THEORY OF COMMUNICATION AND THEORY OF INFORMATION
USP COURSE: 1º Grado de Periodismo/ Publicidad/ Comunicación
Audiovisual
SEMESTERS TO BE OFFERED: Fall & Spring
Objectives

To understand the Social Communication as a field of academic
analysis and reflection opposite to its daily and less critical use.

To study the theories, concepts and main elements in the field of
communication.

To analyze critically the role of communication in the current society
and the determining factors it is subject to.

To know the basics of the advertising and communication activity.

To study the communicative content from a descriptive and critical
point of view
The student will be familiar with the following aspects:

The concepts and main elements on the field of communication and the
basic characteristics of the communicative process.

The different perspectives of the research on communication and their
impact.

The different forms of communication and their functions and to know
how to analyze the role of information and journalism in the current
society.

Locate, organize, classify and analyze the sources of information
corresponding to each case.

To know how to analyze the communicative messages.
Methodology
LECTURE: The professor will explain the theoretical concepts of the subject
with the help of additional material such as readings to be handed out in class
or uploaded at the Portal del Alumno (Blackboard). Students should previously
2
have read a basic bibliography that will be submitted at the beginning of the
semester, in order to discuss the different points of view.
SEMINAR: Students will have to prepare and expose, under the supervision of
the professor, seminars on the subject in order to discuss them in class.
WORK GROUPS: Students will organize themselves in work groups to face
with practical cases derived from the theoretical contents exposed during
lectures and seminars.
PRACTICE: Students will have to elaborate activities and papers to put into
practice the acquired theoretical knowledge.
Evaluation
The evaluation will be continuous. To be evaluated is mandatory to attend the
75% of the classes.
To calculate the final grade, theoretical tests, practice, assignments along the
course and participation will be taken into account. There will not be a final
exam.
The evaluation system is the following:

Theoretical tests: 40%

Papers and practices: 30%

Participation: 30%
It is essential to pass each of the three parts of the evaluation system in order
to calculate the final grade for this course.
1-Theoretical tests: 2 tests to evaluate the acquired theoretical knowledge. The
grade will be the average between the grades obtained in the two tests.
2- Individual Papers:
- Read and comment the texts related to the subject
- Read and comment the bibliography recommended for the subject
- Read and analyze the daily press
- Watch and criticize the audiovisual documents
-Research paper about a theme previously agreed with the professor
3
3- Group papers:
- Comment and analyze the documents seen in class to promote the
discussion.
- Research papers previously agreed between the professor and the
group of students.
4- Participation:
Students should have an active and responsible behavior which will be
evaluated based on:
-
Participation and value of the contributions to the discussions in
class
-
Availability and regular work with the materials of the course.
-
Involvement in the papers proposed by the professor.
Attendance is mandatory therefore fulfill or exceed the minimum requirement
of 75% will not entail an increase in the final grade.
Linguistic and stylistic corrections are essential requisites to pass this course,
therefore to have spelling or expression mistakes will be a reason to fail the
exam.
The partial tests (midterm) do not imply that the topics covered in them will be
out of the following tests or exercises.
COURSE SYLLABUS
1. Communication and Information Sciences
Theme 1:
Communication and Information
-
Human activity in communication
-
Concept,
content
and
the
method
of
Communication and Information
-
Concepts of communication and information
-
The communication process
-
Forms of communication
-
Social communication
the
Theory
of
4
Theme 2:
-
Mass media and information society.
Analysis of mass media and their social function: press, radio,
television, cinema, music and internet.
-
Cultural industries
-
Society and mass culture
-
The interactive society
2. Research on communication
Theme 3:
Basic models of communication
-
Use and utilities of the models of communication
-
Lasswell’s formula
-
The contributions of Shannon and Weaver
-
Osgood’s circular model and Schramm’s model
-
Wesley
-MacLean’s
conceptual
model
for
researching
communication
Theme 4:
Other models of communication
Research on the communication impact
-
Historical stages of the research on communication impact
-
The limited effects of P. Lazarsfeld
-
The contributions of Klapper
-
The agenda-setting theory
-
The spiral of silence
-
Uses and gratifications theory
-
Cultivation theory
-
Integrated paradigm
-
Media socialization and the use of media
-
Audiences and public opinion
3. Key issues in communication
5
Theme 5: The responsibility of the journalist
-
The journalist as a social mediator
-
Professional and ethical requirements of the journalist
-
The professional self-control. The self-regulation codes
-
Professionalism, neutrality and commitment
Theme 6:
The public function of information
-
The role of information in society
-
The value of freedom of speech
-
The legal development of the right to information
-
The intervention of the authorities in the communicative activity
-
Censorship and other control measures
Theme 7:
Challenges and trends in communication
-
Relations between the journalist and his/her company and the
public authorities
-
The legal guarantees of the journalist. Conscience clause and
professional secrecy
-
The rights of the public: the correction of the information and the
institutionalized defence.
-
The relations of the journalist with his/her sources
-
The media democracy
4. Messages in the theory of communication
Theme 8:
-
Communication and truth
Professional and ethical requirements of the treatment of the
News
-
The possible truth of information
-
Lies and errors
-
Rumor as an untrue message
Theme 9: Communication and objectivity
-
The possible objectivity in the information and the reasons for
Skepticism
-
The concept of objectivity
6
-
Requirements to practice the objectivity
Theme 10: Communication, persuasion and manipulation
-
Persuasion in social communication
-
Reputation and image
-
The practice of the disinformation and its techniques
BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Banalves, M., Hemelryk, S., Shoesmith, B., Media Theories & Approaches. A Global
PerspectiveLondon, Palgrave, 2009. ISBN: 0-230-55162-9
Benito A. (comp.), Diccionario de Ciencias y Técnicas de la Comunicación, Madrid,
Paulinas,1991. ISBN: 84-285-1385-6.
Igartua, J.J., Humanes, M.L, Teoría e Investigación en Comunicación Social, Madrid,
Síntesis, 2004. ISBN: 84-9756-226-7
McQuail D, Introducción a la teoría de la comunicación de masas, Barcelona, Paidós,
1991. ISBN: 84-7509-315-9.
McQuail D., Windahl S., Modelos para el estudio de la comunicación colectiva,
Pamplona,Euns1997. ISBN: 84- 313-1512-1.
Wolf, M., Los efectos sociales de los media, Barcelona, Paidós, 1995. ISBN: 84-4930041-X.
RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Benito A., Fundamentos de Teoría General de la Información, Madrid, Pirámide, 1982.
ISBN:84-368-0183-0.
• Berrocal, Salomé (ed.): Comunicación política en televisión y nuevos medios, Barcelona,
Ariel,2003.
• Eco, Umberto: Apocalípticos e integrados, Barcelona, Lumen,1993. ISBN: 978-84-264-1039-9
• Galdón G.(Coord.),Introducción a la Comunicación y a la Información, Barcelona, Ariel, 2001.
ISBN: 84-344-128-6
• García, L., Las teorías de la comunicación en España: un mapa sobre el territorio de nuestra
investigación (1980- 2006), Madrid, Tecnos, 2007 ISBN: 978-84-309-4654-9
• Moragas M. De, Sociología de la comunicación de masas, Barcelona, Gustavo Gili,
1985.ISBN: 84-252-0946-3.
• Muñoz Alonso A., y otros, Opinión pública y comunicación política, Madrid, Eudema, 1992
ISBN: 84-7754-068-3.
• Nöelle-Neuman E., La espiral del silencio. Opinión pública: nuestra piel social, Barcelona,
Paidós, 1995. ISBN: 84-493-0025-8.
• Pérez Herrero J.C (Coord.), Manual del Teoría de la Comunicación y Teoría de la
InformaciónMadrid, Universitas, 2009
• Rodrigo M., La construcción de la noticia, Barcelona, Paidós, 1989. ISBN: 84-7509-507-0.
• Rodrigo Alsina, M., Teorías de la Comunicación. Ámbitos, métodos y perspectivas, Barcelona,
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2001. ISBN: 84-370-5133-9
• Sanders, K., Communicating Politics in the Twenty-first Century, London, Palgrave, 2009.
ISB978-0-230-00028-5
• Sanders, K.: “Ethics in journalism: False dichotomies, uncertain goals” en Keeble, R. (Ed.)
Communication Ethics NOW, Troubador, Leicester, 2008. ISBN 978-1906221-041
• Saperas E., Los efectos cognitivos de la comunicación de masas, Barcelona, Ariel,
1987.ISBN84-344- 1253-5
7
• Sinova, Justino: “Periodismo”, en Cortina, Adela, y Conill, Jesús (dir.): 10 palabras clave en
ética de las profesiones, Verbo Divino, Estella (Navarra), 2000.
• Sinova, Justino: La Prensa en la Segunda República Española. Historia de una libertad
frustrada, Madrid, Debate, 2006.
• Valbuena F., Teoría General de la Información, Madrid, Noesis, 1997. ISBN: 84-87462-41-3

West, Richard & Turner, Lynn H: Teoría de la Comunicación. Análisis y Aplicación. McGraw
Hill, 2005
USEFUL WEB RESOURCES:
AGENDA DE LA COMUNICACIÓN- www.agendadelacomunicacion.com
• SALA DE PRENSA- www.saladeprensa.org
• TELOS- www.campusred.net/html/telos/
• JOURNALISMNET- www.journalismnet.com
• THE MEDIA HISTORY PROJECT: JOURNALISM AND NEWSwww.mediahistory.com/journ.html
• FORO SOBRE PERIODISMO Y MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN EN CASTELLANO
www.listserv@listserv.rediris.es
• PORTAL DE LA COMUNICACIÓN- http://www.portalcomunicacion.com
• INFOAMÉRICA- http://www.infoamerica.org
• NOMBRE FALSO- http://www.nombrefalso.com.ar/