Communication – An Introduction to Audio-Visual Media

Paper Code: 
MSW 421
Credits: 
04
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 
  • Facilitate a critical analysis of the mass media, in terms of the modes in which it reproduces the dominant power relations in society, be they of gender, class, race or any other.
  • Work towards alternative, participatory uses of the media, with specific reference to campaigns.
  • Facilitate the acquisition of media skills to visual design, street theatre and other low-cost participatory media.
  • Allow for the practical application of these media skills through the process of designing and conducting a campaign.
     
Unit I: 

Alternative media and campaigns : Approaches to media and Society

  • Transmission and Semiological models; Using Semiology for critical media analysis of artifacts such as TV commercials, films, pring advertisements, comic strips and newspapers.
  • Presentation of Campaign Design (Group Presentation by Students).

 

Unit II: 

Rethinking Communication

  • Communication as Transmission
  • Communication as Representation
  • Communication as Cultural Reproduction
Unit III: 
  • Representing Gender : Television Commercials, Print Advertisements, Feature Films
  • Representing Race : ‘US’ and ‘Them’, Comic Strips.
  • The Everyday experience of colour. Representing ‘Real’ Events : The Press and Framing of Events, Documenting Reality.
Unit IV: 
  • Rethinking the ‘Impact’ of Media : The Debate on the ‘Effects’ of Violence
  • The limitations of Censorship Towards Critical Viewing
Unit V: 
  • Skills Development : Visual Design
  • Introduction to Elements of Design layout and typography, use of colour and shape; designing effective posters and logos for campaign. Street Theatre Workshop
  • Use of songs, folklore and puppets (Note – In these workshops, the student groups for the campaigns work out the elements of their campaign).
References: 
  1. Berger, Arthur Asa, 1982, Media Analysis Techniques, London: Sage.
  2. Berger, John, 1972, Ways of Seeing, London: BBC and Penguin.
  3. Brown, James W et al. 1985 Hill, AV Instruction Technology, Media and Methods, New York, McGraw Hills.
  4. Gadhi, V.P. 1995, Media and Communication Today, Vol. 1,2 and 3, New Delhi: Kanishka Publishers.
  5. Goffman Erwing, 1979, Gender Advertisements, Macmillan.
  6. Hawkes, Terence. 1977, Structuralism and Semiotics, London: Methuen.
  7. Kumar, K. 1981, Mass Communication in India, Mumbai: Jai Publishing House.
  8. Melkote, Srinivas R. 1991, Communication for Development in the Third World, Delhi: Sage.
  9. Mody, Bella. 1991, Designing Messages for Development Communication, New Delhi: Sage.
  10. Saunders Denys J. 1984, Educational, Visual Communication Handbook, London: Lutterworth.
  11. Walts, Harris, 1984, On Camera, London: BBC
     
Academic Session: 
2018-19
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