European Journalism

One of the few globally devoted to the study of the concepts and aspects of European Journalism, the pathway focuses on the role of news media and journalism in the emergence of a European public sphere. Combining a cross-national comparative approach to European journalistic and news cultures with a hands-on coverage of current European issues, the pathway aims to provide students and journalists with tools that will increase awareness of the interrelated and multidimensional problems/challenges faced in the European Union, exploring the new opportunities and challenges of journalism practices and coverage as well on the European Union, its institutions, and policies.

Learning Objectives

  • Appreciation of the variety of European journalistic cultures and the heterogeneity of the European media landscape
  • Understanding of the challenges faced by the emergence of a European journalism and a European public sphere
  • Awareness of the rise of ‘Europe’ as a distinctive issue area
  • Acquisition of key investigative, analytical, and reporting skills regarding the covering of issues from a European, rather than national, point of view

Program Details

Digital Media, Communication and Journalism is a full-time (90 ECTS) English language Master’s program, the first of its kind among Greek public Universities. Designed to combine practice-based learning with sustained theoretical reflection, the intensive 12 months post-graduate program includes two course semesters and a third one, dedicated to the research and writing of a Thesis.

Program Structure

The structure of the program has been designed with a view to combine in-depth specialization with students’ freedom to select a set of courses that best matches their research and professional interests.

For the successful completion of each pathway students must:

  • Take the core course of the preferred pathway
  • Select at least 3 electives offered in the preferred pathway
  • Select up to 2 electives offered by the other two pathways
  • Complete a dissertation on a topic related to the subject areas covered by the preferred pathway.

 

Semester Courses Description ECTS
1st 3 courses 1 core course (10 ECTS) and 2 electives (20 ECTS) 1 of which can be from another pathway 30
2nd 3 courses 3 electives 1 of which can be from another pathway 30
1st and 2nd Semester Credits 60
3rd Dissertation 30
Total Credits 90

Elective

EUJ209 | Data and Participatory Journalism

Semester: B
ECTS: 10

Course Description The course deals with the topics of data and participatory journalism. Today there is a significant availability of data in digital form, which makes necessary the introduction of this form of journalism. Thus, the journalist must be able to find, extract, adapt, visualize and interpret data. In order to succeed in such a task he must possess all the theoretical knowledge concerning data manipulation as well as the necessary ICT skills in order to create data visualizations (static or interactive) that will be embedded in his news articles. As journalism is often approached in theory and research through the lens of audience participation in news production, this course approaches the concept of participation in the media and examines the existing tools in the context of news organizations. Examples of participatory journalism in Greek and international media are analyzed, while the issues that arise and the management methods applied in practice are also studied. Finally, the course provides the opportunity of empirical use and familiarization with participatory applications. Course Objectives • Acquire the basic skills in finding and cleaning data sets. • Comprehend the basic concepts of data visualization. • Acquire the basic skills of using data visualization web tools. • Comprehend the role of audience participation in journalism • Identify media, journalists’ and users’ perceptions on participatory journalism • Familiarize with participatory environments Learning Outcomes 1.Define the core concepts of data journalism 2.Working efficient with data sets 3.Build on data visualization with advanced web tools 4.Define the core concepts of participatory journalism 5.Recognize participatory tools and applications 6.Manage user-generated content in a media environment Course Format This course will employ seminar lectures, laboratory presentations, discussions, laboratory exercises and a final data project. Workload Type of work Description Hours Lectures Thirteen 3-hours lectures 39 Independent study Study of compulsory and optional literature 65-80 Written Assignment Essay (2000 words) 75-85 Data Journalism Project Data Journalism project Creation and publication of a data journalism article 75-85 Total workload 254-289 Assessment Type of assessment Learning outcome Impact on final grade Date of assessment Participation in group work and discussion 1-6 40% Regularly Project Data Journalism 1-3 30% 6th-7th week Project Participative Journalism 4-6 30% 12th-13th week Recommended Reading The Data Journalism Handbook 2, Jonathan Gray Liliana Bounegru, https://bit.ly/DataJournalismHandbook2_EN Data Journalism Handbook, Jonathan Gray, Liliana Bounegru, Lucy Chambers, https://bit.ly/DataJournalismHandbook1_EN Interactive Data Visualization for the Web, Scott Murray, O Reilly 2010. Data Journalism: Mapping the future, John Mair, Richard Lance Keeble, Abramis Academic Publishing, 2014. Data Journalism Heist, Paul Bradshaw, LeanPub 2013. Scraping for Journalists, Paul Bradshaw, LeanPub 2014. Finding Stories with Spreadsheets, Paul Bradshaw, LeanPub, 2015 Ahva, L. (2019). Five things we should learn from the messiness of participation. Journalism Practice, 13(8), 936-940. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1647115 Borger, M., van Hoof, A., & Sanders, J. (2016). Expecting reciprocity: Towards a model of the participants’ perspective on participatory journalism. New Media & Society, 18(5), 708-725. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814545842 Carpentier, N. (2016). Beyond the ladder of participation: An analytical toolkit for the critical analysis of participatory media processes. Javnost – The Public, 23(1), 70-88. https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2016.1149760 Engelke, Κ. M. (2019). Online participatory journalism: A systematic literature review. Media and Communication, 7(4), 31-44. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v7i4.2250 Saridou, T. & Veglis, A. (2021). Exploring participatory journalism through the integration of user-generated content in media organizations. In M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, 5th edition, (pp. 1152-1163). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3479-3 Singer, J. B., Hermida, A., Domingo, D., Heinonen, A., Paulussen, S., Quandt, T., Reich, Z., & Vujnovic, M. (2011). Participatory journalism. Guarding open gates at online newspapers. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

EUJ218 | Propaganda, Language, and the Media: the EU Εxperience

Semester: A
ECTS: 10

Course Description The current module examines the role of propaganda as a means of communication and persuasion. It focuses on the definitions, content, intent and methods of propaganda throughout the twentieth and twenty first century, and analyses the specific language used for propaganda purposes. It also investigates the relation of propaganda with modern mass communication and technology. The course will be structured around the interaction of propaganda within several socio-political issues in EU. Such issues include political systems, election campaigns and fake news, warfare techniques and methods, healthcare and immunisation, planet pollution and politics. Particular attention will be paid to understanding the language of propaganda through a linguistic discourse analysis. A series of workshops aims to put theory into practice. Course Objectives Thoroughly present and analyse the notion of propaganda, through examining its theoretical background Analyse the role and impact of propaganda within current affairs Examine the specific language used for propagandistic purposes focusing on specific language features Demonstrate the close relation between propaganda and modern mass media Learning Outcomes By the end of this course students should be able to: Define propaganda, its theories and the various techniques associated with it Identify propaganda techniques within current affairs Recognise the linguistic features of propaganda used in the media and carry out a linguistic discourse analysis in several texts Analyse specific events in history using the ten-step plan of propaganda Comprehend how propaganda can be used within the media Class/Learning activities: The course includes a series of formal lectures, literature study, discussion exercises & group activities and presentations where students are expected to develop and demonstrate critical understanding and reasoning. Students are also required to write a final essay at the end of the semester. Workload Type of work Description Hours Lectures Thirteen 3-hour lectures 39 Independent study Study of compulsory and optional literature 61 Research Online Research 40 Active Learning Student in-class exercises/summaries 30 Written assignments Mini in-class exercises, Research essay ((2500-3000 words), In-class presentations (individual or group presentations) 120 Total workload 290  Assessment Type of assessment Learning outcome Impact on final grade Date of assessment Participation in group work and discussion 1-3 20% Regularly Presentation of group work 2-4 30% 11th– 13th week Written assignment (essay) 1-5 50% 13th week Bibliography – required reading Bahun, S. & Radunović, D. (2012). Language, Ideology, and the Human: New Interventions. In S. Bahun & D. Radunovi (Eds.). Routledge. Black, J. (2011). Semantics and Ethics of Propaganda. Journal of Mass Media Ethics. 16(2-3), 121-137. Ford, N. A. (1967). Language in uniform: a reader on propaganda. Odyssey Press. Herman, E. S. & Chomsky, N. (1988). Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. New York: Pantheon. Jenks, J. (2006). British Propaganda and News Media in the Cold War. Edinburgh: University Press. Jowett, G. S., & O’Donnell, V. (2015). Propaganda & Persuasion (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. Kamalipour, Y. R. (2004). War, Media, and Propaganda: A Global Perspective. In Y. R. Kamalipour & N. Snow, (Eds). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Klaehn, Jeffery 2002. A Critical Review and Assessment of Herman and Chomsky’s ‘Propaganda Model. European Journal of Communication. 17(2): 147–82. Marlin, R. (2013). Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion. Broadview Press. Miller, D., (2004) Tell me lies: propaganda and media distortion in the attack on Iraq. London: Pluto Press. Oyedokun-Alli, W.A. (2013). A Linguistic Exploration of Propaganda in Advertising in Nigeria. Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria. Volume 16(1 & 2), 63-72. Pratkanis, A & Aronson, E. (2001). Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Shabo, M. E. (2010). Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion. Prestwick House Inc. Sproule. J. M. (1997). Propaganda and Democracy: The American Experience of Media and Mass Persuasion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Stanley, J. (2015). How Propaganda Works. Princeton University Press.

MCC 400 | Communication Research Methods

Semester: A
ECTS: 10

Course Description This unit covers in detail the practice of research methods in the field of communication. Students will become familiar with developing the research question(s), formulating the research questions and hypotheses of their study, selecting participants and instruments. Moreover, they will explore the various designs that are used in quantitative (e.g. experimental and quasi experimental design, correlational design, surveys) and qualitative (e.g. interviews, focus groups) research. During these sessions students will learn how to select the appropriate research design depending on the area they wish to study and the analysis that is required for each set of data (quantitative or qualitative). A great emphasis is also given to the ethical issues in research methods. Course Objectives Understand the issues involved in the design of research in the field of communication Understand the strengths and weaknesses of each research methodology Formulate a clear research question and be able to write a research proposal Select the appropriate research technique to answer specific research questions in the field of communication Communicate and disseminate the research output Learning Outcomes After successful completion of the course students will be able: To perform effective literature search Το adopt a critical approach to existing scientific knowledge To set the appropriate goal and research questions To justify their methodological choices Το apply a variety of research designs To design a realistic research proposal Class/Learning activities Lectures, workshops, group work, in-class presentations, literature study, written assignments Workload Type of work Description Hours Lectures Thirteen 3-hours lectures 39 Independent study Study of compulsory and optional literature 30-40 Article Presentation Locate and present an article during class 25-30 Labs Develop, submit and present the materials required for each of the three labs 50-60 Research Proposal 3.000 words written assignment 90-100 Total workload 239-269 Assessment Type of assessment Learning outcome Impact on final grade Date of assessment Participation in-class discussion 2-5 10% Regularly Lab Presentations 1-4 20% 5th, 9th, 13th week Article Presentations 1-2 10% Regularly Research proposal 5-6 60% 15th week Required Reading Wimmer, R. D., & Dominic, J. R. (2013). Mass media research: An introduction (10 th ed). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Publishing Additional Recommended Reading Babbie, E. (2013). The basics of social research (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Baxter, L., & Babbie, E. (2004). The basics of communication research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning Berger, A. (2019). Media and communication research methods: An introduction to qualitative and quantitative approaches (5 th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approach (5th ed.). Thousand Oak: CA, Sage. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4rth ed.). Thousand Oak: CA, Sage Lindlof, T. R., & Taylor, B. C. (2017). Qualitative communication research methods (4rth ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Merrigan, G., & Huston, C. L. (2019). Communication research methods (4rth ed.). Oxford University. Mertens, D. M. (2015). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (4rth ed.). Thousand Oak: CA, Sage. Silverman, D. (2018). Doing qualitative research (4rth ed.). London: Sage.

MCC 402 | Qualitative Research Methods in Communication

Semester: B
ECTS: 10

Course description The course aims to introduce students to the conceptualization, design, and difficulties of qualitative research methods used in media and communication studies, including participant observation and digital ethnography, depth interviews, focus groups, historical analysis, discourse, thematic, visual and content analysis. Course objectives Develop an attitude of exploring inquiries, innovation and creativity, concerning the fields of journalism and popular culture Develop critical thinking skills to assess ideas, acquiring research skills, synthesizing knowledge across disciplines and applying academic knowledge to personal experiences throughout the media world. Develop research abilities through implementing qualitative methodological tools for investigating either the production/content of mediated messages or the audience responses to them. Learning outcomes Familiarize with the logic, design, and pitfalls of qualitative research in media and communication Apply general principles of qualitative analysis to accomplish and evaluate research in media and communication Associate major techniques of qualitative analysis to concrete research topics of interest. Class/Learning activities Lectures, group work, in-class presentations, literature study, written assignments.

EUJ 211 | Media and Diversity in Europe

Semester: A
ECTS: 10

Course Description The course seeks to introduce students to the concept of cultural and social diversity and analyze the role that media/journalists can play in the social construction, representation and understanding of difference and diversity. It focuses on issues of migration, race and ethnicity, faith and religion, gender, sexuality, age and disability and the way these issues are portrayed by traditional and new media. It also equips the students with practical skills that will enable them to produce a media product (a blog) on a topic related to social and cultural diversity. Course Objectives Analyze the concept of cultural and social diversity. Approach issues of migration, race and ethnicity, faith and religion, gender, sexuality, age and disability. Examine the role that media/journalists can play in the social construction and representation of diversity. Equip the students with practical skills that will enable them to produce a media product (a blog) on a topic related to social and cultural diversity. Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Define the core concepts of cultural and social diversity Critically understand the social and media structures and journalistic practices that impact upon issues of diversity Understand how media/journalism can contribute to combat negative stereotypes Offer alternative approaches to negative stereotypes through reporting Acquire the practical skills to engage in responsible media coverage of diversity. Class/Learning activities Lectures, workshops, in-class presentations, literature study, written assignments. Workload Type of work Description Hours Lectures Thirteen 3-hours lectures 39 Independent study Study of compulsory and optional literature 61 Research Online research 30 Workshops Exercises in the classroom 50 Written assignments-Presentations Written assignments a.    five short assignments (500 words) b.    essay (1.500-2000 words) c.    in-class presentations 120                                     Total workload 300 Assessment Type of assessment Learning outcome Impact on final grade Date of assessment Participation in group work and discussion 1-2 20% Regularly Presentation of group work 1-2, 5 20% 13th week Written assignments (short) 3-4 30% 4th-13th week Written assignment (essay) 1-5 30%    -13th week Required Reading Bibliography Aldrich, Leigh Stephens. Covering the Community: A Diversity Handbook for Media. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 1999. Biagi, Shirley and Marilyn Kern-Foxworth. Facing Difference: Race, Gender, and Mass Media. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 1997. Bradley, Patricia and Gail Collins. Women and the Press: the Struggle for Equality. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 2005. Broussard, Jinx Coleman. Giving a Voice to the Voiceless: Four Pioneering Black Women Journalists. New York: Routledge, 2004. Cropp, Fritz, Cynthia M. Frisby and Dean Mills. Journalism Across Cultures. Ames: Iowa States Press, 2003. Dijk, Teun Adrianus Van. Racism and the Press. New York: Routledge, 1991. Gutierrez, Felix, Clint Wilson and Lena Chao. Racism, Sexism, and the Media: The Rise of Class Communication in Multicultural America. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003. Keever, Bevery Ann Deepe, et al., eds. U.S. News Coverage of Racial Minorities. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997. Morgan, Arlene Notoro, Keith Woods and Alice Irene Pifer. The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006. Roberts, Gene and Hank Klibanoff. The Race Beat: the Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation. New York: Knopf, 2006. Toth, Elizabeth L. and Linda Aldorry, eds. The Gender Challenge to Media: Diverse Voices from the Field. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2001. Van Dijk, Teun A. Racism and the Press. New York: Routledge, 1991.

EUJ 210 | Research Seminar: Reporting Europe

Semester: B
ECTS: 10

Course Description This course encourages students to work and research on severalimportant political, economic, societal and global dimensions/challenges of Europe, which occupy a central position in the agenda of European Journalism. Students will work on investigative research projects/reports in small groups. In so doing, they will not only have to develop the plan, methodology and organization of the reports themselves, but will also present their research (during the term) and submit investigative reports (at the end of the term). Course Objectives The objective of this form of work and evaluation is twofold: that students enrich their knowledge about the economic, social, political and global contexts of Europe/European Union, and in so doing improve their analytical skills and insight by researching and scrutinizing a problem/challenge of the EU that students learn how to write investigative journalistic reports. Learning Outcome Upon successful completion of the course students will be able: To critically read, research and analyze the challenges of Europe/EU To enrich their knowledge on key economic, social, political and global processes of Europe/EU, To understand and communicate complex European/EU challenges/problems To write projects/articles reflecting a critical ‘European perspective’ Class and learning activities Workshops, group-work, class presentations, research and written assignments/projects. Guest speakers will also offer their perspective on the topics discussed in class. Workload Type of work Description Hours Workshops/guest speakers Ten 30 Independent study Research 50 Exercises and Presentations To be discussed and decided with the tutor of the course 100 Written projects To be discussed and decided with the tutor of the course 120 Total workload 300 Assessment Type of assessment Learning outcome Impact on final grade Date of assessment Written project 1-4 60% 13th-15th week Presentations 1-4 20% 11th- 13th week Exercises 1-4 20% Regularly Useful Links https://www.journalismfund.eu https://www.investigate-europe.eu/en/ https://eic.network https://cmpf.eui.eu/strengthening-journalism-in-europe/ https://ejc.net https://en.ejo.ch https://dataharvest.eu  https://www.icij.org

Optional

IP2300 | Writing for the Print Media

Semester: A
ECTS: NO

Course Description This advanced English course focuses on news (both hard and soft) and feature story writing for the print media. By combining theory and practice it introduces students to headline language, news story format, leads, the Associated Press stylebook and news writing techniques. The students also have the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills and to write personality features for the print media. Course Format This course will employ seminar lectures, discussions, and practical in- and out-of-class short assignments. Course Evaluation The course carries no ECTS and as such it has no formal assessment. There is an optional mid-term and final term test. Bibliography The Associated Press Stylebook (2015). Associated Press. Bagnall, Nicholas (1993). Newspaper Language. Focal Press. Dominick, J.R. (2010). The Dynamics of Mass Communications: Media in the Digital Age. NJ: Mac-Graw Hill Education. Harris, G. & D. Spark (1995), 2nd edition. Practical Newspaper Reporting, Focal Press. Itule, B. D. and D. A. Anderson (1989), 2nd edition. News Writing and Reporting for Today’s Media. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Keeble, R. (1994). The Newspapers Handbook. London and New York: Routledge. Mencher, M. (1994), 6th edition. News Reporting and Writing. Wm. C. Brown Publishers. Metzler, K. (1997). Creative Interviewing. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Stovall, J. G. (2009), 7th edition. Writing for the Mass Media. Boston: Pearson.

Accademic Writing Course

MCC 401 | Dissertation Research & Writing Skills

Semester: A
ECTS: NO

Course Description This course is designed to help graduate students with academic writing by developing the skills necessary to produce high quality work in term-papers and the end-of-year dissertation. The lectures, tasks and activities are richly varied, ranging from small-scale language points to studying the discourse of journalism, media, and communication. Topics to be dealt with include: writing expository and argumentative texts, writing summaries, introductions and conclusions, discussion of data, citing and attributing sources, researching and creating bibliographies. Students receive feedback on their writing and are expected to engage in self-editing and peer-reviewing. The course is highly recommended for students with little experience in writing academic papers and for those who need to brush up their skills in academic writing. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course students should be able to: Understand the features of academic writing Understand the basics of sentence, paragraph, and argument structure Use and evaluate sources, and compile a bibliography Use punctuation, in-text references, quotations, and footnotes Avoid plagiarism Write summaries/introductions/conclusions Write academic essays and their end-of-year dissertation Understand and participate in the processes of self-editing and peer-reviewing. Workload Type of work Description Hours Lectures Thirteen 3-hour lectures 39 Independent study Study of academic discourse 30 Written assignments Optional tasks on language points (grammar, vocabulary, style)  and on various types of academic writing 60 Total workload 129  Assessment Type of assessment Learning outcome Impact on final grade Date of assessment The course carries no formal assessment – – –