12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL
Postgraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
Malaysia School of Arts and Social Sciences
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Synopsis
The unit looks at the "attention economy" as found in the media industry, paying particular attention to celebrity and fashion. Students are provided with a theoretical and historical understanding of publicity as a general field, from the emergence of the movie star and the development of magazine journalism to celebrity Twitter feeds and contemporary public relations.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a theoretical understanding of the way in which attention is gained in communication and the media;
- Show a knowledge of the historical development of celebrity and fashion;
- Identify a range of professional practices organised around publicity;
- Recognise arguments about increasing 'noise' and 'clutter' in contemporary media and the relevance of the concept of an 'attention economy';
- Develop practical responses to problems of gaining attention in the media, including its ethical dimension.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 100%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 288 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information