Overview: In our everyday life, we are constantly interacting with social media. Much of this interaction occurs at a fast pace. Given this, how often do we stop to think critically about what we hear and read? This course is designed to develop your critical thinking skills when engaging with the media. This course takes a novel approach to help you learn how to engage with social media with a critical lens by drawing upon the growing global interest in true-crime documentaries, podcasts and other socially mediated representations of crime and its control. We offer learners a ‘critical thinking toolkit’ that is transportable to their academic courses, workplace and, more broadly, in their daily life.
Structure: The course is a six-week self-paced, online course. The course is divided into 6 sections. While we encourage students to follow the structure of the course, each section can be used/studied independently as part of a course or research focus.
Topics covered: Critical thinking: tools, narratives, and critiques * Sex work * Drug use and supply * Investigative journalism * Wildlife and animal trafficking * Human trafficking * Selling sex in cyber space * Online sleuths and scam baiters
Key questions explored: What is critical thinking? What is crime? What is media? How does the media influence our understanding of crime? How does the media help and hinder our perceptions about crime? How does the digital age shape our understanding of crime? How does media shape our perceptions and fears of the control of crime? Is social justice helped and/or hindered by social media?
Speakers: This course is developed by the University of Hong Kong, but we have experts joining us from around the world. Our course is multi-disciplinary with experts with backgrounds in criminology, journalism, media studies, gender studies, law and criminal justice. Moreover, our speakers include academics, journalists, police detectives, NGO workers and volunteers, and barristers.
