| Course Objectives: |
The aim of this course is to examine the historical development of political communication from Ancient Greece to the present day, examine the methods and tools of political campaigns, and discuss the role of public opinion, propaganda, media, leadership, and digitalization in modern democracies. Students will gain theoretical knowledge of both the classical rhetorical tradition and contemporary political communication practices. |
| Course Content: |
This course will examine political communication within its historical context. The course will cover rhetoric and forms of government in ancient Greece; Cicero and forum politics in Rome; the printing press, the Reformation, and early modern propaganda; the concept of public opinion in the modern period and Habermas's theory of the public sphere; the role of the press, radio, and television in political communication in the 19th and 20th centuries; political advertising and image management; public opinion polls and data-driven campaigns; digitalization, social media, and microtargeting; and political communication and election campaigns in Turkey. |
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) are those describing the knowledge, skills and competencies that students are expected to achieve upon successful completion of the course. In this context, Course Learning Outcomes defined for this course unit are as follows:
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| Knowledge
(Described as Theoritical and/or Factual Knowledge.)
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1) Explain the historical development and basic concepts of political communication.
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2) Can recognize different forms of political communication from Ancient Greece to the digital age.
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3) Can comparatively examine propaganda, public opinion, advertising and digital campaign strategies.
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| Skills
(Describe as Cognitive and/or Practical Skills.)
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1) Analyze modern election campaigns from a historical and theoretical perspective.
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| Competences
(Described as "Ability of the learner to apply knowledge and skills autonomously with responsibility", "Learning to learn"," Communication and social" and "Field specific" competences.)
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1) Can make critical assessments of current election campaigns.
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| Week |
Subject |
Materials Sharing * |
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Related Preparation |
Further Study |
| 1) |
Introduction and conceptual framework – What is political communication? Basic concepts. |
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| 2) |
2) Politics and communication in ancient Greece – Agora, rhetoric, forms of government from Plato's Republic. |
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| 3) |
Politics and communication in Rome and the Middle Ages: Cicero's rhetoric, the relationship between the church and legitimacy. |
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| 4) |
Modernism and modern democracy – Nation-state, representation. |
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| 5) |
The concept of public opinion in the modern period, the need for persuasion of the masses and Habermas's theory of the public sphere. |
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| 6) |
Press, radio and propaganda in the 19th and 20th centuries – examples from Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler's Election Campaign. |
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| 7) |
Midterm |
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| 8) |
Ottoman Period – Second Constitutional Monarchy, newspapers, cartoon magazines, propaganda methods of the Committee of Union and Progress. |
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| 9) |
The Single Party Period – CHP’s communication strategies, Atatürk’s speeches, community centers, nation building through radio and press. |
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| 10) |
The television age – the Kennedy–Nixon debate, visual media transforming politics. |
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| 11) |
From the Democrat Party to the Present – Election campaigns since 1950; the DP’s slogan, television during the Özal era, election campaigns after the 2000s. |
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| 12) |
Political advertising – Negative advertising, the “Daisy Girl” example and examples in Turkey. |
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| 13) |
Data-driven public opinion research and the rise of digital campaigns – examples from Turkey and the USA. |
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| 14) |
Political leadership and image management – Charisma, crisis communication, leadership styles. |
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Programme Learning Outcomes |
Contribution Level (from 1 to 5) |
| 1) |
Explain the fundamental concepts, historical development, and theoretical framework of graphic design. |
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| 2) |
Define typography, color theory, and composition principles in visual communication design. |
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| 3) |
Evaluate the social, cultural, and ethical aspects of graphic design to develop an interdisciplinary perspective. |
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| 4) |
Develop original and innovative design solutions using creative problem-solving methods. |
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| 5) |
Apply visual hierarchy, perception psychology, and user experience (UX) principles to design for international markets. |
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| 6) |
Effectively use digital tools and design software to produce professional graphic design work. |
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| 7) |
Take responsibility in international graphic design projects individually or within a team to develop creative solutions. |
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| 8) |
Manage graphic design projects and plan processes while applying a professional work discipline. |
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| 9) |
Continuously improve by following global innovations, technologies, and methodologies in graphic design. |
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| 10) |
Adopt intercultural design principles to create visual solutions for global audiences. |
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| 11) |
Develop design solutions that are culturally sensitive, ethically appropriate, and sustainable. |
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| 12) |
Work independently or participate in teamwork within graphic design processes. |
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