Communication and Public Opinion
Code: 104979Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | OP | 3 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Nereida Carrillo Perez
- Email :
- nereida.carrillo@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Santiago Javier Justel Vazquez
- Manuel Arenas Sánchez
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the 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
- 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
Learning outcomes
- KM17 (Recognise the theoretical foundations of social communication, including semiotics, intercultural communication and public opinion, and identify their impact on the construction of reality and media representation.) Recognise the theoretical foundations of social communication, including semiotics, intercultural communication and public opinion, and identify their impact on the construction of reality and media representation.
- SM19 (Assess the media’s influence in shaping public opinion and the perception of social problems, and apply analytical criteria based on equity and pluralism.) Assess the media’s influence in shaping public opinion and the perception of social problems, and apply analytical criteria based on equity and pluralism.
Contents
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
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 14 | 0.56 | |
| Self-organized work | 54 | 2.16 | |
| Theory and classroom activities | 30 | 1.2 |
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.
Planning: 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 the various teaching materials deemed appropriate by the instructors and necessary information for effective course monitoring.
Gender perspective: The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language. The contribution of women to the discipline will be highlighted, and methodologies and learning activities will be carried out with a gender perspective.
Innovative teaching methods: In some of the sessions, innovative teaching methods will be incorporated.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class activities | 15% on the final grade | 22 | 0.88 | KM17, SM19 |
| Individual or grupal written works | 35% on the final grade | 26 | 1.04 | KM17, SM19 |
| Synthesis exam | 50% on the final grade | 4 | 0.16 | KM17, SM19 |
Continuous assessment
Theory. Theoretical test: 50%
Theory. Class activities: 15%
Seminar. Individual or group works on topics 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 reading related to the subject 15%
Delivery of a practical activity: 35%
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.
Not assessable
Students who do not show up for the theoretical test, who do not hand in class activities, and who do not do assignments on topics related to the subject contents.
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
For this 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.
Irregularities
The performance of any irregularity in an evaluation act (academic fraud, plagiarism or improper use of AI, unless this use is expressly authorized by the teaching guide), which may lead to a significant variation in the grade, assumes that this act will be graded with a 0. In the event that the teaching guide foresees that in order to pass the subject it is an essential requirement to have obtained a minimum grade in this evaluation act or that there are several irregularities in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade of this subject is 0. Apart from this, a disciplinary process may 7 be instructed to the student that incurs any of these irregularities.
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
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.
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.
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.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | English | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 11 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 12 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |