Global Media, War, and Technology from edX

The experience of war has changed fundamentally - not only for those fighting and reporting, but also for those on the home front. High-tech nations wage wars from a distance using satellite-guided weaponry while non-state military actors, terrorist organizations, and citizen journalists have increasingly added new voices and visual perspectives to the conversation about conflict.

The ubiquity of smartphones, internet access, and social media transports the experience and complexity of war directly into our lives. Cyberspace offers greater freedoms and access to information at the same time as we discover a dramatic global rise of cyber espionage, internet censorship, and surveillance.

In this course, we map this emerging new terrain where violent conflict, information technology, and global media intersect and where the old distinctions between battlefront and home front, between soldier and civilian, between war and entertainment, and between public and private are being redrawn.

Considering these changes, this course engages with questions surrounding:

The relationship between media, information technology, and war
How violent conflict is presented in the media and the responsibilities of journalists during wartime
The effect of instantaneous, worldwide reporting on battle and the politics of conflict
How we can understand and critically engage with media and information technology

In order to engage with these questions, this course is taught through a number of conventional and unconventional forms of learning methods and activities. These include lecture videos, questionnaires, and discussion fora. But it also includes practical, experiential elements taught through crowdsourcing, individual research, critical viewing, media and image analysis, and surveys. Combined, these activities allow you to gain fresh and timely insights into what happens beneath the surface of the screen in front of you. They enable you to gain a deeper understanding of how the politics of today's wars play out on and behind the digital screens in our hypermediatized age.

What's inside

Learning objectives

The history and evolution of global media technology as it relates to conflict
The major themes and trends of global media in times of war

Application of the history and major themes of global media to current issues
Skills to be a critical media consumer

The history and evolution of global media technology as it relates to conflict
The major themes and trends of global media in times of war
Application of the history and major themes of global media to current issues
Skills to be a critical media consumer

Syllabus

Week 1: An introduction to global media and warIntroduction to the history of and context surrounding conflict in cyberspace.

Week 2: Transformation of the mediasphereA look at the media revolution and its transformation from a multipolar to a heteropolar mediascape as well as an exploration of the disruptive nature of digital media.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores evolution of global media technology in conflict settings, from multipolar to a heteropolar mediascape

Provides up-to-date insights on surveillance, cyber espionage, and internet censorship

Develops skills for critical media consumption and analysis

Taught by Sebastian Kaempf, an expert in media and conflict studies

Analyzes the military-industrial-media-entertainment complex and its impact on conflict representation

Examines how non-state military actors use media to shape narratives

Reviews summary

Global media, war, and technology: a critical lens

According to students, this course offers a highly relevant and timely exploration of the intersection between global media, war, and technology. Learners particularly praise its ability to foster critical media consumption skills and provide fresh insights into contemporary conflicts. Many found the interdisciplinary approach, blending history, politics, and technology, to be particularly engaging. While the course provides a strong foundational understanding of complex issues like surveillance and visual politics, some noted its broad scope means less in-depth coverage on specific advanced topics. The lecture videos and discussion forums are frequently highlighted for promoting thought-provoking analysis.

Includes diverse learning methods and practical elements.

"The mix of lecture videos, questionnaires, and practical analyses like critical viewing kept me engaged and learning in different ways."

"I particularly enjoyed the media and image analysis assignments; they were very hands-on and helped solidify concepts."

"The crowdsourcing and individual research components added a practical dimension to the learning that was quite unique."

Instructor provides clear, thought-provoking lectures.

"The lecturer was very knowledgeable and presented the material in a captivating way, making complex topics accessible and interesting."

"I found the lecture videos and accompanying discussions to be very engaging and well-structured, keeping my attention throughout."

"My understanding improved significantly due to the instructor's clear explanations and insightful examples provided in the videos."

Integrates media, war, technology, and politics effectively.

"I loved the interdisciplinary nature of the course; it brought together so many important fields I wouldn't have considered together."

"The course broadened my perspective on conflicts by linking them to global media and tech in an insightful way."

"It's a unique blend of historical, political, and technological analysis of modern warfare, which I found fascinating."

Develops strong skills for analyzing media critically.

"I feel much more equipped to critically analyze news and media portrayals of conflict now, which is a vital skill."

"The course challenged me to think deeply about information, propaganda, and surveillance."

"It really opened my eyes to how media shapes our understanding of war and how to question what I see."

Highly relevant to understanding today's complex world.

"This course is incredibly timely and relevant given current global events. I found it immediately applicable to understanding the news."

"I appreciate how the course connects historical context to present-day issues of media and conflict, making it very current."

"It truly helped me understand what happens beneath the surface of the screen and how media shapes current geopolitics."

Covers many topics, but some lack deep dives.

"While the topics are fascinating, I sometimes wished for more in-depth exploration of specific areas like cyber warfare or censorship mechanisms."

"The course provides a good overview, but if you're looking for expert-level detail on one specific area, you might need supplemental material."

"I felt some weeks moved quickly through complex concepts, leaving me wanting more detail on specific historical events or technological impacts."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Global Media, War, and Technology with these activities:

Read a book on the history of global media

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Familiarizing yourself with the history of global media will provide you with the necessary context to understand the current state of the field.

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Choose a book on the history of global media.
Read the book.
Take notes on the key points.
Write a summary of the book.

Watch a documentary on the role of media in a particular conflict

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Watching a documentary on the role of media in a particular conflict will help you understand the complex relationship between media, war, and society.

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Choose a documentary on the role of media in a particular conflict.
Watch the documentary.
Write a summary of the documentary.
Discuss the documentary with others.

Analyze a news article about a recent conflict

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Analyzing a news article about a recent conflict will help you develop your critical thinking skills and your ability to understand the role of media in shaping public opinion.

Browse courses on Media Analysis

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Choose a news article about a recent conflict.
Read the article carefully.
Identify the main points of the article.
Analyze the article's use of language and imagery.
Write a summary of the article.

Four other activities

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Write a blog post about the ethical challenges of reporting on conflict

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Writing a blog post about the ethical challenges of reporting on conflict will help you to develop your critical thinking skills and your ability to communicate complex ideas.

Browse courses on Media Ethics

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Research the ethical challenges of reporting on conflict.
Write a blog post outline.
Write your blog post.
Edit and proofread your blog post.
Publish your blog post.

Participate in a global media hackathon

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Participating in a global media hackathon will give you the opportunity to apply the skills you learn in this course to a real-world problem.

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Find a global media hackathon to participate in.
Form a team.
Develop a project idea.
Build your project.
Submit your project to the hackathon.

Create a social media campaign to raise awareness about a particular conflict

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Creating a social media campaign to raise awareness about a particular conflict will give you the opportunity to use your skills to make a difference in the world.

Browse courses on Social Media Marketing

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Choose a conflict to raise awareness about.
Develop a social media campaign strategy.
Create social media content.
Promote your social media campaign.
Monitor and evaluate your social media campaign.

Contribute to an open-source project related to global media

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Contributing to an open-source project related to global media will give you the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with other experts in the field.

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Find an open-source project related to global media.
Join the project's community.
Find a way to contribute to the project.
Make your contributions.
Get your contributions reviewed and accepted.

Career center

Learners who complete Global Media, War, and Technology will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Journalist

Journalists are responsible for gathering, verifying, and reporting information about current events. As such, a deep understanding of the interrelation of media, technology, and war is very important. This course can strengthen a Journalist's awareness of the mechanics and challenges of reporting on conflict in the modern age.

See salaries and explore the career path for Journalist

Media Analyst

Media Analysts study how different types of media, from radio to social media to print, can influence public opinion. This course can form the foundation of an understanding of the important influence of media on events of global significance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Media Analyst

Public Relations Specialist

Public Relations Specialists craft and implement strategies to get media attention. An understanding of the global mediasphere and trends in digital media, both of which are covered in the class, are necessary for one working in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Relations Specialist

Intelligence Analyst

Intelligence Analysts are responsible for interpreting political, economic, military, and social issues that may have an impact on national security. This course can build on general history skills needed in the role with a specific focus on modern conflict and technology.

See salaries and explore the career path for Intelligence Analyst

Documentarian

Documentarians tell stories and inform the public with moving images. Understanding the trends of global media, the role media plays in political conflict, and the challenges of visual storytelling are central to being an effective Documentarian. This course may be useful toward developing these skills.

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Historian

Historians study and interpret the past in order to help people understand the present. As this course explores the history of global media and technology, it may be useful for someone who wants to understand the influence of media and technology through time.

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Lawyer

Lawyers provide legal advice to individuals and organizations and represent clients in court and other legal proceedings. Those who go on to work in international law may find this course helpful for understanding how media and conflict intersect.

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Politician

Politicians develop political policies and manage government at the local, regional, and national levels. A course with a focus on the political implications of media is especially useful for someone who may go on to काम work as a Politician.

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Surveillance Analyst

Surveillance Analysts use surveillance equipment and data in order to gather information about the activities of individuals or groups. This course explores the major uses of surveillance technology and may be a helpful introduction to the topic.

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Strategic Communications Consultant

Strategic Communications Consultants plan and execute strategic communications campaigns for clients. This course may be particularly helpful for this career as it explores the strategies of media organizations and the role of media in the world.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers develop and implement marketing plans for products and services. By understanding how media is consumed in the modern age, a Marketing Manager can be more effective in their work.

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Project Manager

Project Managers plan, execute, and close projects, while working with stakeholders to meet project requirements. This course has particular relevance for Project Managers in the public sector who work in areas relating to media technology and technology.

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Web Developer

Web Developers design and create websites. While the course does not offer direct technical training in Web Development, it may be helpful in a specialized context such as when developing websites on which news media is disseminated.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect, process, and analyze data in order to provide insights for businesses. By understanding how data is collected by governments and corporations and how media disseminates this data, a Data Analyst can be more effective at their work.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, test, and maintain software systems. An awareness of the role of media in modern life is important for Software Engineers who build social media or other similar platforms.

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