Media and Politics – BA specialization
Mass media – traditional and new –play important role in politics in XXI century. Political actors cannot exist nowadays in the society without them. The media are the main channel of political communication. Few decades ago, the public – citizens – voters have to wait for news one or more days, when traditional newspapers, radio and TV could distribute political information. The development of new media as internet and above all the social media (Facebook, Twitter etc.) have changed deeply a political landscape and character of political communication. Politicians and their personnel who work in the office as political advisers and consultants, spokepersons, etc., can distribute the news at once or in this same time when events are happening. Internet and the social media motivate also the public –citizens -voters who are the third participant of political communication process. They can react immediately to the news and message of political actors.
The specialization “Media and Politics” is linked with a very important aspect of political life in each state in the world. We offer three groups of courses.
The first one is general and theoretical, it introduces a fundamental political science. It is a kind of very important background which helps to understand political processes. There are courses as political science, political research, history, philosophy, sociology, parties and party system, social psychology, politics and religion, international relations, European integration, political geography, political thought, social policy, public administration, self-government and local policy, economics and economic policy, law studies.
There are some practical courses in the second group as organization and management, sociotechnics, marketing in public sector, political marketing, politics online.
The third group is created by the specialization courses linked with communication and media science. They help to understand and explain a place of the traditional and new media in politics. Students start with media and mass communication course in IV semester, which is an introduction to other lectures and classes. During the last VI semester, we offer crucial courses as development of mass media in XXI c., political advertising, political communication, media in politics.
This specialization ”Media and Politics” help to students not only to understand political process but above it can be useful for those of them who will decide to be active in politics as politicians, political consultants or political leader`s personnel.