570005 Emergent Communication Practices

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

Description

The way we communicate with each other is constantly evolving as technology and digital media create new and innovative channels of communication. In this subject, students examine the transformative effect that digital communication technology has had across sectors and industries, and how that has driven the emergence of new and evolving forms of communication practice. Students explore and understand innovative communication channels, such as the development of citizen journalism, social media influencers, digital ‘creator culture’, digital activism and new forms of content publishing by both individuals, brands, and other organisations. Related to this evolving context for communication practice is the emergence of 'echo chambers' within social media networks, highlighting just one of the challenges that practitioners now face when seeking to engage and inform diverse audiences in an ethical and responsible manner.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:

• Apply a specialised body of practice-oriented knowledge and skills to develop, implement and evaluate innovative and multi-media solutions to major, real-world communication challenges with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability (1.1)
• Critically analyse and reflect on strategic communication models and practices to plan and execute a substantial body of research that synthesise information across diverse platforms in response to communication issues and challenges (2.1)
• Persuade and engage diverse audiences through both written and oral communication strategies across a range of media formats with consideration of others' needs and views (6.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is made up of six modules delivered online over six weeks (one module per week), in addition to Orientation week. Students work through each module at their own pace, with asynchronous interactive activities attached to each module/topic. Activities provide opportunities to learn, apply and discuss the knowledge gained in a practical manner. Within each module, content is delivered through a mixture of reading material, short videos, interactive activities and both essential and suggested readings. Online synchronous sessions are held four times during the session, to allow students to interact, ask questions of teaching staff, and receive clarification for assessments.

Content (topics)

The subject considers how new opportunities and challenges are emerging in strategic communication practices as a result of technological, social and cultural changes and their impact on people’s attitudes and behaviours. This has led to new practices in building coherent communication strategies and linking together different elements of strategic communication campaigns – which can involve Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned channels as well as new highly involving digital technologies such as addressable TV, Generative AI, games, smart speakers, mobile digital, interactive discussion and messaging systems and other “smart”, personalised communication. This subject explores all these new emergent communication technologies and services and the challenges and opportunities they are creating for communication professionals.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Written Case Study Pitch

Assessment task 2: Communication strategy audit

Assessment task 3: Concept Formulation

Minimum requirements

Students must submit all assessments and must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.

Recommended texts

Allan, S. 2010, News culture, 3rd edn, McGraw Hill/Open University Press, Maidenhead.

Bivins, T.H. 2011, Public relations writing: The essentials of style and format, 7th edn, McGraw-Hill, NY.

Blades, Fiona (2017) How to implement a paid, owned , earned media strategy . WARC Best Practice https://www-warc-com.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/content/article/bestprac/how-to-implement-a-paid-owned-earned-media-strategy/110683

Boros, D. & Glass, J.M. (eds) 2014, Reimagining public space: The Frankfurt School in the 21st century, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

Breakenridge, D.K., 2012, Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional, FT Press, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Brunner, B.R. 2019, Public relations theory: Application and understanding, John Wiley & Sons, Newark.

Campbell, R., Martin, C.R. & Fabos, B. 2018, Media essentials: A brief introduction, Bedford/St. Martin's, Boston.

Clampitt, P.G. 2017, Social media strategy: Tools for professionals and organizations, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Coombs, W.T., Falkheimer, J., Heide, M. & Young, P. 2016, Strategic communication, social media and democracy: The challenge of the digital naturals, Routledge,

London.

D’Angelo, P. (ed.) 2018, Doing news framing analysis II: Empirical and theoretical perspectives, 2nd edn, Routledge, New York, NY.

Freberg, K.J. 2019, Social media for strategic communication: Creative strategies and research-based applications, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Gonçalves, A. 2017, Mastering social media analytics: Use data to optimize business performance, Apress.

Gonçalves, A. 2018, Mastering social media analytics: Use data to build a business strategy, Apress.

Gunning, E. 2019, Public relations: A practical approach, Red Globe Press, London.

Harris, U.S. 2019, Participatory media in environmental communication: Engaging communities in the periphery, Routledge, Abingdon, UK.

Hutchins, A.L. & Tindall, N.T.J. (eds) 2016, Public relations and participatory culture: Fandom, social media and community engagement, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.

Johnson, K.A. & Taylor, M. (eds) 2018, The handbook of communication engagement, Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ.

Johnston, J. & Rowney, K. 2018, Media strategies: Managing content, platforms and relationships, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

Kaul, A. 2017, Corporate communication through social media: Strategies for managing reputation, SAGE, New Delhi.

Kelleher, T. 2018, Public relations, Oxford University Press, New York.

Kim, C.M. 2016, Social media campaigns: Strategies for public relations and marketing, Routledge, New York, NY.

Lecheler, S. & de Vreese, C.H. 2019, News framing effects, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.

Harcup, Tony & O’Neill, Dierdre (2017) What is News ? Journalism Studies, 18:12, 1470-1488, DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2016.1150193

LaGuarde, J & Hudgins , D (2018) Fact Vs Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News International Society for Technology in Education https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uts/reader.action?docID=5880820

Macnamara, Jim & Lewin, May & Adi, Ana & Zerfass, Ansgar. (2016) ‘PESO’ media strategy shifts to ‘SOEP’: Opportunities and ethical dilemmas. Public Relations Review. 42.10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.03.001

Macnamara, Jim (2014) Native advertising: A media credibility crisis waiting to happen. The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/native-advertising-a-media-credibility-crisis-in-waiting-28061

Macnamara, J. 2014, The 21st century media (r)evolution: emergent communication practices, 2nd edn, Peter Lang, New York, NY.

Macnamara, J. 2014, Journalism and PR: Unpacking 'spin', stereotypes and media myths, Peter Lang, New York.

Mitchell, A., Gottfried, J., Barthel, M., & Sumida, N. (2018, June 18). Distinguishing Between Factual and Opinion Statements in the News. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2018/06/18/distinguishing-between-factual-and-opinion-statements-in-the-news/

Morris, T. & Goldsworthy, S. 2016, PR today: The authoritative guide to public relations, 2nd edn, Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Motion, J., Heath, R.L. & Leitch, S. 2016, Social media and public relations: Fake friends and powerful publics, Routledge, London.

Nicholson, M., Kerr, A. & Sherwood, M. (eds) 2015, Sport and the media: Managing the nexus, Routledge, London.

Page, J.T. & Parnell, L.J. 2019, Introduction to strategic public relations: Digital, global, and socially responsible communication, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Perse, E.M. & Lambe, J.L. 2017, Media effects and society, Routledge, New York, NY.

Persson, A. 2019, Framing social interaction: Continuities and cracks in Goffman’s frame analysis, Routledge, Abingdon, UK.

Quesenberry, K.A. 2019, Social media strategy: Marketing, advertising, and public relations in the consumer revolution, 2nd edn, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MA.

Rahimpour, Nigel (2023) The ‘earned effect’: How culturally salient campaigns drive effectiveness. WARC. https://www-warc-com.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/content/article/warc-exclusive/the-earned-effect-how-culturally-salient-campaigns-drive-effectiveness/153270

Robertson, S.P. 2018, Social media and civic engagement: History, theory, and practice, Morgan & Claypool, San Rafael, CA.

Schroder, R. 2018, Social theory after the Internet: Media, technology, and globalization, UCL Press, London.

Schultz, B., Caskey, P.H. & Esherick, C. 2014, Media relations in sport, 4th edn, FiT Publishing, Morgantown, WV.

Stoker-Walker, Chris (2019) YouTubers: How YouTube Shook up TV and Created a New Generation of Stars. Canbury Press: Kingston UK.

Smith, D. 2017, Strategic planning for public relations, 5th edn, Routledge, New York.

Theaker, A. (ed.) 2016, The public relations handbook, 5th edn, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.

Uldam, J. & Vestergaard, A. (eds), 2015, Civil engagement and social media: Political participation beyond the protest, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK.

Vieira, E.T., Jr., 2019, Public relations planning: A strategic approach, Routledge, New York, NY.