APG5018 - Celebrity, fashion, publicity - 2019

The unit introduces students to theories and fields of practice organised around 'getting attention' in and through the media. It focuses particularly on celebrity and fashion as two paradigmatic fields in which this is central. It provides students 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. It will consider arguments about the 'noise' or 'clutter' of contemporary media and the increasing importance of an 'attention economy'. It will also introduce some of the major fields of professional practice which have developed around publicity.

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. demonstrate a theoretical understanding of the way in which attention is gained in communication and the media.
2. show a knowledge of the historical development of celebrity and fashion.
3. identify a range of professional practices organised around publicity.
4. recognise arguments about increasing 'noise' and 'clutter' in contemporary media and the relevance of the concept of an 'attention economy'.
5. develop practical responses to problems of gaining attention in the media, including its ethical dimension.

Within semester assessment: 100%

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

Communications and media studies

Cultural and creative industries