This course aims to introduce the fundamental knowledge and hands-on skills of big data analytics in the field of media and communication. By drawing inspiration from computer sciences, this course introduces the basic background of natural language processing, web crawling, sentiment analysis, data visualization and machine learning. Special focus will be placed on techniques for searching, collecting, analysing, interpreting and visualizing online and social media data. Students will learn to use Python, HTML and a variety of open-source software. Critical reflection on the ethical and legal implications of big data analytics, including issues related to privacy, surveillance and the responsible use of computational methods, will be discussed throughout the semester.