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2022/2023

Digital Narratives

Code: 43963 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
4316493 Journalism and Digital Content Innovation OB 0 2

Contact

Name:
María Rosario Lacalle Zalduendo
Email:
rosario.lacalle@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)

Other comments on languages

Compressió de l'anglès llegit y parlat

Teachers

Josep Maria Perceval Verde

Prerequisites

No requirements

Objectives and Contextualisation

The fast evolution of digital technologies in the 21st century poses continuous challenges to the contents of the media. However, the storytelling in the digital era include the essential elements (themes, motives, stereotypes, etc.) of ancestral myths and tales, which are incessantly recombined in order to adapt them to new formats.

The objective of this course is to provide students with the essential tools and concepts to create and analyze different types of stories made through different platforms, in an effective, interactive, critical and responsible way.

The first part of the course focuses on the elements and structures of narratives. In the second part, the characteristics of the different genres and formats are defined, as well as their evolution in relation to digital storytelling. In the third part, the role of the reader/viewer /user in the construction and interpretation of texts is examined. 

Gender perspective

The study of narratives is particularly useful in the critical analysis of gender representations in the digital media. Particular attention will be devoted to representations of women.

Competences

  • Adapt to new situations, have leadership ability and initiative, while maintaining creativity.
  • Analyse and evaluate trends in the digital narration of information companies, and be able to propose alternatives for the construction of the story in a digital and interactive context.
  • Apply tools of management, analysis, organisation and planning of information in accordance with objectives and specific information projects.
  • Create and manage journalistic publications containing innovative elements from the applied introduction of ICT.
  • Generate innovate and competitive proposals for applied research.
  • Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
  • Students can communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously.
  • Understand and analyse the trends and dynamics of change in the communicative, informative and regulatory ecosystem of the media company in the twenty-first century.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse and evaluate the narrative characteristics of the placement company's news products.
  2. Analyse and evaluate trends in digital narration in news companies and apply alternative production methods that involve systems of narrative cooperation.
  3. Build a research project whose results propose solutions applied to the management and production of digital news content.
  4. Cooperate in team environments and help to achieve the objectives set.
  5. Identify and critically compare the changing contexts of digital narrative in terms of the platforms for producing and consuming news.
  6. Identify the tools associated with the positioning of digital content aimed at solving specific problems.
  7. Plan innovative positioning strategies for the journalistic products created by the simulated editorial team.
  8. Plan the processes for introducing innovation within the newstelling strategies in an editorial team.
  9. Propose an applied research project to be developed in the master's dissertation.
  10. Propose practical solutions based on developing a news product in a multidisciplinary team.
  11. Respect the professional development space, adapting to the needs and routines of working groups within the news company.
  12. Take charge of everyday situations in news production and processing, paying strict attention to achieving objectives.
  13. Understand and distinguish between scientific research methodologies and procedures for investigating trends and problem areas in 21st century communicative phenomena.
  14. Understand digital-information architectures and systems and apply them to 21st century news companies.
  15. Use search-engine positioning strategies to communicate news stories effectively.
  16. Use tools for gathering and processing information and documents needed to construct the theoretical or conceptual framework of the master's dissertation.

Content

Digital narratives

- Narrative concepts

- Relationship between technology and narrative

- Structure  and making of stories

- What characters for what kind of narratives?

Genres and formats of digital narratives

- Digital genders

- New formats

 Narrative cooperation

- Interpretation and interaction

- Media convergence, transmedia and fandom

- Collective author and collective narratives

Methodology

- Master classes

- Problem solving classes / cases / exercises

- Presentation of works in the classroom

- Tutorials

- Preparation of works / reports

- Individual study

- Reading of articles / reports of interest

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Autonomous training activities 75 3 13, 3, 5, 7, 15
Master classes 45 1.8 2, 13, 5, 8
Supervised training activities 30 1.2 2, 13, 3, 4, 10, 15

Assessment

The evaluation is the result of the proportional average of the different activities carried out.

Attendance and active participation in the classroom represents 20% of the final grade for the course. The works delivered 50%, and their written presentation (APA referencing style, syntax, content, structure, etc.) and oral presentation 10%. 20% corresponds to the exam  Absences will be penalized with a detriment of the final 10% grade for each 3-hour session or fraction (except documented justifications). Deliveries of works outside the scheduled dates will not be accepted.

The delivery of the results of the work carried out and the content tests will include the date and time of the corresponding review. Students who wish to do so may take the review whenever they request it within a maximum period of two days from the delivery of the results. Subsequent requests for review will not be accepted.

The proposed teaching methodology and evaluation activities may undergo some modifications depending on the health authorities' attendance restrictions. 

The calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find information on the Virtual Campus about the description of the activities, teaching materials, etc. In case of a change of teaching modality for health reasons, teachers will make readjustments in the schedule and methodologies.

Re-assessment

In the period for the reassessment, failed exams may be repeated if the average is not less than 3.5 (unrealized exams score 0 in the calculationof the mean).

The repetition of the assignment follows the same pattern of the exams: the failed works can be re-assessed as long as the grade is not lower than 3.5 (the unrealized assignments score 0 in the calculation ofthe mean).

The readings, discussions and exercises carried out in the seminars are linked to work in the classroom, so they can’t be re-assessed (unrealized activities score 0 in the calculation of the mean).

In the case of a second enrollment, students have to make an exam. The grading of the subject will correspond to the grade of the exam. 

If a student makes an irregularity (copy, plagiarism, etc.), the corresponding assessment act will be rated with 0. In the event of several irregularities, the final grade for the course would be 0.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Attendance, active participation and assignements in the classroom 20% 0 0 1, 2, 14, 13, 3, 5, 6, 7, 15
Exam 20% 0 0 1, 2, 14, 13, 5, 6
Presentation of works (written and oral) 10% 0 0 1, 2, 14, 13, 8, 12, 15
Work submissions 50% 0 0 2, 14, 13, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 9, 11, 16

Bibliography

BASIC REFERENCES

Narrative concepts

- Abbot, H. Porter (2017[2008]) Narrative and life; Defining narrative. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative (pp. 1-27). Cambridge University Press. 

 The relationship between technology and narrative

- Lacalle, Charo (2022) Indignidades digitales. (In)dignidades mediáticas en la sociedad digital (pp. 139-154). Cátedra.

Structure and making stories

- Vogler, Christopher (2002[1992]. El viaje del escritor: Las estructuras míticas para escritores, guionistas, dramaturgos y novelistas (pp. 41-110). Ma Non Troppo.

What characters for what kind of narratives?

- Hogan, Patrick C. (2010) Characters and their plots. Eder, J; Jannidis, F.; Schneider, R. (eds.) Characters in Fictional Worlds. Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film, and Other Media  (pp. 134-156). De Gruyter.

Digital genres

- VV.AA. (2008) Introduction: what is genre?. En G. Creber (ed.) The television genre book (pp. 1-15). BritishFilm Institute

 Digital formats

- Sorapure, Madeleine (2022) Data Narratives: Visualization and Interactivity in Representations of COVID- 19. P. Dawson & M. Mäkelä (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Narrative Theory (pp. 55-68). Routledge.

 Interpretation and interaction

- Abbott, H. Porter (2017[2008]) “Interpreting narrative”; “Three ways of interpreting narrative”. The Cambridge introduciton to narrative (pp. 83-111). Cambridge University Press.

 Media convergence, transmedia and fandom

- Evans, Elizabeth (2011) Transmedia Texts: Defining Transmedia Storytelling. TransmediaTelevision Audiences, New Media, and Daily Life (pp. 19-39). Routledge.

Collective author and collective narratives

- Page, Ruth (2022) Co-Tellership in Social Media Storytelling. P. Dawson & M. Mäkelä (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Narrative Theory (pp. 119-133). Routledge.

 

GENERAL REFERENCES

- Barthes, Roland (1993[1966]). Introducción al análisis estructural del relato (1966). En La aventura semiológica. Barcelona, Paidós.

- Barthes, Roland (1994[1984]). La muerte del autor. El susurro del lenguaje. Más allá de la palabra y la escritura (pp. 65-72). Paidós.

- Campbell, Joseph (2017[1949]) La aventura del héroe. El héroe de las mil caras. Psicoanálisis y mito (pp. 65-282). Fondo de Cultura Económica.

- Chatman, Seymour (2013[1978]) Historia y sucesos. Historia y discurso  (pp. 83-113) Taurus.

- Cobley, Paul (2014) Narrative. Routledge (2ond edit.)

- Eco, Umberto (1993[1079]) El lector modelo. Lector in fabula (pp. 73-95). Lumen.

- Eder, Jens; Jannidis, Fotis; Schneider, Ralph (2010). Introduction. Characters in Fictionals worlds. Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film, and Other Media (pp. 3-66). DeGruyter.

- Elleström, Lars (2019). Narrating Through Media Modalities (pp. 45-59). Transmedial Narration Narratives and Stories in Different Media. Palgrave-MacMillan.

- Genette, Gerard (1989[1972]) La estructura del relato. Figuras III (pp. 77-321). Lumen.

- Genette, Gerad (1993[1991]). Relato ficcional, relato factual. Ficción y dicción (pp. 54-84). Barcelona: Lumen.

- Jenkins, Herny (2008) From Production to Produsage: Interview with Axel Bruns (Part One). Confessions of an Aca-fan, May 9th. Disponible en http://henryjenkins.org/2008/05/interview_with_axel_bruns.html#sthash.91niVbc1.dpuf

- Jenkins, Herny (2006). Convergence culture: where old and new media collide. New York University.

- Jenkins, Henry (31 de julio de 2011). Transmedia 202: Further reflections. Disponible en http://henryjenkins.org/2011/08/defining_transmedia_further_re.html

- Koenitz, Hartmut (2017) Towards a Specific Theory of Interactive Digital Narrative. Koenitz, H.; - Ferri, G.; Haahr; M.; Sezen, D. (eds.) Interactive Digital Narrative. History, Theory and Practice (pp. 91-105). Routledge.

- Lacalle, Charo (2022) (in)dignidades mediáticas en la sociedad digital. Cátedra.

- Mittell, Jason (2005) A Cultural Approach to Television Genre Theory. G. R. Edgerton & B. G. Rose (eds.) Thinking outside the box. A contemporary television genre reader (pp. 37-64). The University Press of Kentucky.

- Montfort, Nick (2007) Narrative and digital media. D. Herman (ed.) The CambridgeCompanion to Narrative (pp. 172-188). Cambridge University Press.

- Nusz, Aaron (2012). Joseph Campbell and the mythic experience. The Fundational Structures of Star Wars (pp-16-56) . Kentuchy: University of Louisville.

- Oren, Tasha & Shahaf, Sharon (2012). Global Television Formats: Understanding Television Across Borders. Routledge. 

- Page, Ruth (2022) Co-Tellership in Social Media Storytelling. P. Dawson & M. Mäkelä (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Narrative Theory (pp. 119-133). Routledge.

- Perceval, J.M., Tejedor, S. (2006). El cuento multimedia interactivo. Revista Comunicar, 26(0), pp. 177-182.

- Phelan, James; Rabinowitz, Peter; Wharhol, Robyn; Herman, David; Richardson, Brian (2012) Reception and the reader. D. Herman, J. Phelan, P. J Rabbinowitz, B. Richardson, Wharhol, R. (2012) Narrative Theory. Core Concepts and Critical Debates (pp. 139-159). The Ohio State University Press.

- Propp, Vladimir (1998[1928]) La morfología del cuento. Akal.

- Riedl, Mark O.; Bulitko, Vadim (2013) Interactive Narrative: An Intelligent Systems Approach. AI Magazine, 34(1), 67-77. doi: https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v34i1.2449

- Ryan, Marie-Laure. (2004) Will new media produce new narratives? M.-L. Ryan (ed.) Narrative across media (pp. 337-359). University of Nebraska Press.

- Ryan, Marie-Laure (2016) Narratología transmedial y transmedia storytelling. Artnodes: revista de arte, ciencia y tecnología, 18, 1-10. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7238/a.v0i18.3049

- Ryan, Marie-Laure (2018) Narrative mapping as cognitive activity and as active participation in storyworlds. Frontiers in Narrative Studies, 4(2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1515/fns-2018-0020

- Todorov, Tzvetan (2002[1978]. El origen de los géneros. Los géneros del discurso (pp. 57-80). Waldhuter.

Software

None