Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Communication Structure
Introduction
In this course students will learn how the media market is organized; the main subjects, companies and institutions involved in trade and communication relations and political-legal, technological, socio-cultural and economic circumstances that influence entrepreneurial activities will be identified. That reality will be analyzed both from an external perspective as from an internal perspective of the media companies. Thus, students will understand the relationship between structural factors of the media industry and the decisions made in the management and organization of media companies.
The contents of the course will be structured in four blocks. In the first, the main theoretical foundations on media economics and structure of the media system will be reviewed. In the other three blocks, the trends that continue to exist in the external environment of each of the main sectors: publishing, digital and audiovisual, will be discussed. For each market, the influence of the structural position in the value chain of the companies will be analyzed and, therefore, its different activities: production, distribution, marketing and consumption.
Pre-course requirements
None.
Objectives
- Understanding the media ecosystem, its network of value and fundamentals of the economy of care.
- Understand the uniqueness of different media sectors.
- Knowing the parameters and key metrics in the industry.
- Meeting the 'disruptive' factors of media industry and new entrants.
- Knowing the Spanish market with a certain depth (actors, audience and environment).
- Knowing the major global players in the industry of media and entertainment.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 08 CG - The ability to reflect and memorize.
- 19 CE - The ability to elaborate a budget for a journalistic project.
- 20 CE - The ability to plan and carry out journalistic projects
- 23 CE - The ability to contextualize and critically analyze mass media products
- 27 CE - The ability to understand and work with different agents of the journalistic profession
- 33 CE - Knowledge and mastery of financing systems of different communication media
Learning outcomes of the subject
The students:
- Will know the elements which configure the news organizations, as well as its economic structure.
- Will understand the microeconomic and macroeconomic environment of media companies.
- They will develop an entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills.
- They will develop their creativity and their ability to be innovative in developing products and journalistic or communication projects.
Syllabus
2. Media ecosystem. Communication groups and markets
- The publishing market: newspapers
- The audiovisual market: radio and television
- Media organization
- Digitalization
- Media Systems and Political Systems
- Communication policies. Laws
- Public and private power: influence
- Democratic health: freedom of the press and freedom of expression?
- Case study. The prisons of journalists
- New business model. Value creation
- Attention economy
- Audience analysis and consumption
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The contents of the course will be taught by:
- Lectures in which the theoretical content of each subject will be taught.
- Working groups in which current issues of the media system worked on each topic will be discussed.
- Group exercises. Focused praxis and seminars.
- Debate and critical thinking.
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.3 |
| Meeting Point. Meetings will be organised with notable people from the professional and scientific fields or the international field, and students. These sessions will take the form of conferences, work sessions, discussions, or interviews, etc. | 0.6 |
| Practical workshop. A highly practical working activity, where students can acquire skills that are practical or also theoretical (intellectual skills, logical skills, critical skills, intellectual learning skills, study skills, quoting skills, etc). | 0.6 |
| Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students. | 1.5 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
-First and second call:
- Participacion and exercises: 10%
- Individual and grop work: 40%
- Exam: 50%
IMPORTANT:
-The UIC spelling regulations will be applied to all papers and exams. Without exceptions.
-Plagiarism in any of the evaluable activities will mean automatic failure of the subject.
Bibliography and resources
ALMIRON, N. (2011). Estructura de propiedad y composición de los consejos de administración de los principales grupos de comunicación europeos en 2009. Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, vol.5 - nº1 (2011), 227-244.
BAS et al. (2011). Políticas de comunicación y protección del pluralismo en la Unión Europea y Estados Unidos. Comunicación y Sociedad, 24(2), 41-75.
BUSTAMANTE, Enrique (coord.) (2003) Hacia un nuevo sistema mundial de comunicación. Las industrias culturales en la era digital. Barcelona: Gedisa.
CASTELLS, M. (1998). La era de la información: economía, sociedad y cultura. Madrid, Alianza Editorial, v.3.
DOYLE, G. (2002). Understanding media economics. London: SAGE Publications.
HALLIN, D.C. y MANCINI, P. (2004). Comparing media systems. Three models of Media and Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
HORCKHEIMER, M. i ADORNO, T.W. (2007): Dialéctica de la Ilustración. Madrid: Trotta.
MATTELART, A. (2002). Historia de la sociedad de la información. Barcelona: Paidos.
MEDINA, M. (2011, 2002). Estructura y gestión de empresas audiovisuales. Navarra: EUNSA.
McQUAIL, D. y DEUZE, M. (2020). McQuails' Media and Mass Communication Theory. SAGE.
NIETO, A.; IGLESIAS, F. (2000). Empresa Informativa. Barcelona: Ariel.
PÉREZ-LATRE, F.J., SÁNCHEZ-TABERNERO, A. (2012). Innovación en los medios. La ruta del cambio. Pamplona: Eunsa.
PICARD, R. (2011). The economics and financing of media companies. New York: Forham University Press.
SÁNCHEZ-TABERNERO, A (2003). Estructura y actividades de las empresas de comunicación, en BEL-MALLÉN, I. y CORREDOIRO, L. Derecho de la información.