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  3. Media Industries & Technological Change

Media Industries & Technological Change (MECM30004)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability
Semester 2
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This subject examines the pressures of technological change on contemporary media institutions and communications practices. Students will be introduced to key debates about media convergence, the relationship between technological change and media practices, and the shift from mass communication to networked communication. A range of case studies drawn from different media sectors including photography, the music industry, television, cinema, and the Internet will be complemented by examination of emerging practices such as video games, digital art and surveillance. Students completing the subject will be able to develop a critical understanding of the forces affecting how new technology is adopted, and will be able to identify the major pressures shaping the media-communications industries in the future.

Intended learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:

  • Explain the differences between analogue and digital media with reference to specific case studies.
  • Identify key trajectories in the transformation of media and communications industries.
  • Apply knowledge and approaches drawn from different frameworks for understanding technological change to the analysis of contemporary media industries.
  • Assess possible futures for different media sectors.
  • Contribute to group discussions and engage with the views expressed by other students whose disciplinary and cultural backgrounds may differ.

Generic skills

Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:

  • Identify appropriate analytical frameworks to effectively communicate their ideas in both written and oral forms
  • Contribute to group discussion, and to engage with the views expressed by other students
  • Organise their personal study to reflect on their own learning processes and to complete assessment tasks in a timely manner.

Last updated: 13 June 2025