Description of this learning set (Part of Birth/Marriage/Death)  

This learning set, part of the “Birth/Marriage/Death” course explores how the vegetative state is represented in the media. You will engage with debates about how the media portray patients and report ‘miracle’ recoveries, court cases and scientific breakthroughs and you’ll explore implications for family and public understandings. The learning set will enhance your skills in analysing the media and being a critical media consumer and will give you all the grounding you need for the first assessment – to be able to write an analysis of a film, TV episode or news story about ‘coma’ (see “Assessment” in Learning

 Assessment and feedback for this part of the course:

a) Formative assessment and feedback (to help your learning during the course): self-assessement via quizzes & reflection, peer discussion and discussion with Jenny Kitzinger in Seminars

b) Summative assessment (that counts towards your final mark and will get feedback alongside your mark) – writing an analysis of film/TV or news story (See “Assessment” in Learning Central)

Course author: Professor Jenny Kitzinger, School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University.           

Course Outline