OVERVIEW

The course provides an overview of the relationships between communication theories, the social uses of digital technologies and social change, with a particular focus on the processes of information production and the social construction of meaning. The course encourages the adoption of a critical and intersectional perspective when analysing the media and their languages.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at developing the analysis of the role of the electronic media in contemporary societies

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to develop students’ ability to critically analyse the role and functioning of the media in contemporary societies. By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• understand the main theoretical and conceptual frameworks relating to the media landscape;
• identify the main organisational principles of mass and digital media;
• reflect critically on the role of the media in contemporary societies, with particular attention to the dynamics of power in the construction of news and meanings;
• apply the knowledge acquired to specific cases drawn from national or international news.

TEACHING METHODS

The course alternates between lectures and interactive sessions focused on participation, theoretical exploration and the co-creation of knowledge. Films or artworks from the Visual Sociology Laboratory at the University of Genoa or other sources may be used to support teaching, discussion and analysis.

Classroom discussion of the topics covered, which will also include peer-led sessions or group discussions of work produced by the students, is considered a fundamental part of the course. In order to broaden the perspectives through which the course topics are approached, students will be encouraged to work in groups on theoretical texts, films, or other media content.

Attendance at lectures ensures that students have the opportunity to engage with researchers, experts from outside the academic world and individuals with first-hand experience of the topics covered by the course.

Only in the event of an orange or red weather alert may lectures be suspended or delivered remotely via the TEAMS platform.

University students with SLDs (Specific Learning Disorders) are entitled to support measures and teaching flexibility and may contact the lecturer to agree on specific teaching or assessment arrangements.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course programme examines the main theoretical frameworks concerning the media system and explores the links between these and the major social transformations taking place in contemporary society.

Through the presentation and discussion of documentary and audiovisual materials, and through meetings with witnesses and experts, the focus will be on specific social issues and dynamics, with particular attention to: i) digital communication and dataification; ii) platform capitalism and the role platforms play in processes of political participation; iii) media, consumption and the commodification of time; iv) the social construction of meaning, with particular attention to issues of gender and citizenship

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For all students:

Balbi, G., Comunello, F., Pasquali, F., & Sorice, M. (2025). Studiare i media. Prospettive disciplinari e parole chiave. Roma: Carocci. (chapters: 4, 7-12, 14-29)

Only for non-attending students, in addition, one of the following texts:

Couldry, N., & Mejias, U. A. (2022). Il prezzo della connessione: Come i dati colonizzano la nostra vita e se ne appropriano per far soldi. Bologna: il Mulino. 384

Lovink, G. (2022). Le paludi della piattaforma: riprendiamoci internet. Roma: Nero Editions.

Ricciardi, A. (n.d.). La macchina Netflix. Algoritmi, estetica e politica delle piattaforme. Verona: Ombre Corte.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

18 february 2027

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The course offers two possible examination options:

a) Attending students may prepare a theoretical-practical paper (essay), possibly accompanied by an audiovisual presentation, in which they will explore a topic related to the subjects covered in the course. The papers will be presented during a group session led by the students themselves. The discussion of the essays is to be considered both an educational and an assessment activity. The essays must demonstrate the ability to handle theoretical concepts and the conceptual tools of the discipline;

b) for non-attending students, there will be an oral assessment of their knowledge of the examination texts.

Students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties may contact the lecturer to arrange alternative teaching methods.

In this case, the following formal steps must be followed:

- to request adjustments during the examination, you must upload the relevant certification to the University website at servizionline.unige.it under the ‘Students’ section. The documentation will be verified by the University’s Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Difficulties (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111);

- well in advance (at least 10 days) of the exam date, you must send an email to the lecturer with whom you will be sitting the exam, copying in both the Faculty Liaison Officer for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Difficulties (laura.traverso@unige.it) and the department indicated above, using one of the following addresses (disabili@unige.it; dsa@unige.it). The email must specify: the course title and the exam session date; the student’s surname, first name and student number; the compensatory tools and special arrangements deemed appropriate and requested;

- the contact person (Prof. Laura Traverso) will confirm to the lecturer that the applicant is entitled to request adjustments during the examination and that these adjustments must be agreed with the lecturer. The lecturer will reply to confirm whether the requested adjustments can be accommodated.

Requests must be submitted at least 10 days before the exam date to allow the lecturer time to assess the content. In particular, if you intend to use concept maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than those used for study), failure to submit them within the specified timeframe will mean there will not be sufficient time to make any changes that may be requested by the lecturer.

For further information regarding requests for services and adjustments, please consult the document: Guidelines for requesting services, compensatory tools and/or dispensatory measures and specific aids

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For students attending the course, assessment will focus on their ability to translate the theoretical knowledge acquired through the assigned readings into critical reflections, including those based on small-scale research experiences in the field of communication and media. The emphasis will be on the ability to meaningfully link course materials with empirical observation and the ability to reflect critically on the effects and consequences of transformations in the media landscape.

For non-attending students, assessment will take into account their understanding of the texts and their ability to engage in a critical discussion of the broader implications of changes in the media system within contemporary society. Particular attention will be given to the development of reflective and well-structured responses that demonstrate both conceptual mastery and awareness of current debates in media studies and the transformations of communication processes.