SEMESTER 2:
All students study at University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. 30 ECTS


Introduction:
The Amsterdam semester starts with an introductory program meant to familiarize students with Dutch society and media, the city of Amsterdam, and the university.


Module 1: Globalization, news and net-media: the reflexive modernization of journalism


Staff: Jim Slevin
Credits: 10 ECTS

Globalization, understood as a transformation in systems of communication, is revolutionizing the production and consumption of news in contemporary society. No matter where we are or what time of day it is, a vast number of different media allow individuals to produce news and receive news outside their immediate social surroundings. Journalism finds itself both embedded in this time of turbulence and contributing to our understanding of it. Like the activities of day-to-day life, in our present-day world, journalism has to be increasingly reflexively made.

This course explores and critically evaluates circumstances where the reform of journalism facilitated by the use of net-media makes and can make significant contributions towards bringing journalistic professional culture in line with the new world in which we live. Throughout the course, students relate theories and concepts in media, together with fundamental questions about the nature of modern journalism to practical debates and case studies.



Module 2: Transformations in European media, journalism and media governance


Staff: Staff: Jo Bardoel
Credits: 10 ECTS

This course examines the recent transformations in the European media landscape and discusses how these transformations can be critically assessed. Until the 1980's European media were predominantly national, public, supply-driven, paternalistic, and information-oriented. Over the last twenty-five years, European-media have largely become international, commercial, demand-driven, consumerist and entertainment-oriented. The course focuses on both the positive and negative implications of the new European media landscape on media production in general and on journalism in particular.

Grounded on the notion of the public sphere and on the media's democratic potential, the course pays special attention to how media responsibility and accountability can be safeguarded in this completely changed regulatory context. Traditionally media governance relied on media self regulation. After World War II, the welfare state stepped in as the most important instrument for securing the media's compliance with the public interest. However, in the last three decades, the market has regained its primacy. In this context, the development of new media governance arrangements in Europe, on a national and on EU level, must respond to major transformations in technology (convergence) and society (individualization, postmodern citizenship), while taking into account new approaches towards the role of and relation between the state, the market and civil society.



Module 3: The Politics of News (10 ECTs, 2nd block)

Staff: Course supervisor: Claes de Vreese (University of Amsterdam) Lecturers: Hajo Boomgaarden, Malte Hinrichsen, and Sophie Lecheler (University of Amsterdam)
Credits: 10 ECTS

This module is about politics and the news media and it deals primarily with the role news media play in and for political processes. The course focuses on the nature and content of news coverage of politics and political issues, the relationship between politicians and journalists, and the effects of news coverage on public opinion and political behaviour. Special attention is devoted to the role played by the news media during elections on a national and European level. The course also focuses on the role of news media for the process of European integration. The literature will deal with news production, news contents, and effects of news. Topics addressed are among others Dutch and European elections, European integration, and immigration.



Crash-Course in Research Methodology

Mid-way through the semester, Erasmus Mundus students participate in an intensive two-week crash course on research methods in social scientific research. In the course, students read, collect and analyze data, become acquainted with a statistics software, and with the basics of uni- and bi-variate statistical analysis. After successful completion of this course, students are able to critically assess the validity and reliability of published research. Moreover, the course aims at preparing students to conduct their own research for their master theses.



Extra-curricular program

Apart from the required courses, Erasmus Mundus students also participate in an extra-curricular programme. This is an opportunity to learn more about Dutch and European culture, politics, and media. Extra-curricular sessions include guest lectures from journalists and other media professionals as well as from academics and policy-makers. Some sessions are reserved for field trips. Possible sites for these trips are: the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the European Parliament in Brussels, and the World Press Photo exhibition in Amsterdam. The extra-curricular programme offers students the opportunity to explore their interests beyond the classroom. Consequently, students are expected to participate in the organization of the sessions by proposing topics, contacting possible guest lecturers, and helping with the organization.