International Journalism

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 4. Quality education
• 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Learning outcomes

• Interpret relevant data to support judgements or arguments, through reflection on socioeconomic, political, cultural or scientific issues, taking into account linguistic, social and gender diversity.
• Use appropriate knowledge and methods for planning and running projects with suitable time management, decision making and problem solving.
• Master written, oral, audiovisual, graphic, hypertextual and multimedia languages in order to present information in an effective journalistic form, in Catalan, Spanish and English, adapting to the medium and audience.
• Apply professional ethics, deontology and the legal framework of journalism to decision-making in complex situations, in academic and professional contexts, with respect for linguistic, social, cultural and gender diversity.
• Carry out professional or academic tasks and projects in complex environments through effective cooperation in diverse teams, both face-to-face and online, and through efficient use of digital resources.

Content

1. The challenges of today's world from a journalistic perspective
   • Why is international journalism important? How does it influence people's perception of the world? The challenges of reporting in a globalised world
   • Who sets the agenda? The influence of Western media organisations on depicting the world, a critical perspective
2. Origin, development and evolution of international journalism
   • From the telegraph to social media: how international journalism has changed during the 20th and 21st centuries, linked to the evolution of technology
   • The birth of international news agencies and the colonial legacy
   • The organisational structure of international journalism since the end of the Second World War
3. The foundations of current international politics
   • Understanding the world and current international relations and geopolitics: the post-World War II era; the birth of the United Nations and the system of international institutions; the Cold War and its end; the dominance of the United States; the European Union; the rise of China, and the glimpse of a new world order after the Ukraine war
4. Access to international information and documentation: sources and actors
   • Major international agencies and media; international governmental organisations, NGOs, think tanks, witnesses, citizen journalism...
   • The changing nature of the foreign correspondent: why international journalism is still crucial in the era of internet and digital technologies?
5. The work of international reporters
   • The work of the foreign correspondents and freelancers in the EU and in other parts of the world
   • The international section in the media
   • Reporting war and conflicts
   • Relevant figures of international journalism

Evaluation

• Recommended reading, exercises in class and at home: 30%
• Final report: 30%
• Final exam: 30% (it is compulsory to pass the exam in order to pass the course)
• Class interventions: 10%

Methodology

The classes will be structured into a theoretical part, where the teacher will give basic syllabus content and a part of group seminars which will be used to carry out the practical sessions of debates linked to the bibliography or the current media, writing assignments or working in radio or television studios. The methodology of the subject will count on the presence of professionals in the classroom in order to provide a vision "on the ground" of what is explained in class.

In the event of a medical emergency situation that involves new confinement, teaching will be transferred to entirely online and the methodology will be adapted to this new context.

Bibliography

Key references

• Williams, K. (2012). International Journalism. SAGE.
• Zamith, R. (2022). The International Journalism Handbook: Concepts, challenges, and contexts. Retrieved from https://ijh.rodrigozamith.com/

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.