The module will examine the different functions and concepts of public opinion and public sphere as a mass phenomenon throughout the modern history and its influence on political and social phenomena. This will include the instruments and multiple groups and institutions that act on the public opinion in modern democracies, including the processes and factors of political and social nature that help to understand the phenomenon. Given the importance of digital tools of communication, the module includes the digital public sphere of Internet and its influence on public opinion formulation processes. The module will investigate Internet as the new public space of the direct access to multitude of individual opinions that can serve to generate either critical knowledge and protest or apathy. Additionally, the module will differentiate between rumour, leadership and public opinion in public sphere and democratic process of social and political communication. The content will include the presentation of the models of generating public opinion and the institutional elements that develop the knowledge on public opinion (the polls). The study will focus on the characteristics of the different publics engaged in the public opinion process and to examine their role and meaning in public sphere. Finally, the persuasion techniques and communication techniques will be introduced for the purpose of managing social and political campaigns.

The module will be taught through weekly lectures and seminars. During the lectures, the main concepts and ideas will be explained by the module leader, and the seminars will provide the space to discuss the compulsory reading and cover examples from the case studies. It is essential that the student engages fully with his/her independent work as well, as the taught sessions will rely on the readings and other assignments. The module will have its own NeoLMS page through which one can access readings, sources and other resources relevant to the lessons.

 

Learning outcomes to be assessed

LO1. Understand the concept of public opinion and its impact on social structure in the framework of globalisation and digital technologies.

LO2. Apply critical thinking regarding the mechanisms, functions and rhetorical aspects of mass media as well as its impact on public opinion.

LO3. Understand how effective communication strategies work and produce the messages oriented for the political and social purposes.

LO4. Analyse the impact of public opinion and persuasion processes/campaigns on the social and political structure and describe them in the concise and clear way.

 

Summative assessment grid

Type of Assessment	Word Count or equivalent	Threshold (if Professional Body-PSRB applies)	Weighting	Pass Mark	Indicative Submission week	Method of Submission & Date of Feedback (refer to NEOlms)
Essay	3000 words (+/-10%)	N/A	70%	40%	16	Via Neo LMS & 10 working days after submission
Campaign Analysis	1500 words (+/-10%)	N/A	30%	40%	16	Via Neo LMS & 10 working days after submission

 

Assessment 1: Essay

 

You are required to write an essay on one of the following topics:

 

1. “News, Fake News and Public Opinion”

 

2. “Rhetoric in Social Media”

 

3. “Power, Persuasion and Influence in 21^st Century Public Sphere”

 

 

In particular, you will choose a campaign, an issue, an election or a case study that uses strong methods of persuasion and influence in any country or region. You will then examine the role of rhetorical devices and other techniques (fake news) used to influence the public opinion. Ideally, the case study can also shed some light on larger issues as well, such as the nature of contemporary (digital) public sphere, 21^st century media culture, and the issues facing 21^st century democracies.

If you chose to write the essay on the 1^st topic, you must examine the issues related to news and fake news, focusing on any of the following aspects:

1. the origins and motivations of fake news in general and in this particular case at the background of the modern cyberdemocracy

2. the definition of fake news in modern cyberdemocracy in general

3. identification of deception level in this particular case of the selected example of fake news and the type of fake news used in the case of the student's choice

4. description of the processes of generation of fake news and their distribution in the society in general and in this case

5. description of the mechanisms of influence of fake news on public opinion used in this particular case

6. the role of fake news in the opinion generation in the case selected by student for analysis

7. a proposal for the solutions for fake news prevention that can be implemented in this particular case

If you chose to write the essay on the 2^nd topic, you must choose a specific political/commercial actor (politician, activist, political party, company) on social media and analyze the rhetorical devices it\he\she employs. The paper can focus on YouTube videos, tweets, press releases, political campaign material, etc. Ideally, the work should focus on at least some of the following aspects:

1. identifying and listing the particular rhetorical devices

2. discussing the reasons for the particular rhetorical style the actor has adopted

3. their intended and actual impact on the spectators

4. their cognitive and epistemological contribution (are these devices appropriate and ethical or misleading and unscrupulous)

5. the intended audience of the messages

If you chose to write the essay on the 3^rd topic, you must examine a case study, focusing on any of the following aspects:

6. the definition of persuasion in modern cyberdemocracy in general

7. The nature of contemporary (digital) public sphere in comparison to the “traditional” (Habermasian) modern public sphere

8. identification of the type of mechanisms as well as the techniques of manipulation and/or influence applied to the selected case study

9. description of the process of persuasion in the digital public sphere in general and in this case

10. identification of the type of public, the target public, the objectives, strategies, tactics and triggers used in this particular case

11. the impact of such persuasion techniques and influence on both individual citizens and on society in general

 

Assessment Criteria:

 

This assessment will be marked according to the following criteria:

• Knowledge and understanding (40%): The students should demonstrate the grasp of relevant literature as well as identify and apply correctly the corresponding theoretical concepts of public opinion generation. Their analysis should reflect a correct understanding of concepts and theories seen in the module.

• Cognitive Skills (20%): Students will need to research the main issues and provide the necessary evidence to support their analysis. The students are expected to demonstrate knowledge through the use of examples, quotations and evidence, select correctly the examples and evidence and link them correctly and in coherent yet relevant manner with the theory and concepts applied. The logical organization of thoughts and evidence will be especially valued.

• Practical and professional skills (20%): The students must bring an innovative approach to key issues of public opinion generation regarding the role of the fake news. They are expected to formulate the original and applicable conclusions. The ability to justify their point of view and defend the solution based on the theoretical and research examples provided will be especially valued.

• Transferable and key skills (20%): Students will need to explain the main concepts and ideas in a concise, clear way using the correct academic language. They should also use valid references and cite works and literature properly, keeping the established limit of extension. Clear, attractive and easy-to-navigate organization, format and structure will be especially valued.

 

Assessment 2: Campaign Analysis

 

You will conduct an analysis of a political or commercial campaign and discuss it as an attempt to have an impact on the public opinion. This assessment aims to strengthen your analytical and practical skills, and to deepen your understanding of mass communication and public discourse. Your campaign analysis must be concluded with the proposal of improvements and its justification. This assignment will assess your research skills, the ability to analyse and present information, and the correct application of tools, techniques and examples.

You will choose a campaign according to your interest. The final choice must be approved by the module leader. The topic will be selected by week 8.

The analysis must present a clear structure with index and includes bibliography with Harvard referencing system. It is obligatory to follow the standard academic research scheme (introduction, state of the art, methodology, results, and discussion of the results, conclusions and bibliography) and use the academic language and valid academic resources. Using newspaper as sources is allowed as long as they are cited accordingly and coming from reputable press.

Assessment Criteria:

 

This assessment will be marked according to the following criteria:

1. Knowledge and understanding (40%): The students should identify the core issues of the case. They are expected to use their views in a useful exploration of information sources. Their analysis should reflect a correct understanding of concepts and theories seen in the module and a form grasp of literature in the field.

2. Cognitive Skills (20%): Students will need to explore in coherent manner the main issues in the case and provide the necessary evidence to support their analysis in a valid way. Concept linkage between different operational approaches will be specially valued. The students are able to demonstrate knowledge through the use of examples, quotations and evidence that are relevant to the case and applied concepts. The organization of ideas and research is clear and logical.

3. Practical and professional skills (20%): The students are expected to bring an innovative approach to key issues identified in the case. They will need to elaborate the proposal of improvements that demonstrates original and innovative approach yet is applicable. The proposal must be justified correctly. Validity and coherence of the conclusions must be evident.

4. Transferable and key skills (20%): Students will need to explain the main concepts in a concise, clear way. They should also use valid references and cite works and literature properly. The language must be correct, demonstrate the advanced level and correct use of professional vocabulary yet be understandable and free of jargon. The structure must be clear, attractive, logical and easy to navigate.

 

Students must submit the analysis in pdf via Neo LMS on week 16^th. All submissions must identify authors and be submitted within the deadline.

 

 

 

Formative Assessment 1

 

Poll design and realisation (week 6 and 7)

As part of the classroom and self-study team activity the students will have to perform a poll on the topic related to the one of individually chosen topics of campaign analysis. The task must include the design of the poll, its realization and presentation of the results.

 

 

Weekly Schedule:

 

Week 1: Introduction and Key Concepts

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Public opinion

Persuasion and rhetoric

Mass media

Oral and visual culture

Literature for this session:

Module Study Guide

Description:

During the introductory week, we will discuss the contents and structure of the module as well as the assignments. Furthemore, some key concepts are introduced.

Week 2: Public Opinion and Politics

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Public opinion

Politics

Literature for this session:

Price, V. (2008) “The Public and Public Opinion in Political Theories” in The SAGE Handbook of Public Opinion Research, eds. W. Donsbach and M. W. Traugott, London: SAGE Publications, 11–24.

Lewis, J. (2001) “Why Numbers Matter and Why We Should Be Suspicious of Them” in Constructing Public Opinion, New York: Columbia University Press, 3–20.

Description:

During this week, we will discuss the concepts of public opinion and politics, both from historical and theoretical points of view. In order to understand the role public opinion plays in political life in modern societies, we will need to form a nuanced understanding of the “political” and its relationship to the society.

Week 3: Public Sphere

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Habermas’s concept of the Public Sphere

Modernity

Social life

Liberal democracy

Media freedom

Literature for this session:

Habermas, J. (1974) “The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article” New German Critique, no. 3, 49–55.

Garnham, N. (1996) “The Media and the Public Sphere” in Habermas and the Public Sphere, ed. Craig Calhoun, Cambridge, MA: MIT University Press, pp. 359–376.

Description:

During this week, we will focus on the Public Sphere (Öffentlichkeit), a concept coined and developed by Jürgen Habermas. This influential idea helps us understand the relationship between the public opinion(s) and politics in modern societies.

Week 4: Persuasion and Classical Rhetoric

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Classical Rhetoric

Oratory skills

Classical

Literature for this session:

Habinek, T. (2006) “The Craft of Rhetoric” in Ancient Rhetoric and Oratory, Malden: Blackwell, 38–59.

Olmsted, W. (2006) “Eloquence, Persuasion, and Invention: Cicero’s De oratore” in Rhetoric: An Historical Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 25–33.

Description:

During this week, our focus will shift to rhetoric. The students will be introduced to the classics of the theory of rhetoric (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero). Our discussion will also reflect on the relevance of classical rhetorical theories for the contemporary society.

Week 5: Semiotics and Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Modern theories of rhetoric

Modern public discourse

Semiotics

Literature for this session:

Herrick, J. (2018) “Contemporary Rhetoric I: Arguments, Audiences, and Advocates” in The History and Theory of Rhetoric, New York: Routledge, 215–238.

van Leeuwen, T. (2017) “Rhetoric and Semiotics" in The Oxford Handbook of Rhetorical Studies, ed. MacDonald, J., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 673–682.

Description:

During this week, we will continue discussing rhetoric, but our focus will shift to modern and contemporary theories. During the sessions we will also draw on our earlier discussions on the public sphere and modern political institutions.

Week 6: Propaganda

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Propaganda and public persuasion

Propaganda in totalitarian and democratic societies

Jacques Ellul’s theories of propaganda

Propaganda in contemporary world

Chomsky’s and Herman’s Propaganda Model

Literature for this session:

Marlin, R. (2002), “Why Study Propaganda?” in Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion, Petersborough, Ontario: Broadview Press, 13–42.

Chomsky, N. and E. Herman, “A Propaganda Model” in Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, London: The Bodley Head, 61–96.

Description

The theme of this week is propaganda. Although the term is regularly invoked in political debates, its actual definition often remains vague. Drawing on various theorists of propaganda, such as George Orwell and Jacques Ellul, we will reflect on the concept’s relevance for political debates, not only in totalitarian regimes but also democratic societies.

Week 7: Rhetoric, Politics and Public Opinion

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Political rhetoric

Persuasion in marketing

Persuasion and rhetoric in contemporary media culture

Literature for this session:

Kepplinger, H. “Effects of the News Media on Public Opinion” in The SAGE Handbook of Public Opinion Research, London: SAGE, 192–204.

Fisher, J. (2018) “Persuasion and mobilization efforts by parties and candidates” in The Routledge Handbook of Elections, Voting Behavior and Public Opinion, 280–292.

Description:

Drawing on previous weeks’ discussions on rhetoric, public opinion and modern liberal democracies, we will explore the various ways in which rhetorics and persuasion are part of contemporary political life and media culture. In addition, we will also discuss the various methods of persuasion in commercial marketing.

Week 8: Visual Rhetoric

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Visual culture

Audiovisual rhetoric and persuasion

Semiotics

Literature for this session:

Patton, T. (2020) “Visual Rhetoric: Theory, Method, and Application in the Modern World” in Handbook of Visual Communication, New York: Routledge, 125–138.

Barthes, R. (1977) "Rhetoric of the Image," in Image/Music/Text, (New York: Hill & Wang), 32–52.

Description:

During this week we will turn to rhetoric and persuasion through (audio)visual communication, which is in many ways the dominant form of discourse in contemporary media culture (cinema, TV, internet). The established theories of rhetoric tend to focus almost exclusively on the written and spoken word; therefore, in order to apply their insight to audiovisual discourse, one needs to draw upon theories from other disciplines such as semiotics and visual cultural studies.

Week 9: Studying Public Opinion

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Studying public opinion

Polls and surveys

Research methodology

Literature for this session:

Knutsen, O. (2018) “Attitudes, Values, and Belief Systems” in The Routledge Handbook of Elections, Voting Behavior and Public Opinion. New York: Routledge, 343–356.

Ferguson, S. (2000) “Survey Design and Sampling” in Researching the Public Opinion: Environment Theories and Methods, London: Sage, 133–146.

Description:

This week will focus on the methods and principles of studying public opinion: surveys, polls, questionnaires, etc. Furthermore, we will discuss the ways how these results can be used in planning advertisement or election campaigns, or in predicting election results.

Week 10: Techniques of Persuasion

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Classical rhetorical devices

Cicero’s techniques of persuasion

Modern rhetorical devices

Gestures

Literature for this session:

[unknown] (2018) “Rhetoric to Herennius, Book 4” in Ancient Rhetoric From Aristotle to Philostratus. London: Penguin Classics.

Hogan K. (2013). Invisible Influence: The Power to Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. John Wiley and Sons. (selections)

Description:

During this week, we will discuss various methods of persuasion, both the classical rhetorical devices (Cicero) as well as techniques regularly employed in contemporary public discourse.

Week 11: Persuasion, Rhetoric, and Manipulation on Social Media

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Online rhetoric

Social media campaigns

Persuasion online

Literature for this session:

Cerase, A. and C. Santoro (2018) “From Racial Hoaxes to Media Hypes: Fake News’ Real Consequences” in From Media Hype to Twitter Storm, ed. P. Vasterman, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 333–354.

Fuchs, C. (2014) “Twitter and Democracy: A New Public Sphere?” in Social Media: A Critical Introduction, London: Sage Publishing, 179–209.

Description:

During this week we will continue exploring rhetorical devices, but with a focus specifically on online persuasion and social media campaigns. Globalized communication networks and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) have also had a major impact on the nature of communication and persuasion, both in political and commercial discourse.

Week 12: Political Persuasion

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Persuasion in politics

Election campaigns

Political marketing

Political rhetoric

Literature for this session:

Fallis, T. (2017) “Political Advertising” in The Oxford Handbook of Political Communication, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mercieca, J. (2020) “Introduction” in Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump, College Station: Texas A&M University Press.

Description:

This week is devoted to persuasion in political marketing and political debates. We will discuss advertisement campaigns, political election campaigns and various strategies of marketing from the point of view of persuasion and rhetoric.

Week 13: Public Opinion and Persuasion in Commercial Marketing

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Persuasion and Corporate PR

Public Opinion and PR

Marketing semiotics

Literature for this session:

Wood, E. and I. Somerville, (2016) “Public Relations and Corporate Identity” in The Public Relations Handbook, ed. A. Theaker, New York: Routledge, 144–171.

Oswald, L. (2012) “Marketing Semiotics” in Marketing Semiotics Signs, Strategies, and Brand Value, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 44–69.

Description:

During this week, we will discuss various methods and strategies of persuasion in commercial marketing and advertising campaigns. Furthermore, we will discuss the cultural and semiotic foundations of commercial marketing and PR.

Week 14: Recap and Case Studies

Venue: MIUC

Key concepts/issues:

Case studies

Literature for this session:

Handouts

Description:

During the final week, we will summarize the main topics covered during the semester, review some case studies and discuss the assignments.

 

 

ATTACHMENTS:

 

Module study guide:

 

Public_opinion_and_persuasion_MSG.pdf

 

Assessment 1 marking grid:

 

/files/107987/Marking_grid_A1(2).pdf

 

Assessment 2 marking grid:

 

/files/107987/Marking_grid_A2(2).pdf