words (80%) due in early March.

Hurdle Requirement: As this is an Intensively-taught subject, Lecture/Seminar attendance is compulsory on all 4 days. Regular participation in class is required.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

A subject reader will be available for purchase from the University Bookshop.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students should:

• be able to demonstrate an advanced capacity for critical, analytical and independent thinking in both theoretical and practical contexts of debate and interaction;
• be able to demonstrate competence in advanced library searches and information retrieval;
• be able to demonstrate conformity to academic protocols of presentation and research procedures.