Students taking courses or majoring in Communications Studies learn about social media in a variety of classes. While there are courses exclusively dedicated to social and other new media, many other courses and areas of study include material on new media as part of broader topics. Some courses focus on practical aspects of careers in new media and how use of such media can enhance one’s employability. Other courses look at how a variety of communication media can influence consumers, voters, and the general public or consider how rhetorical strategies vary over different media.
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Rhetoric and New Media
Rhetorical studies in communication departments focus on the history and theory of persuasive discourse. Courses in rhetoric emphasize how media shape rhetorical strategies and audience responses. Oral communications, print, and digital media all require different persuasive tactics. The visual aspects of persuasion are especially important in digital media. The rhetorical concept of ethos is often applied to the growth of internet influencers and the way that reputation is built on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Studying digital media involves learning how to use and understand big data and web analytics, which enable researchers to understand the reach and influence of digital media posts.
Political Communication
The growth of digital media has transformed political campaigns. In the United States, the 2016 primary campaigns and elections relied heavily on digital media. President Trump is notable for his use of Twitter as a medium for communication and many younger political figures also make extensive use of social media in campaigning, fund raising, and advocacy. Students can study this phenomenon from a theoretical perspective or learn practical skills that will enable them to seek careers as digital medial managers or strategists for political campaigns.
Journalism
While jobs in traditional print media are declining, there is a significant growth in opportunities in digital media. According to the Pew Research Center, more people now get news from digital media than from print media. Because of this, many journalism programs now incorporate training on how to write for digital media audiences and how to make work readily shareable. With recent scandals over fake news stories and unreliable viral content, another major area of study in communication programs is fake news and propaganda and how to counter them.
Public Relations and Advertising
As companies rely more and more on digital media to communicate with customers, programs in public relations and marketing in communication departments have responded by offering courses in digital media strategies. These course include ones focused on advertising, reputation management, public relations, and other customer facing tasks. Students are trained to design and produce content for digital media, to learn how to maximize reach of content, and to create digital media strategies.
As digital media become increasingly important, Communications Studies programs have incorporated study of social media into many different courses and areas of emphasis. These emphases in degree programs can lead many graduates to enjoy successful careers in media and communication that use advanced knowledge of digital media.