Course Objective:

‘International News’ course examines general mode of International Relations in terms of communication relations as an integrated part of international political, economic and cultural order. International Communication is a field of study that encompasses many issue areas. These include: Culture, national development, foreign policy and diplomacy, conflict and conflict resolution, technology, news flow, national sovereignty, ideology, comparative mass communication systems, regulation and policy, human and civil rights, ideological confrontation, war and peace, and propaganda and influence.Therefore the main focus/objective of the course is to introduce the students with theoretical framework to understand international communication. Not only theory but practicing different news items from different news media cover the second half of the course day/time: International News course deals with various examples of written and visual presses of different countries about very recent crucial issues or happenings all over the world. Besides, major issues and events about Turkey which are also the concern or interest of other countries and the portrayal and/or representation of their news media reserve a special place and task within this course.

Among them, Communication technologies and practices have always been central to the maintenance of social, economic and political relations among social groups who differentiate themselves from one another other according to language, custom, geography, religion, state borders. The explosion of electronic technologies that can transverse such boundaries has made understanding global commnications systems a centerpiece for diplomacy, economic transactions, and political debate. Therefore, the secondary focus/objective of the course is to analyse the structure of global/international communication systems among different countries. This course attempts to provide as a basic grounding in these global news systems as they constitute, represent, and influence international relations and politics.

Course Content:

1st Week: Definition of Terms and Concepts Audio-Visual Screening (AVS): ‘The History of Television News’

2nd Week: Introduction to Mass Communication Theories Deciding What is National News, Foreign and International News (Class Discussion) AVS: Examples from Current Int’l Televion News Items

3rd Week: Introduction to International Communication – International Communication Order Ideology, Int’l Politics and Int’l News The History and Structure of Int’l news Flow

4th Week: International News Agencies – Evolution and Effects on Global News Foreign Policy Process and Int’l News Agencies

5th Week: Objectivity and Information Quality Common Criteria of evaluation of International News Items: For Written Press (Newspapers and Newsmagazines) and for Visual Press (Television)

6th Week Case Study Proposals – Last Week to decide and Inform the instructor about the mediums and subjects to be analysed in written or visual Press. (Class Participation and Discussion)

7th Week Ethics in Int’l News – Inequality and Injustice in Int’l News Basic Declaration and Regulations in Int’l Journalism AVS – Current hot issues covered in International Politics will be exampled through Int’l Mass Media.

8th Week Mid Term Exam or Case Study Presentations in Class

9th Week If not completed Continuation to Case Study Presentations Class Discussion: Foreign TV news programmes : Compare and Contrast Recent News Samples of Int’l News Media (on specific issues related to Turkey)

10th Week Class Discussion: Foreign and National (Turkish) Newsmagazines: Compare and Contrast Recent News Samples (on specific issues related to Turkey)

11th Week: Class Discussion and Concluding Remarks of the Instructor: Foreign and National Newspapers: Compare and Contrast Recent News Samples (on specific issues related to Turkey)

12th Week: News Value: Cultural Internationalism, Image Cultivation and Virtual Diplomacy

13th Week: International Media – War and Violent Conflict: Reporting and Effects AVS – Documentary Screening (CNN versus Al-Jazerra news Network)

14th Week: International Media – War and Violent Conflict: Reporting and Effects AVS – Foreign News Programme Screening (9/11 Event, Gulf War II)

15th Week: New Media Technologies Electronic News Media – Major Global Players
Final Exam

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course the students will :

- become familiar with the fundamental policy issues in international communication.
- Have an historical understanding of international information and recent global communication process.
- Be able to make comparison different information/communication systems, especially on journalistic tendencies between countries on world and Turkey.
- Be given an understanding of the different philosophies of press freedom in the world today.
- Be acquainted with use of internet to acquire international news media information.
- Have ability to ‘read and/or watch news’ and will be more confident in interpreting and commenting on news items they read or watch.
- Will be more willing to follow world issues from different media devices.
- Will identify and will be able to make comparison between national and foreign news reporting on international issues.
- Have concrete knowledge in identifying the term ‘propaganda’ and disect it.

Main Teaching Methods:

This course is based on theory and practice. Basic communication theories relevant with the course topic are lectured by the instructor through the 1-5 weeks supported by the AV materials. Discourse and content analysis cover the second part of the semestr while exploring the world issues from various news media.
Class time will consist of lectures of the instructor, selected articles and chapters from the below course textbooks, foreign newspapers and newsmagazines to be analysed (discourse and content), video presentations, guest speakers and considerable student participation in the form of topical discussions that encourage critical thinking by each student. During the semestr instructor will supply the texts and articles which are mandatory for the students to be read. News items from different news media will be provided by the instructor. However, if case study will be placed or instead of midterm exam students will be responsible to choose their own study materials in written or audio visual form. Reading list will be forwarded to the students at the very beginning of the semestr.

Course Assessment:

Points are awarded for each portion of the work study project depending on individual or group base or a midterm and a final examination. Attendance is mandatory. Reading materials provided by the instructor should be read by each student before attending the class in weeks. Extra Credit or points will be available for class participation and discussions.

Participation to class discussions: 10 points
Midterm Exam: 30 points
Casestudy/project: 20 points
Final Exam: 40 points
(Points may differ according to the evaluation method)

Course Textbook:

Gans, H. Deciding What’s News. Newyork, 1991.
Katz, E. ‘Notes on Watching the War’, M.Küçük (Trans.) Iletisim Çeviri, Haziran 1993, Sayi.1, 15-16.
Kunczik, M. Concepts of Journalism, North and South, Bonn: Communication Manual, Friedrich-Ebert,Stiftung, 1988.

Rosenblum, M. Who Stole the News? Why Keep up With What Happens in the World and What we can do About It., New York: John Wiley& Sons, Inc., 1993.

McQuail, Denis, Mass Communication Theory, An Introduction, Sage Publ.,1991.

Boyd-Barrett, O. and Rantanen, T.(ed), The Globalization of News, Sage Publ., 1998.

Fischer H. and Merrill J.C. (ed), International & Intercultural Communication, Hastings House Pub., 1978.

Auletta, Ken, Three Blind Mice. How The Tv Networks Lost their Way, Random House, 1991.

Barber, Benjamin, Jihad vs. McWorld, How Globalism and Tribalism are Reshaping yhe World, Random House, 1996.

Friedman, Thomas L., Longitudes and Attitudes: The World In the Age of Terrorism.

Taylor, P.M., War and The Media. Propaganda and Persuasion in the Gulf War., Manchester University Press, 1992.

Read, Donald, The Power of News. The History of Reuters., Oxford University Pres, 1992.

Whittemore, Hank, CNN The Inside Story, Little, Brown Co., 1990.

Gerbner, G. And Siefert, M.(ed), World Communications, A handbook, Longman, 1984.

Course Reference Material:

The above foreign newsmagazines are crucial to be read and examined : The instructor will choose the world events that are covered by the most news media on world and students will be prepared to discuss the events and their portrayal in these selected news magazines:
Time
News Week
The Economist

Radford, Benjamin, Medya Nasil Yaniltiyor?, Basinin, aktivistlerin ve reklamcilarin yanlis yönlendirmesi, Güncel Yayincilik, 2004.

Ulagay, Osman, Hedefteki Amerika ’11 Eylül Soku’, Timas Yayinlari, 2002.

Ahmad, Eqbal, Terrorism. Theirs and Ours. Seven Stories Pres NY, 2001.

AbuKhalil As’ad, Bin Laden, Islam and America’s New ‘War on Terrorism’, Seven Stories Pres, NY, 2002.

Lewis, Bernard, Islam’in Krizi, Literatür Yayinlari, 2003.

Chomksy, Noam, 9-11, Seven Stories Pres, 2001.

Kumrular, Özlem (Ed), Dünyada Türk Imgesi, Kitap Yayinevi, 2005.