B008198 - SOCIAL HISTORY OF COMMUNICATION

Italian Language

Italian

The course is rooted in the contemporary era, interpreted not as mere current events or as a sequence of disposable news, resulting from an often inattentive or partial information. On the contrary, contemporaneity will be analyzed through the filter of history, highlighting fundamental aspects and critical issues.

History and information in Contemporary ages.

Part A. Investigative journalism from the 19th century to today (Francesca Tacchi)

Part B. War communication during XX-XXI centuries (Valeria Galimi)

- Z. Ciuffolettti, E. Tabasso, Breve storia sociale della comunicazione. Terza Edizione con capitolo 10), Carocci 2018
- N. Ferguson , La piazza e la torre. Le reti, le gerarchie e la lotta per il potere. Una storia globale, Mondadori 2018

Two additional texts can be selected from the following:
- B. Baldi (a cura di), Complotti e raggiri, Viella 2018
- Z. Ciuffoletti, Tre storie, una storia, Mauro Pagliai Editore, 2017
- D. Breschi, Meglio di niente, Mauro Pagliai Editore, 2017

Other references will be communicated at the beginning of the course.

The bibliography will be
explained during the course.

Mandatory volumes:

1. Giovanni Gozzini, Storia del giornalismo, Bruno Mondadori, 2000 (or new edition)

2. Professione reporter. Il giornalismo d'inchiesta nell'Italia del dopoguerra,
a cura di F.M. Battaglia e B. Benvenuto, Rizzoli 2008 (some articles)

3. N. Labanca, C. Zadra (a cura di), Costruire un nemico. Studi di storia della propaganda di guerra, Unicopli, 2011(some chapters)

The course aims to deepen the knowledge of the topics and facts that have characterized the social history of the media.
The course aims to stimulate students' understanding and autonomy of judgement through the development of critical thinking, in order to understand the various contexts and complexity of history.

KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES:
- to revise the basic knowledge of Contemporary history
-to learn the basic knowledge of History of Journalism in the Contemporary age, with focus on investigative journalism and on war reporting.

SKILL OBJECTIVES:
- to learn knowledge of the main methods in the study of Contemporary history and history of journalism
- knowledge of the bibliographic tools in the study of Contemporary history

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES:
- to encourage the critical reflection on the origin of some key-aspects of Contemporary age

Basic knowledge of Contemporary history. It is recommended to use a contemporary history textbook at university level (i.e. Gabriele Turi, Il nostro mondo, Laterza 2006)

Lectures and thematic studies.

Frontal lessons, also by external experts, with didactic supports, available on Course e-learning platform (Moodle)

Mandatory inscription (at the beginning of the course) and mandatory frequence (for almost 24 hours). On Moodle available information and sources (slides etc).

The exam will be oral and can be completed by an in-depth study, chosen in agreement with the professor, aimed at examining a particular aspect of the topics dealt with in class. This in-depth study, which is not compulsory, can be presented in writing (a maximum of 15 pages to be submitted at least one week before the oral exam to the mail: ciuffolettirisorgimento@hotmail.com) or orally.

The exam focuses on the fundamental topics of the course program, and aims to verify the acquired knowledge and the student's ability to deal with the topics in a critical and autonomous way. For non-attending students an interview with the teacher is required in order to agree upon the program.

The exam consists in an written text, with questions of different types, about the topic covered in class and in the mandatory books.
The Erasmus students can choose oral examination.

The exam aims to verify:

- the understanding of the main processes of the Contemporary history and of the history of journalism
- the understanding of the main categories proposed to describe the mentioned phenomena
- the knowledge of the main events and phenomena, from the Dual Revolution of the late 1700s to the end of the 20th century; their relationship with the history of journalism (focus on investigative journalism and war journalism)
- the skill to establish connections between different events and processes
-the skill to use the specific language of history

Prof. Zeffiro Tufts
(With the collaboration of Dr. Edoardo Tabasso)

Introduction: Memory and History
Title: Communication and Globalisation. From Gutenberg to the Network.

1. The Press Revolution and Censorship
2. At the crossroads of communication and transport revolution: the new world
3. The "gazettes" and the commercial revolution: the European powers as the engine of globalisation
4. The second globalisation and the revolution in the media and transport: at the origin of the networks
5. At the origins of the media market: the invention of the penny press and the discovery of the "public".
6. Differentiated public opinion and the advance of democracy in nation states
7. Cities, European and American metropolises and the emergence of the "society of individuals
8. Europe's expansion in the world: colonization and civilization, domination and exchange
9. The crisis of the Bella époque, the Great War and the birth of totalitarianism
10. The media system between freedom and submission
11. Advertising, propaganda, public relations and political communication

The third revolution: from the Second World War to the age of the "Networks". The crisis between elites and "peoples"
Module edited by Dr. Edoardo Tabasso and the course holder

12. The crisis of European hegemony and the Western canon
13. The West in the comparison between "useless knowledge" and radical secularization (1960-1980)
14. The fatigue of the liberal democracies. The age of emotional consumption between "simple ideas and elementary passions" (1980-1989)
15. Localisation, communication imbalances and cultural wars. Challenges to the politically correct syndrome (1990- 2001)
16. The revenge of history and the geopolitics of communication

History and information in Contemporary age.
A: War communication during XX-XXI centuries. today
B: Investigative journalism from the 19th century to

The course aims to analyze the social, cultural and political history of XIX and XX century from two points of view: investigative journalism and information in war contexts

Focus on some topics and phenomena:
- Public opinion
- Information and war propaganda
History and communication of war in the 20th century
- The role of reporters in investigative journalism and during the conflicts
- Investigative journalism
- The role of media (press, radio, TV, web) in politic communication
- US journalism (penny press, yellow journalism, muckrakers, advocacy journalism)
- Investigative journalism in Italy from 1945 to today (focus on counter-information, the “leaden years").