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.