A course designed to provide policy oriented understanding of the media environment.

The two year Masters in ‘Media Governance’, the first such course worldwide, received tremendous appreciation from both International Communication Association & International Association of Mass Communication & Research. We are among the pioneers in Post Graduate Centres of Asian Universities to offer a teaching and research programme dedicated to Media Policy.

The complexity and effervescence of the media clearly pose interesting opportunities and dilemmas for governance at all levels. The manner in which democratic ideals and structures in India respond to the evolving milieu of the media holds significant consequences for their continuing relevance and ability to function. To address these matters, CCMG finds it necessary to profile the changes in the workings of the media, the proliferation of new technologies and the shifting trajectory of the media industry. Consequently, the Centre’s teaching programme in ‘Media Governance’ is designed to respond to a policy oriented understanding of the media environment in India. The Masters course draws on the Centre’s expertise in the field of communication, the University’s growing initiatives in specialised post-graduate teaching/research, and its location in New Delhi, the node of policy research in South Asia.

A key question throughout this course is the extent to which the media---new or old, rejuvenated or hybrid---are shaped by, and are contributing to, shifts in the meaning and operation of contemporary democracy. Exploring established institutions, organisations and practices, the course will examine the inner workings and outer configurations of the media. Since this requires drawing on disciplines ranging from technology studies, politics, law and sociology, the course necessitates an inter-disciplinary approach with communication as the reference point.

While theoretical papers will address the areas of Media Policy; Media & Democracy, Communication & Modernity; Creativity, Culture & Commerce; Trans-national Communication; News, Network Technologies & Informatics Industry, those imparting conceptual tools include Media Economics; Law; Research Methods; Media, Movements, Rights; Policy Research & Evaluation.

The course is intended for graduates interested in the broad arena of media policy. Its strong focus on the evolution of media environments, their legal-administrative systems and an exposure to ideas and tools required to grasp the interplay of media and governance, are relevant to students seeking opportunities in public institutions, national/local governmental organisations, advocacy and training groups, non-governmental and multi-lateral organisations, and apex industry bodies. The theoretical and methodological grounding in the course also provides an excellent basis for those inclined towards further study at the doctoral level, and for contributing to policy research in various settings.

The course will engage with conceptual architectures, theoretical debates and methodological standpoints required for a critical appraisal of trends in the present milieu of our media. Being a two-year, full-time taught course, it consists of 16 papers, each comprising of 3 modules. The Centre proposes to follow a semester system wherein the 4 papers taught in each of the two semesters constituting one academic year, will be evaluated in December and May.

JULY, 2015-16

The Centre offers an inter-disciplinary Ph.D. Programme in themes concerning its core research areas, as specified on the Centre’s website, with special focus on India and South Asia.

• Guidelines for PHD