Theoretical classes: Concept and history of media. Media research, theories and concepts of media studies. The proliferation of media and the media-sphere. Media literacy, media esthetics and media culture. The concepts of communication and information. Social role of media. The effects and power of media. Organization of the global media system. Constructing the audience. Mass media. The media and popular culture. Media and advertising. Media in the process of digitization. Review of basic theoretical approaches to media (Benjamin, Adorno, McLuhan, LIVIS, Bart, Hol, Fidler, Baudrillard, Manovich …). The future and prospects of development of media and the media-sphere.
Practical classes: At exercises, on the basis of smaller units from the proposed literature, students analyze various phenomena in the field of media and discuss them, exposing their own independent analysis of specific examples from the field of media, and prepare for a seminar paper confirming their ability for independent theoretical articulation of media phenomena and active theoretical and critical approach to modern media.