About this course
How do new media and tech facilitate or challenge democracy, collaboration, and community building? The ambition of this course is to understand the historical and contemporary importance of media in creating communities.
Hone your critical media literacy and examine how both new and existing communities are imagined, constructed, and represented in online media and tech. The course also focuses on the controversy of surveillance, privacy, and the dark side of the web.
Syllabus
Faculty
Brendan Sweeney
FacultyPh.D. (Political Science, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2005). Cand.mag. (Media Studies, University of Copenhagen, 1999). NCTJ Certificate in Journalism (Rathmines College of Journalism, Dublin, 1982). Worked as journalist for many years in different European countries. Information Officer and Project Manager, Danish Institute for Human Rights, 2007-2010. Teacher, International People’s College, 2010-2013. Published historical novel, Once in Another World (New Island, 2013). With DIS since 2013.
Mie Oehlenschläger
FacultyTech policy expert advising private and public actors both nationally and internationally (2022-2024). Appointed to an independent external expert group to support the Government’s work on setting the framework for Big Tech in Denmark and the EU. Appointed member of The Danish Council of Ethics (2022-2025). Co-founder of the non profit Tech & childhood and author of a number of analyses and reports including “Big Tech – Soft Power” (July 2023), “Online games gamble with children’s data” (April 2021) and “Green Paper on initiatives to protect children online” (December 2021) and various articles. Expert advicer to the The US Future of Tech Commission and former writing member of the Danish DJØF’s TechDK Commission. Years of professional experience with Strategic Communications, Campaigning, CSR and Public Affairs. M.A., Modern Culture and Cultural Communication (University of Copenhagen, 2008), B.A. Comparative Literature (University of Copenhagen, 2003). With DIS since 2018.
Nya Oxfeldt Jensen
Faculty; Assistant Program DirectorCand.comm (International Development Studies, Roskilde University, 2001). B.A. (Business Administration, University of San Diego, 1995). Communications Consultant, Sampension, 2001-2002. Communications Consultant, Ballerup Kommune, 2002-2011. Communications consultant, Danish Refugee Council, 2011-2017. Assistant Program Director, DIS, 2017-2020. Special Consultant, Administrations- og Servicestyrelsen, 2021-2022. With DIS 2017-2020 and since 2022.
Maya Lahav
FacultyPhD Criminology, Oxford University, Currently MSc Criminology & Criminal Justice, Oxford University 2021 MSc International Relations, Edinburgh University, 2020 BSc Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, 2019. Head of Section of Cyber- and Information Security, Danish Ministry of Defence, 2024-2025 Team Lead of Human Trafficking Mitigation Team, ActiveFence, 2021-2024 Research Fellow, University College London, 2021 Commercial Project Manager, Pepperminds, 2013-2015. With DIS since 2025.