- Source to Story: Creating Public Debate
- Headlines to Mindset: Shaping Public Opinion
- Research Methods in Communication Science
- Political Communication for Impact
- Computational Analysis of Digital Communication
- Masterthesis Communication Science
Course highlights
In the course “Source to Story: Creating Public Debate”, you will explore how dynamic and often heated public debates on societal issues — from global pandemics and climate change to immigration and international conflicts — are shaped. The central question is: who controls or influences the public debate? You will learn how digitalisation, fragmentation and polarisation have changed the ability of different parties - such as politicians, lobbyists, journalists and the public - to engage in the debate. You will also apply the theory by actively contributing to public debate yourself by creating blogs, vlogs, or explainer content and developing a research proposal.
The course “Headlines to Mindset: Forming Public Opinion” is about how public information influences citizens' opinions. What impact does the public debate – about politics, climate change or security – have on your opinions? How do citizens process information in today’s fragmented and digital media environment? You will explore the extent to which social media contribute to polarisation and the role algorithms play in this process. In working groups, you will complete weekly assignments that translate theoretical insights into practical outputs. For example, you may write a chapter for a social studies textbook, create a visualisation for a children’s news programme, or make an Instagram Reel. With these skills, you learn to critically understand information and to explain complex social issues in a comprehensible way to different audiences.
Consult the Study Guide for more information.
