Subject

Information Theory

  • code 09595
  • course 1
  • term Semester 1
  • type OB
  • credits 6

Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: Catalan

Teaching staff

Head instructor

Dr. Santiago JUSTEL - sjustel@uic.es

Office hours

To get individual attention you need to arrange time via email.

sjustel@uic.es

 

Introduction

Probably, our era is the first in the history in which people receive more information and has more data. This information is organized into stories and narratives that contain speeches, views, judgments and criticisms regarding the reality around us. The making of these stories, texts and images have the power to shape the vision about a specific event or fact.

How to analyze these stories and how to build them is essential to the communicator. The selection, organization, structure and presentation of this information allows the succeed aimed with a story. This success has to do with changes in society, with understandings of the historical facts and with the very nature of human beings. Information processes are not cold data exchange or isolated messages, but an interaction of texts, stories and speeches.

In this subject, students will learn to take a critical attitude towards the stories and speeches and select the items to build their own. They will learn the tools that allow them to structure and give substance to a story. 

Asimismo, en esta asignatura se pondrá énfasis en la necesidad de la realización de procesos de documentación, gestión de información y verificación de informaciones en el trabajo periodístico. Para ello el alumno adquirirá conocimientos sobre el uso de herramientas, sistemas, fuentes y procedimientos necesarios para poder llevar a cabo una correcta documentación periodística.

Pre-course requirements

No pre-course requirements are needed to enrol in this subject.

Objectives

  • Develop an information culture.
  • Extensively and deeply understand the information phenomenon.
  • Countering generalised inconsistencies resulting from applying mathematical or any type of computerised information processing theory.
  • Enable students to acquire information skills and habits, so they know, understand and use information as a tool to achieve personal goals, increasing their knowledge and personal potential.
  • Improve the use of information as a resource, learn to manage it wisely, obtain performance, transforming it into knowledge and store it in form of intelligence.
  • Understand how to absorb more background, use, communicate and appreciate information.
  • Acquire ideas and methods to improve the processes of information that students must lead or may participate in.
  • Improve the quality of information that students produce.
  • Generate and maintain differential knowledge.
  • Learn to design, transfer, and produce knowledge.
  • Provide students with the knowledge and skills that enable them to interact with the consumer, so that the latter is capable of generating knowledge and decision making.
  • Design of knowledge information systems - centric user. Creating information that is more easily understood.
  • Learn to tune in and transact with the user, both to increase the knowledge of oneself and the people with whom on should interact professionally.
  • Improve the intelligent use of information.

Competences / Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • 10 CG - Knowledge and mastery of bibliographic repertoires
  • 11 CG - Knowledge and mastery of different research resources
  • 16 CE - The ability to make judgments and well-argued critical assessments
  • 18 CE - Ability to detect newsworthy events
  • 22 CE - The ability to critically analyze Spanish, European and World journalism.
  • 36 CE - Knowledge and mastery of the distinction between opinion and information / colloquial and cultured registers
  • 37 CE - Knowledge and mastery of different techniques to contrast information

Learning outcomes of the subject

  1. They will understand the context surrounding a discourse (speaker, receiver, objective, pragmatics...).

  2. They will understand the basic elements of the construction of stories and they will be able to adopt a critical viewpoint in relation to the data and arguments they involve.

  3. They will learn to process information to generate their own knowledge and useful content for consumers.

  4. They will acquire the necessary expressive skills to inform and convince the audience through their words.

  5. They will argue in an intelligible and convincing manner.

  6. They will be able to search for, select and incorporate information into a journalistic documentation process.

  7. They will be able to observe reality based on journalistic criteria.

  8. They will know the main theoretical concepts that underlie informational tasks.

  9. They will know the main types of information sources and information systems that are useful in journalism.

  10. They will understand the present based on full knowledge and know how to detect new trends.

  11. They will undertake an in-depth analysis of culture and contemporary thought and its impact on personal and collective dynamics. They must have knowledge of history to understand today’s situation in the media.

  12. They must facilitate relationships between people, groups of people, institutions and organisations, etc.

Syllabus

Section 1 - Introduction to Journalism - Profesor: Santiago Justel


What is journalism?

Definition and functions of journalism. 

Brief historical review. Journalism and democracy

 

What is news?

Facts, facts, events and pseudo events

Values news. Newsworthiness criteria

The information ecosystem. Journalistic Routines

 

Sources

Definition, typology, attribution

 

Journalistic style

Concision, correction, clarity ...

The use of different verb tenses

More frequent mistakes

 

The journalistic genres

Definition and utility

Information, interpretation, opinion

 

Section 2 - Profesora: Carmen Llovet

 

Teaching and learning activities

In person

  • Lectures 
  • Focused praxis 

 

 

TRAINING ACTIVITYECTS CREDITS
Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students.
4.3
Focused Praxis. Handing in occasional exercises to learn theory through practice.
1.7

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person

  • 60% Final Exam
  • 30 % Continuous assessment (including readings)
  • 10 % Tests

 

2nd CALL   100 % Final exam

Bibliography and resources

Anderson, C. W., Bell, E., & Shirky, C. (2012). Post-industrial Journalism: Adapting to the Present: a Report. Columbia Journalism School. 

Gomis, L. (1991). Teoría del periodismo. Cómo se forma el presente. Barcelona: Paidós. 

Kovach, B., & Rosentiel, T. (2012). Los elementos del periodismo. Madrid: Santillana.

Martínez-Albertos, J. L. (1989). El lenguaje periodístico. Madrid: Paraninfo

Salmon, C. (2008) Storytelling. La máquina de fabricar historias y formatear las mentes. Península: Barcelona.

Wolton, D. (2010). Informar no es comunicar. Contra la ideología tecnológica. Gedisa: Barcelona.

Bamberg, M. G. W., &  Andrews, M. (2004) Considering Counter-narratives: Narrating, resisting, making sense. John Benjamins B. V.: Amsterdam.

Guallar, J.; Leiva-Aguilera, J. (2013) El content curator. Guía básica para el nuevo profesional de internet.Barcelona: UOC.

Mortimer, J. A., & van Doren, C. (1996) Cómo leer un libro. Debate: Madrid.

 
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