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2023/2024

Proximity Journalism

Code: 103090 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501933 Journalism OT 3 1
2501933 Journalism OT 4 1

Contact

Name:
Jose Vicente Rabadan Perea
Email:
josevicente.rabadan@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.

Teachers

Alberto Cabello Hernandez

Prerequisites

Students interested in taking the course must master the journalistic expression, with journalistic genres interview, report or journalistic data report, and have a certain knowledge about the structure, functioning and organization of the media in Catalonia and Spain.

Students must have an interest in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the territorial areas of proximity, and for the role played by the specialized media in current information and the communication of these areas.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The Proximity Journalism course proposes to offer basic knowledge on key issues in proximity areas (local politics and administrations, municipal economy, urban planning, cultural activities and citizen participation, etc.), subjects that are the raw material of the proximity media.

The subject also deals with information to reflect on the structure and functioning of proximity media in Catalonia and understand its evolution since the end of the 70s of the last century, its current situation and its future challenges.


Competences

    Journalism
  • Abide by ethics and the canons of journalism, as well as the regulatory framework governing information.
  • Differentiate the discipline's main theories, its fields, conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and approaches that underpin knowledge of the subject and its different areas and sub-areas, and acquire systematic knowledge of the media's structure.
  • 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.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Conceptualise the theories and techniques of specialised journalism.
  2. Demonstrate practical knowledge of specialised journalism.
  3. Incorporate the principles of professional ethics in developing narrative journalism specialised in cultural information and critique.
  4. Relay in the language specific to each communication medium narrative journalism specialised in local information.
  5. Use interactive communication resources to process, produce and relay information in the production of specialised information.

Content

THEORETICAL AND REFLECTION SECTIONS

THEME 1. PERIODISM OF PROXIMITY (LOCAL AND REGIONAL)

Information defined by the geographic reach of the media or by the social themes of local life? From local journalism to proximity journalism. Journalism and proximity information in the context of informational globalization.

THEME 2. COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF THE LOCAL MEDIA

From the written press to the variety of media: newspapers, magazines, radios, televisions, the Internet... Public, private and associative means of publicity. Territorial structure of the means of proximity. Technological renewal and local multimedia groups.

THEME 3. SPECIFIC AND MIMETIC PERIODISM AT THE SAME TIME

Characteristics of proximity journalism: approach to the public and sources, lack of economic and human resources. Professionalism faced with voluntarism. Limitation of the market and advertising resources. Diffusion, incidence and influence of the means of proximity.

INFORMATIVE EVENTS. Selection and evaluation of proximity news. Informative unit of the Administration in general and of the local one in particular. MAJORITY THEMATIC AREAS: Policy, municipal management, urban planning, services, culture and sports.

THEME 4. THE JOURNALIST IN THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL AREA

Coexistence of private business structures, municipal services and initiatives of civil society. Professionals and collaborators in the public media. Direct or personal involvement with the territorial scope or with the thematic field.

THE CORRESPONDENT. Capital figure of local and county journalism. Evolution during the last 40 years. Autonomy or dependence; lack of resources; no thematic specialization. New work scenarios and references of the professional framework.

THEME 5. INSTITUCIONALIZATION OF THE PROXIMITY INFORMATION

The institutions as major sources of proximity information. Contacts with politicians, technicians, civil servants. Informative sources of proximity (advantages and disadvantages).

Press offices. Typology: institutional, private company and service companies. Journalists or public relations? Political curators. Progressive professionalization of communication and press offices.

THEME 6. THE MUNICIPAL OR MUNICIPALIZED MEDIA

Newsletters and democratic city councils. Of the bulletins (BIM) in the municipal magazines. Local press that is local press. Between information and propaganda.

Municipal radios. Local broadcasting and citizen participation. EMUC: birth, evolution and agony. Professionalization of municipal radio stations. Questioning from local stations.

Local televisions. The media outlook is complete. Basic classic models of local TV. Law on Local Television and Digitization (Digital Terrestrial Television): consolidation or disappearance? Internet television.

Internet (webpages and municipal portals). Informative dissemination or journalistic information? Administrative interactivity or channel for citizen participation? Internet as a channel of distribution and consumption of the contents of the means of proximity.

 

KNOWLEDGE ON SUBJECTS OF PROXIMITY AREAS

THEMATIC 1.- The State at the local level. Competences of the local Administration. Policy or management? Organization of a city council. Municipal areas and macro-areas. The complexity of the workforce

THEMATIC 2.- Municipal elections. Political and electoral systems. Circumscriptions and the Hondt formula. Closed lists, open and unlocked. Supramunicipal administrations: county councils and councils (institutions without direct election).

THEMATIC 3.- Municipal economy. Municipal budgets Income and expenses. Municipal organizations of the economic field: joint ventures, institutes, autonomous bodies ... Municipal financing.

THEMATIC 4.- Urbanism, basic municipal competence. Politics, ideology and urbanism. The concept of a territorial "model" or city. Urban planning figures and planning. Administrations and town planning.


Methodology

TEACHING METHODOLOGY:

THEORY:

The theory sessions will focus on the contents defined as topics, that is to say the evolution of local media and its structure, and will be for the whole group during the first hour. The group is divided into 2 subgroups in the laboratory practical sessions, which will take place in conventional classrooms or seminars (not in computer classrooms), each in charge of a professor (one of the practical subgroups would be taught by responsible for theory).

The sessions of the course (17 according to the calendar of next year, the last two of which during the period of re-evaluation) are, in the one hand, basically expository in theory, for the reflection of the students on these means of communication; and, on the other hand, the teacher's initial exposition and discussion with the students in the seminars and other practices, to offer basic knowledge of habitual subjects in the journalism of proximity.

During some sessions, specific parameters of the practices that students have to carry out during the semester are specified.

 

PRACTICES:

Practices are made on a specific area of proximity selected by the student (a municipality, a district, a district or area of Barcelona, etc.), with genres such as news reports, articles or interviews. The number of practices is 3.

Some practices can be drawn between two or three people if there is a coincidence in the chosen subject or the territorial scope. The practices will be basically assessed for their content but also for their formal correction.

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      
Classroom practices (application of specific knowledge of proximity journalism for the elaboration of practices) 18 0.72 4, 2, 3, 5
Seminars (knowledge of basic subjects of the means of proximity: local administration, local politics, municipal economy and urban planning) 18 0.72 4, 2, 5
Theoretical classes (structure and evolution of the proximity media) 14 0.56 1, 2
Type: Supervised      
Tutorial sessions and evaluation of journalistic practices and the complementary test 10 0.4 4, 2, 5
Type: Autonomous      
Lectures, analysis of documentation, preparation and performance of journalistic practices in areas of proximity 90 3.6 4, 2, 5

Assessment

The competitions on proximity journalism will be evaluated with the following activities: a) Complementary exam to the practices of journalistic format: written examination with 50 concrete questions on knowledge of local subjects; b) Journalistic practices on subjects of the course, and specified in the territorial areas chosen by the students in real subjects of actuality; c) Academic work on some means or media of proximity; d) Evaluation of the interventions of the students in the seminars.

Regarding the percentage of each activity with respect to the overall evaluation, the general structure is as follows:

a) Examination (15%)

b) Practical journalistic projects (60%)

c) Academic work on some means or media of proximity (20%)

d) Intervention in seminars (5%)

CONCRETE EVALUATION SYSTEM:

Continued evaluation:

- Practices (3) carried out during the course and related to the program. The genre will be the report or report of data. All three practices can be repeated if they are suspended (specifically, a minimum of 3.5 out of 10 in the practice block); Therefore, there is a REVALUATION of the three practices.

The overall weight of these practices is 60% of the note.

- Academic work on some means or media of proximity, or an article of argumentative background with a notable extension of functions and evolution of journalism of proximity.

Both in the case of the personal reflection work, they will be able to REAVALUATE if they are delivered within the term after returning from the Christmas holidays.

The weight of this final practice would be 20% of the note.

- Examination (complementary proof regarding the practices) that is concretized in fifty short questions on the 4 topics: urban planning, administration, economy and politics in areas of proximity. It must be passed necessarily (minimum grade of 5) in order to pass the evaluation of the subject.

The weight of the test would be 15% of the mark, and students that do not reach 5 (from 0 to 4.9) will be able to present themselves to REAVALUATION.

- Participation in debates, individually or in groups, of the sessions (whether of theory or seminars) will count for the remaining 5% of the note.

If for professional activity or for other justified circumstances regular attendance in class is not possible, the option of continuous evaluation could be made in person.

Important notice: the student who commits any irregularity (copying, plagiarism, impersonation...) will have a grade of 0 in the affected practice. In case of several irregularities, the overall grade of the subject will be 0.


Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Active participation in classes and seminars 5% 0 0 1, 2
Examination of basic knowledge of the usual topics in the information of areas of proximity 15% 0 0 2, 3
Journalistic practices (3 journalistic texts on specific areas of proximity and chosen by students) 60% 0 0 4, 2, 3, 5
Personal reflection work on a topic or media context of a proximity subject 20% 0 0 4, 1, 2

Bibliography

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY:

AUTORIA DIVERSA:  Llibre blanc de les Revistes i la Premsa en català (edicions de 2015 i 2016).  Media Hotline, suport de Federació d'Asoc. Editors Premsa, Revistes i Mitjans digitals (ACPC, APPEC, AMIC). Barcelona, 2014 i 2015.

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Llibre blanc de la Premsa Comarcal (edicions de 2010 fins a 2014). Fundació Catalana de la Premsa Comarcal. Barcelona, 2010, 2012, 2013 i 2014.

CASERO, Andreu, FERNÁNDEZ, Francisco José i GONZÁLEZ, Sonia (ed.): La prensa local ante el reto digital. Universitat Jaume I, Servei de Comunicació, 2013.

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2015-2016. Institut de la Comunicació (InCom) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, Col·lecció Lexikon/Informes Generalitat de Catalunya, 2017

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2013-2014. Institut de la Comunicació (InCom) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, Col·lecció Lexikon/Informes Generalitat de Catalunya, 2015

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2011-2012. Institut de la Comunicació (InCom) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, Col·lecció Lexikon/Informes Generalitat de Catalunya, 2013

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2009-2010. Institut de la Comunicació (InCom) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, Col·lecció Lexikon/Informes Generalitat de Catalunya, 2011

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2007-2008. Institut de la Comunicació (InCom) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, Col·lecció Lexikon/Informes Generalitat deCatalunya, 2009

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2005-2006. Institut de la Comunicació (InCom) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Bellaterra,  EdicionsUAB, 2007

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2003-2004. Institut de laComunicació (InCom)Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Bellaterra, UAB, Servei de Publicacions, 2005.

AUTORIA DIVERSA: Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2001-2002. Institut de la Comunicació (InCom) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Bellaterra, UAB, Servei de Publicacions, 2003.

AUTORIA DIVERSA: La comunicació local a Catalunya 2000. Observatori de la comunicació local (InCom). Barcelona, Diputació de Barcelona, 2000.

BEL MALLEN, José Ignacio: El derecho a la información local. Col.lecció Sociedad-Universidad. Madrid, Editorial Ciencia 3, 1990.

GUILLAMET,Jaume: La premsa comarcal. Un model català de periodisme popular. Barcelona, Depart. de Cultura, 1984.

RAMÍREZ, Txema: Gabinetes de comunicación. Col.lecció Bosch Comunicación. Barcelona, Bosch Casa Editorial, 1995.        

 

COMPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY:

DIPUTACIÓ DE BARCELONA, Govern municipal. Guia pràctica. Diputació de Barcelona, Barcelona, 1995 (i fitxes d’actualització).

Federació de Municipis de Catalunya, Ajuntament fàcil. Federació de Municipis de Catalunya (servei de publicacions). Barcelona, 2017.          

LOPEZ, Manuel: Un periodisme alternatiu i autogestionari. La premsa de barris a Barcelona, 1968-1977. Col.lecció Vaixells de Paper. Barcelona, Col·legi de Periodistes-Diputació de Barcelona, 1994.

MARISTANY, Gerard i MUSONS, Albert: Del desencant a la contrainformació. La premsa de barrisaBarcelona, 1976-2001. Col.lecció Vaixells de Paper. Barcelona,Col·legi de Periodistes, 2002.

MORAGAS, Miquel: Espais de comunicació: experiències i perspectives a Catalunya. Barcelona, Edicions 62, 1988.


Software

Is not necessary especific software.