This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Science and Health Journalism

Code: 104988 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Journalism OT 3
Journalism OT 4

Contact

Name:
Michele Catanzaro
Email:
michele.catanzaro@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites, but it is understood that the students have obtained in the preceding courses knowledge derived from subjects such as Journalistic Writing (I and II), Sources, Techniques and Organization of Journalistic Work, Audiovisual Languages, Production, Expression and Product Design Journalistic, Theories of Communication, Structure of Communication, among others that can provide a theoretical and practical basis. These subjects provide the necessary knowledge and skills to correctly follow the subject of Scientific and Health Journalism since students will have a theoretical and practical basis on which to develop.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The objectives of the course are:

a) Explain the different approaches of journalism to scientific and health knowledge.
b) Encourage students to integrate and work with complex knowledge in specific natural, social, exact, and life sciences areas.
c) Develop skills to communicate pieces of information, ideas, problems, and solutions to the general or specialized public.
d) Work critical capacity to interpret relevant data, and search for information and specific sources in the scientific and health fields.

The content of the course will apply the gender perspective in a transversal way. It does so precisely from the following aspects:

a) Knowledge about the inclusion of the gender perspective in journalistic texts on science and health issues.
b) Identification and recognition of the debate on gender diversity in science.
c) Encouraging reflection on the current state of news production on scientific and health issues from a gender-inclusive perspective.


Competences

    Journalism
  • Abide by ethics and the canons of journalism, as well as the regulatory framework governing information.
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Be familiar with and apply the theoretical and practical foundations of journalistic writing and narrative and its applications in the different genres, media and formats.
  • Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
  • 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.
  • Use a third language as a working language and means of professional expression in the media.
  • 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. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  3. Compare the different traditions in handling specialised information.
  4. Conceptualise the theories and techniques of specialised journalism.
  5. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  6. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  7. Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
  8. Demonstrate practical knowledge of specialised journalism.
  9. Distinguish theories of journalistic writing and narrative to apply them to the different theme-based information specialisms.
  10. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  11. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  12. Incorporate the principles of professional ethics in developing narrative journalism specialised in scientific information.
  13. Know how to build texts in a third language that adapt to the structures of journalistic language and apply them to the different theme-based information specialisms.
  14. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  15. Relay in the language specific to each communication medium narrative journalism specialised in scientific information.
  16. Research, select and arrange in hierarchical order any kind of source and useful document to develop communication products.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  20. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  21. Use interactive communication resources to process, produce and relay information in the production of specialised information.
  22. Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.
  23. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.

Content

--What science is and what scientists do
--The relationship between science and science journalism
--Communication of science and health: from the "papers" to the media
--Science journalism and science popularization
--The sources of scientific and health journalism
--Science and health topics of current journalistic relevance
--Transcoding of scientific and health contents: tools and techniques
--Good practices in science and health journalism: excellence criteria for analyzing and producing scientific journalism
--Journalistic methods and key questions when covering science and health: how to check the quality of the evidence and avoid errors and exaggerations
--Responsible communication of risks and benefits in science and health
--Reading and analysis of prominent examples of science and health journalism
--Information archaeology: the construction of scientific news
--Production of news and features on science and health

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      
Independent work 42 1.68 6, 16, 3, 15, 7, 9, 11, 14, 20, 17, 18, 13, 21, 5
Lectures 15 0.6 6, 1, 16, 3, 15, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12, 20, 17, 5
Seminars 33 1.32 16, 15, 2, 8, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 20, 19, 17, 18, 13, 21, 22
Tuitions 8 0.32 7, 12, 17

The teaching methodology will consist of face-to-face activities, supervised activities, and directed and autonomous work.

During the course, students will work also on content in SPANISH and ENGLISH: knowledge of both languages is required.

The detailed calendar with the content of the different sessions will be displayed on the day of the course presentation and will also be available on the Virtual Campus of the course, where students will be able to find the various teaching materials and all the information necessary for the proper follow-up of the course. In the event of a change in teaching modality due to force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform of the changes that will occur in the course programming 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
Assigment 30% 20 0.8 6, 1, 16, 3, 15, 2, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 18, 21, 5, 22, 23
Practicies 50% 30 1.2 6, 16, 15, 2, 8, 7, 10, 12, 14, 20, 19, 18, 13, 21, 22, 23
Test 20% 2 0.08 6, 3, 4, 7, 11, 19, 17, 23

THE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES ARE:

- Activity A - Exam, 20% of the final grade
- Activity B - Practical Activities, 50% of the final grade
- Activity C - Assignment, 30% of the final grade...

To pass the course, a minimum grade of 5.0 must be obtained for each of activities A, B, and C.

This course does not provide for a single-assessment system.

RE-EVALUATION:

Students will have the right to be re-evaluated for the subject if they have been evaluated from the set of activities, the weight equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade for the subject. In order to be able to present the re-evaluation of the subject, it will have had to obtain the average mark of 3.5. The activity that is excluded from the recovery process is coursework (Assignment).

SECOND REGISTRATION:

In the case of second registration, students may take a single synthesis test that will consist of a short content test with a theoretical and practical section, using the bibliography indicated by the teaching staff and a proposal for a research report on a scientific topic.

The qualification of the subject will correspond to the grade obtained on the synthesis test.

PLAGIARISM:

In the event that the student performs any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation of an evaluation act, this evaluation act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that could be instructed. In the event, that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.

AI:

For this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively in support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction or translations, and in no case as a replacement for creative activities such as the production of texts, photos, videos and audios. If in doubt, students should consult with the teaching staff. Studentsmust clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and, in the case of non-trivial uses, include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The lack of transparency of the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.

 


Bibliography

Bucchi, & Trench, B. (2021). Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology. Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003039242

Campos, A. (2022). Comunicación efectiva de la ciencia: ¿qué es y cómo ayuda a los científicos a mejorar su carrera y cumplir objetivos de impacto social? Revisión de la literatura. Hipertext.Net, 24, 23–39. https://doi.org/10.31009/hipertext.net.2022.i24.03

Dralega, C. A., & Napakol, A. (Eds.). (2022). Health Crises and Media Discourses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95100-9

Dentzer. (2009). Communicating Medical News — Pitfalls of Health Care Journalism. The New England Journal of Medicine, 360(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp0805753

Elías, C. (2008). Fundamentos de periodismo científico y divulgación mediática. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

Hernando Cuadrado, L. A. (2006). Periodismo científico y lenguaje/Scientific Journalism and Language. Estudios sobre el mensaje periodístico, 12, 331.

Hyde-Clarke, Hornmoen, Kjos Fonn, &  Benestad Hågvar. (2020). Media Health. Scandinavian University Press (Universitetsforlaget). https://doi.org/10.18261/9788215040844-2020

Sanahuja Sanahuja, R., & López Rabadán, P. (2022). La gestión de fuentes como criterio de calidad en el periodismo de verificación. Uso y tendencias en la cobertura de la COVID-19 en España. Hipertext.Net, 24, 9–22. https://doi.org/10.31009/hipertext.net.2022.i24.02

Parrott, Nussbaum & Thompson. (2011). The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203846063

Oransky. (2020). Will improvements in health journalism improve health literacy? Information Services & Use, 40(Health Literacy), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3233/ISU-200081

Urrego Zuluaga, & Bustos Villalba, J. V. (2021). Periodismo científico y perfil periodístico como elementos metodológicos para la construcción de historias hipermediales. Investigación y desarrollo, 29(2), 68–. https://doi.org/10.14482/INDES.29.2.070.4


Software

Text editing software: Word or similar
Data analysis software: Excel or similar


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
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 11 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 12 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed