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History of Journalism

Code: 104985 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2501933 Journalism OB 3

Contact

Name:
Maria Teresa Ferre Panisello
Email:
teresa.ferre@uab.cat

Teachers

Maria Teresa Ferre Panisello

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

It is advisable to have passed the subjects History of Communication and Contemporary and History of Catalonia and Spain.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the production of information in contemporary centuries, starting with journalism in the 17th century. The transition from artisanal journalism to industrial journalism and its evolution, the importance of mass journalism and its transformation up to the current forms of digital journalism will be dealt with. The approach prioritises the dimension of the construction of social reality elaborated on the basis of journalistic discourse.

Taking as a frame of reference the great international journalistic traditions of some Western European countries and the United States, the main field of study is Catalan journalism. At the same time, Spanish journalism will also be studied in a comparative way. The historical and critical study of these traditions aims to enable students to understand the challenges facing journalism today.

One of the specific objectives of this subject is to identify and use different significant media sources to understand the incidence of journalism in its historical context of production. It also aims to understand the role played by the media and media professionals in the struggle and defence of freedom of expression throughout contemporary history. Each section will mention the social, political, technological, business and professional context. Also journalism in relation to other areas of social communication. Furthermore, the content of the subject will be sensitive to cultural diversity and aspects related to the gender perspective.


Competences

  • Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  • Demonstrate adequate knowledge of Catalonia's socio-communicative reality in the Spanish, European and global context.
  • 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.
  • Disseminate the area's knowledge and innovations.
  • Identify modern journalistic traditions in Catalonia, Spain and worldwide and their specific forms of expression, as well as their historic development and the theories and concepts that study them.
  • Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  • Properly apply the scientific method, raising hypotheses regarding journalistic communication, validating and verifying ideas and concepts, and properly citing sources.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  2. Apply scientific methods in a cross-cutting manner in the analysis of the relations between technological change and media access.
  3. Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  4. Describe Catalonia's socio-communicative reality in the Spanish and European context from the political point of view.
  5. Describe the structure, workings and management of the communication business.
  6. Disseminate the area's knowledge and innovations.
  7. Explain Catalonia's socio-communicative reality in the Spanish and European context from the economic and business point of view.
  8. Explain the development of modern Catalan and Spanish journalistic tradition.
  9. Identify the fundamentals of theories and the history of communication.
  10. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  11. Propose new ways to measure the success or failure of the implementation of innovative proposals or ideas.
  12. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  13. Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  14. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  15. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  16. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  17. Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.

Content

Topic 1.- Introduction and basic concepts. The History of Journalism as a subject matter.

Topic 2.- The origins of modernity: artisan journalism. The French absolutist model and the English alternative. The Catalan exception in the 17th century and the Castilian aspiration to the absolutist model.

Topic 3.- Journalism in the industrial era (1848-1873). The emergence of a new consumer public: the popular strata of the big cities. European and American models. The historical delay in the creation of liberal democracy and the specificities of industrial journalism in Catalonia and Spain.

Topic 4.- Mass journalism (1874-1914). Migrations and urban growth: new potential audiences. The prominence of Pulitzer and Hearst in the USA, the French popular press and the English "New Journalism". The beginnings of culture and mass communication in Catalonia and Spain. The Renaixença and the emergence of contemporary journalism. The Crisis of '98.

Topic 5.- World in pictures. Photojournalism: from the beginnings at the end of the 19th century to the "new form of visual communication" during the Spanish Civil War. Film newsreels: birth, irruption of sound films and decadence. Propaganda during the interwar period.

Topic 6.- The first third of the 20th century.  The birth of propaganda during the WWI. The consolidation of mass industrial journalism in Barcelona and Madrid. The irruption of radio during the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The Republican cycle. The golden age of the press in Catalonia and Spain.

Topic 7.- The Spanish Civil War and the Second World War from a journalistic perspective. Francoism: authoritarianism, officialism and journalistic uniformity (1939-1966).

Topic 8.- The evolution of journalism after WWII: the television era. The impact of the Fraga Law of 1966 on Franco's communication system. Vietnam War and television.

Topic 9.- Towards the end of the Cold War. Crisis of Franco's dictatorship, democratic transition and reconstruction of Catalan and Spanish journalistic culture.

Topic 10.- Transformations in journalism in recent decades. The standard model of television news. The experience of CNN and other all-news channels. The birth of Cyberjournalism.

 

The 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.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Evaluation 4 0.16 2, 8, 9
Theoretical explations 30 1.2 2, 8, 9
Type: Supervised      
Seminars and internships 22 0.88 2, 8
Tutorials 8.5 0.34 2
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous study 17.5 0.7 2, 8, 9
Course work 25 1 2, 5, 6, 8
Readings 14 0.56 2, 8, 9

The methodology combines theoretical explanations with guided face-to-face activities, supervised activities and independent work. Learning is based on the analysis and resolution of practical cases. The capacity for critical analysis, teamwork and personal study is stimulated, which will be reinforced with materials that will allow self-assessment.
a) Theoretical face-to-face classes: presentation of content through lectures, commentary on journalistic and scientific texts and directed activities in the classroom. The theory sessions will promote the active participation of students with practical exercises.
b) Debate sessions: part of the seminar sessions will take the form of a debate and will be devoted to analysing specific cases based on historical journalistic materials.
c) Oral presentations: in both theory and seminar sessions, students will have to give an oral presentation on some of the content of the subject they have previously worked on.
d) Journalistic practice: in this subject, the coursework is materialised in a specific journalistic format.
e) Others: visit to the General Newspaper Library of the UAB. Panoramic session to immerse oneself in the historical collections held by the newspaper library based on a special selection of materials related to the contents of the subject.

The teaching staff of this subject may indicate to students that, for the proper development of the class and to ensure good coexistence in the classroom, no electronic devices or screens may be used during the class, except when otherwise indicated for a specific situation or teaching activity.

Finally, it is important to remember that 15 minutes of a class, within the timetable established by the centre, will be set aside for students to complete the teacher performance evaluation and subject/module evaluation surveys.

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Partial examination -1 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 16
Partial examination -2 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 16
Podcast 40% 25 1 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17

A) CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The requirements to pass the subject in continuous assessment are the following:

1.- Two partial exams. The evaluable material will refer to all the readings of the course, as well as to the explanations, debates and activities carried out, both in the theoretical sessions and in the seminar sessions. The first evaluation will take place in November and the second in January. Each of these exams will account for 30% of the final mark.

2. Follow-up of the programmed practical activities and participation in the seminar. Attendance at the seminar sessions is required. In order to be able to take the evaluation tests and hand in the course work, a minimum of 70% of the sessions must be attended.

3. Production of a coursework podcast in teams of three students. The seminar teacher must approve the subject matter and structure, which will correspond to the historical period studied in the seminar. The seminar teacher will also be responsible for monitoring the completion of the work throughout the course. This work accounts for 40% of the final mark.

Final grade

In order to pass the course, the two mid-term exams, the coursework in Podcast and the minimum 70% of the seminar sessions must be completed and passed (a pass mark of 5 or more is considered a pass mark).
In the continuous assessment modality, the "not evaluable" in the seminar is also a "not evaluable" of the subject.

Recovery system.

In the case of failing one of the mid-term exams, this part of the subject may be made up, provided that the grade is higher than 3.5. Otherwise, the student will have to sit the final recovery exam directly.

Students who have not passed the theory of the subject by passing the two theory examinations must take an alternative written exam, which will consist of a topic to be developed and different short questions related to both the theory and the seminar. The maximum mark achievable in this test is 5 out of 10.

With regard to the seminar, if the evaluation of the podcast is not positive, there will be a period of re-elaboration in order to obtain a maximum mark of 5 out of 10.

 

B) SINGLE ASSESSMENT

The requirements to pass the subject in a single assessment are the following:

1.- A theoretical exam divided into two parts. The first will correspond to a topic for a general overview, while the second will be a series of concrete and specific questions. The subject matter to be assessed will refer to the theoretical content of the course as a whole, as well as to the explanations and debates in the seminar class. This exam will take place during the month of January (50% of the final mark).

2.  Submission of a critical review of a work from the course reference bibliography included in the teaching guide. The student must agree on the chosen work with the lecturer responsible for the subject (20% of the final mark).

3. Individual production of a written historical report. The seminar teacher must approve the subject matter and structure, which will correspond to the historical period studied in the seminar. The seminar teacher will also be responsible for monitoring the completion of the work throughout the course (30% of the final mark).

Students in the single assessment must attend the visit to the General Newspaper Library and those seminar sessions whose objective is the discussion of historical materials in the classroom.

Final qualification

In order to pass the course, students must take and pass the theory test, submit and pass the critical review and the historical report. The dates for submission of the review and the report will be communicated at the beginning of the course through the virtual campus.

Recovery system.

Students who have not passed the theory test of the subject must take a final multiple-choice test. The maximum mark for this exam will be 5 out of 10.

In the hypothesis that the evaluation of the review and the historical report are not positive, there will be a period of re-elaboration in order to obtain a maximum mark of 5 out of 10.

 

Students who commit any irregularity (copying, plagiarism or impersonation) that may lead to a significant variation in the grade of an activity or evaluation test will be graded with a zero for the course.

 


Bibliography

ALBERT, P. (1990): Historia de la prensa. Madrid: Rialp.

ALMUIÑA, C. y SOTILLOS, E. (coord.) (2002): Del Periódico a la Sociedad de la Información. Madrid: Sociedad Estatal España Nuevo Milenio, 3 vols.

ÁLVAREZ, J. T. (1987): Historia y modelos de la comunicación en el siglo XX. El nuevo orden  Informativo. Barcelona: Ariel Comunicación.

BARBIER, F. i BERTHO LAVENIR, C. (1999): Historia de los medios: de Diderot a Internet. Buenos  Aires: Colihue.

BARRERA, C. (coord.) (1999): Del gacetero al profesional del periodismo. Evolución histórica de los  actores humanos del cuarto poder. Madrid: Fragua.

BARRERA, C. (coord..) (2004): Historia del Periodismo Universal. Barcelona, Ariel.

BORDERIA, E., LAGUNA, A. y MARTINEZ, F.A. (2015): Historia social de la comunicación.

Mediaciones y públicos. Madrid, Síntesis.

BRIGGS, A. y BURKE, P. (2002): De Gutenberg a Internet. Una historia social de los medios de comunicación. Madrid: Taurus.

CANOSA, FRANCESC (ed.). (2016): Història del Periodisme de Catalunya. Barcelona, Sàpiens i Generalitat de Catalunya  (3 vols).

CHARLE, Christophe (2004): Le siècle de la presse (1830-1939). París, Seuil.

COHEN, Daniel (2000): Yellow Journalism: Scandal, Sensationalism and Gossip in the Media. Brookfield, Twenty-First Century Books

FUENTES, J.F. i FERNÁNDEZ SEBASTIÁN, J. (1997). Historia del periodismo español. Madrid: Síntesis.

GÓMEZ MOMPART, J.L. y MARIN OTO, E. (edi.) (1999): Historia del Periodismo Universal. Madrid, Síntesis.

GONZÁLEZ, P., ANTEBI, A., FERRE, T., ADAM, R. (2015). Repòrters gràfics. Barcelona 1900-1939. Barcelona: Ajuntament de Barcelona.

GRIFFITHS, Dennis (2006): Fleet Street, Five hundred years of the press. London, British Library.

GUILLAMET, J. (2003): Història del periodisme. Notícies, periodistes i mitjans de comunicació. Aldea Global: UAB, UJI, UV, UPF.

GUILLAMET, J. (2022): El periodisme català contemporani. Diaris, partits polítics i llengües, 1875-1939. Barcelona. Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

PIZARROSO, A. (1990): Historia de la propaganda. Madrid: Eudema

REIG, R. (coord.) (2010).La dinámica periodística: perspectiva, contexto, métodos y técnicas. Sevilla: Asociación Universitaria Comunicación y Cultura. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=512122

RUEDA, J.C.; GALÁN, E. i RUBIO, A.L. (2014). Historia de los medios de comunicación. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

SÁIZ, Mª D. i SEOANE, Mª C. (2007). Cuatro siglos de periodismo en España. De los avisos a los periódicos digitales. Madrid: Alianza.

SPENCER, David R. (2007): The Yellow Journalism: The Press and America’s Emergence as a World Power. Evanston, Northwestern University Press.

SCHUDSON, Michael (1981): Discovering the News: A Social History Of American Newspapers. Basic Books.

SOUSA, Jorge Pedro (2011): Historia crítica del fotoperiodismo occidental. Sevilla, Comunicación Social Ediciones y Publicaciones

SUNKEL, Guillermo (2002) La prensa sensacionalista y los sectores populares. Editorial Norma, Bogotá.

TORRENT, Joan i Tasis, Rafael. Història de la premsa catalana. Barcelona, Ed. Bruguera, 1966 (2 vols.).

 

Throughout the course, more specific bibliographic material, documentaries, web resources and podcasts for historical periods and with contextual information will be incorporated into the Virtual Campus.


Software

The course does not require the mastery of any specific software, beyond the usual office automation packages, presentation programmes and virtual campus tools that can be used to work collaboratively.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SEM) Seminars 11 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 12 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 13 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 21 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 22 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 23 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed