Logo UAB
2020/2021

Communication Structure

Code: 103844 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501928 Audiovisual Communication FB 1 2
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Aida Martori Muntsant
Email:
Aida.Martori@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Aida Martori Muntsant
Albert Salord Trampal
Nuria Torras Planas

Prerequisites

To follow-up news about media systems (mainly in Catalonia, Spain and Europe) is recomended, as well as to be aware of trends and changes in transnational markets and global audiovisual communication industry.

Objectives and Contextualisation

This course introduces students to the knowledge of the structural features of media systems and the communicative and cultural industries. An approach will be made to the political, economic and social factors that contribute to the formation of these systems, and the strategies of different actors (regulatory bodies, communication groups, business and professional entities, etc.).

In addition to describing the structural features of media systems (focusing the attention on audiovisual sector), interpretation keys are provided to understand the reasons for their configuration, considering the historical, economic, political, social, cultural and technological framework in which are developed.

The focus is mainly on the Catalan and the Spanish context, framing them in the Western Europe. The international sphere is also present, in the context of digital era and media globalization. The impact of the internet and digitalisation on the redesign of the communication structure will be emphasized.

The central objective of the subject is to develop a reflective attitude and the ability to critically analyse current communicative trends.

Competences

  • Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  • Demonstrate a self-learning and self-demanding capacity to ensure an efficient job.
  • Develop autonomous learning strategies.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and be able to relay ideas effectively in Catalan, Spanish and a third language.
  • Differentiate the discipline’s main theories, fields, conceptual developments, as well as their value for professional practice.
  • Manage time effectively.
  • Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
  • Rigorously apply scientific thinking.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  2. Demonstrate a self-learning and self-demanding capacity to ensure an efficient job.
  3. Develop autonomous learning strategies.
  4. Develop critical thinking and reasoning and be able to relay ideas effectively in Catalan, Spanish and a third language.
  5. Identify the fundamentals of theories and the history of communication.
  6. Identify the structural foundations of the audiovisual system.
  7. Identify the theoretical principles of audiovisual production and consumption.
  8. Manage time effectively.
  9. Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
  10. Rigorously apply scientific thinking.

Content

1. Conceptual delineation and the theoretical perspectives. What is a media system? Typology and characteristics. Comparing media systems.

2. Analysis of actors that contribute to the articulation of media systems: public media, companies and communication groups, community media, etc. The role of the state and independent regulators.

3. Analysis of media sectors (press, radio and television) and audiovisual industry. General overview and the characteristics of the offer. New services and new media. Transformation of business and consumption models.

Methodology

Two thirds of the on-site class will be developed with the full group and one third in seminars with small groups.

The sessions with the whole group will mainly take place on a lecture format, in which the contents will be explained, and the doubts related to mandatory readings and to the work resulting from the self-learning will be clarified.

The seminars will include in-depth activities, in some cases based on documents (news, academic texts or others). Current issues will be shared and discussed, with the active participation of students, in order to update the agenda and identify key elements relating to the evolution of media systems.

The approach to the subject will be sensitive to incorporate the gender perspective in all possible aspects, from the contents to the dynamics of work and student participation. Methodologies that promote gender equality and non-sexist attitudes that facilitate the intervention in the classroom of both -male and female students- will be used.

On the day of the presentation of the subject, more detailed information on the organization of the sessions will be given, and the Virtual Campus will be used to upload teaching materials and information for the proper follow-up of the subject.

In case of a change of teaching modality for health reasons, teachers will make readjustments in the schedule and methodologies.

 

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Master classes 34 1.36 10, 9, 3, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7
Seminars: current debates, exercices and research activities 14 0.56 10, 9, 2, 3, 1, 4, 8, 6
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 8 0.32 10, 9, 2, 3, 1, 8, 6
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous study 42 1.68 10, 9, 3, 1, 4, 8, 5, 6, 7
Research activities 42 1.68 10, 9, 2, 3, 1, 4, 8, 6

Assessment

The course consists of the following assessment activities:

 1. Various exercises related to the questions treated in the seminar, that will suppose 30% of the qualification. Due to their current nature, these evaluation activities will not be recoverable.

 2. Intervention in seminars. The intervention of the seminars will be valued qualitatively (10% of the final grade). This evaluation activity will not be recoverable.

 3. Two partial examinations on the theoretical contents, each one of which represents 30% of the final qualification, and that are liberatory of matter.

 To pass the subject it is necessary to pass these two exams. In the event of a suspension, you can take part in the recovery, as long as you have previously assessed the two midterm exams and at least one of the other two assessment activities.

 If one of the two partial exams is not taken the final grade will be "not assessable".

 In the event that the retake of one of the two exams is not passed, the final grade of the subject will be the one obtained in this exam (or the average, if both are failed).

 The dates of the evaluation and recovery activities will be announced on the day of the presentation of the subject. The information will also be available on the virtual campus.

Students from the second enrollment

From the second enrollment onwards, students can opt for the assessment by means of a synthesis test, with the option of retaking as long as they have previously presented. The grade of the subject will correspond to the grade of the synthesis test, on which more details will be given at the beginning of the course.

It will be understood that students from thesecond registration who do not communicate explicitly by e-mail and within the deadline announced at the beginning of the course their assessment option will take the synthesis test.

Plagiarism

The student who makes any irregularity (copy, plagiarism, identity theft ...) that could lead to a significant variation of the grade of an evaluation act will have a qualification of 0 in this act of evaluation. In case of various irregularities, the final grade of the subject will be 0

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Partial exam 1 30% 3 0.12 10, 1, 4, 8, 5, 6, 7
Partial exam 2 30% 3 0.12 10, 1, 4, 8, 5, 6, 7
Participation to the seminars 10% 1 0.04 10, 2, 1, 4, 6
Seminar (practical activities) 30% 3 0.12 10, 9, 2, 3, 1, 4, 8, 5, 6

Bibliography

  • AGUADO-GUADALUPE, Guadalupe (2018) Las relaciones Prensa-Estado en el reparto de publicidad institucional en España, Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodistico, 24(2), 993.
  • ALBORNOZ, Luis i GARCÍA LEIVA, Trinidad (eds.) (2017) Diversidad e industria audiovisual. El desafío cultural del siglo XXI, México: Fondo de Cultura Económica.
  • ALMIRÓN, Núria (2010) Journalism in crisis. Corporate Media and Financialization, Cresskill, Nj: Hampton Press.
  • ALMIRÓN, Nuria (2006) La financiarización de los grupos de comunicación en España: el caso del grupo PRISA, Pensamiento crítico, comunicación y cultura. I Congreso Nacional ULEPICC-España, Sevilla. BIRKINBINE, Benjamin; GÓMEZ, Rodrigo; i WASKO, Janet (2016) Global media giants, Londres; Nueva York: Routledge.
  • CIVIL I SERRA, Marta i LÓPEZ, Bernat (eds.) (2019) Informe de la Comunicació a Catalunya 2017-2018, Barcelona: Generalitat de Catalunya, Col·lecció Lexicon Informes.
  • CONSELL DE L'AUDIOVISUAL DE CATALUNYA (2018) Estudi sobre la comunicació local a Catalunya, Barcelona: Consell de l'Audiovisual de Catalunya.
  • CONSELL DE L'AUDIOVISUAL DE CATALUNYA (2019) Informe 2018. L'audiovisual a Catalunya, Barcelona: Consell de l'Audiovisual de Catalunya.
  • DÖNDERS, Karen (2019) Public service media between theory, rules and practice, Londres: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • DOYLE, Gillian (2016) Digitization and changing windowing strategies in the television industry: negotiating new windows on the world, Television and New Media, 17(7), p. 629-645.
  • FERNÁNDEZ ALONSO, Isabel (Ed.) (2017) Austeridad y clientelismo: Política audiovisual en España en el contexto mediterráneo yde la crisis financiera, Barcelona: Gedisa.
  • FLEW, Terry; IOSIFIDIS, Petros; i STEEMERS, Jeanette (eds.) (2016) Global media and national policies. The return of the State, Londres: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • GARCÍA SANTAMARÍA, José Vicente (2016) Los grupos multimedia españoles: Análisis y estrategias, Barcelona: Editorial UOC.
  • GIFREU, Josep (dir.) i COROMINAS, Maria (coord.) (1991) Construir l'espai català de comunicació, Barcelona: Centre d'Investigació de la Comunicació.
  • GUIMERÀ i ORTS, Josep Àngel (2014) Les polítiques de comunicació durant els governs de Jordi Pujol, Barcelona: Proa.
  • HALLIN, Daniel i MANCINI, Paolo (2008) Sistemas de medios comparados. Tres modelos de relación entre los medios de comunicación y la política, Barcelona: Hacer
  • LAMUERDA GRAVÁN, María (coord.) (2012) El futuro de la televisión pública. La necesaria alianza con la ciudadanía, Madrid: Editorial Popular.
  • LEVI, Simona (2019) #FakeYou. Fake news i desinformació, Barcelona: Raig Verd.
  • MIGUEL de BUSTOS, Juan Carlos y CASADO del RÍO, Miguel Ángel (coords.) (2012) Televisiones autonómicas. Evolución y crisis del modelo público de proximidad, Barcelona, Gedisa.
  • PARISER, Eli (2017) El filtro burbuja: Cómo la web decide lo que leemos y lo que pensamos, Barcelona: Penguin Random House Grupo Eidtorial.
  • PEIRANO, Marta (2019). El enemigo conoce el sistema: Manipulación de ideas, personas e influencias después de la economía de la atención, Barcelona: Debate.
  • ZALLO, Ramón (2011) Estructuras de la comunicación y la cultura. Políticas para la era digital, Barcelona: Gedisa.
  • ZALLO, Ramón (2016) Tendencias en comunicación. Cultura digital y poder, Barcelona: Gedisa.

Butlletí d'informació sobre l'audiovisual de Catalunya (BIAC). Consell de l'Audiovisual de Catalunya

Comunicació 21 (http:// comunicacio21.cat)

During the course other complementary bibliographical references and online sources will be suggested to delve into the contents explained and to follow up on the news of the sector.