History of Journalism
Code: 104985 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 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 acquired knowledge of the subjects History of Communication and Contemporary 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, from both a theoretical and practical perspective. The transition from artisanal journalism to industrial journalism and its evolution will be discussed, as well as the importance of mass journalism and its transformation until the birth of the current forms of digital journalism. 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
- Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
- Apply scientific methods in a cross-cutting manner in the analysis of the relations between technological change and media access.
- Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
- Describe Catalonia's socio-communicative reality in the Spanish and European context from the political point of view.
- Describe the structure, workings and management of the communication business.
- Disseminate the area's knowledge and innovations.
- Explain Catalonia's socio-communicative reality in the Spanish and European context from the economic and business point of view.
- Explain the development of modern Catalan and Spanish journalistic tradition.
- Identify the fundamentals of theories and the history of communication.
- Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
- Propose new ways to measure the success or failure of the implementation of innovative proposals or ideas.
- Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
- 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.
- Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.
Content
Topic 1.- Course presentation. The History of Journalism as a subject of study.
Topic 2.- The origins of modernity: artisan journalism. The French absolutist model and the English liberal 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.
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 classroom activities, supervised activities, and independent work. Learning is based on the analysis and resolution of practical cases and, with regard to coursework, on authentic learning methodology. Critical analysis skills, teamwork, and personal study are encouraged and reinforced with materials that enable 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) Flipped classroom: one of the seminar sessions uses the flipped classroom methodology to encourage collaborative work among students.
d) 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) Authentic learning: The coursework for this subject takes the form of journalism in order to promote the practical application of the students' future profession. Continuous assessment is carried out in groups and in podcast format as part of a teaching innovation project, shared with other theoretical subjects in the faculty: Communication Structure (first year), Information and Communication Technologies (second year), and Multiplatform Journalistic Production (UABmèdia) (fourth year). For students undergoing single assessment, the work consists of producing a written historical report.
e) Others: visit to the Hemereoteca General of the UAB. Panoramic session to immerse oneself in the historical collections heldby the newspaper library based on a special selection of materials related to the contents of the subject.
A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find all teaching materials and necessary information for effective course monitoring.
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.
Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.
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, 16, 14 |
| Partial examination -2 | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 14 |
| Podcast | 40% | 25 | 1 | 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 13, 14, 17 |
A) CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
The requirements to pass the subject in continuous assessment are the following:
1.- Completion of two multiple-choice mid-term 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 during the month of November and the second will be in January. Each of these exams will account for 30% of the final grade.
2.- Follow-up of the programmed practical activities and participation in the seminar. Attendance at the seminar sessions is required. In order to take the assessment tests and submit the coursework, students must attend at least 70% of the sessions.
3.- Production of a coursework podcast in teams of five or six students. The seminar teacher must approve the topic and structure, which will correspond to the historical period studied in the seminar. The seminar teacher will also be responsible for monitoring the project throughout the course. This work accounts for 40% of the final mark.
Final grade
In order to pass the course, students must take and pass (a grade of 5 or higher is considered a pass) the two mid-term exams, complete the course assignment in podcast format, and attend at least 70% of the seminar sessions.
In the continuous assessment mode, according to point 9 of article 266 of the UAB Academic Regulations, ‘when it is considered that the student has not been able to provide evidence of assessment, this course must be graded as non-assessable’.
Therefore, with regard to coursework, if the initial proposal is not approved or is not submitted, it will be considered non-assessable. This grade in the seminar also means a ‘non-assessable’ grade for the course.
Recovery system
Students will be entitled to reassessment in the course if they have been evaluated on a set of activities accounting for at least two-thirds of the total course grade.
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, students must take a final exam.
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 an essay question and several short questions related to both the theory and the seminar. The maximum mark achievable in this exam 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 grade of 5 out of 10.
B) SINGLE ASSESSMENT
The requirements to pass the subject in a single assessment are as follows:
1.- Completion of a theoretical exam divided into two parts. The first will correspond to a topic for a general summary, while the second part will consist of a series of concrete and specific questions. The assessable material will refer to the theoretical content of the course, as well as to the explanations and debates in the seminar class. This exam will take place during the month of January (40% of the final mark).
2.- Submission of a critical review of a work from the course reference bibliography included in the teaching guide or a specific alternative from a particular period, media or profession. The chosen work must be approved in advance by the teaching staff responsible for the theory of the subject. (20% of the final mark).
3.- Individual production of a written historical report. The seminar teacher must approve the topic and structure, which will correspond to the historical period studied in the seminar. The seminar teacher will also be responsible for monitoring its completion throughout the course, and may request the different instalments as they see fit. (30% of the final mark).
4.- On the day of the theory exam, students will be required to give an oral presentation on both the historical report and the work reviewed. (10% of the final mark).
Students taking the single assessment must attend the visit to the Hemeroteca General 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 exam must take a final multiple-choice test. The maximum mark for this exam will be 5 out of 10.
If the assessment of the review and historical report is not positive, there will be a period for reworking in order to obtain a maximum mark of 5 out of 10.
C) STUDENTS FROM THE SECOND REGISTRATION ONWARDS
From the second registration onwards, both students who took the continuous assessment mode and passed the seminar, and students who took the single mode and passed the practical part of the subject (report and critical review), will only be assessed on the theoretical content of the subject.
The assessment will take the form of a final exam, consisting of an essay question and ten summary questions. There is an option to recovery this exam, which will take the form of a multiple-choice test. There is no minimum grade required to retake the exam, but students must have taken the final exam in order to be eligible to retake it.
In the case of students who do not pass the practical part of the course, the synthesis test will be assessed with an exam that will include theoretical content from the course and a practical case study related to the historical period studied throughout the course in the seminar. This test can be retaken without a minimum grade to sit it and will be taken in the form of a multiple-choice exam.
The grade for the subject will correspond to the grade for the synthesis test. In the event that the final exam resit is not passed, the final grade for the subject will be the one obtained in the resit test.
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for transcribing interviews and translating and correcting texts throughout the seminar course work process. Students must clearly identify any parts generated with these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how AI has influenced the process and final outcome 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.
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, Pierre (2018). Histoire de la presse. París: Presses Universitaires de France.
ALMUIÑA, Celso y SOTILLOS, Eduardo (coord.) (2002). Del Periódico a la Sociedad de la Información. Madrid: Sociedad Estatal España Nuevo Milenio, 3 vols.
ALTÉS, Elvira (2007). Les periodistes del temps de la República. Barcelona: Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya.
ÁLVAREZ, Jesús Timoteo (1987). Historia y modelos de la comunicación en el siglo XX. El nuevo orden Informativo. Barcelona: Ariel Comunicación.
BARBIER, Frederic i BERTHO LAVENIR, Catherine (1999). Historia de los medios: de Diderot a Internet. Buenos Aires: Colihue.
BARRERA, Carlos (coord.) (1999). Del gacetero al profesional del periodismo. Evolución histórica de los actores humanos del cuarto poder. Madrid: Fragua.
BARRERA, Carlos (coord..) (2004). Historia del Periodismo Universal. Barcelona: Ariel.
BORDERIA, Enrique, LAGUNA, Anatonio y MARTINEZ, Francesc A. (2015). Historia social de la comunicación. Mediaciones y públicos. Madrid: Síntesis.
BRIGGS, Asa y BURKE, Peter (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).
CARRASCO, Mavi, CORCOY, Marta i PUIG, Montserrat. (2011) Periodistes en temps difícils. http://periodistesentempsdificils.adpc.cat/
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
ESPINET, Francesc i TRESSERRAS, J. Manuel (1999). La gènesi de la societat de masses a Catalunya. 1888 - 1939. Bellaterra: UAB Servei de Publicacions.
FERRÉ PANISELLO, Teresa (2018). El fotoperiodista como mito: Robert Capa y Agustí Centelles ante la guerra civil española. Comunicación Y Sociedad, (33), 249–276. https://doi.org/10.32870/cys.v0i33.6913
FERRÉ PAVIA, Carme (ed.) (2009). Un país de revistes. Història dels magazíns en català. Barcelona: APPEC
FUENTES, J. Francisco i FERNÁNDEZ SEBASTIÁN, Javier (1997). Historia del periodismo español. Madrid: Síntesis.
GÓMEZ MOMPART, Josep Lluís y MARIN OTO, Entic (ed.) (1999). Historia del Periodismo Universal. Madrid: Síntesis.
GONZÁLEZ, Pablo, ANTEBI, Andrés, FERRÉ, Teresa, ADAM, Roger (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, Jaume (2003). Història del periodisme. Notícies, periodistes i mitjans de comunicació. Aldea Global: UAB, UJI, UV, UPF.
GUILLAMET, Jaume (2022). El periodisme català contemporani. Diaris, partits polítics i llengües, 1875-1939. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans. 00000026.pdf
HUERTAS, Josep M. (2005). Elplat de llenties: periodisme i transició a Catalunya (1975-1985). Barcelona: Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya.
HUERTAS, Josep M. (dir.) (2001). 200 anys de premsa diària a Catalunya (1792-1992). Barcelona: Fundació Caixa Catalunya
LANGA, Concha (2010). Claves de la Historia del Periodismo a Reig, Ramon (coord.). Sevilla: Asociación Universitaria Comunicación y Cultura. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=512122
PERALES GARCÍA, Cristina (2014). Premsa i autodeterminació : Catalunya i Euskadi dins l'Espanya de la Transició. Barcelona: Editorial UOC
PIZARROSO, Alejandro (1990). Historia de la propaganda. Madrid: Eudema
RUEDA, J. Carlos; GALÁN, Helena i RUBIO, Angel Luis (2014). Historia de los medios de comunicación. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
SÁIZ, Mª Dolores i SEOANE, Mª Cruz (2007). Cuatro siglos de periodismo en España. De los avisos a los periódicos digitales. Madrid: Alianza.
SÁIZ, Mª Dolores i SEOANE, Mª Cruz (1990). Historiadel Periodismo en España. Madrid: Alianza. (3 vols).
SESMA, Nicolás (2023). Ni una, ni grande, ni libre. Barcelona: Editorial Crítica.
SCHUDSON, Michael (1981). Discovering the News: A Social History Of American Newspapers. Nova York: 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. Bogotà: Editorial Norma.
TORRENT, Joan i Tasis, Rafael (1966 ). Història de la premsa catalana. Barcelona: Ed. Bruguera (2 vols.).
VÁZQUEZ MONTALBÁN, Manuel (2023) [1985]. Crónica sentimental de la Transición. Barcelona: Folch&Folch
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.
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 | 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 |