Overview

Historically, one of the difficulties faced by all organisations and groups, from corporations through to social justice campaigners, has been getting their messages reported clearly, accurately and effectively through mainstream media channels. As the mainstream media contracts and its audiences fragment, getting a story heard now requires an understanding of how to make media that will have an impact. This unit provides students with a critical, historical overview of media products and strategies that have been used in industry, government, not-for-profit and community organisations to achieve social and behavioural change. Through a collaborative, real world project, students will develop and implement a media product that advocates for social change

Requisites

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Engage in critically informed debates in relation to media and social impact
  • Define, describe and analyse core concepts, theories and issues in regard to media and social impact
  • Plan and produce a research essay that critically analyses a social change media campaign
  • Collaborate in groups with internal and external partners, develop and implement a media product that advocates for a change in attitude and/or behaviour for a particular audience

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture
1.00 12 weeks 12
On-campus
Class
2.00 12 weeks 24
Specified Activities
Various
3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Various
6.00 12 weeks 72
TOTAL144

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
EssayIndividual 20% 1,2,3 
ProjectGroup 60% 1,2,4 
Project ReportIndividual 20% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • History of media advocacy and activism
  • Narrative and non-narrative storytelling strategies
  • Data visualisation and advocacy
  • Developing media strategies to target social change issues in areas such as health, aging, education, the environment and social justice
  • Social responsibility in Design and Media
  • Creating collaborative media products with community and not-for-profit organisations
  • Measuring social impact

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.