Answer one of the following questions. The research essay should refer to existing scholarship and relevant theories:
1. What is fake news and does it matter in political campaigns? Drawing on examples, explain your answer with particular attention to (theories of) the news media's role in the political public sphere.
2. Compare and contrast different formats for televised election debates. With reference to the existing scholarship and drawing on examples, which elements do you think are best at encouraging political knowledge and engagement? Be sure to explain why you think this is the case.
3. Of comparable democracies, Australia has among the most generous rules governing election funding and how much political parties can spend. Critically analyse whether you think this creates an environment that hinders or helps the public to engage with political ideas? In your view, and using the existing literature as a reference point, should the laws be changed, and if so, why?
4. Referring to the studied readings, does one particular form of political communication enable politicians to project their message to the public more clearly than any other? Provide examples and refer to at least two forms of political communication.
5. Which method is better at helping citizens get to know a politician and his/her policies - broadcast interviews or political speeches? Drawing on existing scholarship, compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of these two political communication forms.
6. What is the role of negative campaigning? Provide examples to show where this might exist and draw on the literature and examples to critically analyse what the consequences of politicians playing the fear card might be for voters?
7. What is the role of socialmedia in political communication? Referring to the literature, how does it differ from legacy (traditional) media political communication? What are some potential benefits or disadvantages for the audience when politicians use this medium to bypass mainstream media?
8. Critically analyse the Brexit campaign and identify elements that made it so successful for the Exit campaigners. What, if any, are some political communication methods that might have been better employed by the ‘Remain' camp?
9. Is regular opinion polling a positive or negative for democracy? Provide examples in your answer and consider notions of political engagement and different polling methodologies.
The purpose of this assignment is to critically develop your knowledge and engagement with the major theoretical frameworks deployed in political communication and to investigate particular forms of it in detail drawing on examples where appropriate.