Communication and Public Opinion
Code: 104979 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | OT | 3 |
| Journalism | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Nereida Carrillo Perez
- Email:
- nereida.carrillo@uab.cat
Teachers
- Santiago Javier Justel Vazquez
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Students are required to be aware of current political and social issues. A proactive, participatory attitude, an interest in the geopolitical context and a sensitivity to local social conflicts are also indispensable conditions.
Objectives and Contextualisation
- Analyze the processes of public opinion creation.
- Analyze the contribution and influence of the media to democracy.
- Identify political actors (in a broad sense of the concept) and civil society, and establish their relationships with the media.
- Reflect on new phenomena related to public opinion and the digital public sphere
Competences
- Journalism
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
- Differentiate the discipline's main theories, its fields, conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and approaches that underpin knowledge of the subject and its different areas and sub-areas, and acquire systematic knowledge of the media's structure.
- Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
- Analyse the influence of the media on public opinion.
- Appraise the social impacts of technological mediation in modern communication.
- Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
- Demonstrate a critical and self-critical capacity.
- Identify phenomena and consider theoretical problems regarding audiovisual communication.
- Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
- Identify the fundamentals of theories and the history of communication.
- Propose new methods or well-founded alternative solutions.
- Propose new ways to measure the success or failure of the implementation of innovative proposals or ideas.
- Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
Content
1. An approach to the concept of public opinion
2. Mass media and public opinion
3. Political communication and electoral campaigns
4. Internet and the digital public sphere: collective mobilization on the internet
5. Current challenges of the public sphere: populism, polarization, disinformation and hate speech
A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find all teaching materials and necessary information for e ective course monitoring. Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching sta will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.
Note: The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the
use of inclusive language.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Theory and classroom activities | 30 | 1.2 | 4, 2, 5, 6, 8, 7, 12, 13, 16 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Seminar | 14 | 0.56 | 4, 2, 1, 5, 8, 7, 15, 12, 13, 3 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Self-organized work | 54 | 2.16 | 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 15, 14, 12 |
The teaching will use a combination of teaching methods to promote student learning:
Directed activities
a) Lectures: in these sessions the lecturer will cover the basic concepts and notions of the subject and will allow students to discuss and reflect on the main content through active participation.
b) Seminars: work sessions focused on readings, oral activities or group presentations, individual work.
Supervised activities
a) Tutorial meetings: students will have acces to lecturer in the subject at certain times which may help to clear up any doubts that they may have about the subject
b) Evaluation sessions.
Autonomous activities
a) Self-organized work: reading texts and the search for information, writing individual or grupal work.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class activities | 15% on the final grade | 22 | 0.88 | 4, 2, 1, 5, 6, 7, 14, 12, 13, 3, 16 |
| Individual or grupal written work | 35% on the final grade | 26 | 1.04 | 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 14, 12, 13, 3 |
| Synthesis exam | 50% on the final grade | 4 | 0.16 | 4, 2, 5, 8, 15, 12, 13, 3 |
Continuous assessment
Theory. Theoretical test: 50%
Theory. Class activities: 15%
Seminar. Oral presentation of an individual or group work on a topic or reading related to the subject: 35%
To pass the subject, a minimum grade of 4 must be obtained in the theoretical test.
Unique assessment
Theoretical test: 50%
Individual work on a topic or reading related to the subject 35%
Delivery of a practical activity: 15%
To pass the subject, a minimum grade of 4 must be obtained in the theoretical test.
Reassessments
Students will be entitled to reassessment in the course if they have been evaluated on a set of activities accounting for at least two-thirds of the total course grade.
To be able to retake the subject, you must have obtained an average grade of 3.5 or higher. The activities that will be excluded from the retake process are: individual or group work and class activities.
Continuous evaluation reassessment
Theoretical knowledge exam
Single evaluation reassessment
Theoretical knowledge exam
Second-enrolment students
In the case of second-time enrollment, students will be able to take a single summary test at the end of the semester. The subject grade will correspond to the grade of the summary test.
Plagiarism
If the student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment, this assessment will be graded 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be initiated. If several irregularities occur in the assessment of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
Artificial intelligence
Forthis course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, or translations. Students must clearly identify any parts generated with these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how AI has influenced the process and final outcome of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in
severe cases.
Bibliography
The readings for the course will be established from among the references included below and from among other references that will be communicated at the beginning of the course.
Amazian, Salma i Garcés, Helios, F. (2024). Fragmentades: una anàlisi dels discursos d’odi, l’auge de l’extrema dreta i el seu impacte social. Dossier Catalunya Social. Propostes des del Tercer Sector. Núm.68. Juny de 2024. Disponible on-line: https://www.tercersector.cat/sites/default/files/2024-06/dossier_digital_1.pdf
Ardèvol-Abreu, Andreu (2015) “Framing o teoría del encuadre en comunicación. Orígenes, desarrollo y panorama actual en España”. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 70, 423-450.
Becerra, Martín i Waisbord, Silvio (2021). “La necesidad de repensar la ortodoxia de la libertad de expresión en la comunicación digital”. Desarrollo Económico. Revista De Ciencias Sociales, 60(232), 295–313. Recuperado a partir de https://ojs.ides.org.ar/index.php/desarrollo-economico/article/view/105
Bennett, Lance W i Kneuer, Marianne. (2024). “Communication and democratic erosion: The rise of illiberal public spheres”. European Journal of Communication, 39(2), 177-196.
Berrio, Jordi (1990). L'opinió pública i la democràcia, Barcelona: Pòrtic.
Capdevila, Arantxa; Moragas-Fernández, Carlota M.; Grau Masot, Josep M. (2022). “Emergencia del populismo en España: marcos metafóricos de Vox y de su comunidad online durante las elecciones generales de 2019”. Profesional de la información, v. 31, n. 3, e310317.https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.may.17
Chadwick, Andrew. (2006). Internet politics: States, citizens, and new communication technologies. New York: Oxford University Press.
Curran, James. (2011). Media and Democracy. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Donsbach, Wolfgang i Michael W. Traugott, eds. (2008). The Sage Handbook of Public Opinion Research. Londres-Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Esser, Frank i Jesper Strömbäck, eds. (2014). Meditatization of Politics. Understanding the Transformation of Western Democracies. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Gerbaudo, Paolo (2019). The digital party: Political organisation and online democracy. Londres: Pluto Press.
Habermas, Jürgen (1986). Historia y crítica de la opinión pública (primera edición 1962). Gustavo Gili: Mexico.
López García, Guillermo (2006) Comunicación en red y mutaciones de la esfera pública. ZER, n. 20, pp. 231-249
Mazzoleni, Gianpietro (2010). La comunicación política. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Noelle-Neumann, Elisabeth (1995). “La espiral del silencio”. Opinión pública: nuestra piel social.
Ortega, Felix. (2011). La política mediatizada. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Ruiz, José A. (1997). Introducción a la tradición clásica de la opinión pública, Madrid: Tecnos.
Sampedro, Víctor (2000). Opinión pública y democracia deliberativa, Madrid: Istmo
Sampedro, Víctor (2021). Comunicación y Sociedad: opinión pública y poder. Materials docents, Barcelona: UOC.
Sampedro, Víctor; Martínez, Mayra. (2018). “The Digital Public Sphere: An Alternative and Counterhegemonic Space? The Case of Spain”. International Journal Of Communication, 12, 22: 23-44
Software
Not mandatory.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 11 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 12 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |