Media and Social Impact
Overview
Historically, one of the difficulties faced by all organisations and groups, from corporations through to social justice campaigners, has been getting their messages reported clearly, accurately and effectively through mainstream media channels. As the mainstream media contracts and its audiences fragment, getting a story heard now requires an understanding of how to make media that will have an impact. This unit provides students with a critical, historical overview of media products and strategies that have been used in industry, government, not-for-profit and community organisations to achieve social and behavioural change. Through a collaborative, real world project, students will develop and implement a media product that advocates for social change
Requisites
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Engage in critically informed debates in relation to media and social impact
- Define, describe and analyse core concepts, theories and issues in regard to media and social impact
- Plan and produce a research essay that critically analyses a social change media campaign
- Collaborate in groups with internal and external partners, develop and implement a media product that advocates for a change in attitude and/or behaviour for a particular audience
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Activities Various | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Unspecified Activities Various | 6.00 | 12 weeks | 72 |
| TOTAL | 144 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Individual | 20% | 1,2,3 |
| Project | Group | 60% | 1,2,4 |
| Project Report | Individual | 20% | 1,2,3,4 |
Content
- History of media advocacy and activism
- Narrative and non-narrative storytelling strategies
- Data visualisation and advocacy
- Developing media strategies to target social change issues in areas such as health, aging, education, the environment and social justice
- Social responsibility in Design and Media
- Creating collaborative media products with community and not-for-profit organisations
- Measuring social impact
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.