27824 - History and Media (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students: - have ability to analyze the languages and the forms of cinematographic, iconographic, museum, print, architectural representation of contemporary history; - have skills related to the use of audiovisual material in historical narration in cinema and/or in journalism; - have developed skills related to the use of audiovisual material in television documentary production, in museum and conservation institutions and in teaching contexts.

Course contents

The course is divided into two thematic blocks:

1. Propaganda and Political communication in the first half of the 20th Century

- Mass society, media and consensus building at the turn of the century: the Dreyfus Affair and the press as «fourth estate»

- The First World War: between censorship and propaganda

- Cinema and truncheon: the consensus building during the fascist regime

- The cult of the leader and the sacralization of politics in Nazi Germany

- The propaganda in the Soviet regime from Lenin to Stalin

- The Thirties: radio and power in the US during F.D. Roosevelt "era"

- The Second World War: the «freedom voice» against totalitarian regimes

2. Political communication in democracies

- Television, polls, advertising: the "Holy trinity" of the political communication

- The Fifties between radio and television: Eisenhower as forerunner of television appearance

- 1960 Presidential elections in the US (Nixon vs Kennedy)

- The political shows "Tribune Politiche" comes in Italy

- General De Gaulle and the «telecracy» in France

- The Eighties, the Nineties and the personalization of Italian politics

- Television, polls and social media: how is political communication changing?

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students will have to study the content of the lessons and one of the following monographs:

P.F. Boller, Presidential Campaigns. From George Washington to George W. Bush , Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004.

- R. Brizzi, L'uomo dello schermo. De Gaulle e i media, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010.

- T. Burrett, Television and Presidential Power in Putin's Russia, Routledge, 2010.

- S. Cavazza e F. Triola (a cura di), Parole sovrane. Comunicazione politica e storia contemporanea in Italia e Germania, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017.

Non-attending students will have to study two of the following monographs:

P.F. Boller, Presidential Campaigns. From George Washington to George W. Bush , Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004.

- R. Brizzi, L'uomo dello schermo. De Gaulle e i media, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010.

- T. Burrett, Television and Presidential Power in Putin's Russia, Routledge, 2010.

- S. Cavazza e F. Triola (a cura di), Parole sovrane. Comunicazione politica e storia contemporanea in Italia e Germania, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017.

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.

For attending students - in three dedicated sessions - there will be two tests: a written test (15 multiple-choice questions, 2 points each) concerning the texts of the bibliography, and an oral interview on the contents of the lessons. Both the tests must be passed during the same examination session and the final evaluation will be determined by the results of both exams.

For non-attending students there will be a written examination (30 multiple-choice questions, 1 point each) concerning the two chosen monographs.

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.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations; audio-visual material, digital resources.

Office hours

See the website of Riccardo Brizzi