ATS3971 Propaganda: Dark arts in a digital age
Faculty of Arts
ATS3971 Propaganda: Dark arts in a digital age is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts. It isn't offered in 2026. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Not offered
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
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Requisites
Before ATS3971
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS3971
No unit lists ATS3971 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Pre-requisite: 12 credit points of level 2 Arts units.
You are strongly encouraged to take ATS2784 News and Power prior to enrolling in this unit.
Overview
In this unit you, will examine propaganda, ‘disinformation’ and influence operations in a digital age. You will learn about the history of propaganda in politics and conflicts, and how this helps us understand its contemporary practice. You will study a range of current issues including surveillance capitalism and the political economy of disinformation; data misuse; computational propaganda; AI and deepfakes; free speech and censorship; use of power, emotion and language; hacking and leaking; hybrid war; influence mercenaries; and election manipulation. You will have the opportunity to examine potential responses to manage these challenges and the implications for journalism, security and human rights.
Offerings in 2026
The 2026 handbook lists no offerings for ATS3971.
Assessment
- Short essay - theoryWritten25%
- Propaganda research, methods and analysisWritten35%
- Student project and final report or Journalistic articleProject40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
critically analyse academic interdisciplinary knowledge relevant to understanding and explaining propaganda in democracies, including key theoretical perspectives, concepts and debates, and its relationship to media and journalism;
- 2
critically analyse how changing historical, socio-political and technological contexts shape strategies of propaganda;
- 3
apply your research and analytical skills by undertaking a research project on propaganda, using relevant knowledge of theory and concepts;
- 4
communicate to scholarly standards your written work and in-class discussions on theoretical and substantive issues related to contemporary propaganda.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachResearch activities
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
In addition to traditional Tutorials and Lectures, you will undertake a teacher-facilitated group research activity in-class which will help them develop understanding of research methods and ability to apply your knowledge to topical issues.
In addition to traditional Tutorials and Lectures, you will also undertake a student-led research project which will form part of your final assessment, strengthening your research skills and ability to apply your knowledge to real-world issues that interest them.
Where it fits
ATS3971 is part of 5 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
- COMMUNIC05Level 2 and 3 elective unitsCommunications and media studiesNo reviews yet
- COMMUNIC06Level 2 and 3 elective unitsCommunications and media studiesNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM08Journalism elective unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM12Level 2 and 3 unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM13Level 2 and 3 elective unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Emma Briant
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Emma Briant
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS3971?
ATS3971 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS3971 offered?
ATS3971 has no offerings listed in the 2026 handbook.
How much work is ATS3971?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS3971 have an exam?
No. ATS3971 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS3971?
ATS3971 is part of Communications and media studies; and Journalism.