NCHU Course Outline

Course Name	(中) 媒體、民主與全球傳播(0437)
	(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-FALL
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?			Exercises Discussion Lecturing	Attendance Oral Presentation Quiz
Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule
Week Course Content Week 1 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 • Democracy and autocracy and political propaganda Watch “Control the truth” (from How to Become a Tyrant) Week 6 • Censorship and self-censorship under dictatorships and autocracies • Watch “Rule forever” (from How to Become a Tyrant) Week 7 • Asymmetric Vulnerability: How Authoritarian Disinformation Exploits Open Societies Week 8 Invited Speech: disinformation and its impact on renewable energy industry Week 9 • Why might negative news affect people more strongly than positive news? Week 10 Invited Speech: AI and disinformation Week 11 • Media ownership and media capture Week 12 Invited Speech: Reporters without borders Week 13 • How do political leaders use fake news and misinformation to their advantage? Week 14 Invited Speech: R++A Week 15 • Shall/ how the government regulate content on social media? & exam prep 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.    05.Participation in various workshops organized by different departments of NCHU.
Evaluation
A. Class participation (50%)The grading criteria are based on attendance, students’ engagement in the class, group discussion and involvement in group discussions. Attendance: 15% Group discussion: 15% peer review Professors’ discretion: 20% B. Speech participation (20%)Students can earn up to 20% through speech participation. There are two ways to earn: 1) attend each of the four in-class speeches (5% each)2) active participation, such as asking questions (up to 10% at the instructor’s discretion). The maximum score for this category is capped at 20%. C. Final Exam (30%)This in-class written examination is designed to reinforce your understanding of the course material. The exam will be based on the lecture slides uploaded to iLearning. Students are allowed to bring one single-sided (A4) cheat sheet. D. Extra Credits: 1) Oral Presentation at w15 (5%) Students who prepare an oral presentation in which they introduce and explain three key concepts they learned in this course to their classmates. 2) Other speech participations (2%) Students may earn up to 2% extra credit by attending external speeches related to the course topic. To qualify, the event must receive prior approval from the instructor (unapproved events will not be counted). Following the speech, students must submit a one-page reflection paper. The maximum credit awarded for this category is 2%.
Textbook & other References
There is no required textbook for this course. All quiz and exam questions will come from the lecture slides.
Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website
Office Hours
Fri 12:00-13:00 Office: College of Management (社館大樓)Rm. 771
Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs(Link URL)
include experience courses：N

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Update Date, year/month/day：2026/10/08 12:27:05	Printed Date, year/month/day：2026 / 10 / 17
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