OAMW 2025 - MEDIA AND NARRATIVE CENTER - HOW THE MEDIA WORK

OBJECTIFS DU COURS / COURSE GOALS In this course, students will learn where news comes from, how information is verified, interpreted, and delivered, and how the media are funded and structured. Among other things, we will talk about journalism ethics and standards; the various roles in a newsroom; how reporters use their sources and how sources use the media; risks faced by journalists; and the ever-evolving business models and technologies used by media outlets. Descriptif du cours / Course description Session 1. The media and us, a state of disbelief | part 1: As trust in the media is sliding into the abyss, it seems necessary to explore our relationship with news to understand why this distrust is happening. What is information? What is “the news”? What is our daily consumption of news? Why are we seeking news when we do? Do we need to be informed or can we live a life without information? In that first session, we'll start by assessing the situation of news consumers and try to understand the complex dynamics that lay behind the moral disaffection that people have for news. Session 2. The media and us, a state of disbelief | part 2: As trust in the media is sliding into the abyss, it seems necessary to explore our relationship with news to understand why this distrust is happening. Are we all equal when it comes to accessing the news? Are the media outlets adapted to carry the news? What are the frictions that discourage some to be informed? What is the effect of underinformation? In that second session, we'll try to get a clearer picture of our current state of media by answering these questions. Session 3. Information, news and journalism | part 1: what it covers Journalism is an information-gathering technique. It relies upon certain rules to make sure the information is authentic, reliable, verified, and packaged well enough to be distributed at a large scale to the public. In that session, we'll try to define who is a journalist and who is not, as well as her/his role in the news ecosystem. Session 4. Information, news and journalism | part 2 : what it does not cover As communication techniques get more and more sophisticated, it becomes harder than ever to differentiate what we can call “proper news” from a piece of communication, propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, etc. In that session, we'll address the challenges of misinformation/disinformation and communication or propaganda. Session 5. Where do you get your information from? | part 1: legacy media Legacy media - TV, print press, and radio - are now joined by a myriad of other media that are all contact points between information and you. Some of these media are more trustworthy than others, more or less specialised, and financed in very specific ways. In that session, we'll see how the media industry is structured and we'll have a look at the new news landscape that is forming on the internet Session 6. Where do you get your information from? | part 2: new media Legacy media - TV, print press, and radio - are now joined by a myriad of other media that are all contact points between information and you. Some of these media are more trustworthy than others, more or less specialised, and financed in very specific ways. In that session, we'll see how the media industry is structured and we'll have a look at the new news landscape that is forming on the internet. Session 7. Midterm Session 8. The fast-changing media landscape | part 1: Media and social media The relationship between social media and legacy media has always been a tumultuous one. Soon after their creation, social media platforms started to drive more traffic and ad revenue than legacy media, draining away substantial forces from an already shaking industry. What is left from more than 15 years of competition? In that session, will have a look at the history of social media vs legacy media still believing and acting as if they were an essential part of the attention economy. Session 9. The fast-changing media landscape landscape | part 2: Biggest new challenges ahead. Many challenges are facing the media industry. Financial transparency and governance, compliance with laws and regulations (RGPD, VAT), digital security, gender inequality, salary discrimination, lack of social diversity and inclusivity, toxic management, and harassment. The list goes on. In that session, we'll take a hard look at the situation in the industry and see what could be done to overcome them. Session 10. The fast-changing media landscape | part 3: AI, Web 3, NFT, Metaverse, VR, is it the future ? The advent of a new type of web called the Web3 is announced by new tech players. What does that mean for the media? Is there room for evolution ? Will this kill the last remnant of the press? This session will explore the impact of future technologies on the media industry and ecosystem to see if they will help or destroy the current form of media. Session 11. Changing the future, aiming for desirable media Years after years, trust in the media is eroding faster than we can predict. The lack of trust should question our ways of carrying on operations. Considering the challenges ahead, the industry should probably think outside the box and look to become desirable again. In that session, we'll use prospective design tools to actually reshape the media landscape around new priorities or updated ones. Session 12. Final exam Modalités d'évaluation / Grading Students will be graded (out of 20). The criteria are the following: 1) Participation 10% 2) Homework 30 % 3) Midterm 30% 4) Final 30% Biographie enseignant / Biography A photojournalist for nearly 12 years and an award-winning web-documentarist, Gerald now works as a journalist-product manager specialized in editorial innovation. He has collaborated with various press companies such as Liberation, Condé Nast or Les Échos for the most recent ones. Gerald is editor of the Journalism.design website where he writes about the future of online press and the “Synth” newsletter specialized in synthetic media and deepfakes.

Gérald HOLUBOWICZ

English

Spring 2022-2023

Students will be graded (out of 20). The criteria are the following: 1) Participation 10% 2) Homework 30 % 3) Midterm 30% 4) Final 30%