Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Economics
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Email.
Introduction
The Economics course introduces students to the main economic concepts, tools and dynamics required to understand and interpret contemporary realities, analyse how markets operate, and contextualise the economic processes that influence society, organisations and the communication sectors.
From an applied perspective, the course provides the foundations for interpreting economic indicators, statistical data, public policies, market trends and business decisions, as well as for analysing and communicating rigorously about issues related to economic growth, inflation, employment, inequality, consumption, investment and the transformation of production models. Students will develop the tools needed to understand economic information, identify its sources, interpret its data and produce accessible, contextualised and rigorous content for different audiences and formats.
The course also addresses the economics of media organisations and audiovisual industries, examining their business models, sources of funding, advertising, subscriptions, payment systems, corporate concentration, content distribution and digital transformation processes. It explores the impact of platforms, algorithms, data and the attention economy on the production, circulation and consumption of news, audiovisual and cultural content, as well as the challenges associated with the economic sustainability and editorial independence of media organisations.
Finally, the course introduces the Creator Economy as a new ecosystem for the production, distribution and monetisation of digital content. It examines creators’ business models, the development and management of audiences and communities, personal branding, platform-based monetisation, advertising and commercial collaborations, subscriptions, paid content and other revenue streams. It also addresses the opportunities and risks associated with platform dependency, income volatility, the concentration of attention and the transformation of communication-related professions.
Through the analysis of economic data, news and reports, case studies and the evaluation of business models, students will acquire the knowledge and competencies required to interpret economic realities, assess the sustainability of communication projects and develop a critical perspective on the economic transformations affecting media organisations, audiovisual industries and digital ecosystems.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
- Understand the main concepts, agents and dynamics of economics.
- Analyse key economic indicators and interpret data, statistics, graphs and reports related to economic realities.
- Understand how markets function, how prices are formed, how consumption and production decisions are made, and the factors that influence economic growth, inflation, employment and inequality.
- Be able to interpret and contextualise economic information rigorously.
- Understand the main business models of media organisations and the sources of funding associated with advertising, subscriptions, paid content, platforms and other revenue streams.
- Understand the economic impact of digital platforms.
- Assess the economic sustainability of media organisations and audiovisual projects.
- Apply economic concepts to the analysis and writing of news stories and journalistic and/or audiovisual publications.
- Develop criteria for interpreting economic transformations in the communication sector and making informed, responsible professional decisions adapted to new digital environments.
Syllabus
Economics as a tool for understanding social, business and communication-related realities.
Economic agents: households, businesses, the public sector and the external sector.
Scarcity, choice and opportunity cost.
Markets, supply, demand and price formation.
Competition, market concentration and market power.
Economic growth, productivity and development.
The role of institutions and economic policies.
The relationship between economics, society, technology and communication.
Block 2. Economic Data, Indicators and Information
Key economic indicators.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and economic growth.
Inflation, interest rates and purchasing power.
Employment, unemployment and job quality.
Public debt, budget deficits and public budgets.
Fiscal policy and monetary policy.
Inequality, income distribution and well-being indicators.
Interpretation of economic data, statistics, graphs and reports.
Sources of economic information and data verification.
How to communicate and contextualise economic information.
Block 3. Business Economics and Business Models
Businesses as economic agents.
Cost structures, revenue and profitability.
Fixed and variable costs.
Prices, margins and break-even points.
Investment, financing and risk.
Budgets and the economic viability of projects.
Traditional and digital business models.
Performance indicators and economic sustainability.
Return on Investment (ROI) and other metrics applied to communication projects.
Block 4. Media Economics
Economic characteristics of the cultural, audiovisual and news industries.
Media organisations as businesses and social institutions.
The structure and evolution of media markets.
Corporate concentration, pluralism and diversity of information.
Media funding models.
Advertising, subscriptions, paid content and memberships.
Public, private and community media.
The economics of the press, radio, television and digital media.
Digital transformation and the economic sustainability of journalism.
New business models for news and information.
Block 5. Platforms, Data and the Attention Economy
The platformisation of communication.
Digital platforms and technology intermediaries.
Multisided markets and network effects.
The attention economy.
Data, algorithms and content personalisation.
Programmatic advertising and the data-driven economy.
Content distribution, visibility and recommendation.
Platform dependency and risks for media organisations and content creators.
The economics of digital content and audiences.
Block 6. The Creator Economy and the Economics of Content Creation
The concept, evolution and characteristics of the Creator Economy.
Content creators, influencers, streamers, podcasters and independent professionals.
Building audiences, communities and personal brands.
Content monetisation models.
Advertising, sponsorships and collaborations with brands.
Subscriptions, memberships, donations and crowdfunding.
Paid content, digital products and professional services.
The economics of podcasts, audiovisual channels and digital communities.
Income diversification and the sustainability of creative projects.
Block 7. Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Communication Economy
Technological innovation and the transformation of business models.
Artificial intelligence and the automation of content production.
New processes for content creation, distribution and monetisation.
The economics of generative tools and synthetic content.
Intellectual property, remuneration and the value of creativity.
New professional profiles and ways of working in the communication sector.
The economic, social and environmental sustainability of media industries.
Bibliography and resources
Mankiw, N. G. (2021). Principles of Economics (9a ed.). Cengage Learning.
Albarran, A. B. (2024). The Media Economy (3a ed.). Routledge.
Rohn, U., von Rimscha, M. B. i Raats, T. (eds.) (2024). De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics. De Gruyter.
Peres, R., Schreier, M., Schweidel, D. A. i Sorescu, A. (2024). “The Creator Economy: An Introduction and a Call for Scholarly Research”. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 41(3), 403–410.