ID:
508815
Duration (hours):
40
CFU:
6
SSD:
SOCIOLOGIA DEI PROCESSI CULTURALI E COMUNICATIVI
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Secondo Semestre (23/02/2026 - 29/05/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course aims to provide a critical understanding of contemporary journalism through a sociological lens, analyzing the impact of digitization on production practices and business models. The objective is to explore the transition toward the network society, examining the role of platforms, algorithms, and artificial intelligence in redefining the relationship between information and society.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Identify and analyze the key epistemological and structural transformations of digital journalism.
Understand the dynamics of gatekeeping and platformization governing news distribution.
Critically evaluate new editorial formats (podcasts, social news, cross-media) and the impact of emerging technologies (AI).
Recognize the economic models and strategies of new players in the Italian and international media market.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Identify and analyze the key epistemological and structural transformations of digital journalism.
Understand the dynamics of gatekeeping and platformization governing news distribution.
Critically evaluate new editorial formats (podcasts, social news, cross-media) and the impact of emerging technologies (AI).
Recognize the economic models and strategies of new players in the Italian and international media market.
Teaching Methods
Lectures and guest speakers.
Assessment Methods
Group assignment and oral exam for attending students.
Oral exam for non-attending students
Oral exam for non-attending students
Texts
Attending Students
Italian Speakers
Group Assignment: To be discussed during the final class.
Oral Exam Topics:
Topics discussed in class.
Selected chapters from Il giornalismo digitale: Una prospettiva sociologica by Luca Serafini:
Introduction
Chapter 1 (excluding 1.3)
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 (excluding 5.3, 5.4, 5.5)
Chapter 6 (excluding 6.3)
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 (excluding 11.3, 11.4, 11.5)
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 (excluding 13.2)
Non-Italian Speakers
Group Assignment: To be discussed during the final class.
Oral Exam Topics:
Topics discussed in class.
Selected chapters from The Palgrave Handbook of Global Digital Journalism (Mutsvairo B. & K. S. Orgeret):
Chapters: 2, 7, 8, 10 (pdf available below)
Book: Infocracy: Digitization and the Crisis of Democracy by Byung-Chul Han.
Non-Attending Students
Italian Speakers
Oral Exam Topics:
Book 1: Il giornalismo digitale: Una prospettiva sociologica – Luca Serafini.
Book 2: Infocrazia – Byung-Chul Han.
Report: Tendenze e nuovi scenari per il giornalismo – Report 2025, Ordine dei Giornalisti (Solo la seconda sezione “Approfondimenti Tematici”).
Non-Italian Speakers
Oral Exam Topics:
Book 1: Selected chapters from The Palgrave Handbook of Global Digital Journalism (Mutsvairo B. & K. S. Orgeret):
Chapters: 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18 (pdf available below)
Book 2: Infocracy: Digitization and the Crisis of Democracy by Byung-Chul Han.
Report: Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026.
Italian Speakers
Group Assignment: To be discussed during the final class.
Oral Exam Topics:
Topics discussed in class.
Selected chapters from Il giornalismo digitale: Una prospettiva sociologica by Luca Serafini:
Introduction
Chapter 1 (excluding 1.3)
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 (excluding 5.3, 5.4, 5.5)
Chapter 6 (excluding 6.3)
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 (excluding 11.3, 11.4, 11.5)
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 (excluding 13.2)
Non-Italian Speakers
Group Assignment: To be discussed during the final class.
Oral Exam Topics:
Topics discussed in class.
Selected chapters from The Palgrave Handbook of Global Digital Journalism (Mutsvairo B. & K. S. Orgeret):
Chapters: 2, 7, 8, 10 (pdf available below)
Book: Infocracy: Digitization and the Crisis of Democracy by Byung-Chul Han.
Non-Attending Students
Italian Speakers
Oral Exam Topics:
Book 1: Il giornalismo digitale: Una prospettiva sociologica – Luca Serafini.
Book 2: Infocrazia – Byung-Chul Han.
Report: Tendenze e nuovi scenari per il giornalismo – Report 2025, Ordine dei Giornalisti (Solo la seconda sezione “Approfondimenti Tematici”).
Non-Italian Speakers
Oral Exam Topics:
Book 1: Selected chapters from The Palgrave Handbook of Global Digital Journalism (Mutsvairo B. & K. S. Orgeret):
Chapters: 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18 (pdf available below)
Book 2: Infocracy: Digitization and the Crisis of Democracy by Byung-Chul Han.
Report: Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026.
Contents
Lecture 1: Introduction to the Course: A Sociological Perspective on Journalism.
Lecture 2: Defining Journalism: What is Journalism Today?
Lecture 3: Digital Data: Analysis and Relevance in the Information Context (Part I & II).
Lecture 4: The Evolution and Emergence of Digital Journalism.
Lecture 5: Theoretical Foundations and Core Concepts of Digital Media.
Lecture 6: Journalism in the Network Society and the Platformization of News.
Lecture 7: The Power of Algorithms, Platforms, and New Gatekeeping Dynamics.
Lecture 8: Digital Journalism as an Epistemological Shift.
Lecture 9: Products and Formats: From Social Media Storytelling (TikTok) to Editorial Strategies.
Lecture 10: Cross-modality and Cross-media: Comparing International and Italian Models.
Lecture 11: Professional Insight: Navigating the Shift Between Digital and Traditional Media (Guest Speaker: Roberto Torti).
Lecture 12: The Economics of Journalism: Business Models and Sustainability.
Lecture 13: Professional Insight: Market Dynamics in the Information Industry (Guest Speaker: Gianluca Brambilla).
Lecture 14: Case Studies: Chora Media, Will, and Cronache di Spogliatoio.
Lecture 15: Content Distribution and New Media Strategies (Guest Speaker: Francesco Zaffarano).
Lecture 16: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Journalism.
Lecture 2: Defining Journalism: What is Journalism Today?
Lecture 3: Digital Data: Analysis and Relevance in the Information Context (Part I & II).
Lecture 4: The Evolution and Emergence of Digital Journalism.
Lecture 5: Theoretical Foundations and Core Concepts of Digital Media.
Lecture 6: Journalism in the Network Society and the Platformization of News.
Lecture 7: The Power of Algorithms, Platforms, and New Gatekeeping Dynamics.
Lecture 8: Digital Journalism as an Epistemological Shift.
Lecture 9: Products and Formats: From Social Media Storytelling (TikTok) to Editorial Strategies.
Lecture 10: Cross-modality and Cross-media: Comparing International and Italian Models.
Lecture 11: Professional Insight: Navigating the Shift Between Digital and Traditional Media (Guest Speaker: Roberto Torti).
Lecture 12: The Economics of Journalism: Business Models and Sustainability.
Lecture 13: Professional Insight: Market Dynamics in the Information Industry (Guest Speaker: Gianluca Brambilla).
Lecture 14: Case Studies: Chora Media, Will, and Cronache di Spogliatoio.
Lecture 15: Content Distribution and New Media Strategies (Guest Speaker: Francesco Zaffarano).
Lecture 16: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Journalism.
Course Language
English
Degrees
Degrees
DIGITAL COMMUNICATION
Master’s Degree
2 years
No Results Found
People
People (2)
Teaching staff
No Results Found