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PIR-10073 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

PIR-10073 - The Global News Desk
Coordinator: Moran Mandelbaum Room: N/A Tel: +44 1782 7 33513
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

NA

Barred Combinations

NA

Description for 2025/26

The global news media define daily political agendas around the world, but how much of it can we believe? How is news made? What is reported and what is left out? In an era of social media and conspiracy theory, this module will engage you with major world politics news stories hitting the headlines and invite you to investigate the realities behind the stories, and critically to reflect on how the news is made and communicated.

Aims
1. Introduce students to the study of current events, reading between the lines.
2. Familiarize students with the dynamics of global political communication, including the dissemination, reception, and impact of information across international contexts.
3. Examine the role of media, technology, and cultural factors in shaping global communication dynamics, with a focus on understanding how these dynamics influence perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours on a global scale.
4. Equip students with basic analytical tools for the analysis of contemporary global affairs.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Critically investigate current international events through the lens of media and world news: 1,2
Demonstrate their capacity at basic critical analysis of contemporary global affairs through engagement with diverse print and digital sources and perspectives: 1,2
Develop skills in evaluating the reliability and credibility of information in the context of global political communication: 1
Develop and demonstrate their digital skills through engagement with, and presentation of, current global affairs in world news: 2

Study hours

Lectures and seminars: 24 hours
Private study: 26 hours.
Preparation and completion of assignment 1: 30
Preparation and completion of assignment 2: 70

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Exercise weighted 40%
600 words current event exercise
Students will choose a current media coverage in global politics and offer a 600 words critical analysis of the reporting. Students will be tasked with a summary of the news coverage, engaging with the context of the event, existing biases and/or omissions, and point to the potential audience of the reporting.

2: Report weighted 60%
900 words Magazine Report
Students will choose a current event in global politics and write a magazine report. Students will need to offer context, critical analysis and demonstrate their digital skills by presenting figures and/or pictures and/or tables to support their reporting.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025