The media plays a central role in contemporary culture, society and politics. It shapes our perceptions of the world through the representations, ideas and points of view it offers. The media has real relevance and importance in our lives today, providing us with ways to communicate, with forms of cultural expression and the ability to participate in key aspects of society. The economic importance of the media is also unquestionable. The media industries employ large numbers of people worldwide and generate significant global profit. This course offers you the opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of these key issues, using a comprehensive theoretical framework and a variety of advanced theoretical approaches and theories to support critical exploration and reflection, analysis and debate. The study of a wide range of rich and stimulating media products is central to the specification, offering opportunities for detailed analysis of how the media communicates meanings in a variety of forms.