15540 - Sports Journalism

Learning outcomes

After the course the student is able to understand and identify changes in the way of communicate the sport through the personal and organizational communication , mass media and new media . It will be given special attention to the social and cultural processes that regulate the work of sports journalists and new communication skills in the field of wellness and physical activities . In particular, students will explore the processes of production and consumption of information in the transition from traditional forms of journalistic communication to the most innovative ( blog , free press , online newspapers ) that redefine the field and extend their scope and language .

Course contents

• The sports journalism course aims to illustrate the main news-making processes (the news construction and distribution) and related communication theories, useful in understanding the processes that occur in the field of journalistic communication, especially sports. It will highlight the social functions of journalism and the changes taking place in social relations, both in sport and physical activity, both in communications, which are favored by "old" and "new" media. At the end of the course the student will be able to interpret the sports journalism as a profession of "hinge" between two social environments -the sport and physical activity, and global communications. In addition, students will be able to identify the most relevant aspects of that profession, such as: the criteria of newsworthiness; credibility and manipulation in the journalistic communication; the information market and the variety of readership; roles and relationships with other social actors (ownership of the media, sponsors, advertising agencies, champions and sports teams, etc.).

Readings/Bibliography

The books required for the preparation of the final examination are:

Sorrentino C., Blanda E., Studiare giornalismo. Ambiti, logiche, attori, Carocci, Roma, 2013: solo i capitoli 1-8, cap.11: pagg. 11-172; 201-211. 

Germano I.S., Martelli S., Russo G., I mondiali di calcio da cerimonia sportiva a “Global entertainment. Cambiamenti e profili delle Audience televisive nel terzo millennio. DOI: 10. 1445/79605. In: PROBLEMI DELL’INFORMAZIONE – ISSN: 0390-5195 vol. 1/2015, pp. 11.34.

Teaching methods

Case studies lessons illustrated with the help of new communication technologies .

Assessment methods

The candidate will acquire the expected CFU passing an oral exam .

Teaching tools

Video projections of the main content of the lectures in the form of Power Point presentations . Teaching materials available on the Internet , especially the site of SportComLab - Communication Laboratory of sports ' " Alma Mater " : www.sportcomlab.it . Video projections of film productions and ad hoc readings on the matters of the course . Meetings with industry experts .

Office hours

See the website of Ivo Stefano Germano