VENS7000 ExpREES: Discourses of the Russian Media (5 cr)

Aim: This course aims to provide students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills for understanding the discourse of the Russian media since the 2010s and interpreting the meanings of media texts.

In this course, Russian culture is considered as a high-context culture, in which meanings ​​are often expressed indirectly through innuendo, metaphor, allusions to literature and films, and implicit references to cultural knowledge shared by audiences. For a student studying Russian language and culture at an advanced level, understanding the meanings of media texts that go beyond the literal level of explanation can be of considerable difficulty.

The goals of this course, aimed at dealing with this problem, are:

- to present Russian media culture as a coherent system, including print media, television, Internet sites, and social media, and different genres and types of media texts;

- to explain the logic and the rules of production of meanings in these texts;

- to teach students how to analyse various types of media discourses;

- to demonstrate the importance of their political and cultural contexts for correct interpretation of media texts.

Content

Introduction to the course – Vera Zvereva

The outline of the course. Theoretical approaches to studying media discourse.

Practical information.

Topic I. The Language of Media

1. Language and discourse of media texts - Larisa Leisiö

Language and construction of reality in media texts. Language and power, language and identity.

2. The language of Russian media - Larisa Leisiö

How to understand Russian media texts: specific features of the language of Russian media in the cultural context.

Topic II. The System of Post-Soviet Media in Russia

3. Media ownership and media consumption in Russia - Vera Zvereva

The Russian media market since 2010. Analysis of media control: authority and ideology in the leading newspapers, digital media and TV-channels.

4. Freedom of expression in the Russian media - Katja Lehtisaari

Discourses of freedom of speech, state control and media regulation in Russia.

Topic III. Political Discourse in Russian Media

5. The media discourse of the State – Jussi Lassila

Governmental political discourse in Russian media. Discourses of the “Russian patriots” on the Internet.

6. The media discourse of the Russian opposition – Jussi Lassila

Problems of the alternative political discourse. Media projects by Alexei Naval’nyi.

Topic IV. Discourses of entertainment on Russian television

7. Communication and styles of discussion in TV shows – Vera Zvereva

Cultural language of Russian TV since 2010. Conventions of Russian talk shows and TV shows on politics.

8. Discourses of the Russian TV series – Vera Zvereva

Representations of reality, values and ideologies in domestic TV series.

Topic V. Representing society

9. Lifestyle discourses in Russian media – Saara Ratilainen

Media constructions of everyday life and lifestyle.

10. Media representations of gender and sexuality – Saara Ratilainen

Discourses of gender and sexuality in Russian media texts, and their cultural specifics.

Topic VI. Discourses of social media

11. Education media projects on the Russian Internet – Vera Zvereva

“Edutainment” web-projects, discourses of history past and memory in social media.

12. Language and communication in social media – Vera Zvereva

Russian language in social media communication. Culture of users’ commentaries on Russian-speaking social media.

Teaching methods:

The lectures are pre-recorded and offered in Moodle. The duration of the teaching period is 6 weeks. Each week students access in Moodle 2 lectures (2+1 introduction in the first week) followed by assignments and recommended literature. At the end of the teaching period, the students submit an essay.

Assessment method:

The grade for the course consists of two components: 40% assignments + 60% an essay.

During the teaching period, students complete 6 assignments as homework and submit them in Moodle. A typical assignment consists of studying a sample of a media text (a written text, a video or a multimodal text) and analysing it using the theoretical literature provided. The assignments are assessed (0-5) and students receive feedback via Moodle.

The essay is 2,500-3,000 words long. In the beginning of the course, students receive instructions on writing an essay, and are invited either to select a topic from the list provided by the lecturer, or to suggest their own topic and discuss it with the lecturer. 

The goals of this course, aimed at dealing with this problem, are:

- to present Russian media culture as a coherent system, including print media, television, Internet sites, and social media, and different genres and types of media texts;

- to explain the logic and the rules of production of meanings in these texts;

- to teach students how to analyse various types of media discourses;

- to demonstrate the importance of their political and cultural contexts for correct interpretation of media texts.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

- build their understanding of Russian media as an interconnected system with its own rules and logic for production of texts;

- acquire knowledge about various types of media discourses relating to politics and ideology, education, entertainment; the discourses of state and opposition media, and social media discourses;

- deepen their theoretical knowledge on how to study media discourses; develop practical skills in interpreting these discourses and learn how to analyse the meanings of media texts in the relevant political and cultural contexts;

- be able to apply their knowledge and skills acquired on this course in their future studies and professional activities connected with the Russian language and culture.

Language of instruction: English and Russian.

All lectures are delivered in English. Examples of print, digital and audio-visual media texts are provided in Russian.

Thematic area: media studies, Russian language and culture

Number of contact hours: 26 hours

Introduction (2 academic hours) + 12 Lectures (2 academic hours each).

Registration: JYU students in Sisu, others https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/16275/lomake.html 

Examples of print, digital and audio-visual media texts are provided in Russian, so some knowledge of the Russian language is needed.

Course material in Moodle.