ATS3971 · Propaganda: Dark arts in a digital age

Overview

In this unit you, will examine propaganda, ‘disinformation’ and influence operations in a digital age. You will learn about the history of propaganda in politics and conflicts, and how this helps us understand its contemporary practice. You will study a range of current issues including surveillance capitalism and the political economy of disinformation; data misuse; computational propaganda; AI and deepfakes; free speech and censorship; use of power, emotion and language; hacking and leaking; hybrid war; influence mercenaries; and election manipulation. You will have the opportunity to examine potential responses to manage these challenges and the implications for journalism, security and human rights.

Areas of study: Journalism Communications and media studies

Offerings

The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. critically analyse academic interdisciplinary knowledge relevant to understanding and explaining propaganda in democracies, including key theoretical perspectives, concepts and debates, and its relationship to media and journalism;
2. critically analyse how changing historical, socio-political and technological contexts shape strategies of propaganda;
3. apply your research and analytical skills by undertaking a research project on propaganda, using relevant knowledge of theory and concepts;
4. communicate to scholarly standards your written work and in-class discussions on theoretical and substantive issues related to contemporary propaganda.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.