NCHU Course Outline

Course Name	(中) 媒體、民主與全球傳播(0434)
Course Name	(Eng.) Media, Democracy and Global Communication
Offering Dept	General Education Center
Course Type	Required	Credits	2	Teacher	Jou Fei Huang
Department	General	Language	English	Semester	2026-SPRING
Course Description	Every day, we encounter news and information through television, online media, and social platforms. These messages shape how we understand politics, public issues, and even each other. This course introduces students to the relationship between media and democracy and explains why media freedom matters for ordinary citizens—not just for politicians or journalists. The course focuses on how access to information affects people’s ability to make informed choices, participate in public discussions, and hold those in power accountable. Using real-world examples from different countries, students will learn how media can support democracy, as well as how it can be distorted or manipulated. Through lectures, case studies, and class discussions, students will examine how media environments shape political opinions, civic engagement, and democratic quality. By the end of the course, students will develop practical skills to evaluate news and online information more carefully, think critically about what they consume, and become more informed and responsible citizens in a media-saturated world. No prior background in political science or media studies is required. This course is suitable for students from all majors. This course is conducted in English to help students build confidence in expressing ideas and participating in discussions in a global context. For Taiwanese students, developing the ability to engage with the international community is increasingly important, and this course offers a supportive and interactive environment to strengthen those skills. To ensure that language is never a barrier to learning, students may submit written assignments in Chinese if needed. What matters most in this course is not perfect English, but the quality of your ideas, critical thinking, and active participation. For international students, the course provides a unique opportunity to engage directly with Taiwanese students, exchange perspectives, and gain deeper insights into Taiwan and its society. In an era shaped by generative AI, meaningful face-to-face discussion and human interaction are more valuable than ever—and this course is designed to create exactly that kind of learning experience.
Prerequisites				self-directed learning in the course	Y

Relevance of Course Objectives and Core Learning Outcomes(%)

Teaching and Assessment Methods for Course Objectives

Course Objectives

Competency Indicators

Ratio(%)

Teaching Methods

Assessment Methods

The course explores three main questions:
• Why is media freedom important for a healthy democracy?
• How can media freedom be weakened or restricted in today’s societies?
• How do fake news and misinformation influence political participation and public trust?

3.Communication Skills

5.International Perspective

6.Social Concern

Exercises

Discussion

Lecturing

Attendance

Oral Presentation

Quiz

Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule

Week	Course Content
Week 1	No class (national holiday). Introduction • Read the syllabus carefully, especially the grading policy. • Why is it important to study media and democracy?
Week 2	• What is media? Media freedom and democracy
Week 3	• Freedom of speech • Watch “Create a new society” (from How to Become a Tyrant)
Week 4	• Agenda-setting, priming, and framing • The consequence of biased media
Week 5	Speech: Doublethink Lab
Week 6	No class (national holiday).
Week 7	• Shall the government regulate content on social media?
Week 8	• Echo chamber, social media, and its impact(1) • Watch “The Great Hack”
Week 9	Mid-term exam
Week 10	• Echo chamber, social media, and its impact(2)
Week 11	• Media ownership and media capture
Week 12	Speech: Amnesty International Taiwan
Week 13	• How do political leaders use fake news and misinformation to their advantage? • Censorship and self-censorship under dictatorships • Watch “Check the truth” and “Rule forever” (from How to Become a Tyrant)
Week 14	• Why might negative news affect people more strongly than positive news? (1)
Week 15	• Why might negative news affect people more strongly than positive news? (2)
Week 16	Final Exam
self-directed learning	01.Participation in professional forums, lectures, and corporate sharing sessions related to industry-government-academia-research exchange activities. 02.Viewing multimedia materials related to industry and academia. 03.Preparing presentations or reports related to industry and academia.

Evaluation

• Movie Report (30%)
Students will watch three TV episodes or movie in class and submit a maximum two-page written response. You may choose to submit either two or three written responses. If three are submitted, the lowest grade will be dropped. Please ensure each report is turned in no later than one week after the viewing.
• Midterm (35%) and Final Exam (35%)
This is an in-class written examination designed to reinforce your understanding. Students can prepare 1 page (A4) cheat sheet.
Extra Credits:
1. Speech attendance and participation (5%)Participate in an English-language speech (either on campus or off campus, in person or online) related to social media or democracy. Both on-site and online events are acceptable. Please provide a screenshot or photos of the event as proof of participation and submit a written summary explaining what the speech was about. Your summary must be no more than two pages long. I will share information about the assigned speeches during our class session.
2. Oral Presentation (10%)
Students who prepare an oral presentation in which they introduce and explain three key concepts they learned in this course to their classmates.

Textbook & other References

There is no required textbook for this course. All quiz and exam questions will come
from the lecture slides and not from the suggested readings. That said, I highly recommend
that students read the suggested materials to better understand the academic
significance of the topics covered in this course.
For undergraduate students, you may skip the research methods sections. Please
focus on the introduction, literature review, theoretical argument, and conclusion to
understand the core ideas and contributions of the research.

Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website

Office Hours

Tue 13:00-15:00
Office: College of Management (社館大樓)Rm. 771

Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs(Link URL)

04.Quality Education 16.Peace and Justice

include experience courses：N

Please respect the intellectual property rights and use the materials legally.Please respect gender equality.
Update Date, year/month/day：2026/03/06 13:31:30	Printed Date, year/month/day：2026 / 3 / 10
The second-hand book website：http://www.myub.com.tw/