Actuality in the Media

Ficha de unidade curricular - Ano letivo 2017/2018

Teaching language

Portuguese

Intended learning outcomes (Knowledges, skills and competencies to be developed by the students)

At the end of the course the students should be able to:

- Identify the journalists’ professional routines
- Understand the construction process of the news agenda
- Comprehend the various factors that influence the practice of journalism
- Critically examine the criteria determining the newsworthiness of an event
- Understand the role of news sources
- Recognize the specific features of the journalistic language
- Use basic techniques for journalistic writing

Syllabus

1. The news agenda

- The relationship among different agendas: political, public and mediatic
- The constraints that affect the functioning of the journalistic field
- The journalists' professional routines
- Newsworthiness criteria: the news values
- Journalists and news sources
- The types of (news) events

2. The language of journalism

- The news as narrative
- Journalism and the spheres of consensus, legitimate controversy, and deviance
- Quality journalism vs. popular journalism
- The controversy of objectivity in journalism
- Information vs. Opinion
- News framing
- Hard news and soft news

3. Journalistic writing
- Basic elements in the news: lead, the inverted pyramid style, title
- Searching data and information
- Interview techniques
- News production

Teaching methodologies

The course is taught based on the balance between theoretical, expository and participatory classes. The methodology is inspired by the Problem Based Learning, using case studies and requiring presentations and reflections by the students (individual or in groups) as a way to promote an interactive learning process.

Assessment methodologies and evidences

The assessment includes: Test evaluation of knowledge (40%), classroom exercises (20%) and news writing (40%)

Bibliography

Correia, J. C. (2011). O admirável mundo das notícias. Covilhã: Labcom.
Fontcuberta, M. de (1999). A notícia: pistas para compreender o mundo. Lisboa: Editorial Notícias.
Kovach, B. e Rosenstiel, T. (2004). Os elementos do jornalismo: o que os profissionais do jornalismo devem saber e o público exigir. Porto: Porto Editora.
López, M. (1995). Como se fabrican las noticias: fuentes, selección y planificación. Barcelona: Paidós.
Marôpo, L. (2008). A Construção da Agenda Mediática da Infância. Lisboa: Livros Horizonte.
Marôpo, L. (2013). Jornalismo e direitos da criança: conflitos e oportunidades em Portugal e no Brasil. Coimbra: MinervaCoimbra.
Ricardo, D. (2010). Ainda Bem que me Pergunta. Manual de Escrita Jornalística. Lisboa: Casa das Letras.
Sousa, J. P. (2000). As notícias e os seus efeitos. Coimbra: MinervaCoimbra.
Sousa, J. P. (2006). Elementos de Teoria e Pesquisa da Comunicação e dos Media. Porto: Edições Universidade Fernando Pessoa.
Traquina, N. (2002). O que é jornalismo. Lisboa: Quimera.