Unit cross-media digital device system

Course
Digital and corporate communication
Study-unit Code
A003303
Curriculum
In all curricula
Teacher
Rita Marchetti
Teachers
  • Rita Marchetti
Hours
  • 60 ore - Rita Marchetti
CFU
8
Course Regulation
Coorte 2026
Offered
2026/27
Learning activities
Caratterizzante
Area
Discipline sociali, informatiche e dei linguaggi
Sector
GSPS-06/A
Type of study-unit
Obbligatorio (Required)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction

Italian
Contents
The first module focuses on the nature and characteristics of contemporary media ecosystems, examining their implications for the quality of democracy and the formation processes of public opinion.
The second module provides an in-depth analysis of the main models of journalism and the transformations they have undergone over time in light of processes of platformization, adopting a comparative perspective.
The third module focuses on the vulnerabilities of media ecosystems and on the measurement of the risks that may undermine the democratic objective of ensuring an informed citizenry.
Reference texts
Hallin D., Mancini P. (2004), Modelli di giornalismo. Mass media e politica nelle democrazie occidentali, Il Mulino, Bologna.

Bentivegna S., Campus D., Valeriani A. (2024), La comunicazione politica contemporanea, Il Mulino, Bologna
(ONLY chapters 1,2 and 3 are required) – Digital Edition available on Pandora Campus (https://www.pandoracampus.it/store/details/10.978.8815/411679).
Additional readings:
1 article of your choice for attending students;
3 articles of your choice for non-attending students.

1.Brüggemann M., Engesser S., Büchel F., Humprecht E., Castro L. (2014). Hallin and Mancini Revisited: Four Empirical Types of Western Media Systems, Journal of Communication, 64(6), 1037–1065.

2. Humprecht, E., Castro Herrero, L., Blassnig, S., Brüggemann, M., & Engesser, S. (2022). Media Systems in the Digital Age: An Empirical Comparison of 30 Countries, Journal of Communication, 72(2), 145-164.

3. Hallin D. & Mancini P. (2017). Ten Years After Comparing Media Systems: What Have We Learned?, Political Communication, 34(2), 155-171.

4. Herrero L.C., Humprecht E., Engesser S., Brüggemann M., Büchel F. (2017). Rethinking Hallin and Mancini Beyond the West: An Analysis of Media Systems in Central and Eastern Europe. International Journal of Communication, 11, 4797-4823.

5. Mancini, P. (2020). Comparing Media Systems and the Digital Age. International Journal of Communication, 14, 5761–5774.

6. Mattoni A., & Ceccobelli D. (2018). Comparing hybrid media systems in the digital age: A theoretical framework for analysis. European Journal of Communication, 33(5), 540–558.

7. Norris P. (2009). Comparative Political Communications: Common Frameworks or Babelian Confusion?, Government and Opposition.

8. Nechushtai, E. (2018). From liberal to polarized liberal? Contemporary US news in Hallin and Mancini’s typology of news systems, The International Journal of Press/Politics, 23(2), 183-201.
The indicated readings may be subject to updates until the beginning of the course, in response to the rapid developments characterizing the contemporary media ecosystem. Any changes will be communicated through the course page on the Unistudium platform.
Educational objectives
To make students aware of the interrelationships between the media system, the political system, the economic system, and the broader social context.
To provide students with the theoretical and methodological tools necessary to analyse transformations in the media system in light of the socio-cultural and technological changes that characterize contemporary information societies.
To equip students with the skills and tools needed to identify and collect relevant data in order to assess similarities and differences among the media systems of the 27 European Union Member States and candidate countries, while developing their ability to formulate critical and evidence-based evaluations of different national contexts and their dynamics of change.
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites are required, except for an interest in the subject matter, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to engage actively in class activities.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons, work group and classroom discussion.
Other information
Teaching materials and detailed information are available on the course page on the Unistudium platform.
Attendance is strongly recommended.
Learning verification modality
The assessment method differs for attending and non-attending students.
For attending students:
Students are required to complete a group assignment consisting of an in-class presentation and a written report to be submitted prior to the presentation.
During the final week of the course, students will take an individual written examination in class. The exam will cover the topics discussed during the lectures as well as the content of the group assignment.
The final grade, expressed on a 30-point scale, is calculated on the basis of the results achieved in the written examination and the group assignment. For the purpose of determining the final grade, the written examination accounts for 70%, while the group assignment contributes the remaining 30%.
For non-attending students:
Students are required to complete both a written examination and an oral examination covering the topics addressed in the prescribed readings.
The oral examination consists of a discussion of the written examination and is intended to assess and clarify any weaknesses, gaps, or critical issues that may have emerged.
The final grade is based on the combined results of the two examinations, with the following weighting: written examination (70%) and oral examination (30%).
To be admitted to the oral examination, students must obtain a minimum score of 18/30 on the written examination.


Facilities for special needs students:
http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa
Extended program
Module I
Media and Democratic Processes

Transformations of the public sphere
Information abundance: opportunity or risk?
The capture of attention

Module II
Comparative Perspectives on Media Systems

Why comparative analysis matters
Media and the political context
Three models of journalism
Transformations of journalism over time

Module III
Media Capture Risk and Democratic Vulnerabilities

Media capture risk across different national contexts
Interactions between the media system, the political system, the economic system, and the social context
Structural vulnerabilities that may undermine the quality of democracy and citizens’ access to free, independent, and pluralistic information
Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile