Maastricht University, BA, Media Culture

Citizens are increasingly empowered by technology to create digital images, videos, audio recordings, websites and blogs. At the same time, media is rapidly converging. Newspapers appear in both print and digital formats, and newspaper circulation is decreasing. Radio broadcasts are transmitted by both radio towers and satellites, and are often available as podcasts on the internet. Television can be watched online and books, magazines and articles can be downloaded onto digital devices and read without ever printing them. New media and media convergence are bringing dramatic changes to our society. Wars are prepared and, to a certain extent, held in the media. People often play massive online games longer than they work for their bosses. To some extent, we define who we are and how we feel about ourselves on the basis of logos and commercials. In this specialisation, you will examine the influence of media culture on our society. You will also examine new media in the context of old media and how the shift from the latter to the former affects society and our perceptions of reality.