Alternative and activist media
cerensozeri@gmail.com
Content
Objective
The aim of this course is to analyse the theoretical foundations, historical background and ethical dimensions of alternative and activist media. It opens up for discussion the increasingly blurred boundaries between the two and explores their creative forms in both format and content. It also examines ethnic, religious, human-rights-oriented and oppositional subcultural examples that have developed alongside social movements and technology. These are studied through the concept of the public sphere and through critical theories, political economy in particular.
The course also offers a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to master’s students who wish to research alternative and activist media. Media and communication research came to this field relatively late. The field has grown with technology and social movements, in response to media that is becoming ever more commercialised and losing its pluralism. The course encourages students to contribute to the academic literature in this field.
Course Content
During the semester, students write response papers on four articles selected for the course, and these replace the midterm exam. In addition, each student writes a research paper on a topic of their choice, based on field research.
Working papers are shared in a closed group, regardless of semester, so that all course participants can access them and contribute to them.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
* discuss the reasons for the emergence of alternative and activist media;
* discuss different theoretical approaches to alternative and activist media;
* discuss the boundaries between alternative and activist media;
* discuss the political, cultural and economic dimensions of alternative and activist media;
* examine examples of alternative and activist media and develop them into an original field study and working paper.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Seminar, participatory discussion, student presentations, critical reading, field research, peer review
References
Atkinson, Joshua D. (2015) Alternatif Medya ve Direniş Siyaseti: Bir İletişim Perspektifi, (çev) Gamze Önem ve Aslınur Akdeniz, İstanbul: Epsilon Yayınevi
Atton, Chris (2002) Alternative Media, London: Sage Publication
Bailey, Olga G. et al (2007), Understanding Alternative Media, Open University Press
Coyer Kate et al. (2007), The Alternative Media Handbook, Routledge
Ceyhan, Çağdaş (2008), “Anaakım Medyaya Karşı Alternatif Medya: Alternatif Gazeteler Olarak Ahali ve Mülksüzler”, Anadolu Üniversitesi SBE Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans tezi
Çelenk, Sevilay (2008) Başka Bir İletişim Mümkün, IPS İletişim Vakfı
Dijk, Jan Van (2012) Ağ Toplumu, (çev) Özlem Sakin, İstanbul: Epsilon Yayınevi
Di Salvo P. (2020) The Boundary Space Between Journalism and Activism. In: Digital Whistleblowing Platforms in Journalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Downing, John D.H. (2017) Radikal Medya: İsyancıların İletişimi ve Toplumsal Hareketler, (çev) Ülkü Doğanay vd., Ankara: İmge Yayınevi
Erdoğan, H. N. Ö. (2021). Yeni Toplumsal Hareketler Bağlamında Kadın Hareketleri: Dijital Aktivizm, Ankara Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 12(2) , 112-119.
Fraser, Nancy et. al. (2014) Transnationalizing the Public Sphere, Cambridge: Polity Press
Freire, Paulo (2017) Ezilenlerin Pedagojisi, (çev) Dilek Hattatoğlu ve Erol Özbek, İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları
Fuchs, Christian (2014) Dijital Emek ve Karl Marx, (çev)Tahir Emre Kalaycı ve Senem Oğuz, Ankara: NoteBene Yayınları
Güney, Serhat (2009) Tüm Yönleriyle Topluluk Radyoları, İstanbul, Punto Yayınları
İnceoğlu, Yasemin & Çoban, Savaş (der.) (2015) İnternet ve Sokak, İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları
İnceoğlu, Yasemin & Çoban, Savaş (der.) (2014) Azınlıklar, Ötekiler ve Medya, İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları
Kadıoğlu, Duru Su (2021), "Alternatif medya yaklaşımıyla dayanışma ağları". Galatasaray Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü (Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi).
Kang, Jaeho (2015) Walter Benjamin ve Medya, (çev) Deniz Gedizlioğlu, İstanbul: Epsilon Yayınevi
Köksalan, Emre (2010), Alternatif Televizyon: Olanaklar ve Uygulamalar, Punto Yayınları
Langlois, Andrea & Dubois, Frédéric (der) (2015) Otonom Medya: Direniş ve Muhalefeti Canlandırmak, (çev) Gülüm Şener, İstanbul: Epsilon Yayınevi
Lievrouw, Leah A. (2011) Alternative and Activist New Media, Cambridge: Polity Press
Marcus, Greil (2013) Ruj Lekesi: Yirminci Yüzyılın Gizli Tarihi, İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları
Mayerhöffer, Eva (2021) How do Danish Right-wing Alternative Media Position Themselves Against the Mainstream? Advancing the Study of Alternative Media Structure and Content, Journalism Studies, 22:2, 119-136, DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2020.1814846
Ozgul, Billur Aslan and Anastasia Veneti (2021), The Different Organizational Structures of Alternative Media: Through the Perspective of Alternative Media Journalists in Turkey and Greece, Digital Journalism, DOI: 10.1080/21670811.2021.1943482
Özkaplan, Leyla (2022). "Alternatif medya yaklaşımıyla Kürtçe dijital kültür-sanat dergiciliği". Galatasaray Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü (Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi).
Platon Sarah – Mark Deuze (2003), “Indymedia Journalism A radical way of making, selecting and sharing news?”, Journalism, Vol. 4(3): 336–355
Sampedro, Victor- Avidad, Mayra Martinez (2018). "The Digital Public Sphere:
An Alternative and Counterhegemonic Space? The Case of Spain" International Journal of Communication 12(2018), 23–44
Schwarzenegger, Christian (2021), Communities of Darkness? Users and Uses of Anti-System Alternative Media between Audience and Community, Media and Communication, Vol 9, No 1
Waltz, Mitzi (2005), Alternative and Aktivist Media, Edinburgh University Press
Yanıkkaya, Berrin & Çoban Barış (der.) (2014) Kendi Medyanı Yarat / Alternatif Medya-Kavramlar-Tartışmalar-Örnekler Cilt:1-2, İstanbul: Kalkedon Yayınları
Zobl, Elke & Drüeke, Ricarda (2012), Feminist Media Participatory Spaces, Networks and Cultural Citizenship, Critical Media Studies
Weekly Contents
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction: Alternative Media within Communication Theories |
| 2 | Alternative Media within Communication History and Theories |
| 3 | Defining Alternative and Activist Media |
| 4 | New Social Movements – Public Sphere Debates |
| 5 | The Political Economy of Alternative and Activist Media |
| 6 | Alternative Media and Emerging Technologies |
| 7 | Boundaries between Alternative and Activist Media; Ethical Debates |
| 8 | Review of Response Papers |
| 9 | Alternative Media and New Right Movements |
| 10 | Aesthetics of Alternative and Activist Media; Performance of Resistance |
| 11 | Activism and the Culture of Dissent |
| 12 | Autonomous Media, DIY, Participatory Culture |
| 13 | Presentation and Discussion of Field Research |
| 14 | Presentation and Discussion of Field Research |
Assessment System
| Activities | Number | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade | 1 | 50 |
| Contribution of final exam to overall grade | 1 | 50 |
| Total | 2 | 100 |
| Activities | Number | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 2 | 100 |
| Presentation | 0 | 0 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 100 |
Relation of Proficiency
| No | Program Learning Outcomes | Contribution | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1 | The students understand and correlate the events both at the national and international levels. | X | ||||
| 2 | The students follow innovations and developments in the media and communication Technologies. | X | ||||
| 3 | The students know theoretical background, methods and applications required to realize researches and studies in the fields of media and communication. | X | ||||
| 4 | Students acquire the analytical and synthesis skills. | X | ||||
| 5 | Students have a critical point of view in evaluating events and phenomena. | X | ||||
| 6 | Students acqueirent ethical values in the field of media and communication and defend the public interest, respect for human and individual rights. | X | ||||
| 7 | Students acquirent the sensitivity to understand the diversity of cultures and societies. | X | ||||
ECTS
| Activities | Number | Period | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Hours | 14 | 3 | 42 |
| Working Hours out of Class | 14 | 5 | 70 |
| Assignments | 2 | 10 | 20 |
| Presentation | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Final Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Make-up | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Bütünleme | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Workload | 142 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 | 5.68 | ||
| Credits ECTS | 6 | ||