Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Media and Public Opinion
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Introduction
The course Media and Public Opinion aims to develop students’ awareness of the influence of the media on citizens, with particular emphasis on the local, national, and global media landscape, the ownership and funding of media groups, and the fundamental role that the media play in political processes and systems.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
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To define the concept of “public opinion”.
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To differentiate between media outlets and media groups.
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To acquire an overview of the local media landscape, identifying the media group to which each outlet belongs and the individuals who control each group.
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To acquire a global perspective on the impact of the media in contemporary societies.
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To define basic concepts in the sociological study of the media.
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To discover the relationship established between the media and institutions.
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.
- CN02 - Identify the various stakeholders in contemporary journalism, their roles and the operational dynamics of a digital and globalised environment.
- CN03 - Recognise the specialist areas of contemporary journalism, including their characteristics, styles, sources and specific methodologies.
- CN05 - Define concepts and specialised journalistic terminology in English.
- 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.
- CP04 - Manage the technical, material and time-related resources of a journalistic project.
- CP05 - Critically analyse national and international journalism in order to assess its influence on public opinion and current affairs.
- CP10 - Apply knowledge of media funding models to develop viable budgets for journalistic projects, critically analysing economic data and placing it within the business and social context of the sector.
- 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 define the main journalistic concepts and the vocabulary associated with the profession.
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To observe reality in order to identify newsworthy events.
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To address the challenges of the journalism profession ethically, with autonomy and responsibility.
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To understand the current media landscape, communication groups and companies, and their influence on public opinion.
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To acquire fundamental knowledge of journalistic organisations, their internal structure, the economic environment in which they operate, and the legal and ethical principles governing the creation and development of news organisations.
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To define basic concepts of academic research and identify the main theories, methodologies and research areas in the field of communication.
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To express personal concerns artistically through documentary filmmaking, exploring this audiovisual genre both in its informative and social-awareness dimensions.
Syllabus
- To define the concept of public opinion.
- To distinguish between media outlets and media groups: the local, national, and international media landscape.
- To examine mass communication and the role of the media in contemporary society.
- To analyse the relationship between the media and public opinion in democratic and authoritarian regimes, including the concept of opinion democracy.
- To analyse the relationship between the media and electoral processes; to distinguish between public opinion and voting behaviour; and to interpret opinion polls, including their objectives and design.
- To examine cultural identities, the media, media commentators, and ideology.
Bibliography and resources
Adamo, O; Garcia, V; Freidenberg, F. (2007). Medios de comunicación y opinión pública. McGraw-Hill.
Berrio, Jordi (1990). L'opinió pública i la democràcia. Editorial Pòrtic.
Borrat, Hector (1989). El periódico, actor político. Editorial Gili.
Colomé,G. (2020). Silencio, se vota. Editorial Comares.
García Santamaría, J. V., Pérez-Serrano, M. J. (2024). Grupos de comunicación españoles: final de etapa. Editorial UOC.
Toural Bran, C., López García, X. (2019). Ecosistema de cibermedios en España: Tipologías, iniciativas, tendencias narrativas y desafíos. Comunicación Social, Ediciones y Publicaciones.