GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM

FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION
BA IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES-LEVEL 400
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS-COMS 405
Course Descr!"o#$ International Communication systems is a course about te istorical!
tecnolo"ical! #olitical an$ economic $e%elo#ments tat a%e sa#e$ "lobal communications
&rom te '(
t
century to te #resent $ay an$ te $ebates tat continue to ra"e o%er te structure
an$ &lo) o& ne)s an$ in&ormation across te )orl$* It )ill loo+ at o) tecnolo"ical inno%ations
&rom te tele"ra# to te internet a%e an$ continue to structure an$ sa#e in&ormation &lo) &rom
te $e%elo#e$ )orl$ to te $e%elo#in" )orl$ )it )i$es#rea$ cultural conse,uences &or te tir$
)orl$* Te course )ill consi$er some o& te teoretical #ers#ecti%es use$ to e-#lain suc "lobal
in&ormation &lo)s suc as mo$erni.ation teory an$ )orl$ systems teory* Finally te course
)ill consi$er te /anaian case in so &ar as it is a&&ect by te currents in "lobal communications*
Course O%&ec"'es$
( To "i%e a istorical un$erstan$in" o& International Communications
( To e-amine te role an$ in&luence o& tecnolo"y in "lobal ne)s an$ in&ormation
&lo)s
( Discuss te N0ICO $ebates an$ assess its contem#orary rele%ance
'( E-amine te rele%ance o& Me$ia an$ Cultural im#erialism $iscourses in an
A&rican1/anaian conte-t
Le)r##* Ou"co+es$ At te en$ o& te semester stu$ents are e-#ecte$ to a%e
'* An un$erstan$in" o& te istorical $e%elo#ments tat still in&luence International
Communications to tis $ay
2* An Un$erstan$in" o& te )or+ o& International Me$ia 3ouses an$ Ne)s A"encies an$
teir in&luence in International Relations1Pro#a"an$a as )ell as /lobal Ne)s Flo)
4* An Un$erstan$in" o& te +ey $ebates surroun$in" In&ormation Societies an$ 5no)le$"e
Societies
6* An Un$erstan$in" o& te N0ICO $ebates
Te)c,#* Me",o-o.o*/7 Lectures! Discussions an$ Class Presentations
Ass*#+e#"s )#- IAs7 Tere )ill be one "rou# essay an$ one class #resentation )ic )ill ta+e
#lace in te course o& te semester an$ a &inal e-amination )ic comes o&& at te en$ o& te
semester*
Re0ure+e#"s 1or Ess)/s
'* Dis#lay +no)le$"e o& te rele%ant material &rom te to#ics treate$
2* Essays soul$ be structure$ to #ro%i$e an ans)er to te ,uestion as+e$! not 8ust a "eneral
$iscussion o& a &e) +ey )or$s &rom te to#ic* It $oes not matter )ic si$e te ans)er
comes $o)n so lon" as it is bac+e$ u# by soun$ ar"ument
4* Essays soul$ be ori"inal )it rele%ant e-am#les! but not a re#eat o& class lectures
6* Attribute all ,uotes or #ara#rases o& oter #eo#le9s )or+ to a%oi$ #la"iarism
:* Pro%i$e an a$e,uate biblio"ra#y
2o.c/ o# L)"e su%+sso# o1 3or4$ All assi"nments must be an$e$ in by te s")"e- -e)-.#e
Failure to $o so )ill mean te stu$ent )ill lose te mar+s a)ar$e$ &or tat e-ercise*

COURSE OUTLINE
5ee4 6-789:96;(
0at is International Communications;
Tecnolo"y< From te Tele"ra# to te Internet
Tis )ill loo+ at te istorical e%ents &rom te '(
t
century tat create$ te structure o&
international communications in te #resent7 Stu$ents )ill be ta+en trou" te
tecnolo"ical! #olitical an$ economic $e%elo#ments tat sa#e$ an$ continue to sa#e )orl$
communications
5ee4 7-79<96;(
Tele"ra#ic communications an$ te rise o& International Ne)s A"encies !teir "lobal reac
an$ in&luence &rom colonial times to te #resent*
5ee4 ;- <9<96;( International Ne)s A"encies Continue$
Case Stu$ies< Reuters! 3a%as1AFP! 0OLFF1 Continental 1DEP
AP
5ee4 4-689<96;(
Ne)s A"encies No)= ty#es an$ &eatures* AFRICA< /NA! ASIA< >IN3UA
5ee4 5- 7;9<96;( Te N0ICO Debate
5ee4 8-4?1(1'4( N0ICO Debate @Continue$<
5ee4 =<A1'?1'4* /lobal Ne)s an$ In&ormation Flo)

5ee4 :-'61'?1'4* /lobali.ation an$ te rise o& International Me$ia
0at is /lobali.ation; 0at is Me$ia /lobali.ation;
International Me$ia 3ouses< BBC! CNN! AL CADEERA! /OO/LE teir reac
In&luence in te "lobal &lo) o& in&ormation an$ i$eas*
5ee4 <-2'1'?1'47 Tecnolo"y! /lobali.ation an$ Communications Con"lomerates
5ee4 60- 2E1'?1'47 Cultural an$ Me$ia Im#erialism7 Te teory an$ te reality

5ee4 66- 61''1'4* Cultural an$ Me$ia Im#erialism7 Continue$

5ee4 67- ''1''1'4* Tree Teories< Mo$erni.ation! 0orl$ Systems! Structural Im#erialism
5ee4 6;- ''1''1'4( In&ormation Society< De&initions! A##roaces
5ee4 64- 'E1''1'4* In&ormation Society< continue$
5ee4 65- 2:1''1'4* E-aminations
5ee4 68- 21'21'4* E-aminations
/3ANA INSTITUTE OF COURNALISM

LEFEL 6?? BA DE/REE IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
/rou# Essay
Submission Dea$line 'E
t
124
r$
No% 2?'4
7000 3or-s T/!e 5r""e#
6* Discuss te notion tat International me$ia or"ani.ations li+e BBC! CNN! an$ te
ECONOMIST &ill in&ormation "a#s le&t by ina$e,uate re#orta"e by local me$ia*
7* Discuss te im#act me$ia liberali.ation as a$ on te #er&ormance o& /BC
;* 3as ne) communications tecnolo"y li+e te internet an$ te mobile #ones create$ a le%el
#layin" &iel$ &or $e%elo#in" nations to also set a "lobal in&ormation a"en$a; Discuss
4( Outline o) te &eatures o& an In&ormation society may a##ly to /ana
:* Does )estern cultural in&luences omo"eni.e or ybri$i.e /anaian culture; Discuss
G* Discuss )at accounts &or te imbalances in te &lo) o& in&ormation bet)een centre an$
#eri#ery nations*
Re)-#* Ls"
Straubaar C H;I World Television
Moamme$i A H;I International Communication and Global Media

Mo$y B H;I International and Development Communications
HSLI
Tussu D an$ Freeman H;I War and the Media
HSLI
Ba"$i+ian B H'(E4IThe Media Monopoly 6
t
e$ ! Beacon Press

0ebster F H'((:I Theories of the Information Society Routle$"e

Tomlinson C H'((:I Cultural Imperialism Continuum
Co)ett /S an$ O9Donnell F H'((2I Propaganda and Persuasion 2n$ e$ Sa"e
UNESCO H'(E'I Many Voices !ne World Communication and Society and Today Tomorro"
5o"an Pa"e1UNIPUB1UNESCO
Boy$ Barret O an$ Rantanen T H'((EI Globalisation of #e"s Sa"e
Mo)lana 3 H'((GI Global Communications in Transition Sa"e
Bar+er C H'((AI Global Televsion an Introduction Blac+)ell
3ills C H2??2I The Struggle for Control of Global Communications$ The %ormative Century
Illinois Press
Tussu D5 H2???I International Communication$ Continuity and Change! Arnol$
3erman E S an$ McCesney R 0 H'((AI Global Media$ The #e" Missionaries of Corporate
Capitalism Cassel
3o) /lobal is /lobal Me$ia< E-#lorin" te A&rican Fie)
o& te /lobalJ in Global Media and Communication &ournal! Fol* ' H'I*##*:?<:: Lon$on7 Sa"e*
By 0inston Mano
KTe US #osition on te Ne) 0orl$ In&ormation an$ Communication Or$erL
By Collen Roac
&ournal of Communication
Autumn '(EA1%ol4A no 6'1ISSN ??2'<(('G HSLI
K A&rican Ne)s#a#er E$itors an$ te Ne) 0orl$ In&ormation Or$erL
&ournalism 'uarterly S#rin" '(EG
Fol G4 No ' HSLI
K 0orl$)i$e Callen"es to Public Ser%ice Broa$castin"L
&ournal of Communications S#rin" '((?
Fol 6?*21ISSN ??2'<(('G HSLI
KTe Mytolo"y o& Telecommunications Re"ulationL By Fincent Mosco
&ournal of Communications 0inter '((?
Fol 6? no'1ISSN ??2'<(('G HSLI
( Toni"ts To# Stories7 Commercial Content in Tele%ision Ne)s)
&ournalism and Mass Communication 'uarterly! 0inter 2??61E'16 HSLI
Straubaar C H;I World Television