This course introduces students to perspectives and frameworks to critically analyze complex media-society relations. How do we understand media in its textual, cultural technological, institutional forms as embedded in and shaped by various societal forces? How do modern media and communication technologies impact the ways in which societies are organized and social interactions take place? To engage with these questions, we will be closely studying contemporary media texts, practices and phenomena while drawing upon insights from various disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, art history and visual culture, and cultural studies.