Communications Technology and Society

The course provides an analysis of the different actors and forms of interactions whitin the journalistic and political communication field. Journalism studies is an interdisciplinary field that involves an increasing number of actors (media practitioners and professionals, politicians and parties, and citizens, but also global media companiens, social media platforms, algorithms, bot and so forth) who interact in a increasing number of mediated ways. The aim of the course is to develop the critical and analytical capacities of the student in interpreting the role of such actors in shaping the political information environment.

At the end of the course the student should have developed knowledge and understanding of the communicative dynamics within the political information environment. Applying knowledge and understanding, with an autonomous and critical evaluation of the characteristics of mediated communication in the political communication field. Knowledge of the preliminary practical skills necessary to enter the field (such as how to build a fact-checking or data-journalism project). Autonomy of judgement, and students' communicative capabilities will be developed by discussions and working papers. The final exam aims to verify the expected learning outcomes in respect to the students' capacity of understanding, applying knowledge, developing a critical analysis of the theoretical perspectives introduced by the course.