This is a seminar course designed to explore three aspects of media/politics in particular: (1) transnational/national news agencies and media organizations in the era of digital, cable and satellite communication (2) critical debates on issues such as bias and objectivity in political reporting, tabloid news, political scandal, investigative journalism (3) intersections between media power and national politics, including such themes as 'agenda setting', 'spin control', 'the spiral of silence' or 'political advertising'.