Overview
This course examines how individuals, cultural institutions, creative organizations, brands, and communities build, sustain, contest, and repair public reputation. It analyses the interaction of media, audiences, identity, institutions, power, and public memory across cultural and digital environments.
Students investigate framing, agenda setting, discourse, narrative, public opinion, audience segmentation, trust, authenticity, celebrity and influencer culture, reviews, criticism, algorithmic visibility, misinformation, disinformation, cancel culture, crisis communication, apology, accountability, stakeholder engagement, cultural sensitivity, accessibility, and reputation measurement.
Through case studies involving museums, festivals, artists, cultural heritage sites, nonprofit organizations, and public-facing campaigns, students assess contested histories, institutional harm, and competing interpretations. Applied work develops skills in media and stakeholder analysis, risk mapping, evidence evaluation, audience-specific communication, transparent response planning, and the assessment of meaningful institutional change.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain how public reputations are socially produced through media, discourse, audience interpretation, institutional conduct, and public memory.
- Analyze the roles of media systems, cultural power, algorithms, and stakeholder interests in shaping public response.
- Evaluate ethical, cultural, accessibility, and accountability risks in reputation management and crisis communication.
- Assess evidence, competing interpretations, and misinformation in cultural controversies and public-facing campaigns.
- Design transparent, audience-specific, and multi-platform communication plans for reputational risk and crisis situations.
- Formulate responses to public criticism and institutional harm that demonstrate accuracy, empathy, cultural sensitivity, and accountability.
- Measure reputational outcomes using appropriate qualitative and quantitative indicators, distinguishing image management from substantive institutional change.
- Synthesize documented research into a reputation audit and strategic response suitable for a cultural or creative organization.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Seminar | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Media and stakeholder analysis | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Ethical risk and accountability briefing | 15.00% |
| Test | Mid-semester case analysis test | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Reputation audit and multi-platform response strategy | 35.00% |
| Exam | Final integrative examination | 10.00% |
Prerequisites
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
