Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Communication Structure

Communication Structure
3
10076
3
Second semester
OB
Main language of instruction: Spanish

Teaching staff


Meetings with professors will be fixed on-demand.

 

E-mail: nroca@uic.es

Introduction

In this course students will learn how the media market is organized; the main subjects, companies and institutions involved in trade and communication relations and political-legal, technological, socio-cultural and economic circumstances that influence entrepreneurial activities will be identified. That reality will be analyzed both from an external perspective as from an internal perspective of the media companies. Thus, students will understand the relationship between structural factors of the media industry and the decisions made in the management and organization of media companies.

The contents of the course will be structured in four blocks. In the first, the main theoretical foundations on media economics and structure of the media system will be reviewed. In the other three blocks, the trends that continue to exist in the external environment of each of the main sectors: publishing, digital and audiovisual, will be discussed. For each market, the influence of the structural position in the value chain of the companies will be analyzed and, therefore, its different activities: production, distribution, marketing and consumption.

Pre-course requirements

None.

Objectives

  • Understanding the media ecosystem, its network of value and fundamentals of the economy of care.
  • Understand the uniqueness of different media sectors.
  • Knowing the parameters and key metrics in the industry.
  • Meeting the 'disruptive' factors of media industry and new entrants.
  • Knowing the Spanish market with a certain depth (actors, audience and environment).
  • Knowing the major global players in the industry of media and entertainment.

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • 08 CG - The ability to reflect and memorize.
  • 19 CE - The ability to elaborate a budget for a journalistic project.
  • 20 CE - The ability to plan and carry out journalistic projects
  • 23 CE - The ability to contextualize and critically analyze mass media products
  • 27 CE - The ability to understand and work with different agents of the journalistic profession
  • 33 CE - Knowledge and mastery of financing systems of different communication media

Learning outcomes of the subject

The students:

  1. Will know the elements which configure the news organizations, as well as its economic structure.
  2. Will understand the microeconomic and macroeconomic environment of media companies.
  3. They will develop an entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills.
  4. They will develop their creativity and their ability to be innovative in developing products and journalistic or communication projects.

Syllabus

1. Structure of communication: theoretical bases
2. Media ecosystem. Communication groups and markets
  • The publishing market: newspapers
  • The audiovisual market: radio and television
3. Organization, media system, power relations
  • Organization of the media
  • Media Systems and Political Systems
  • Communication policies. Laws
  • Public and private power: influence
4. Digitization of the media industry. Multiplatform system
  • New business models
  • Value creation
  • Attention economy
  • Audience analysis and consumption

Teaching and learning activities

In person



The contents of the course will be taught by:

  • Lectures in which the theoretical content of each subject will be taught.
  • Working groups in which current issues of the media system worked on each topic will be discussed.
  • Group exercises. Focused praxis and seminars.
  • Debate and critical thinking.

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person



-First call:

 
  • Attitude and participation: 10%
  • Individual work 20%
  • Group work: 20%
  • Exam: 50%
  - Others. Final exam: 100%
 

IMPORTANT:

 

-The UIC spelling regulations will be applied to all papers and exams. Without exceptions.

 

-Plagiarism in any of the evaluable activities will mean automatic failure of the subject.

 

Bibliography and resources

ALMIRON, N. (2011). Estructura de propiedad y composición de los consejos de administración de los principales grupos de comunicación europeos en 2009. Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, vol.5 - nº1 (2011), 227-244.

BAS et al. (2011). Políticas de comunicación y protección del pluralismo en la Unión Europea y Estados Unidos. Comunicación y Sociedad, 24(2), 41-75.

BUSTAMANTE, Enrique (coord.) (2003) Hacia un nuevo sistema mundial de comunicación. Las industrias culturales en la era digital. Barcelona: Gedisa.

CASTELLS, M. (1998). La era de la información: economía, sociedad y cultura. Madrid, Alianza Editorial, v.3.

DOYLE, G. (2002). Understanding media economics. London: SAGE Publications.

HALLIN, D.C. y MANCINI, P. (2004). Comparing media systems. Three models of Media and Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

HORCKHEIMER, M. i ADORNO, T.W. (2007): Dialéctica de la Ilustración. Madrid: Trotta.

MATTELART, A. (2002). Historia de la sociedad de la información. Barcelona: Paidos.

MEDINA, M. (2011, 2002). Estructura y gestión de empresas audiovisuales. Navarra: EUNSA.

McQUAIL, D. y DEUZE, M. (2020). McQuails' Media and Mass Communication Theory. SAGE.

NIETO, A.; IGLESIAS, F. (2000). Empresa Informativa. Barcelona: Ariel.

PÉREZ-LATRE, F.J., SÁNCHEZ-TABERNERO, A. (2012). Innovación en los medios. La ruta del cambio. Pamplona: Eunsa.

PICARD, R. (2011). The economics and financing of media companies. New York: Forham University Press.

SÁNCHEZ-TABERNERO, A (2003). Estructura y actividades de las empresas de comunicación, en BEL-MALLÉN, I. y CORREDOIRO, L.  Derecho de la información.