Political Communication
Code
711011008
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Ciências da Comunicação
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
João Pissarra Esteves
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
After the course, it is intended that students:
a) understand the role of journalism in the current political communication (its function, genres, interaction frames, ethical and moral requirements);
b) understand other current media political languages (political advertising, political public relations and political marketing);
c) have a global view about the main theoretical guidelines and schools of this domain of studies;
d) demonstrate skills of critical analysis and presentation of fundamental knowledge of this scientific discipline (theories, concepts, methodologies, research instruments and techniques);
e) demonstrate skills of critical reading of essential texts (from a set of mandatory texts);
f) demonstrate skills to apply knowledge in the resolution of practical problems (of research and of political communication production).
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
1.Introduction
- liberal societies and democracy historical perspective
- institutional formats of the Public: public sphere, public opinion and public communication
- democracy and political communication
2. Media and Public Sphere
- politics and economy in developed societies
- public service media/broadcasting
- planetarization and reorganization of the public sphere
3. Structure of Political Communication
- actors involved in political communication
- media as political actors
- media and power relationships and interdependencies
4.The Political Specialized Languages of Media
- political advertising
- political public relations and marketing
- objectivity in political journalism
5.Elections and Political Spectacle
- political communication in television era
- image and symbolic production of political reality
- political spectacle as mystification
6.Structures of Dialogue in Democracy
- collective participation and agency
- media and the new public spheres
- cyberspace and the new political identities
Bibliography
BENNETT, W. Lance e ENTMAN, R. M. (eds.), Mediated Politics: communication in the future of democracy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001;
McNAIR, B., An Introduction to Political Communication, London, Routledge, 1995;
DENTON, R. E. (ed.), Ethical dimensions of political communication, N. York, Praeger, 1991;
ALGER, D, The Media and Politics, N. Jersey, Prentice Hall, 1989;
BLUMLER, J. G. Blumler e GUREVITCH,M, The Crisis of Public Communication, London, Routledge, 1989.
Teaching method
Syllabus contents exposition and group discussion in the class (clarification of doubts and problematizations)
* critical reading of a set of mandatory texts under the orientation and supervision of the professor.
* individual correction of the negative evaluations (with the purpose of redefining the study strategies)
(the two former activities are performed beyond the classes period)
Evaluation method
Two individual and by attendance written evaluations (with contents separation). The final grade is defined by the arithmetic average of these two tests.
Final supplementary exam (covering all the contents)
Grade improvement: beyond the exam (written or oral), are also accepted individual works (under presentation and prior approval of the respective plans).