76784 - History and Analysis of Mass Communication (LM)

Learning outcomes

Aims of the course: the learner is able to analyze the language of several traditional mass media (newspapers, radio, movies, television) to digital ones. Moreover The student is able to grasp the relationship between journalistic communication and historical contexts.

Course contents

Prerequisite: knowledge of public debates and topical issues, interesting to understand, starting from the present, languages and ways in order to show news and contents.

The course is divided into two parts: a theoretical part and a practise part in which the theories learned will be put to the test of a concrete case.

The theoretical part introduces the approaches that have developed over time around Media Studies.

For students it is an important preparatory work that will gain knowledge that can overcome descriptive analysis.

The practise part of the course is based on issues of psychological warfare, violence and terrorism addressed in relation to the role played by the media.

Readings/Bibliography

It is advisable to have theme basics already. It is recommended for both students and non-students, a preliminary reading: Marica Tolomelli, Sfera pubblica e comunicazioni di massa, Bologna, Archetipo libri, 2006. This book is not subject to examination, but provides many tools to understand the themes of the lessons and prepares to address the contents of the texts exam.

It is also suggested a knowledge, at least indicative, of leading scholars who have ventured on the themes of communication and the history of public opinion: Theodor Adorno, Pierre Bordieu, Manuel Castells, Umberto Eco, Siegfried Krakauer, Jurgen Habermas, Max Horkheimer, Peter Hugill, Harold Innis, Walter Lippmann, Niklas Luhmann, David Manning White, Marshall McLuhan, Elisabeth Noelle Neumann, Walter Ong, Peppino Ortoleva, Vance Packard.

There are two programs.

1) For not attending students the program consists of the following 4 books:

Mario Ricciardi, La comunicazione, Roma- Bari, Laterza, 2016;

Simona Salustri, Orientare l'opinione pubblica. Mezzi di comunicazione e propaganda politica nell'Italia fascista, Milano, Unicopli, 2018.

Sessantotto. Luoghi e rappresentazioni di un evento mondiale (a cura di Mirco Dondi e Simona Salustri), Milano, Unicopli, 2018.

Mirco Dondi, L’eco del boato. Storia della strategia della tensione, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2015.

Francesco Antinucci, Comunicare il museo, Roma - Bari, Laterza, 2014.

2) The attending students will choose among three possible combinations:

COMBINATION 1

Mario Ricciardi, La comunicazione, Roma- Bari, Laterza, 2016 + Mirco Dondi, L'eco boato;

COMBINATION 2

Mario Ricciardi, La comunicazione, Roma- Bari, Laterza, 2016 +

Simona Salustri, Orientare l'opinione pubblica. Mezzi di comunicazione e propaganda politica nell'Italia fascista, Milano, Unicopli, 2018.

Sessantotto. Luoghi e rappresentazioni di un evento mondiale (a cura di Mirco Dondi e Simona Salustri), Milano, Unicopli, 2018.

COMBINATION 3

Mario Ricciardi, La comunicazione, Roma- Bari, Laterza, 2016 +

Simona Salustri, Orientare l'opinione pubblica. Mezzi di comunicazione e propaganda politica nell'Italia fascista, Milano, Unicopli, 2018.

Francesco Antinucci, Comunicare il museo, Roma - Bari, Laterza, 2014

During the course the students will have to produce a written report of up to 20,000 characters (including spaces) about the relationship between fascism and today fascism representation.

 

Assessment methods

Written exam for everyone.

Multiple choice questions are processed for each book in the program.

The evaluation starts from 30:

the first error is cleared, a point is removed from the second error.

In case of correct but incomplete answers (with a lower number of answers than expected) the third response omission is removed a point.

In any case, to pass the exam, it is necessary to answer correctly at least half of the questions for each text in the program.

Office hours

See the website of Mirco Dondi