POLS20026 Politics and the Media
University of Melbourne · Level 2 · 12.5 points · Not running in 2026.
- No final exam: all coursework
Is POLS20026 hard?
POLS20026: About average. Not running in 2026, so it isn't on the lists. Makes it easier: No final exam.
What you learn
How politics and media shape each other: agenda-setting, fake news, propaganda, celebrity politicians, satire and nonstop campaigning.
After it you can
- Explain how media set the political agenda
- Spot misinformation and propaganda
- Analyse real cases in writing and speech
What you need first
None
What it leads to
How it’s assessed
Assignments 40%, Presentations 20%, Reports and essays 40%
Student reviews and ratings
Summarised from 7 students on StudentVIP (2019–2025)
- Opinions changed over the years: 2019 and 2020 reviewers liked the relevant content and straightforward assessments, 2021 and 2022 were mostly negative, and in 2025 a new teaching team had greatly improved it.
- Earlier complaints were that lectures got repetitive after the first weeks (fake news, partisanship, democracy), marking was harsh, and media students found little on the media industry itself.
- In 2025 it was described as fun and relatively easy to do well in, leaning more on media theory applied to politics. Mixed politics and media cohorts make for lively tutorials, but sources for essays can be scarce.
A summary of public reviews, not scored here.
Taken this subject? Rate it anonymously (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Rate POLS20026
Quick answers
- When is POLS20026 offered?
- Not running in 2026.
- What do I need before taking POLS20026?
- No prerequisites.
- Does POLS20026 have a final exam?
- No, there is no final exam. Assessment: Assignments 40%, Presentations 20%, Reports and essays 40%.
- Is POLS20026 hard?
- From 7 student reviews on StudentVIP: Opinions changed over the years: 2019 and 2020 reviewers liked the relevant content and straightforward assessments, 2021 and 2022 were mostly negative, and in 2025 a new teaching team had greatly improved it.
- What do students say about POLS20026?
- Opinions changed over the years: 2019 and 2020 reviewers liked the relevant content and straightforward assessments, 2021 and 2022 were mostly negative, and in 2025 a new teaching team had greatly improved it. Earlier complaints were that lectures got repetitive after the first weeks (fake news, partisanship, democracy), marking was harsh, and media students found little on the media industry itself. In 2025 it was described as fun and relatively easy to do well in, leaning more on media theory applied to politics. Mixed politics and media cohorts make for lively tutorials, but sources for essays can be scarce.
- Can I take POLS20026 as breadth?
- Yes, for: Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art), Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science.
- What can I take after POLS20026?
- 2 subjects need it first, for example POLS30001, POLS30003.
- Can I rate POLS20026?
- Yes. If you've taken it, rate it anonymously on this page (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Averages show once 3 students have rated it; tips are checked before they appear.
Source: University of Melbourne Handbook 2026
Always confirm in the official Handbook.
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