Media, Promotional Culture and Advertising BA(Hons)

Your phone screen may be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you check at night, and in this module we look at the role of technology in shaping our world. We combine critical analysis of key platforms and technologies, from Google and YouTube to Facebook and Twitter, with teaching you the skills to use those tools to create professional media content.

The major platforms are not just the biggest internet companies in the world, but the biggest companies full stop. This module provides you with an introduction to the key theories, concepts and methods to help you understand internet industries. You’ll also reflect on laws and policies as they relate to online platforms and content producers.

No matter what area of media you want to work in, you can be sure your audience won’t just be sitting back and letting your content wash over them. They can access it on devices large and small, and won’t be shy about participating in the debate. This module introduces you to the study of media audiences, and helps you understand the context of media convergence.

Getting behind the camera and the microphone is a dream career for many. This module is where you start to make those dreams a reality. We’ll take you through how to use industry-standard cameras and digital recorders to capture video and audio, and then Adobe editing software to turn that raw material into crafted pieces.

Telling stories is at the heart of all kinds of journalism jobs, from news reporting to music reviewing and covering live sport. Here, we help you improve your writing, so you’re comfortable researching and writing pieces in a range of styles. Analysing professional examples will help you get a handle on what you’ll be aiming to match as your skills develop.

On this module, you'll be introduced to the basic skills and fundamental principles of screenwriting. You'll undertake a survey of key forms and genres of writing for the screen. You'll learn the conventions of the screenplay format, as well as the fundamental techniques and devices used in screenwriting. You'll also gain experience using industry-standard software for producing scripts. Through a combination of tutor-led workshops and independent study you'll write an original screenplays for a short film, and will begin the process of critical reflection on your growth and development as a screenwriter.

You’ll often hear us say that media is changing quickly: and we mean it. This module helps you make sense of what that means for your future career, and why the jobs of tomorrow aren’t always the same as the ones of the past. You’ll work on a career plan, so you can be ready for a placement year and other media work opportunities.

This module focuses on developing your understanding of different kinds of promotional culture – public relations (PR), influencers, marketing and advertising – and your critical, analytical and evaluative skills. You will learn how to critically analyse different kinds of promotional culture and evaluate its role in society, developing skills you will need to help you develop successful, effective and ethical promotional campaigns and content. As the module continues, you will apply what you have learnt to the practice of PR, and further develop the creative, analytical and technical skills you need to succeed as a public relations practitioner.

Doing original research is central to university life, and this module helps prepare you for your final year dissertation. You’ll be introduced to key methods and ways of collecting data, which we can use to study media in society and culture. As you engage with questions and theories of knowledge, you’ll also develop skills useful in your future media careers.

Radio is a classic medium and both BBC and commercial radio are bigger than ever. This module helps you develop skills in devising and producing radio programmes, along with news bulletins and online content. You’ll finish by working as part of a team to put on a week-long pop-up radio station, a demanding but exciting assessment.

You'll develop your music journalism writing skills, turning your hand to a wide variety of styles – from reviews and features to opinion articles, listicles and other forms of online and social media journalism. There will be in-depth teaching and guidance not only about how to write, but also how to pitch your work to editors. You'll learn about the tradition and history of music journalism, and think about its past, present and future.

There’s a magazine for almost any topic you can think of, and this module helps take you closer to a job working for a publication you’ll love. Industry experts help teach you how to use software packages to design a stunning product. Then, you’re tasked with coming up with your own idea for a new magazine, to fill a gap in the market that you’ve spotted.

If you’ve ever looked at a TV presenter or YouTuber and thought “I could do that”, then here’s where we put you through your paces in front of the camera. Experienced presenters help you develop your skills in fronting, interviewing and improvising. You’ll work in our own studios as well as out on location, producing a showreel you can take to potential future employers.

Television has been at the centre of our cultural life for decades and remains so today, even if you’re as likely to watch on your phone than turn on the box in the corner of the living room. This module traces the rise of broadcast media, analysing the evolution of a range of genres from comedy, drama and soaps to reality television, and much more.

Being a producer in film and TV is an important job, putting you right at the centre of any production. You’ll learn about production management tasks ranging from casting to location scouting, while getting a handle on the logistics of production both in the studio and outside. You’ll also focus on health and safety, knowledge that is more essential than ever.

This module takes you inside cinema, as you examine contemporary film as a global media industry. It’s not just the movies themselves, but how they are produced, distributed, promoted and received. There’s a particular emphasis on how processes of globalisation and circulation allow films to become meaningful, far outside the contexts in which they were originally made.

This is where you put your academic learning to use, by doing guided independent research into an area of the media you want to learn more about. You’ll review what others have written about your topic, identify a suitable method to use and carry it out, before analysing your findings. It’s a challenge - but you’ll have a supervisor to help you all the way.

Getting movies and TV shows in front of audiences is a key task, and it’s one that is changing rapidly in the era of streaming. If you’ve wondered why certain shows drop off Netflix and turn up on a rival service, this module allows you to get inside those processes. You’ll also develop a distribution and promotion plan for a product of your own.

Brands and branding are all around us, and you’ll get inside the promotional techniques used to sell us things. You’ll use knowledge of media industries, consumer research and communications theory to examine how products and services are promoted. You’ll also create materials for a new brand of your own, developing skills useful for careers in advertising and marketing.

There’s an old saying that ‘news travels fast’, but it’s never travelled as quickly as it does today, when information races around the world through social networks. In this module you’ll examine the ways in which international communication affects globalisation. And you’ll ask some big questions about the impact media has on issues of time, nations and culture.

Gender, sex and sexuality in the digital world are at the heart of this cutting-edge module. Using theoretical frameworks from a range of academic disciplines, you’ll explore the impact of developments in technology on sexual behaviour, gender politics and sexual identity. Topics include dating apps, digital pornography, masculinity and fourth wave feminism.

Streaming has changed the way we consume media beyond recognition. In this module, you’ll examine the disruptive impact Netflix, YouTube and other platforms have had on the media industries. You’ll complete a case study investigation of an area of streaming media that you find most interesting.

This module gives you the knowledge and practical skills to develop an advanced understanding of the emerging and diverse use of short film in a variety of forms. You will examine how video can be used across digital and broadcast platforms in innovative and complex ways. You will work in small groups to develop video narratives using a range of styles and platforms, with a clear understanding of audience and production.

Gaming is one of the most dominant forms of entertainment, more valuable than the movie and music industries put together. In this module, you’ll examine key debates in video gaming analysis, putting games into their historical, social and economic contexts. You’ll create a video essay to help demonstrate what you’ve learned.