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Course Syllabus

Master 2021/2022

Media and Scandals: Introduction to Critical Scandal Theory

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type: Elective course (Critical Media Studies)
Area of studies: Media Communications
Delivered by: Institute of Media
Where: Faculty of Creative Industries
When: 1 year, 3 module
Mode of studies: offline
Open to: students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors: Volha Verbilovich
Master’s programme: Критические медиаисследования
Language: English
ECTS credits: 4
Contact hours: 32

Course Syllabus

Full Syllabus

Abstract

This course invites students to dive into the classical and modern theories of media and scandal. The students will evaluate the analytical strength of British (J.Thompson, 2000), American (Lull &Hinerman, 1997; Adut, 2005; 2012; Tumber, Waisbord, 2019) and Scandinavian (Ekström & Johansson, 2008) research schools for interpretation of the grand-scale or indigenous scandal events. The cases represented in research literature have peculiar cultural and historical background – from Dreyfus Affair in 1890-s in France to MP’s expenses scandal in 2008 in UK, politics of gender and body representations in Eurovision song contest 2014 or recent extensive scandals in social media in USA and Russia. Across this course the category of scandal is understood as a transgression of communicative and social norms, discursive and political event in the public sphere, technology of the “economics of attention” in the competitive media industries. Students have the opportunity to apply the case-study method to discover and explain the particular scandal events relevant to their scientific and personal interests. The course is designed in order to implement step-by-step introduction in the field of scandal theories and case-study methodology.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • To define the boundaries of the key issues in media and scandal theory – mediated event, public and political scandal, talk scandal, moral panic
  • To explicate the relevant foundations of scandals’ typologies: the conditions of emergence, sociocultural contexts and effects, the character of transgression
  • To evaluate theoretical concepts of scandal in the distinguished research schools
  • To introduce complex analytical framework based on the particular theoretical concept and case study method for students’ substantive research on relevant scandal event
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • To define the boundaries of the key issues in media and scandal theory – mediated event, public and political scandal, talk scandal, moral panic
  • To evaluate theoretical concepts of scandal in the distinguished research schools
  • To explicate the relevant foundations of scandals’ typologies: the conditions of emergence, sociocultural contexts and effects, the character of transgression
  • To introduce complex analytical framework based on the particular theoretical concept and case study method for students’ substantive research on relevant scandal event
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Topic 1. Introduction to media and scandal research
  • Topic 2. Conceptual framework: general typology of scandals, specific elements and characteristics
  • Topic 3. British school: political scandal and moral panic concepts
  • Topic 4. American school: scandal as mediated event
  • Topic 5. Scandinavian school: talk scandals typology
  • Topic 6. Research on scandal events in post-soviet countries
  • Topic 7. Case study method in media and scandal research. Interview as an additional methodological tool
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Seminar activities (including homework discussions)
  • non-blocking Assignment 1
    Choosing the article to present and discuss. Every student should present one article and lead a group discussion. The oral presentation includes a short overview of the core ideas and the author(s)’ bio (5-7 min). The student then suggests 2-3 questions to open group discussion
  • non-blocking Assignment 2.
    Choosing the case. Students deliver individual short oral presentations (3-5 min) describing and justifying the scandal event they are focusing in the research project.
  • non-blocking Assignment 3.
    Theoretical note. Short individual paper (1-2 pages) about the potential theoretical concept(s) the student plans to use for the analysis of the chosen scandal case. The paper should present and evaluate strong arguments of the concept(s) relevant for the interpretation of the chosen case. Student also suggests the ways to reflect on the drawbacks of the mentioned concept(s) and discusses alternative arguments.
  • non-blocking Assignment 4.
    Research note. Preliminary case description (1-2 pages): context and field of scandal, type of scandal/media event, basic stages and elements, key agents and their goals, effects and outcomes.
  • non-blocking Assignment 5.
    In-depth interview. Notes from the interview with the particular agent involved in the scandal case under study (could be the audience participant, online blogger, member of the community involved in scandal, expert in the research filed). At least one interview is required. Students submit notes in compliance with the given template
  • non-blocking Final essay
    Complete paper with extended analyses of theoretical concept(s) and its relevance to the chosen case. The paper presents final results of the case study analysis including the results of the interview. Data integration is required: quotes from the interview, secondary data analysis.
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2021/2022 3rd module
    0.1 * Assignment 1 + 0.1 * Assignment 5. + 0.4 * Final essay + 0.05 * Assignment 2. + 0.2 * Seminar activities (including homework discussions) + 0.1 * Assignment 3. + 0.05 * Assignment 4.
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Butler, I., & Drakeford, M. (2005). Scandal, Social Policy and Social Welfare (Vol. Rev. 2nd ed. consultant editor, Jo Campling). Bristol, UK: Policy Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=221106
  • Howard Tumber, & Silvio Waisbord. (2019). The Routledge Companion to Media and Scandal. Routledge.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Ehrat, J. (2011). Power of Scandal : Semiotic and Pragmatic in Mass Media. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=682688
  • Gerring, J. (2007). Case Study Research : Principles and Practices. New York: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=185849
  • Jane Stokes. (2012). How to Do Media and Cultural Studies. SAGE Publications Ltd.