Media and the Real (P5097)

15 credits, Level 5

Spring teaching

From ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth politics’ to ‘virtual reality’ and ‘deepfakes’, the media’s relationship to ‘the real’ features prominently in contemporary debate. On this module, you’ll explore how media construct realities whilst also claiming to represent lived world experiences. You’ll look at how contemporary media deal in questions of truth, realism and deception.

You’ll engage with core questions of:

  • objectivity and bias
  • media-source relations
  • propaganda and dis/information
  • trust and conspiracy
  • authenticity and identity
  • liveness and mediated experience
  • mediation and mediatisation.

We’ll take examples from a wide range of media forms and genres that might include:

  • news and current affairs
  • documentary and docudrama
  • reality TV
  • true crime podcasts
  • greenwashing and sustainability communications
  • spreadable social media and influencer content
  • AI generated content
  • augmented reality technologies
  • playable media.

You’ll:

  • gain critical understanding of the role of the media in co-creating understandings of reality
  • identify continuities and transformations in how institutional and other interest groups have sought to harness media content
  • develop a sophisticated response to current debates around ‘fakeness’ in media
  • improve your debating skills and communicate complex ideas in oral and written forms.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We鈥檙e planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We鈥檒l make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: