B5145 - History and Analysis of Mass Communication (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to analyse the languages of the various mass media, from the traditional (newspapers, radio, cinema, television) to the digital, using interdisciplinary research methods. He/she will be able to understand the relationships between journalistic communication and the historical, social, political and economic contexts in which this communication is expressed, evaluating the relationships of mutual influence between the variables operating in a collective environment. They will be able to carry out analyses of particularly significant moments in contemporary history, with reference to Italian and world reality.

Course contents

The lessons will cover:

- key concepts in the history of mass communications: media influence spheres, forms of propaganda, public opinion, surveys, agenda setting, historical communication, truth and fake news, disintermediation, big data.

- some of the events in the history of Italian terrorism (1969 - 1980) in the light of the dynamics of communication;

- History of commercial television in Italy from 1974 - 1994;

- Press and scoop surveys, reflections on public opinion;
- The topics that students have asked for.

Readings/Bibliography

The program of the course is the only one that is valid for all students, regardless of their current or previous years.

Prerequisite:

It is advisable to have basic knowledge on the subject. It is recommended, both for the attending and for the non-attending, a preliminary reading: Marica Tolomelli, Sfera pubblica e comunicazioni di massa, Bologna, Archetipo libri, 2006.

The text is not an exam subject, but provides many tools to understand the topics of the lessons and the contents of the exam texts.

The basic knowledge of the main scholars who have tried their hand on the topics of communication and the history of public opinion is useful: Theodor Adorno, Pierre Bordieu, Manuel Castells, Umberto Eco, Siegfried Krakauer, Jurgen Habermas, Max Horkheimer, Peter Hugill, Harold Innis, Walter Lippmann, Niklas Luhmann, David Manning White, Marshall McLuhan, Elisabeth Noelle Neumann, Walter Ong, Peppino Ortoleva, Vance Packard, Axel Honneth, Rahel Jaeggi and Hartmut Rosa.

PROGRAMME FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

1) Il potere della menzogna. Comunicazione e politica nella società digitale (a cura di Jacopo Marchetti), Bologna, Il Mulino, 2024;

2) Comunicazione storica. Tecnologie Linguaggi e Culture (a cura di Mirco Dondi e Simona Salustri), Bologna, Biblioteca Clueb, 2021

3) Mirco Dondi, L’eco del boato. Storia della strategia della tensione 1965 - 1974, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2023.

4) Parole chiave per i media studies (a cura di Laurie Ouellette e Jonathan Gray), Roma, Minum fax, 2018.

The exam for non-attending students will be a multiple-choice test with 28 questions, 7 questions for each book.

PROGRAMME FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS

Students will write a paper on the history (or current affairs) of television with freedom of choice on the country, period and mode of use (General TV, thematic, pay TV, telestreet, web TV). The texts must be delivered by 28 March 2025. The papers must not exceed 25,000 characters of text spaces included. Appendices and notes are not included in this calculation.

The teacher will assess the eligibility of the work.

The papers will then be grouped into a single file and will form part of the examination programme for

The teacher will assess the eligibility of the work.

The papers will then be grouped into a single file and will form part of the examination programme for.

The students must attend the course regularly and must submit their paper by 28 March 2025.

IN SUMMARY, THE PARTICIPANTS SHOULD PREPARE:

- the texts of all the papers written by the class;

- The notes from the lessons.

These first 2 parts will be supported exclusively in the pre-call of May (valid only for the attending). For this test alone, you will not need to register for the Almaesami.

The pre-appeal test will be a written test with 14 multiple-choice questions.

Both the essay and the test are given the assessment of "suitable". The final numerical grade will be for the two books chosen for the official examination, which consists of 14 multiple-choice questions.

Teaching methods

Lectures, videos, power points, group discussions, student reports, text processing.

Assessment methods

Written exam for everyone.

Seven multiple-choice questions will be submitted for each book. Depending on the question, the correct answers may be two, three or four.

For istance: Quali caratteristiche presenta la televisione italiana delle origini?

A) E' a colori; B) Si ispira alla BBC per quanto riguarda i principi base: intrattenere, informare, educare; C) I telegiornali sono trasmessi ogni due ore; D) E' sotto stretto controllo governativo; E) Ricorre ad un ampio uso della diretta.

Correct answers: B and D.

The first wrong answer is not calculated for the purpose of the evaluation, for each subsequent error a point will be taken.

In the case of correct but incomplete answers, once three missing answer options are reached, a point will be taken.

In any case, to pass the exam, it is necessary to answer correctly at least half of the questions for each text on the program.

For not attending students:
Seven questions per text, for a total of 28 questions.

For attending students:

Seven questions per text, for a total of 14 questions.

Teaching tools

Films and archives on the web.

Students who require specific services and adaptations to teaching activities due to a disability or specific learning disorders (SLD), must first contact the appropriate office:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students .

Office hours

See the website of Mirco Dondi