Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Photojournalism
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
Introduction
The subject aims to bring us closer to press photography and audiovisual language as an element for understanding, knowledge, and interpretation of reality, providing specific skills for the production, creation, evaluation, editing, and use of journalistic images, while developing visual sensitivity.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
- To understand the foundations of visual language.
- To understand photography as a tool for informing, documenting, interpreting and representing reality.
- To identify the main narrative, expressive and compositional elements of photographic images and apply them to the construction of visual stories of journalistic interest.
- To critically analyse photographs and photojournalistic reports, taking into account their informational content, production context, intended purpose, visual treatment and social impact.
- To understand the main traditions, authors and key figures in photojournalism and photographic reportage, as well as their contributions to the development of contemporary visual language.
- To develop the ability to observe, select and represent reality according to journalistic criteria, visual sensitivity and narrative awareness.
- To apply the technical and expressive resources of photography to the production of informative images.
- To plan, document and produce photojournalistic projects suited to different subjects, contexts, formats and distribution platforms.
- To identify the relationship between image, text, context and sequencing in the construction of photojournalistic narratives.
- To understand and apply the ethical and professional principles governing the production, editing and publication of journalistic images, particularly in the representation of individuals, victims, vulnerable groups and situations involving suffering.
- To identify the limits of photographic manipulation and editing, as well as their implications for the authenticity, accuracy and credibility of informative images.
- To understand the rights and responsibilities associated with the use, publication and reuse of images, including copyright, image rights and the protection of privacy.
- To understand the changes brought about by digitalisation, social media, post-photography, artificial intelligence and synthetic images in the practice and credibility of photojournalism.
- To develop an independent, responsible professional judgement that respects human dignity, the truth of the facts and the social role of journalism.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Recognise contemporary social and media realities, contextualise historical events, and identify newsworthy issues at local, national and international levels.
- CN03 - Recognise the specialist areas of contemporary journalism, including their characteristics, styles, sources and specific methodologies.
- CN06 - Recognise the principal artificial intelligence tools with applications in journalism.
- CP01 - Work effectively in professional journalism teams, adapting to multidisciplinary and changing environments.
- CP02 - Apply professional ethical principles and standards of academic rigour in journalism, recognising the current legal and ethical framework and respecting the fundamental right to equality between women and men, promoting human rights, a culture of peace and democratic values, including the use of inclusive, non-discriminatory and stereotype-free language.
- CP03 - Analyse audiences within the digital media ecosystem in order to develop content for diverse audiences.
- CP04 - Manage the technical, material and time-related resources of a journalistic project.
- CP06 - Produce innovative, multi-platform journalistic content using narrative techniques and approaches specific to each medium and format.
- CP07 - Create innovative multimedia products by integrating graphic design, emerging technologies and elements of digital culture to communicate information in an engaging and accessible way across all devices.
- CP08 - Implement strategic communication plans within organisations and institutions across different sectors, defining the organisation's messaging and public image.
- CP09 - Develop multi-platform scripts that take into account the specific characteristics of different genres and formats.
- CP11 - Apply internal and external communication strategies to build a favourable perception of an organisation among its stakeholders.
- CP12 - Manage an organisation's internal communications to promote understanding of its values and organisational culture.
- HB01 - Interpret relevant data obtained from a variety of sources.
- HB02 - Present and defend journalistic projects orally and in writing in Catalan, Spanish and English.
- HB03 - Transform information into engaging and aesthetically effective messages.
- HB04 - Use a range of media research and documentation resources.
- HB05 - Distinguish between information, opinion and manipulation, applying verification and source-checking techniques to debunk misinformation and identify content generated by artificial intelligence.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
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To work naturally and professionally in a radio studio and television studio.
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To use video, audio, web and graphic design editing software with confidence.
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To plan the resources and logistics required to launch a radio programme or podcast.
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To plan the resources and logistics required to launch a news or current affairs programme on television, social media and streaming platforms.
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To develop journalistic or communication projects on the Internet.
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To use graphic resources in journalistic or communication projects, including AI-generated images and infographics.
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To capture the concept and approach of written press texts through photography.
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To acquire technical skills in the main technologies for recording and editing image and sound.
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To master the main techniques and technologies of digital design, including AI tools.
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To develop planning and leadership skills through event organisation and participation in press offices.
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To develop teamwork skills by fostering positive synergies to harness and maximise the talent of each team member.
Syllabus
1.- The camera as an apparatus: introduction to photojournalistic language.
2.- Studium, punctum, and photographic language: Barthes, Arbus, and Cartier-Bresson.
3.- Susan Sontag and Steve McCurry: the image-world and the use of color.
4.- Movement, depth of field, and authorial gaze in Sebastião Salgado and Raghu Rai.
5.- Azoulay, Capa, and Morenatti: methodology and gaze in photojournalistic reportage.
6.- Ethics in photojournalism: rights, limits, and the photography of alterity.
7.- Portraiture and light in photography.
8.- Post-photography: images in the digital age.
9.- Seminar of photo essays.
Bibliography and resources
World Press Photo Foundation.
National Press Photographers Association (NPPA).
Reuters. Handbook of Journalism.
Associated Press (AP). News Values and Principles.
Magnum Photos.