Communications Companies Business Models
Code: 104994Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | OP | 3 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Miguel Urmeneta Arbusa
- Email :
- miguel.urmeneta@uab.cat
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
Elective course of third and fourth year in the Degree of Journalism. It will be necessary for the students to have knowledge of current issues, and to demonstrate the ability to use Catalan and Spanish correctly orally and in writing. It must be taken into account that the students will have completed compulsory courses related to this course and that this will allow them to already have the necessary technical skills for the development of specific activities.
Objectives
1. Integrate the business dimension into the concept of journalism and the media.
2. Use market and business analysis models.
3. Know different cases of journalistic companies and the current trends in terms of product design and the impact of the technological environment on the production of content, its consumption and its monetization.
4. Develop and present an own business plan in the field of communication.
Learning outcomes
- CM25 (Assess the impact of media concentration on the diversity and plurality of the news, and ensure equity in access to news and its alignment with the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs).) Assess the impact of media concentration on the diversity and plurality of the news, and ensure equity in access to news and its alignment with the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs).
- CM26 (Design financing and sustainability strategies for journalistic companies that guarantee editorial independence and adaptation to changes in the global media market.) Design financing and sustainability strategies for journalistic companies that guarantee editorial independence and adaptation to changes in the global media market.
- KM27 (Identify media companies’ business models and their evolution in the digital media ecosystem, as well as their implications on news plurality and journalistic independence.) Identify media companies’ business models and their evolution in the digital media ecosystem, as well as their implications on news plurality and journalistic independence.
- SM28 (Use economic analysis tools to assess the sustainability and feasibility of different business models in the field of the media.) Use economic analysis tools to assess the sustainability and feasibility of different business models in the field of the media.
Contents
1. Journalism as a business mission.
2. The public: habits and informational needs.
3. Information products, business models and digital environment.
4. Business project in the field of communication.
In one of the sessions of the subject, about 15 minutes will be allocated so that the students can respond to the surveys to evaluate the teaching performance and to evaluate the subject or module.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical Classes | 15 | 0.6 | KM27 |
| Mentorship | 42 | 1.68 | SM28 |
| Seminars and exercises | 33 | 1.32 | CM26 |
| Autonomous work | 60 | 2.4 | CM25 |
The development of the course will be carried out within the following teaching methodologies:
- master classes
- seminars
- inverted classes
- case studies
- Learning by doing
- guest sessions
- Development and presentation of the final project
The main activity of the course is the final work, a communication company project, which will be constantly tutored in the small groups of the course.
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. 2 Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff 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.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation in course activities | 20% | 0 | 0 | CM25, CM26, SM28 |
| Final project | 30% | 0 | 0 | CM26 |
| Final exam | 50% | 0 | 0 | KM27 |
Evaluation activities:
A. 50% final exam
B. 30% development and presentation of a project for the media industry.
C. 20% class participation.
Spelling errors (in assignments and exams) will result in a deduction of 0.5 points.
The theoretical exam is designed to assess whether students have mastered the basic concepts of the course. You must pass it to complete the course.
In case any of the three activities fail, not all of them will be able to recover. The project and its presentation (as well as class participation) cannot be recovered, they are group practices that are carried out during a big part of the semester. The theoretical exam can be recovered at the end of the semester.
Single evaluation:
A. 50% final exam
B. 30% individual project on a media company
C. 20% individual presentation on the current challenges of the media industry
Spelling errors (in assignments and the exam) will be penalized with a -0.5 point deduction.
To pass the course, you must pass the final exam, which is designed to ensure that the basic concepts have been learned. As in the case of the continuous assessment, the final exam is the only activity that can be retaken.
These graded activities will take place on the same day as the exam for students on continuous assessment.The make-up exam will be on the same date as for students on continuous assessment.
This course does not contemplate the realization of a synthesis test for second registrations.
Irregularities (academic fraud, plagiarism or improper use of AI, identity theft...):
If a student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant change in the grade of an assessment, that assessment will be graded 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. If multiple irregularities occur in the assessments of the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0.
AI use:
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.
Any student suspected of submitting assignments that have been generated by AI, written by others or copied; include unattributed AI-generated content, or fall outside the permitted scope, may be asked to provide the preliminary work or other materials that can demonstrate it is original work and the result of their own authorship. They may also be asked to separately explain or justify their work. Teachers may also use AI detection systems or carry out any verification tasks they deem appropriate. If, after review, the instructor detects irregularities, the assignment may be graded zero, and the student may be subject to further disciplinary action.
Bibliography
Basic
Cerezo, P. (2022). Deconstruyendo los medios: Cómo adaptar las empresas de comunicación al entorno digital. Almuzara.
Clark, T., Osterwalder, A. y Pigneur, Y. (2012). Tu modelo de negocio. Editorial Deusto.
Digital News Report 2026. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford. Disponible en:
<https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/es/digital-news-report/2026>
Periodismo, medios y tecnología: tendencias y predicciones para 2027. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford. Disponible en: <https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/es/periodismo-medios-y-tecnologia-tendencias-y-predicciones-para-2027>
Additional
Cerezo, P. (2018). Los medios líquidos: la transformación de los modelos de negocio. Editorial UOC.
Cerezo, P. (2019). Los medios ante los modelos de suscripción. Editorial UOC.
Covey, S. (2011). Los 7 hábitos de la gente altamente efectiva. Booket.
García Avilés, J. A. (2025). Águilas y colibríes: Periodistas innovadores en Europa. Playhacks.
Software
As it is a practical course, the required software is the usual one for carrying out the journalistic tasks of producing content in different formats.
Specifically, the following tools are required:
Audio editing software: Audacity
Text editing software: Word or similar
Image editing software: Canva
Data analysis software: Excel or similar
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 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 11 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |