Communication Structure
Code: 103844 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Audiovisual Communication | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Ana Isabel Fernández Viso
- Email:
- ana.fernandez.viso@uab.cat
Teachers
- Angel Castellanos Diaz
- Santiago Javier Justel Vazquez
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Follow-up of news about the social communication system and the audio-visual industry is recomended, mainly from Catalonia, Spain and Europe.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course introduces students to the structural features of social communication systems and the communication and culture industries, with a particular focus on the audiovisual sector. In order to understand the underlying reasons for their configuration, the course considers the historical, economic, political, social, cultural and technological framework in which they operate, as well as the political, economic and social actors whose behaviors and strategies shape them (regulatory bodies, media conglomerates, major online platforms, business and professional organizations, etc.).
The focus is mainly on the Catalan and Spanish contexts, framing them within Western Europe and, more specifically, Mediterranean countries, while also taking into account international and transnational dynamics.
The main objective of the course is to foster a reflective attitude and the ability to critically analyze current communication phenomena, events and processes.
Learning Outcomes
- KM01 (Knowledge) To identify the fundamentals of communication structure, theories and history.
- KM03 (Knowledge) To describe the structure of the audiovisual communication system and its evolution over time.
- SM02 (Skill) To demonstrate knowledge of the political, social and cultural dynamics that currently exist in the world and which serve as a context for communication.
Content
The syllabus is organized into three blocks:
-The first clarifies the key concepts of the subject and the theoretical perspectives from which it is studied. In addition, it analyzes the main trends of change in the production, distribution, marketing and consumption of content.
-The second presents the actors that contribute to the articulation of social communication and media systems and communication industries, from the state and the independent regulators, to the media conglomerates, digital platforms and social media, business associations, audience measuring bodies or organized civil society.
-The third analyzes in a general way the different media sectors and the communication industries, with a focus on current events and situation.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Master classes | 35 | 1.4 | |
| Seminars: current debates, exercices and research activities | 14 | 0.56 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials | 8 | 0.32 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Autonomous study | 42 | 1.68 | |
| Research activities | 42 | 1.68 |
Two thirds of face-to-face teaching will be developed with the full group and one third in seminars in small groups.
The sessions with the whole group will be carried out mainly from master classes, which can be combined with interactive activities, focused on the thematic blocks pointed out in the section "contents". The doubts related to the compulsory readings that the students have to do and to the self-learning work will also be clarified. Additionally, the course incorporates innovative methodologies such as gamification, which is used in many sessions to reinforce the review of theoretical content in an engaging and participatory way. These dynamics allow students to independently identify which concepts they have mastered and which require further review. Their use promotes active involvement in the learning process and enhances content retention.
Seminars will include practical activities to deepen the subject matter of the course, which may require the search or previous analysis of various types of learning resources (news, academic texts, reports, etc.). It is mandatory to attend at least 80% of the seminar sessions in order to be evaluated.
More detailed information on the organization of the sessions will be provided on the day of the presentation of the course. The Virtual Campus will also be used to provide teaching materials and information necessary for the adequate follow-up of the course.
The approach of the subject will incorporate the gender perspective in all possible aspects, from the contents to the methodologies applied to the dynamics of work and student participation in the classroom, so as to facilitate an egalitarian interaction.
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 exam 1 | 35% | 3 | 0.12 | KM01, KM03, SM02 |
| Partial exam 2 | 35% | 3 | 0.12 | KM01, KM03, SM02 |
| Seminar (practical activities) | 30% | 3 | 0.12 | KM01, KM03, SM02 |
The course consists of the following assessment options and activities:
Continued evaluation:
1. Exercises related to the issues discussed in the seminar and qualitative participation in them, which will account for 30% of the grade. Attendance to at least 80% of the seminar sessions is compulsory to be evaluated of it. Due to its nature linked to current events, the evaluation activities of the seminar will not be recoverable.
2. Two mid-term exams on the theoretical contents, each one of which represents 35 % of the final qualification, and that are liberatory.
In order to pass the course, a grade equal to or higher than 4 must be obtained in both midterm exams and the average of both must be equal to or higher than 5. In case of failing, you can take part in the recovery, as long as you have previously assessed the two midterm exams.
If one of the two partial exams is not taken the final grade will be "not assessable".
In the event that the recovery of one of the two exams is not passed, because a grade lower than 4 is obtained in it or, even being between 4 and 4.9, the student does not achieve an average grade of 5 with the other midterm exam, the final grade of the course will be the one obtained in this failed exam (or the average of the two midterm exams 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.
Second enrollment students:
From the second enrollment onwards, students may choose to be evaluated A) by continued evaluation, C) by the single evaluation system or C) only by taking the two mid-term exams provided for the first enrollment students, but in order to pass they must obtain a grade equal to or higher than 4 in these two mid-term exams and the average of both must be equal to or higher than 5. In case of failing, students will be able to opt for the recovery of each one of the mid-term exams, as long as they have been previously evaluated in both of them.
If the student chooses the third evaluation system (system C), the grade of the course will correspond to the average of these two mid-term exams, as long as he/she has obtained a grade equal to or higher than 4 in both of them. If one of them is not taken, the final grade will be "not evaluable" and if one of them is failed with a grade lower than 4, the final grade of the course will be the one obtained in this exam (or the average between the two, if both are failed).
It will be understood that students from the second 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 two mid-term examen (option C).
Single evaluation
The single evaluation of the course consists of the following activities and percentages:
1. Control of knowledge: 40% - Theoretical test (multiple choice) on all the contents of the course. In order to obtain an average with the other two evaluation activities and be able to pass the course, a grade equal to or higher than 4 must be obtained in this theoretical test (essential condition). In case of failing with a grade lower than 4, the final grade of the course will be the grade of this test.
2. Written exercise of reflection and argumentation on the contents of the course: 30%. It will take place on the same day as the knowledge control.
3. Realization of one or several practical exercises related to the issues covered in the seminar: 30%. It will be done on the same day as the two previous activities. This activity cannot be recovered, so, in case of having to take the recovery, the grade obtained in this exercise in the first call will be maintained.
1 (40%) + 2 (30%) + 3 (30%) = 100% FINAL GRADE OF THE SUBJECT.
In order to pass the course a final grade equal or higher than 5 must be obtained. The date of the revision of the grades will be the same as for the students of continuous evaluation and will be announced in class.
The recovery of the single evaluation system will consist of retaking exercises 1 and 2, which will be weighted average with the mark obtained in exercise 3.
CALENDAR OF EVALUATION ACTIVITIES
The dates of the evaluation and recovery activities will be announced on the day of the presentation of the course. This information will also be available on the Virtual Campus.
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.
USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (IA)
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted as an integral part of assignment development, provided that the final outcome demonstrates a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify any content generated using AI, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these technologies have influenced both the process and the final result of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Bibliography
ALBORNOZ, Luis, and GARCÍA LEIVA, Trinidad (eds.) (2017). Diversidad e industria audiovisual. El desafío cultural del siglo XXI. México: Fondo de Cultura Económica.
ARESTE, José María (2021). La guerra del streaming. El ascenso de Netflix. Madrid: Ediciones Rialp.
BIRKINBINE, Benjamin; GÓMEZ, Rodrigo; and WASKO, Janet (2016). Global media giants. Londres; Nueva York: Routledge.
BUSTAMANTE, Enrique (2013). Historia de la radio y la televisión en España: una assignatura pendiente de la democracia. Barcelona: Gedisa.
CAGÉ, Julia (2016). Salvar los medios de comunicación:capitalismo, financiación participativa y democracia. Barcelona: Anagrama.
CAÑEDO, AzaharaM; and SEGOVIA, Ana I. (2022). La plataformización de los medios de comunicación de servicio público. Una reflexión desde la economía política de la comunicación. In: Goyanes, Manuel & Campos-Rueda, Marcela (Eds.). Gestión de medios Públicos en el Entorno Digital (pp. 65-88). Valencia: Tirant Humanidades.
CEREZO, Pepe (2022). Deconstruyendo los medios. Cómo adaptar las empresas de comunicación al entorno digital. Córdoba: Editorial Almuzara.
CONSELL DE L'AUDIOVISUAL DE CATALUNYA (2025). Informe 2024. L'audiovisual a Catalunya, Barcelona: Consell de l'Audiovisual de Catalunya. https://www.cac.cat/sites/default/files/2025-06/Informe_audiovisual_Catalunya_2024_reduida_0.pdf
DÖNDERS, Karen (2019). Public service media between theory, rules and practice. Londres: Palgrave Macmillan.
DOYLE, Gillian (2018). Television and the development of the data economy: data analysis, power and the public interest. International Journal of Digital Television, 9(1), pp. 53-68.
FERNÁNDEZ, Isabel (Coord.) (2017). Austeridad y clientelismo. Política audiovisual en España en el contexto mediaterráneo y de la crisis financiera. Barcelona: Gedisa.
FIEIRAS-CEIDE, César; TÚÑEZ-LÓPEZ, José Miguel; and RODRÍGUEZ-CASTRO, Marta (Eds.). (2023). Innovar en innovación televisiva. Análisis de casos de éxito en los medios públicos europeos. Salamanca: Comunicación Social Ediciones.
GARCÍA SANTAMARÍA, Josë Vicente; and PÉREZ-SERRANO, María José (2024). Grupos de comunicación españoles: final de etapa. Editorial UOC.
HALLIN, Daniel; and MANCINI, Paolo (2008). Sistemas de medios comparados. Tres modelos de relación entre los medios de comunicación y la política. Barcelona: Hacer.
JONES, Daniel E. (2005). "Aproximación teórica a la Estructura de la Comunicación Social". Sphera Publica: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y de la Comunicación, 5, 19-39.
LÓPEZ, Bernat; HUERTAS BAILÉN, Amparo; and PERES-NETO, Luis (Eds.) (2025). Informe de la comunicació a Catalunya 2023-2024. Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès): Generalitat de Catalunya i Institut de la Comunicació (InCom-UAB).
MCDONALD, Paul (Ed.) (2022). The Routledge Companion to Media Industries. Routledge.
NEWMAN, Nic; ROSS ARGUEDAS, Amy; ROBERTSON, Craig T.; KLEIS NIELSEN, Rasmus; and FLETCHER, Richard (2025). Digital News Report 2025. Oxford: Reuters Institute. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2025-06/Digital_News-Report_2025.pdf
PUPPIS, Manuel; MANSELL, Robin; and VAN DEN BULCK, Hilde (2024). Handbook of Media and Communication Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing.
PEIRANO, Marta (2019). El enemigo conoce el sistema: Manipulación de ideas, personas e influencias después de la economía de la atención. Barcelona: Debate.
QUINTAS-FROUFE, Natalia; GONZÁLEZ-NEIRA, Ana (Coords.) (2021). Los estudios de la audiencia. De la tradición a la innovación. Barcelona: Gedisa.
SALAVERRÍA, Ramón; and MARTÍNEZ-COSTA, Pilar (Eds.) (2021) Medios nativos digitales en España. Caracterización y tendencias. Salamanca: Comunicación Social Ediciones.
SÁNCHEZ-GEY VALENZUELA, Nuria. (2021). Historia y estructura de la producción audiovisual. Ediciones Pirámide.
TÚÑEZ-LÓPEZ, Miguel; CAMPOS-FREIRE, Francisco; and RODRÍGUEZ-CASTRO, Marta (Eds.) (2021). The values of public service media in the Internet society. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
ZUBOFF, Shoshana (2021). La era del capitalismo de vigilancia. Barcelona: Paidós Ibérica.
Butlletí de l’Observatori de la Producció Audiovisual. Universitat Pompeu Fabra. https://www.upf.edu/web/opa
Butlletí d'informació sobre l'audiovisual de Catalunya (BIAC). Consell de l'Audiovisual de Catalunya https://www.cac.cat/acords-recerca/biac-%28-informes-del-sector-quadrimestrals-%29
During the course other complementary bibliographical references and online sources will be suggested to delve into the contents explained and to follow upon the news of the sector.
Software
Basic tools of Microsoft Office package, Moodle applications and free online learning platforms.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 41 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 42 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 43 | Catalan/Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 4 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |