09657 - Theories and Techniques of Mass Communications

Academic Year 2009/2010

  • Docente: Patrizia Faccioli
  • Credits: 8
  • SSD: SPS/08
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Mass media and politics (cod. 8051)

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed to deepen the analysis of the relation between the mass communication and the social actors. The focus is on the theories and research works on the media effects, which merge into the concept of “mediated reality”. The students are expected to achieve the capability to decode the mediated communication in the globalized context and to reflect on the impact the media (and the new digital media) have on the everyday life.

Course contents

The course is aimed to explore the ways in which we can face the analysis of mass communication and its relation with the social actors.

The history of human communication and technological development is the topic of the first part of the course. Print, cinema, radio, tv and telephony are the considered media. The relation between media and society is analysed starting from two integrate perspectives:

1. The media consumption and its effects on the audience

2. The production of the media culture.

Referring to the point one, we'll give a specific attention to the literature on the media effects, which found a complex and multidisciplinary body of knowledge, merging into the concept of “mediated reality”.

Referring to the point two, we'll try to consider the symbolic media production  in the context of communication and market globalization. In other words, the topic will be on the political economy of the communication, where different actors act: the enterprises, the workers and the audience.

The last part of the course analyses the new digital media and the impact of “the world of images of the world” on the people everyday life.

Readings/Bibliography

Hesmondhalgh David,  Media production, Hoepli, Milano 2007

Bentivegna  Sara, Teorie delle comunicazioni di massa, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2003.

Faccioli P. e Gibbons J. (eds:), Framing Globalization: Visual Perspectives, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, New Castle, 2007 (the students are requested to send via e-mail a written review of this book, at least 10 days before the final exam)

Teaching methods

The teacher will lead all the course

Assessment methods

Oral examination at the end of the course

Teaching tools

PC, videorecorder

Office hours

See the website of Patrizia Faccioli