Media studies, digital communication and journalism

The course aims to offer an in-depth analysis of the field of media politics. Starting from a reflection on the transformations of the political and media system, a number of thematic clusters focusing on the relationship between media and democracy, electoral campaigns, political journalism, the impact of media on voting behavior and opinion formation, and the current ways of activating political participation will be presented and analyzed. Particular attention will be paid to exploring the dynamics of shaping and defining issues on the public agenda, in the current media context in which the phenomenon of hybridization has made the range of actors increasingly broader and the task of identifying the contribution made by multiple actors (media, politicians, citizens, influencers, etc.) more complex. By the end of the course, students will have acquired an adequate understanding of the: - dynamics of public space construction: processes of mediatization of politics and their consequences; citizens’ consumption of political information; information abundance understood as both opportunity and risk; strategies deployed to capture attention (the battle over identity issues, polarization and the use of political incivility); - dynamics of political activation: political participation after social media, the subtle difference between expression and participation, intermittent participation, organizing participation, the role of digital media, digital audiences, political fandom and digital folklore, dark participation, i.e., how to create opportunities for disruption and harm to democracy; - dynamics of consensus activation: the construction of electoral campaigns, the phenomenon of personalization/leadership, mechanisms of intimidation and privatization, supporter engagement between entertainment and polarization, the going public, news management. Students will also have developed the capacity for critical analysis and empirical research on the communicative and political strategies of actors in the public sphere. This ability will be further implemented through the presentation of concrete case studies and investigative tools and methods useful for developing exercises (individual or group), aimed at designing communication campaigns relevant to issues of political relevance. The acquisition of this knowledge/skill is aimed at building a “toolbox” capable of enabling the student to construct solid research/reflections on the phenomenon of political communication.