Checking date: 03/05/2020


Course: 2019/2020

Scientific and technological journalism
(13460)
Dual Bachelor in Journalism and Film, Television and Media Studies (Plan: 384 - Estudio: 231)


Coordinating teacher: CATALAN MATAMOROS, DANIEL JESUS

Department assigned to the subject: Communication and Media Studies Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
News reporting Interpretative Journalism
One of the major problems of modern society is that scientific and technological production is increasing exponentially and, nonetheless, people are more and more removed from knowledge of these advances because we do not have the ability to take them in with the speed with which they occur. One way to reduce this difference is to publish this information in the media. That is precisely why the aim of this course is to provide students with the basic tools necessary to handle scientific and technological news. The programme not only includes aspects of journalistic writing, but it also aims to place the subject within a context of science, technology and society. Most scientific information reaches the public via television. Thus, the course, in addition to the written media, reinforces content in an audiovisual framework, interactive technology or scientific photography.
Description of contents: programme
Topic I: Science as something with journalistic interest Topic II: Sources in scientific journalism Topic III: Scientific academic journals as sources Topic IV: Internet and the scientific journalism Topic V: Writing skills in scientific journalism Topic VI: Journalistic genres applied to scientific information Topic VII: Science news published in different media options: press, webs, television and radio. Topic VIII: Scientific journalism as a profession itself. Topic IX: Data Journalism. Topic X. Journalism and Health
Learning activities and methodology
Students must write scientific news using all the journalistic genres: report, interview, chronicle, bibliographic summary, news, etc. There will also be comparative analysis of the science sections of different newspapers. Each month there will be an exam on scientific current events. An attempt will be made to visit an inportant Spanish scientific centre. SEMINAR: The students must take a seminar on scientific topics which tend to be newsworthy and which generally correspond to the book Science through Journalism, mentioned in the bibliography. Topic 1. - Space and the Solar System. Concepts. The International Space Station and the missions to Mars. Topic 2. - The Earth: its formation and the tectonic plates. Volcanism and earthquakes Topic 3. - Life: concepts on the appearance of life on Earth, embryonic stem cells. Cloning. Topic 4. - Ecology and environment. The greenhouse effect, disappearance of the ozone layer and climate change. Topic 5.- Diet: Food crises. "Mad Cow" Disease, information about rapeseed oil, etc. Topic 6. - Matter and energy: Nuclear fusion and fission. The ITER project. Oil: information about oil spills. Topic 7.- Scientific policy. National R+D plans, Spanish research in the CSIC and universities. Brief introduction to the history of Spanish science.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 60
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 40

Basic Bibliography
  • BAUER, MARTIN Y BUCCHI, MASSIMIANO (eds). . Journalism, Science and Society. . Routledge. New York/London. . 2007
  • BUCCHI, MASSIMIANO Y BRIAN TRENCH (eds.).. Handbook of Science Communication. Routledge. London & New York.. 2008
  • ELIAS, CARLOS. La ciencia a través del periodismo. Nivola. 2003
  • ELIAS, CARLOS. Fundamentos de periodismo científico y divulgación mediática.. Alianza Editorial. Madrid. 2008
  • ELIAS, CARLOS. El selfie de Galileo. Sofware social, político e intelectual del siglo XXI. Península-Planeta. Barcelona. 2015
  • ELIAS, CARLOS. Big data y periodismo en la sociedad red. Síntesis. Madrid. 2015
  • GREGORY, JANE y MILLER, STEVE. Science in public. Communication, Culture and credibility. Basic Book. London. 1998
  • HORGAN, JOHN. . El fin de la ciencia. . Paidós. Barcelona.. 1998
  • SOKAL, ALAIN y BRICMOUNT JEAN. . Imposturas intelectuales. .. Paidós. Barcelona. 1999
  • WEINGART, PETER and HUPPAUF, BERND. Science Images and Popular Images of the Sciences. Routledge. 2007
Recursos electrónicosElectronic Resources *
Additional Bibliography
  • BUCCHI, MASSIMIANO.. Beyond Technocracy. Citizens, Politics, Technoscience, . Springer, New York . 2009
  • CAMACHO MARKINA, IDOIA (coord). La especialización en periodismo. Formarse para informar. . Comunicación Social. . 2010
  • ELÍAS, CARLOS. La razón estrangulada. La crisis de la ciencia en la sociedad contemporánea. Debate-Penguin Random-House. 2008, 2014, 2015
  • JASSANOFF, SHEILA. . The fifth Branch: Science advisers as policy makers. . Harvard University Press. Massachussets. 1990
  • KALANTZIS-COPE, PHILLIPS Y GHERAB-MARTIN, KARIM. Emerging digital spaces in contemporary society. Properties of technology. Pagrave macmillan. New York. 2011
  • LEON, BIENVENIDO (coord). Ciencia para la televisión.El documetnal científico y sus claves. UOC. Barcelona. 2010
  • REVUELTA, GEMA (coord). Dilemas y acuerdo éticos en la comunicación médica. Civitas Thomson Reuters. 2010
(*) Access to some electronic resources may be restricted to members of the university community and require validation through Campus Global. If you try to connect from outside of the University you will need to set up a VPN


The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.