NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
        SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
             COURSE CODE:MAC 212
          COURSE TITLE:MEDIA AND SOCIETY
                                             MAC 212                                                                                             MEDIA AND SOCIETY
                                                COURSE 
                                                               
                                                  GUIDE
                                             MAC 212
                                             MEDIA AND SOCIETY
                                             Course Developer/Writer                                 Andrew Asan Ate
                                                                                                     Igbinedion University, Okada
                                                                                                     Benin City
                                             Course Editor                                           Mr Oloruntola Sunday
                                                                                                    Dept. of Mass Communication
                                                                                                     University of Lagos
                                                                                                     Akoka, Lagos
                                             Programme Leader                                        Christine .I. Ofulue, Ph.D
                                                                                                     National Open University of Nigeria
                                             Course Coordinator                                      Chidinma H. Onwubere
                                                                                                     National Open University of Nigeria
                                             NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
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        MAC 212                                                                                             MEDIA AND SOCIETY
        National Open University of Nigeria
        Headquarters
        14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way
        Victoria Island
        Lagos
        Abuja Office
        No. 5 Dar es Salaam Street
        Off Aminu Kano Crescent
        Wuse II, Abuja
        Nigeria
        e-mail:   centralinfo@nou.edu.ng
        URL:     www.nou.edu.ng
        Published by
        National Open University of Nigeria 
        Printed 2009
        ISBN:978-058-894-9
        All Rights Reserved
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                                          MAC 212                                                                                             MEDIA AND SOCIETY
                                          CONTENTS                                                                                       PAGE
                                          Introduction ………………………………………………….…… 1  
                                          What You Will Learn in this Course ………………………..…….                                                      1
                                          Course Aims ………………………………………………..….….. 1
                                          Course Objectives …………………………………………..……… 2
                                          Working through this Course ………………………………...……. 2
                                          Course Material ……………………………………………………. 2
                                          Study Units ………………………………………………..……….. 2
                                          Textbooks and References ……………………………………….…. 3
                                          Assignment File ……………………………………………….……..4
                                          Assessment …………………………………………………………..4
                                          Tutor-Marked Assignment …………………………………………..5
                                          Final Examination and Grading ……………………………………...5
                                          Presentation Schedule …………………………………………......... 5
                                          Course Marking Scheme ………………………………………….…6
                                          Course Overview …………………………………………………… 6
                                          How to Get the Most from this Course ……………………….…… 7
                                          Facilitators/Tutors and Tutorials …………………………………… 9
                                          Summary ……………………………………………………….……9
                                           
                                          Introduction
                                          MAC 212 is a one-semester 3-credit unit course. It is designed to drill 
                                          Journalism or Mass Communication students on the relationships 
                                          between the mass media and the society.
                                          The course will also highlight the theories of the mass media from the 
                                          global perspective and point out those theories that are relevant to the 
                                          Nigerian environment.
                                          The course takes into account the professional and academic needs of 
                                          students offering B.Sc degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
                                          The course has a Guide which serves as a compass towards effective use 
                                          of the course materials as contained in the course units. There is also 
                                          provision for tutor-marked assignments which should not be handled 
                                          with levity by students.
                                          What You Will Learn in this Course
                                          The overall aim of MAC 212: Media and Society is to examine the 
                                          mass media as elements of cultural and social processes. It pays 
                                          particular attention to sociological concepts, themes and problems. It 
                                          provides the strategies for understanding mass communication and its 
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