IDENTIFYING DATA 2023_24
Subject (*) PUBLIC OPINION Code 12244005
Study programme
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism (2009)
 Cycle 1st
Descriptors Credits Type Year Period
6 Basic Course First 2Q
Language
Català
Department Communication Studies
Coordinator
MORAGAS FERNÁNDEZ, CARLOTA MARIA
FARRÉ COMA, JORGE
 E-mail jordi.farre@urv.cat
carlotamaria.moragas@urv.cat
reinald.besalu@urv.cat
carlo.berti@urv.cat
Lecturers
FARRÉ COMA, JORGE
MORAGAS FERNÁNDEZ, CARLOTA MARIA
BESALÚ CASADEMONT, REINALD
BERTI , CARLO
Web
General description and relevant information <p class="MsoNormal">The subject of Public Opinion is structured in four main topics grouped under two greater parts. The first part, which includes Units 1 and 2, will provide an integrative, critical and interdisciplinary approach to the concept of public opinion and to the most important perspectives for understanding it (normative, critical, empirical...). And will end by reviewing the increasing relevance of mass media in early 20th century and the birth of mass communication research related to the study of media effects on public opinion. This last point will serve as a link to the second part, which includes Units 3 and 4. Part 2 takes a more communication-oriented perspective and includes the study of the principal theories dealing with the relationship between media and public opinion and the discussion on the main issues regarding the articulation of public opinion in the digital public sphere. Thereby, it is intended that communication students are able to critically reflect on liberal democracies and on the relationships established between institutions, (mainstream and online) media and citizens and understand the effects the practise of their profession may have on the public, as well as their own relationship with power.</p>

Competences
Type A Code Competences Specific
 A2 Interpretar els processos i els fenòmens informatius i comunicatius textuals, orals i visuals en les societats contemporànies amb l’ajuda de les principals teories i escoles que els analitzen críticament des de les ciències socials.
Type B Code Competences Transversal
 CT5 Communicate information clearly and precisely to a variety of audiences.
 CT6 Identify their learning process and their academic and professional careers.
Type C Code Competences Nuclear

Learning outcomes
Type A Code Learning outcomes
 A2 Coneix la tradició clàssica de l’opinió pública en relació amb el pensament polític
Sap interpretar les dades de l’opinió pública empírica a partir dels sondejos d’opinió
Compara les principals aportacions dels autors més rellevants en l’estudi de l’opinió pública a la societat de la informació
Comprèn les relacions simbiòtiques entre periodisme, política i ciutadania
Coneix i interpreta les pràctiques professionals i les transformacions dels valors noticiables
Type B Code Learning outcomes
 CT5 Produce quality texts that have no grammatical or spelling errors, are properly structured and make appropriate and consistent use of formal and bibliographic conventions.
Draw up texts that are structured, clear, cohesive, rich and of the appropriate length.
Draw up texts that are appropriate to the communicative situation, consistent and persuasive.
Use the techniques of non-verbal communication and the expressive resources of the voice to make a good oral presentation.
Construct a discourse that is structured, clear, cohesive, rich and of the appropriate length.
Produce a discourse that is appropriate to the communicative situation, consistent and persuasive, and interact effectively with the audience.
 CT6 Raise their academic and professional self-awareness.
Identify their own learning process.
Analyse the working or professional environment of their field of study.
Design academic and professional tracks.
Type C Code Learning outcomes

Contents
Topic Sub-topic
Unit 1. The concept of public opinion from the classical tradition Defining public opinion - The classic concept of public opinion (1750-1922) - Political liberalism and economic liberalism - The public sphere in complex societies: populism, polarization, post-truth.
Unit 2. Public opinion in the 20th century. From propaganda to the empirical tradition Public opinion in the era of mass communication. Propaganda, information and communication.
Unit 3. The influence of media. From powerful media effects to cognitive psychology The empirical tradition in the study of public opinion - The effects of the media on public opinion - Theories of cognitive effects
Unit 4. The digital public sphere. The transformation of communication and political change Digital public sphere: challenges, weaknesses and strengths - Political communication in the digital public sphere

Planning
Methodologies  ::  Tests
  Competences (*) Class hours
 Hours outside the classroom
 (**) Total hours
Introductory activities
A2
 3 0 3
Lecture
A2
 25 35 60
Problem solving, exercises in the classroom
A2
CT5
CT6
 20 35 55
Personal attention
A2
 2 0 2
 
Extended-answer tests
A2
CT6
 10 20 30
 
(*) On e-learning, hours of virtual attendance of the teacher.
(**) The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students.

Methodologies
Methodologies
  Description
Introductory activities Activities aimed at meeting and collecting information from the students; and presentation of the subject.
Lecture During the first seven weeks, the conceptual aspects of public opinion will be exposed from various perspectives: historical, political, sociological, psychological, philosophical and communicative. A journey from the classical tradition to the present will be considered.

In the following weeks, from a perspective more focused on communication, the main theories that study the relationship between the media and public opinion will be reviewed and the changes in the articulation of the same in the digital public sphere will be analyzed.

Problem solving, exercises in the classroom During the development of the course, in addition to the lectures, compulsory attendance activities will be carried out at classroom to raise and solve problems.
Personal attention During the course, there will be individual or group tutorials to see how students are following the subject.

Personalized attention
Description

Personalized attention will be provided through the Moodle or at a previously agreed time by e-mail with the professor.

Assessment
Methodologies Competences Description Weight        
Problem solving, exercises in the classroom
A2
CT5
CT6
 The mandatory participation of the student in the activities proposed at class in the form of debates or problem solving. 40%
Extended-answer tests
A2
CT6
 Two individual development tests will be scheduled. The student will have to take them under the supervision of the professor. 60%
(30%+30%)
Others  
 
Other comments and second exam session

At the beginning of the subject, the final assessment that follows will be specified.

 

First call:

Students who wish to be assessed in the first call must take the two development tests scheduled within the established calendar and hand in at least 3 of the 4 practical exercises set out during the course.

To calculate an average, students must have passed each of the development tests with a 5, except for one that will be averaged if they get at least a 4. To pass the subject, the total average must be at least of 5.

 

Second call:

Students who, in the first call, have failed with less than a 4 or have not taken a development test, will have to take it again on the date scheduled for the second call.

Students who failed or have not taken the two development tests in the first call must take both on the date scheduled for the second call.

Students who, in the first call, have not handed in a minimum of 75% of the solving problems and exercises at classroom, will have to do those remaining to reach this minimum. The professors will inform the students of the delivery deadline through the virtual classroom (Moodle).

To get an average calculated students must have passed each of the development tests with a 5, except for one that will be averaged if they get at least a 4. To pass the subject the total average must be at least 5.

Sources of information

Basic

Ardèvol-Abreu, Andreu (2015) Framing o teoría del encuadre en comunicación. Orígenes, desarrollo y panorama actual en España. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 70, 423-450.

Becerra, Martín; Waisbord, Silvio (2021). La necesidad de repensar la ortodoxia de la libertad de expresión en la comunicación digital. Desarrollo Económico. Revista De Ciencias Sociales, 60(232), 295–313. Recuperado a partir de https://ojs.ides.org.ar/index.php/desarrollo-economico/article/view/105

Berrio, Jordi (1990): L'opinió pública i la democràcia, Barcelona: Pòrtic.

Besalú, Reinald; Pont-Sorribes, Carles; Martí, Aleix. Perceived credibility of tweets by opinion leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. International Journal of Communication. 2021; 15: 5158-5185. 

Capdevila,   Arantxa;   Moragas-Fernández,   Carlota   M.;   Grau-Masot,   Josep   M.   (2022).  Emergencia  del populismo en España: marcos metafóricos de Vox y de su comunidad online durante las elecciones generales de 2019. Profesional de la información, v. 31, n. 3, e310317.https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.may.17

Clawson, Rosalee A.; Oxley, Zoe M. (2017). Public opinion. Democratic ideals, democratic practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage

Escudero, Lucrecia; Garcia Rubio, Claudia (coord.) (2007). Democracias de opinión. Medios y comunicación política. Madrid: La Crujía.

Farré, Jordi (2022) La Comunicació del Canvi Climàtic: del Risc al Desastre. Quaderns del CAC. En revisió.

Gonzalo Iglesia, Juan Luís; Farré Coma, Jordi (2011). Teoría de la comunicación de riesgo. Barcelona: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. 

Habermas, Jürgen (1986). Historia y crítica de la opinión pública (primera edición 1962). Gustavo Gili: Mexico.

He, Kun; Eldridge II, Scott;  Broersma, Marcel. (2021). Conceptualizing Populism: A Comparative Study Between China and Liberal Democratic Countries. International Journal of Communication, 15, 3006-3024. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/16563/3484

López García, Guillermo (2006) Comunicación en red y mutaciones de la esfera pública. ZER, n. 20, pp. 231-249

Monzón, Cándido (1996). Opinión pública, comunicación y política, Madrid: Tecnos.

Moragas-Fernández, Carlota M.; Grau-Masot, Josep-Maria; Capdevila-Gómez, Arantxa (2019). Articulación de la influencia en Twitter ante el anuncio de la Ley del referéndum en Cataluña. El profesional de la información, v. 28, n. 3, e280320.

Noelle-Neumann, Elisabeth (1995). La espiral del silencio. Opinión pública: nuestra piel social.

Ordóñez, Leonardo (2006) La globalización del miedo. Revista de Estudios Sociales, n. 25, pp. 95-103

Price, Vincent (1994). Opinión Pública. Esfera pública y comunicación, Barcelona: Paidós.

Ruiz, José A. (1997). Introducción a la tradición clásica de la opinión pública, Madrid: Tecnos.

Sádaba, Teresa (2006). Framing. Una teoría para los medios de comunicación. Pamplona: Ulzama

Sampedro, Víctor (2000). Opinión pública y democracia deliberativa, Madrid: Istmo

Sampedro, Víctor (2021). Comunicación y Sociedad: opinión pública y poder. Materials docents, Barcelona: UOC.

Sampedro, Víctor; Martínez, Mayra. (2018). The Digital Public Sphere: An Alternative and Counterhegemonic Space? The Case of Spain.  International Journal Of Communication, 12, 22: 23-44
Complementary

Recommendations


Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before
THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION/12244004
(*)The teaching guide is the document in which the URV publishes the information about all its courses. It is a public document and cannot be modified. Only in exceptional cases can it be revised by the competent agent or duly revised so that it is in line with current legislation.