B8063 - History and Media (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on the interaction between politics and communication and it will analyze, with a comparative approach, the role of mass media in the consensus building process from the end of the 19th century to the present. At the end of the course, students are expected to: - have a clear framework of the history of mass media and political communication from the end of 19th century to the present time; - develop an in-depth knowledge of analytical tools to evaluate the influence of the media system on the consensus building process; analyze specific features that characterized the evolution of electoral campaigns during the 20th century and the transformations that they produced on the mechanisms of political legitimacy.

Course contents

The rise of fascism: history, media and memory.

For attending students, the course is divided into two parts.

In the first, introduction and methodology, the main political, cultural and social scans that characterized the rise of fascism are analyzed.
In the second, the relationships between media, propaganda, political communications and memory that accompanied the rise of fascism to power are analyzed. The interpretation and narrative of the symbolic event of the March on Rome are analyzed through historiography (Giulia Albanese, Emilio Gentile, Claudio Natoli etc...), literature (Lussu, March on Rome and its surroundings), the coeval press and through the 1962 audiovisual work La marcia su Roma by director Dino Risi.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING students will study the topics covered in class taken from the following texts:


HISTORIOGRAPHY (chapters and/or paragraphs indicated in class):

• Angelo Tasca, Nascita e avvento del fascismo, Neri Pozza
• Giulia Albanese, La marcia su Roma, Laterza, 2022;
• Emilio Gentile, E fu subito regime. Il fascismo e la marcia su Roma, Laterza (any edition);
• Emilio Gentile, Fascismo. Storia e interpretazione, Laterza (any edition)
• Claudio Natoli, «Marcia su Roma e dintorni». Dalla crisi dello Stato liberale al fascismo, Viella, 2024.

LITERATURE:

• Emilio Lussu, Marcia su Roma e dintorni, Einaudi (any year of edition)

NEWSPAPERS (articles indicated in class):

• Il Popolo d'Italia;
• Il Corriere della Sera;
• L'Avanti!
  

MOVIE:

• Dino Risi, La marcia su Roma, 1962

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NON-FREQUENCING students should study a pair of texts of their choice within the list offered below:

• 1) Matteo Pasetti, Storia delle comunicazioni e della cultura di massa, Le Monnier-Mondadori Education, 2026+ 2) R. Brizzi, L'uomo dello schermo. De Gaulle e i media, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010.

• 1) Matteo Pasetti, Storia delle comunicazioni e della cultura di massa, Le Monnier-Mondadori Education, 2026 + 2) F. Cammarano, S. Cavazza (a cura di), Il nemico in politica. La delegittimazione dell'avversario nell'Europa contemporanea, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010.

• 1) Matteo Pasetti, Storia delle comunicazioni e della cultura di massa, Le Monnier-Mondadori Education, 2026+ 2) S. Cavazza e F. Triola (a cura di), Parole sovrane. Comunicazione politica e storia contemporanea in Italia e Germania, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017. 

• 1) Matteo Pasetti, Storia delle comunicazioni e della cultura di massa, Le Monnier-Mondadori Education, 2026 + 2) E. Novelli, Le campagne elettorali in Italia. Protagonisti, strumenti, teorie, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2020.

• 1) Matteo Pasetti, Storia delle comunicazioni e della cultura di massa, Le Monnier-Mondadori Education, 2026 + 2) F. Triola, L'orologio del potere. Stato e misura del tempo nell'Italia contemporanea (1749-1922), Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023.

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Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures. The teacher will always be present in the classroom designated for teaching.

Assessment methods

The exam is different for attending and non-attending students.

Attending students will be required to take a one-hour written examination consisting of 15 questions, each worth 2 points. The examination will include open-ended, true/false, and multiple-choice questions covering the topics addressed during the lectures and Emilio Lussu, Marcia su Roma e dintorni

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NON-ATTENDING students will take a written exam (30 multiple-choice questions worth 1 point each) on the two monographs via the EOL platform, using the university computers in the classroom. The time allotted will be 15 minutes. There will be one exam for each pair of texts listed in the syllabus; simply click on the pair of books you have studied.

It will be assessed as excellent the performance of those students achieving an organic vision of the course contents, the use of a proper specific language, a structural and historical-contextual understanding of the subjects studied, the originality of the reflection as well as the familiarity with the tools of analysis of 20th century political communication history. It will be assessed as discrete the performance of those students showing mostly mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not articulated synthesis and analysis capabilities, a correct but not always appropriate language, as well as a scholastic study of 20th century political communication history. It will be assessed as barely sufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, lack of knowledge of the instruments of 20th century political communication history. It will be assessed as insufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography and inability to analyse 20th century political communication history.

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Students with outstanding examinations from academic years prior to 2026/2027 will take the exam orally, based on the syllabus in force during their academic year of reference.

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Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations; audio-visual material, digital resources.

Office hours

See the website of Filippo Triola