Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2025 - CMNS 312 D100

Topics in Communication Policy and Governance (4)

Digital Policies in a Global Context

Class Number: 1181

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 12 – Jun 20, 2025: Tue, Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    17 CMNS units with a minimum grade of C- or 45 units with a minimum CGPA of 2.00.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Topics cover a range of policy and governance concerns and processes pertaining to communication, media, and/or culture in national and international contexts. Topics vary and include: content regulation, copyright, media institutions, media advocacy, and different perspectives to study these issues. This course can be repeated once for credit (up to a maximum of two times).

COURSE DETAILS:

“Platform Power and Counter-Power”

Digital life seems only possible with digital platforms. Alphabet, Meta, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Netflix, TikTok and the like have become powerful players in the communication and media sectors and provide critical infrastructures for interpersonal, informational, cultural and political communication alike. In this course, we discuss and analyze the consequences of the platform society as we focus on related power dynamics. We will establish what makes digital platforms powerful and what types of dependencies and challenges emerge from their power. We then will discuss existing, failed, successful and emerging attempts to control, regulate, balance and counter platform power across sectors. This includes national, international and supranational regulatory and discursive initiatives, as well as practical innovations and forms of activism. Students will work on either a project displaying platform power and its consequences, study or propose a counter-power strategy, or write an essay analyzing platform power and counter-power.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify key scholars and literature in the area
  • Understand and critically analyze key topics, issues and conflicts related to the rise of various digital platforms, counter power and balancing initiatives and evolving disentanglements from platform power
  • Identify economic, political and socio-cultural factors that shape platform governance and policies in Canada and in other countries
  • Understand the role international arenas play in shaping digital platform policy, law and regulation
  • Analyze processes of change, related interests, discourses and outcomes
  • Identify differences and similarities in counter power initiatives across different countries
  • Work in teams to gather data, develop concise reports and to present on current issues in digital platform policy
  • Understand the everyday-life aspects of digital platform policy, law and regulation
  • Identify issues of the students’ own interests and job positions in the context of digital platform policy they could aspire to in Canada or abroad

Grading

  • Topic presentation 25%
  • Participation 10%
  • Project design/outline 20%
  • Project/Essay 35%
  • Short presentation project/essay 10%

NOTES:

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relationship to established university-wide practices. In addition, the School will follow Policy S10.01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 with regard to Student Discipline. For further information visit: www.sfu.ca/policies/Students/index.html.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Lehdonvirta, V. (2022). Cloud Empires. How Digital Platforms are overtaking the state and how we can regain control. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. [Accessible online via SFU library]

Nielsen, RK. & Ganter, S.A. (2022). The Power of Platforms: Shaping Media and Society. Oxford University Press. [Accessible online via SFU library]

Picard, R. (2020). Media and Communications Policy Making. Springer Link. [Accessible online via SFU library]

Zhang, A. (2024). High wire: How China regulates Big Tech and governs its economy. London: Oxford University Press. [Accessible online via SFU library]

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.