Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

International Journalism

International Journalism
3
10699
3
First semester
op
Main language of instruction: Spanish

Teaching staff


Request an appointment: nvalle@uic.es

Introduction

This discipline was born in 1919, when the University of Wales created the Wodrow Wilson Chair of International Relations in the aftermath of the World War I. In those days, the Humanity wanted to identify the reasons that led Europe to self-destruction. Two decades after, the world was plunged into war again. Since then, political actors, journalists and civil society try to understand the elements of global relationships to prevent conflicts and promote cooperation.

The course is divided in different sections:

-   Theoretical approaches on international relations

-   Study of international actors: diplomacy, states and international organizations

-   Study of the dynamics in international politics: cooperation, war and, most especially, peace

-   Study of the resolution of conflicts from the secular and christian humanistic point of view

-   Analysis of major international agendas: the Arab Spring, Europe, emerging powers, Latin America and Africa.

-   The task of the International journalist, with special attention to the war correspondent.

Pre-course requirements

No prerequisits

Objectives

The objective is that students assume different roles: the researcher, using sources of information and analytical guidelines, and, of course, the reporter. The subject is not strictly theoretical but  practical, oriented to journalism. The intention is to train competent professionals in international politics, a prestigious area of the Information that offers great career prospects.

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • 01 CG - Capacity for self-evaluation and professional order
  • 02 CG - The ability to learn and act an autonomously and responsibly
  • 03 CG - The ability to work in a group
  • 14 CE - The ability to plan technical and human resources
  • 17 CE - The ability to produce spoken and written texts for journalistic projects
  • 18 CE - Ability to detect newsworthy events
  • 22 CE - The ability to critically analyze Spanish, European and World journalism.
  • 27 CE - The ability to understand and work with different agents of the journalistic profession
  • 29 CE - The ability to understand and apply different journalistic genres and formats
  • 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
  • 43 CE - The ability and capacity to take responsibility for the communication area of an organization
  • 47 CE - The ability and capacity to expertly and strategically manage of corporate communications
  • 53 CE - The ability to know specialized areas of the journalistic profession

Learning outcomes of the subject

Students will:

1. Will know the resources and professional dynamics of the different areas of journalistic specialization.

2. Will be able to perform corporate communication tasks in entities of the specialized areas that make up the module.

3. Will know how to analyze and understand the keys to current affairs in those sectors corresponding to the journalistic specializations offered in the module.

4. They will adapt the attitudes and aptitudes of journalistic work to products or projects determined by a specific area of specialization.

 

 

 

Syllabus

I. Approach to the International Relations. Theory and Evolution

  1. The great traditions of thinking about the international society: the realistic (Hobbes and Machiavelli: anarchy), the Kantian (Kant: positive morality) and the rationalist (Grotius: search of the order).
  2. The evolution of the International Relations during the Cold War. Realpolitik.
  3. New approaches: transnational vision, structuralism (theory of underdevelopment), neorealism and new critical theories.

II. Structure of International Society and its actors

  1. Diplomacy. Before and after the Treaty of Westphalia. Balance of Power.
  2. States. Superpowers, influential states and peripheral states.
  3. International organizations (governmental)
  4. NGOs.
  5. Transnational corporations and other actors.

III. Conduct in international relations. Peace and Cooperation. Analysis of pacifism, cooperation and integration among the states.

IV. Conduct in international relations. Conflicts

  1. The nature of the conflict. 
  2. Types of Conflict:
  • Territorial.
  • By the exercise of power
  • For the creation or preservation of a state
  • Ideological
  • Economic
  • Ethnic
  • Religious.
  • To achieve or preserve foreign hegemony and the status quo

     3. Resolutions: negotiation, arbitration and mediation.

V. Territorial and ethnic conflicts.

  1. Analysis about the concepts of Sovereignty and Territory. Borders.
  2. Political Geography. Cartography. Geostrategic areas.
  3. Analysis of the concept of nation. Gestation of nationalist sentiment. Nationalism as an ideology.

VI. Conduct in international relations. War and armed conflict

  1. Definitions. Evolution from Von Clausewitz until today
  2. Elements: Armed forces, weapons and battlefields. Introduction to the military strategy.
  3. Legal framework of the conflicts. International Conventions.
  4. Terrorism

 

VII. Main international current affairs. 

  1. The rise of identity nationalism in Europe
  2. The rise of armed Islam
  3. The future of Israel.
  4. The United States of Trump vs. Russia and China.
  5. The resurgence of Africa
  6. The crossroads in Latin America

VIII. International Journalism.

  1. Evolution 
  2. The correspondent.
  3. The special envoy
  4. The freelance
  5. News agencies.

IX. International Journalism. The war correspondent

  1. Is it a journalistic genre? Characteristics.
  2. The war production 
  3. Behavior on the battlefield.
  4. Measures to prevent physical and mental risks.

X. How to explain an armed conflict. Moral debates.

Teaching and learning activities

In person



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.
1
Meeting Point. Meetings will be organised with notable people from the professional and scientific fields or the international field, and students. These sessions will take the form of conferences, work sessions, discussions, or interviews, etc.
0.4
Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested.
0.4
Focused Praxis. Handing in occasional exercises to learn theory through practice.
1.2

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person



At the end of Chapter X.

  • Analysis of a international conflict (following a pattern), simulating a hypothetical arbitration process.

At the end of the course.

  • Writing an article (3,000 characters) on any aspect of international affairs reflecting some of the concepts studied.
  • Final exam
In second call: 
  • Analysis of a international conflict (following a pattern), simulating a hypothetical arbitration process. 100%
 

Bibliography and resources

International Relations  and Contemporary History

  • ACEMOGLU, Daron/Robinson, James. Por qué fracasan los países. Deusto. 2014
  • BEST, A. International History of the Twentieth Century. Routledge, Londres, 2004
  • BROWN, C. i AINLEY, K. Understanding International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, Londres, 2009
  • DUNNE, T., KURKY, M, i SMITH, S. Theories of International Relations. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007
  • FERGUSON, N. The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West. Penguin, Londres, 2006
  • GILBERT, M. A History of the Twentieth Century. Harper-Collins, Nova York, 2002
  • GRENVILLE, J.A.S. A History of the World in the Twentieth Century (Vol. I. Western Domination, 1900-1947 & Vol. II. Conflict and Liberation, 1945-1996). Harvard University Press, Harvard, 1997
  • KAPLAN, Robert. La venganza de la geografía. RBA, 2015
  • KEGLEY, CH.W. i BLANTON, S.L. World Politics. Trend and Transformation. Cengage, Boston, 2010KEYLOR, W.R. The Twentieth-Century World. An International History Since 1900. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2005
  • KISSINGER, H. Diplomacia. Ediciones B, Barcelona, 1996
  • ZORGBIBE, CH. Historia de las relaciones internacionales (Vol. 1. De la Europa de Bismarck hasta el final de la segunda guerra mundial & Vol. 2. Del sistema de Yalta hasta nuestros días). Alianza, Madrid, 1997

Peace and conflict

  • ACCKERMAN, PETER & KRUEGLER, CHRISTOPHER Strategic non violent conflicts. The dynamics of people power in twentith century. Praeger, Westport, 1994
  • BRAMS, STEVEN Negotiation Games. Applying game theory to bargaining and arbitration. Routledge, New York, 1990
  • BROWN, CHRIS. Internacional Relations Theory. Columbia University Press, New York, 1992
  • BROWN, MICHAEL E. ed. Ethnic conflict and international security, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1993
  • BUENO DE MESQUITA, BRUCE & COLMAN, DAVID War and reason Domestic and internaional imperatives. Yale University Press, New Haven, 1992
  • CHOMSKY, NOAH. The culture of terrorism. South End Press, Boston, 1988
  • DIEHL, PAUL F ed. A road map to war. Vanderbilt University Press, Nashville, 1999
  • ESMAN, MILTON & TELHAMI, SHIBLEY. International Organisation and ethnic conflict. Cornell University Press, New York 1995
  • HOLSTI, KALEVI, J. Peace and war: armed conflicts and international order 1648-1989 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998
  • KEEGAN, JOHN Historia de la guerra. Planeta, Barcelona, 1995
  • MITCHELL, C.R. The structure of International conflict Saint Martin Press, New York, 1989
  • SCHELLING, THOMAS C. The strategy of Conflict. Harvard University Press, Harvard, 1997
  • SMITH, ANTHONY D. Ethnic origin of nations. Blackwell, Oxford, 1998
  • SMITH, ANTHONY D. National Identity. University of Nevada Press, Reno, 1993

International journalism

  • TULLOCH, C. Corresponsales en el Extranjero: Mito y Realidad. EUNSA, Pamplona, 2004
  • BOYD-BARRETT, O. News Agencies in the Turbulent Era of the Internet. Lexicon, Barcelona, 2010
  • THUSSU, Daya. International Communication. A Reader. Routledge, London 2010
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