OVERVIEW

The course aims at presenting the main tools of international information between traditional journalism and new media, through the in-depth study of historical contexts and specific themes. The invitation to read and listen to the main mass media will be able to promote both the understanding of media mechanisms in the context of international relations and the knowledge of the tools suitable for identifying fake news.

A weekly lecture starting from the third week of course is intended for the “Laboratory of international journalism”, which, based above all on the strategies of the flipped classroom, intends to offer the possibility to face a professional simulation on a practical and operational level with.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Consistently with the educational objectives of the Degree Course in International and Diplomatic Sciences, this teaching aims to provide a basic knowledge of the main tools of international information between traditional journalism and new media, offering the appropriate tools to understand the fundamental processes of newsmaking in the field of international journalism. It also intends to promote both the understanding of media mechanisms in the context of international relations, and the ability to recognize, read and query information sources, understanding their reliability and identifying fake news.

Through the “Laboratory of international journalism” further disciplinary and transversal skills can be acquired, such as problem solving, critical thinking and analysis, time management and active learning.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• know the main tools of international information between traditional journalism and new media;
• understand the media mechanisms in international relations;
• recognize, read and query information sources, understanding their reliability and identifying fake news.

Based above all on the strategies of the flipped classroom, the “Laboratory of international journalism” intends to pursue both disciplinary and transversal skills:

• refinement of communication skills and strategies;
• strengthening skills in the use of multimedia tools;
• awareness of the role within the group through role playing activities;
• progressive acquisition of problem solving and time management skills in team work;
• awareness of current affairs avoiding extremisms and value judgments in favor of objectivity.

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of the Italian language both oral and written. Knowledge of the Italian grammar.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, insights, discussions.

For the “Laboratory of international journalism” the flipped classroom will be used.

Participation in the “Laboratory of international journalism” is subject to registration, the methods and timing of which will be communicated at the start of the course.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will be dedicated to the presentation and discussion of some specific aspects of international journalism, with extensive references to contemporary events: the process of information mediation and “newsworthiness”; professional ethics; journalistic articles and styles; traditional models of journalism (the model of Hallin and Mancini, New, Investigative, Interpretative, Public and Trustee Journalism); the digital revolution; new journalism models (newsmaking, data journalism, brand journalism, all news); misinformation, disinformation and fake news; international journalism and war journalism; peace journalism; political-economic influences on the media; print journalism, broadcast journalism and radio journalism.

The course also proposes the “Laboratory of international journalism”, carried out through the flipped classroom. This therefore requires both homework and regular and active participation in the classroom. In class we will discuss how to write a piece of news, how to use sources and how to apply professional ethics, as well as the roles and functions of newsrooms. At home, it will be necessary both to study the modalities of journalistic work through multimedia resources that will be uploaded to Aulaweb, and to create a “journalistic product” (news articles - and not opinion articles -, informative videos, blogs, etc.). An editorial team will also be organised, with well-defined roles (editor-in-chief, service manager, director), which will be responsible for managing the work of individuals and preparing their collection in a single unit.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For the exam it is necessary to study the slides of the lectures published on Aulaweb and one of the following handbook:

• S. Petroni, A. Massa, G. Anzera, Lo specchio di Aletheia: Fake news e politica internazionale, Roma, Edizioni Nuova Cultura, 2017.
• J.P. Marthoz, Journalisme international, Bruxelles, De Boeck, 2018.
• K. Williams, International Journalism, London, Sage, 2011.

For those participating in the “Laboratory of international journalism”, the reading of one or more of the following resources (useful for laboratory work but not an exam topic) is recommended:

• Sergio Lepri, Manuale di linguaggio e di stile per l’informazione scritta e parlata, Rizzoli, Milano, 2011 o edizioni successive (https://www.sergiolepri.it/documenti/stylebook-nomicomuni.pdf).
• Reuters Hand Book on Journalism, http://handbook.reuters.com/index.php?title=Standards_and_Values
• BBC editorial guideline, https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guideline
• Deontologia, https://www.odg.it/deontologia_e_massimario

For those who do not participate in the “Laboratory of international journalism” the exam will also focus on one of the following texts:

• B. Bahador, G. Kemp, K. McMillan, C. Rudd (eds.), Politics and the Media, Auckland, Auckland UP, 2016 (only Part I).
• D. Brommerson, A. Ekengren, The Mediatization of Foreign Policy, Political Decision-Making and Humanitarian Intervention, London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
• A. Deruda, Diplomazia digitale. La politica estera e i social media, Milano, Apogeo, 2012.
• C.J. Hamelink, Global Communication, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, 2015.
• J. Kotišová, An Introduction to Crisis Reporting: Setting Out. In: Crisis Reporters, Emotions, and Technology, London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019 (open access https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21428-9_1).
• G. Riva, Fake news. Vivere e sopravvivere in un mondo post-verità, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018.
• C. Salmon, Come la politica mondiale ha divorato se stessa, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2020.
• A. Valeriani, Twitter Factor. Come i media cambiano la politica mondiale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2011.

Regular reading of newspapers and periodicals is strongly recommended.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LARA PICCARDO (President)

GUIDO LEVI

MARINA MILAN (Substitute)

MONICA PENCO (Substitute)

FRANCESCO PIERINI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

II semester, 14 February 2024.

Classrooms and hours of lectures and exmas on https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti//index.php?_lang=it

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will be written and in Italian (1 hour). It will consist of two two questions for those who participated in the “Laboratory of international journalism” and three for those who did not participate (in this case the exam lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The elements of the evaluation are: coherence of the answer to the question; ability to display (property of language); critical ability and to connect one’s knowledge to the international reality.

The “final product” of the “Laboratory of international journalism” will be part of the final evaluation. In particular, the following aspects will be evaluated: adherence to deadlines and methods (punctuality of deliveries, adequacy of the lengths of the articles and/or videos); clarity and fairness of presentation.

In case of non-participation in the laboratory, the exam takes into account the preparation on one of the volumes of the choice (to which the third question is reserved).

To pass the exam, all answers and must be sufficient.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with “Special Needs”: the compensatory/dispensative tools recognized by the Department coordinator, Prof. Aristide Canepa, and by the University Service for students with special needs are applied. It is suggested to contact by Prof. Canepa and the lecturer of this course at the beginning of the lectures.