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UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies

MA in Media & International Conflict

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATION FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2010/2011  IS 2nd JULY 2010

This MA programme is designed to enable students to develop understanding of the ways in which media interact with war, conflict and security in international contexts. It analyzes the complex roles played by the media in the enactment and representation of conflict situations and addresses the relationships among media, governments, the military, and NGOs in framing perceptions of international conflict.

It provides an interdisciplinary approach that considers both cultural and political dimensions of media responses to international conflicts, focusing on issues such as: public diplomacy as soft power, human rights and representation, distinctions between information and propaganda, the ethics of depicting human suffering, the role of new media in perceptions of conflict, the visual economy of the production, circulation and reception of imagery of conflict, and the effects of news reporting on government policy and NGO activity. Modules in this programme are taught by resident UCD faculty and by external speakers, both academics and practitioners, who will broaden intellectual discussion and speak to examples of media work.

The programme will interest those seeking a career in international communications, professionals seeking more critical understanding of the international dimensions of their industry, and those wishing to prepare for advanced research in this area.

As it evolves, The Clinton Institute will keep its MA curriculum in constant review and will introduce new modules. 

• Eligibility
• Course Outline
• Student Assessment
• Teaching & Tuition
• Fees & Funding
• Application Procedure

Eligibility

Applicants for the MA should hold one of the following qualifications:

• A First Class or Second Class, grade 1 degree in a relevant subject
• US or Canadian degree with a grade point average of 3.50
• 62% in the MA Qualifying examination (UCD students only)

Course Outline (2009/10) Provisional

This is a provisional list of modules that will be offered and is subject to final confirmation and scheduling arrangements

Compulsory

• Media & US Foreign Policy
• Imaging International Conflict
• Journalism: Reporting Conflict
• Power & Projection: The Foreign Policy of the Bush Administration
• Research Skill
• Dissertation

Optional Modules

• America & Globalization
• Images of America
• Equality and the Media
• Theoretical Underpinnings of the History of International Relations

Module Descriptions

Imaging International Conflict AMST 40140 (10 Credits)

This module examines the roles of image producers and the functions of visual imagery in the documentation and communication of wars, violent conflicts and human rights issues.  It will examine the role of humanitarian frameworks in ‘Western’ genres of visual journalism and analyse the ideological impulses and functions of contemporary modes of visual documentation.  It will also examine the political economy of visual documentation of conflicts, including the work of selected international news organizations and NGOs in the global distribution of images, the effects of imagery on government policy and NGO activity, and the use of visual archives in civil and legal inquiries surrounding violent conflicts. (Note: The module will draw on the research produced by the ‘Photography and International Conflict’ project at the Clinton Institute, funded by the IRCHSS).

Power and Projection: The Foreign Policy of the Bush Administration AMST 40160 (10 Credits)

This module will examine US foreign policy since January 2001, linking and considering ideas of strategy, power, methods, and ideology.  It will look closely at the Bush Administration’s proposal and pursuit of the notion of the ‘unipolar’, studying this both as a global strategy and as a case-by-case application in areas from Europe to East Asia to Afghanistan to Iran, and the Middle East.  Students will examine the construction of this policy, its projection through methods such as public diplomacy, and its reception and negotiation by ‘recipient’ audiences.  Students will not only evaluate leading work in the field from scholars, journalists and practitioners, but will develop ideas through exchanges with international partners in Europe, Asia and North America and with interactive websites such as that of Libertas: The Centre for US Foreign Policy.

Public Diplomacy and Soft Power AMST 40130 (10 credits)

This module will analyse historical and emergent roles of public diplomacy as the ‘soft power’ wing of American foreign policy.  It will consider the ways in which the power of the American state is manifested in its operations across national borders, and examine the implications for cultural production and knowledge-formation shaped by the operations of this power.  Key issues include: strategic communications and information warfare; the promotion of educational and cultural programmes; private/public networks and the role of non-state actors and NGOs in delivering and contesting public diplomacy goals; the role of rights discourse in public diplomacy; and the impact of new media technologies on public diplomacy.  We will examine communications strategies that evidence new and sophisticated relations between public relations and public diplomacy, and comment on how these strategies are tied to (but also in tension with) foreign policy initiatives.

Journalism: Reporting Conflict and Foreign Affairs AMST 40180 (5 credits)

This module will examine genres and styles of reporting that focus on conflict and foreign affairs.  What determines a focus on particular aspects of foreign affairs?  What frames are used to report on particular issues?  What is the role of international news agencies in disseminating international news?  We will consider the nature of contemporary war reporting.  What is the role of journalists in war and violent conflicts?  How do they negotiate the competing demands of employers, governments and military sources?  How do they manage the tensions between objectivity and empathy with human suffering?  We will also consider the changing nature of news production and consumption in a global media marketplace, including the impact of new media technologies on the reporting of conflict and foreign affairs.

Visual Ethnography AMST 40170

This module will provide an advanced introduction to the history, theory and practice of visual ethnography.  We will explore the genealogy of visual ethnography and will read and discuss key ideas and concepts relating to it.  The main forms of visual ethnography that we will analyse are photography and documentary film.  Issues to be explored include the relationship between visual seeing and modernity; between visual representation, race and colonialism; the power relations and ethical concerns that are generated through the practice of visual ethnography; and ways in which visual ethnography has produced knowledge about borders, work, poverty, war and urban life.  The objective of the course is to provide students with a command of some of the key concepts and theories within visual ethnography.

Journalism: Genres and Style AMST30030 (5 credits)

This module will introduce students to several genres of written and visual journalism.  Journalists develop expertise in a range of skills such as researching information, interviewing, drafting and writing within genre conventions and for specific audiences.  They may specialize in a range of writing-based activities, including print journalism (newspapers and magazine), broadcast journalism (radio and television), public relations, advertising, or online media.  The most effective journalism evokes a distinctive voice and styles of address and argument shaped to their medium and audience.  Journalists representing distinct genres and writing styles will contribute to the module, discussing their working practices.  The work of these journalists will form the primary reading for the module. 

Media and Equality (5 credits)

This module examines the role of equality in contemporary media in terms of media structures, content and participation.  The media are popularly described as the public watchdog, monitoring the activities of political and economic elites and facilitating democratic participation.  However, critics argue that the current role of the media as profit-making commercial enterprises have resulted in a surfeit of entertainment, trivia and sensationalism.  This module examines whether the media echo the interests of political and economic forces rather than speaking out as public watchdogs.  It will develop media literacy by raising awareness, heightening critical analysis and facilitating media advocacy.  We will examine the consequences of globalisation and corporate ownership of the media.  We explore how media producers and journalists follow guidelines of media ethics, professionalism and news worthiness that structure their work.  Practical sessions about how to write a press release, be interviewed on radio or television or write a blog about equality issues are combined with theoretical lectures and workshop sessions to deepen students’ understanding of and participation in the activities of the media.

Student Assessment

The Masters degree programme will be assessed by means of course work for the modules (largely by essay but this may vary) and a minor thesis of 10,000 to 15,000 words.  Credit values vary for each module.

Students choose the dissertation top in consultation with the programme director.  It may be supervised by the programme director or co supervised with another academic either within UCD or outside the university.   Supervisors monitor student’s individual progress and offer advice on the preparation and presentation of the dissertation.   The final mark for the Masters Degree will be divided between the course work and the dissertation.

Teaching and Tuition

Each module tutor will provide students with documentation setting out the structure and content of the module.

Modules will normally consist of weekly two-hour seminars.  These are group discussion classes where students are expected to bring up issues arising from their independent study.

Tutors will also be available to discuss individual students’ written assignment.

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Provisional Fees 2009/'10   

Application Procedure for MA in Media & International Conflict

Student can now apply online (www.ucd.ie/apply) for the MA in Media & International Conflict, closing date 14th July 2009.

Students should forward the following documents to the application office- address below

• Two academic references will be required.  It is the responsibility of the applicants to ensure that these are completed and returned in a sealed signed envelope.
• In all cases a 300-word dissertation proposal must be submitted.
• Non-University College Dublin applicants are required to submit the following additional documentation:
  • Original birth certificate
  • A degree certificate or academic transcript (not a copy).  If the degree result is pending at the time of the application this documentation should be forwarded as soon as the result is known.
  • Applicants whose native language is not English must provide a certificate of proficiency in the English language (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge)

These documents should be returned to the

On Line Application Office
Tierney Building
UCD
Belfield
Dublin 4

If you have any questions on the process please contact
Catherine.Carey@ucd.ie or Tel +353 1 7161560