Sources, Techniques and Organisation of Journalistic Work
Code: 104974 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2501933 Journalism | OB | 2 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Ricardo Carniel Bugs
- Email:
- Ricardo.Carniel@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Prerequisites
The course requires students to be able to keep informed about current issues in journalism, reading comprehension at university level, and a sufficient command and the proper use - spoken and written - of their own languages, as well as being able to read and understand texts in English.
It also required to be used to the environment and functionalities of the Virtual Campus, as well as the Microsoft Teams platform.
It is highly recommended that the students had enrolled and successfully passed most of the subjects of the 1st year of the Degree, specially the subject of Escritura Periodística I, considering that the contents dealt with in them will be considered known.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This subject is part of the field Theory and Techniques of Journalism, so it focuses on the organization of journalistic work and its main routines, systems, tasks or roles. The course emphasizes the stages that constitute the relationship between journalism professionals and their sources of information: search, documentation, contrast, validation of information (from the professional, ethical and legal points of view).
In this way, the general objective of the course is that the students know these professional routines and the requirements to find, treat and use personal sources or sources of any other nature in the elaboration of their journalistic content. Attention will also be devoted to the issue of verification of sources, data and information produced by third parties, a topic that is especially relevant in the context of growing disinformation enhanced by the digital communication environment.
Competences
- Abide by ethics and the canons of journalism, as well as the regulatory framework governing information.
- Design the formal and aesthetic aspects in print, graphic, audiovisual and digital media, and use computer-based techniques to represent information using infographic and documentary systems.
- Generate innovative and competitive ideas in research and professional practice.
- Relay journalistic information in the language characteristic of each communication medium, in its combined modern forms or on digital media, and apply the genres and different journalistic procedures.
- Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
- Show leadership, negotiation and team-working capacity, as well as problem-solving skills.
Learning Outcomes
- Adapt the presentation of the news to the needs established by the editorial space.
- Describe the workings of editorial boards.
- Generate innovative and competitive ideas in research and professional practice.
- Handle information facts in the most appropriate journalistic genre.
- Properly comment on and edit texts or other media productions related to journalism.
- Recognise the potential and limits of freedom of speech in appraising information processes.
- Research information sources, select them and apply critical appraisal criteria.
- Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
- Show leadership, negotiation and team-working capacity, as well as problem-solving skills.
- Write news, articles and reports with their respective sub-genres.
Content
Subject Overview
- Basic organigram of a newsroom in conventional media and digital environments. The organization of work and professional routines in journalistic production.
- The construction of reality by the media: selection and hierarchy of information. Values or quality criteria in news production.
- Personal and documentary sources: data collection, interviews, types of informants, credibility factors.
- Communication offices, news agencies and other information providers. Websites of transparency and public registries as a source of data for journalists.
- Ethical and legal aspects that condition the treatment and use of sources in journalistic work.
- Internet as a universe of data and sources. Potential and dangers of social media and networks. Basic aspects for the verification of hoaxes, fake news and not contribute to disinformation.
The order of the topics indicated may vary according to the final planning of the subject. The detailed calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find all information on the Virtual Campus: the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary 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.
The contents of the course will be sensitive to aspects related to the gender perspective.
Methodology
The teaching methodology of this course aims to encourage active learning by students, as well as to increase their level of autonomy in decision-making, knowledge acquisition and performance of tasks that will allow them to develop professional skills related to the subject studied. Therefore, the teaching team is responsible for providing students with all the instructions, guidance and tutoring necessary for the proper follow-up of the course, but it is the student who are primarily responsible for achieving the objectives of the subject and passing the course satisfactorily.
The contents are divided into training activities of different types (on-site or online): theoretical classes of oral presentation, case studies, debates, individual or team practical work, etc. In addition to the content explained by the teaching staff, the classes themselves will follow specific dynamics, which will emulate the basic routines and processes of the journalistic profession. In this way, while learning certain aspects of the syllabus, students will be experiencing specific aspects that form part of the day-to-day life of journalism professionals.
All activities require the attendance/participation of all students, since the very first day of class. Eventually, according to the needs of the course, teachers could programme distance / non-classroom activities.
Virtual Campus: a fundamental tool
The only valid sources of information for the development of the whole subject will be the orientations indicated by the professors during face-to-face classes, and the data, notices and documents published in the space of the subject in the Virtual Campus. Students must constantly consult the Virtual Campus in order to be up to date with the indications.
In addition, Virtual Campus will be the only way to submit evaluable assignments, except in those cases where the type of task or the format of the work does not allow it. Inthese specific cases, the teaching team will
indicate the appropriate alternative route.
Tutoring
The tutorial meetings (individual or by teams) are a fundamental aspect for the proper development of the tasks of this subject. During the course, professors will inform their respective students the pre-established
timetables and spaces (face-to-face or online) for tutoring. The students' attendance to these tutoring is an aspect that the teaching staff will take into account when evaluating the assignments.
The proposed teaching methodology and evaluation activities may undergo some modifications depending on the health authorities' attendance restrictions.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Seminars / Practical work at laboratory. | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 7, 8, 5, 9, 10, 3, 6, 4 |
| Theoretical presentations, case studies and debate. | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 8, 5, 2, 3, 6 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutoring | 7 | 0.28 | 1, 9, 3, 4 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Search, selection and reading of bibliography and other resources. Personal study. Planning and individual work / teamwork. | 91 | 3.64 | 1, 7, 8, 5, 9, 3, 6 |
Assessment
The subject follows the system of continuous assessment, so it is assumed that is mandatory the participation of students to all training activities mentioned above.
The final grade of the subject will be calculated as a weighted average, based on the following assignments:
- Activity A. Current affairs test: 10% on the final grade;
- Activity B. Individual exams: 35% on the final grade;
- Activity C. Practice at seminars/laboratory: 25% on the final grade;
- Activity D. Coursework: 30% on the final grade.
IMPORTANT: Any written work or test that includes five mistakes spelling, grammar and/or barbarisms (five errors in total) will obtain a grade of 0.
To be able to pass the course, it is necessary:
a) Carrie out and submit all the assignments (activities B, C and D). In case of absence for justified reasons of force majeure, the student must present the corresponding proof to the teaching team; otherwise, the activities will be considered as Not Completed.
b) Obtain a minimum grade/average of 5,0 in each of the activities B, C and D.
c) Regarding teamwork assignments, professors may adopt control measures to verify the participation of each member in the common work. Consequently, the grades may be different for members of the same team,
which could mean that one or several members pass the evaluation, while the others don't.
Review of marks
The marks of the students' assessments will be published in the folder of the course in the Virtual Campus. Once the grades of each assessment activity are published, students will have a maximum period of seven calendar days to request a tutorial meeting and review of grades. After seven calendar days since the grades are published, the grades will be considered definitive.
Reevaluation
The student will have the right to the reevaluation of the subject ifhe/she has been evaluated of the set of activities, the weight of which equals a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade of the subject.
Activities A and D are excluded from the reevaluation process.
The proposed teaching methodology and evaluation activities may undergo some modifications depending on the health authorities' attendance restrictions.
Second Enrollment
In the case of a second enrolment, students may request the possibility (non-binding) of carrying out a single synthesis exam, a representative evaluation of the entire subject content (theory, practice and current affairs). The grade of the course will correspond to the grade of the synthesis exam. Students who wish to take this single test should contact the course coordinator during the first week of classes. Each case will be analysed individually, considering the mark obtained in the previous enrollment, number of activities carried out, etc. Depending on the case, the final coursework may also be required, so the final grade would correspond to the weighted average between the grades of the synthesis exam and the coursework.
Plagiarism
The student who performs any irregularity (copy, plagiarism, identity theft, etc.) that can lead to a significant variation in the qualification of an evaluation act, will be graded with 0 this evaluation. In case of more than one irregularity, the final grade of the course will be 0.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A) Current affairs test | 10% | 2 | 0.08 | 7, 8, 5 |
| B) Individual Exams | 35% | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 7, 8, 5, 2, 6, 4 |
| C) Practical exercises in seminar / laboratory | 25% | 0 | 0 | 1, 7, 8, 5, 9, 10, 3, 6, 4 |
| D) Final coursework | 30% | 0 | 0 | 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 3, 6 |
Bibliography
Recommended bibliography. Compulsory readings will be indicated in the first class and changes may be applied throughout the course.
ALBERTINI, Emiliano (2016). Nuevas prácticas y rutinas del periodismo digital. Letras. SEDICI: Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Disponible en: http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/53972
ARTERO, Juan Pablo & MORAES, Renata (2008). Opciones estratégicas de las agencias europeas: Reuters, France Presse i EFE. Communication & Society, 21 (1), pp. 53-79. Disponible en: https://www.unav.edu/publicaciones/revistas/index.php/communication-and-society/article/view/36289
AZNAR, Hugo (2002). Deberes éticos de la información confidencial. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, nº 50. Disponible en: http://www.revistalatinacs.org/2002/latina50mayo/5007haznar.htm
BRUNS, Axel (2014). Gatekeeping, gatewatching, real-time feedback: new challenges for Journalism. Brazilian Journalism Research, 10 (2), pp. 224-237. Disponible en: https://bjr.sbpjor.org.br/bjr/article/view/778
CANAVILHAS, João & IVARS-NICOLÁS, Begoña (2012). Uso y credibilidad de fuentes periodísticas 2.0 en Portugal y España. El Profesional de la Información, 21 (1), pp. 63.39. Disponible en: http://www.elprofesionaldelainformacion.com/contenidos/2012/enero/08.pdf
CARNIEL BUGS, Ricardo; ORTEGA, Estibaliz & Velázquez, Teresa (2017). Agendatemática e ideología en el discurso de los medios de comunicación. deSignis, nº 26, pp. 123-149. Disponible en: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6350541
CASTILLO, Antonio (2006). Public Relations and Press Room. Análisis de las salas de prensa virtuales de las grandes empresas de España. Razón y Palabra, nº 49. Disponible en: http://ww.razonypalabra.org.mx/anteriores/n49/bienal/Mesa%207/AntonioCastilloEsparcia.pdf
CID LEAL, Pilar & PERPINYÀ MORERA, Remei (2013). Cómo y dónde buscar fuentes de información.Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions UAB. Disponible en: https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1997502?lang=cat
COBO, Silvia (2012). Internet para periodistas: kit de supervivencia para la era digital. Barcelona: Editorial UOC. Disponible en: https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1920727?lang=cat
COLUSSI, Juliana; GOMES-FRANCO E SILVA, Flávia & ROCHA, Paula M. (2018) Periodismo Ubicuo: convergencia e innovacion en las nuevas redacciones. Bogotá: Editorial Universidad del Rosario. Disponible en: https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2071930?lang=cat
CORREDOIRA y ALFONSO, Loreto & COTINO HUESO, Lorenzo (dirs.) (2015). Libertad de expresión e información en Internet. Amenazas y protección de los derechos personales. Madrid: Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales.
FUENTES, M. Eulàlia & CONESA, Alicia (1994). La documentació periodística: Catalunya, Espanya i altres experiències europees. Barcelona: Centre d’Investigació de la Comunicació.
GARCÍA-GORDILLO, Mar; BEZUNARTEA VALENCIA, Ofa; RODRÍGUEZ REY, Ana & SÁNCHEZ GONZÁLEZ, Mª Teresa (2014). La calidad de los medios y el uso de fuentes periodísticas. Una evolución del VAP. En IV Congreso Internacional Asociación Española de Investigación en Comunicación. "Espacios de la Comunicación", pp. 1541-1555. Disponible en: http://hdl.handle.net/11441/23776
GARCÍA SANTAMARÍA, José Vicente (2010). Crisis del periodismo de fuentes. Las prácticas del periodismo en España en el accidente de Spanair. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, nº 65, pp. 516-537. Disponible en: http://www.revistalatinacs.org/10/art3/916_UC3M/38_Santamaria.html
GELADO MARCOS, Roberto (2009). La dependencia de la prensa española hacia las agencias de noticias. Comunicación y Sociedad Vol. XXII, nº 2, pp. 243-275. Disponible en: https://hdl.handle.net/10171/8687
GUALLAR, Javier & REDONDO, Sílvia (2010). Fonts d'informació professionals de premsa. Una panoràmica. En 12es Jornades Catalanes d'Informació i Documentació, Barcelona, 19-20 May 2010. Disponible en: http://eprints.rclis.org/14644/
LAFUENTE, Gumersindo (2012). Las nuevas redacciones y el periodismo con futuro. Cuadernos para periodistas, 24, pp. 60-64. Disponible en: http://www.cuadernosdeperiodistas.com/pdf/Cuadernos_de_Periodistas_24.pdf
MAYORAL SÁNCHEZ, Javier (2005). Fuentes de información y credibilidad periodística. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 11, pp. 93-102. Disponible en: https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ESMP/article/view/13293
MOYA HINIESTA, Fernando (2013). Los gabinetes de prensa en instituciones y empresas. Información vs. relaciones públicas. Correspondencias y Análisis, nº 3, pp. 111-130. Disponible en: http://hdl.handle.net/11441/28354
PÉREZ COLOMÉ, Jordi (2011). Twitter, los periodistas y las fuentes: del desierto a la selva. #EscribirEnInternet, Fundéu. Disponible en: http://www.fundeu.es/escribireninternet/twitter-los-periodistas-y-las-fuentes-del-desierto-a-la-selva/
PÉREZ OLIVA, Milagros (2010). Demasiadas fuentes anónimas. El País, 26/09/2010. Disponible en: https://elpais.com/diario/2010/09/26/opinion/1285452005_850215.html
REDONDO, Myriam (2018). Verificación digital para periodistas: manual contra bulos y desinformación internacional. Disponible en: https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2069641?lang=cat
RESTREPO, Javier Darío (2001). La objetividad periodística: utopía y realidad. Chasqui, Revista Latinoamericana de Comunicación, nº 74. Disponible en: https://revistachasqui.org/index.php/chasqui/article/view/1394/1423
RODRÍGUEZ, Pepe (2011). L'autodeterminació informativa com a barrera a la llibertat d'informació i a l'exercici professional del periodisme. Anàlisi, 42, pp. 79-94. Disponible en: https://analisi.cat/article/view/n42-rodriguez
RODRÍGUEZ, Pepe. (1994). Periodismo de investigación: técnicas y estrategias. Barcelona: Paidós.
SALAVERRÍA, Ramón & NEGREDO, Samuel (2008). Periodismo integrado: convergencia de medios y reorganización de redacciones. Barcelona: Sol90.